AC MILAN AND MONKEYLEAGUE PARTNER TO BRING WEB3 ESPORTS FOOTBALL INTO THE BIG TIME

AC Milan is delighted to announce a new partnership with MonkeyLeague, a AAA-quality, web3 football game built atop of the Solana blockchain, becoming the Rossoneri’s new NFT Gaming Partner.

MonkeyLeague is a strategy-based football game, in which users build and manage their own dream team of at least six MonkeyPlayer NFTs (striker, midfielder, defender and goalkeeper), compete against real players, and climb the league ranks. The game economy is centered around an in-game currency, MonkeyBucks ($MBS), and in-game assets that hold value in and out of the game.

The new wide-ranging, strategic, and design partnership between MonkeyLeague and AC Milan includes the creation of exclusive, Rossoneri-branded NFT game assets, wearables, special game tournaments, co-marketing events, and a host of other exciting initiatives, such as club players playtesting the game.

As part of the deal, MonkeyLeague will work closely with the Italian Champions to launch a new collection of branded AC Milan NFT game assets, including new MonkeyPlayers, skins and Stadiums. The first and more exclusive batch will be auctioned on 6 October on MagicEden, with the NFTs going to the highest bidders. Some of the highly-sought after AC Milan MonkeyPlayers to be auctioned will come with physical AC Milan jerseys signed by the entire Club.

In addition, MonkeyLeague will launch its initial MonkeyPlayer NFT breeding season in partnership with AC Milan where AC Milan branded assets can randomly come out through the breeding process. There will also be additional NFTs available, including in-game Stadiums and land.

The partnership marks a significant new growth phase for the entire MonkeyLeague community and fits perfectly in MonkeyLeague’s mission to bridge web2 and web3. For AC Milan, the new partnership with MonkeyLeague is part of a wider Web 3.0 strategy that sees the Club working with experts to create unique digital experiences for its fans, which aim to give them more access, more ownership and bring them even closer to their beloved Club.

Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer of AC Milan commented: “We are thrilled to kick off this partnership with MonkeyLeague, a collaboration that allows us to strengthen our positioning in the field of digital innovation. We are particularly proud to be the first football club to partner with MonkeyLeague, bringing this game to our supporters around the world and offering them a new innovative way to engage with their favourite team.”

Oren Langberg, Head of Marketing & Partnerships at MonkeyLeague said: “Partnering with champions like AC Milan, an absolute iconic Club throughout football’s history, is another testament to what we are building and where we are headed as a game and game studio. It also represents a key step in our plans to bridge the Web2 and Web3 worlds.”

The partnership will also see AC Milan sponsoring a number of high-profile future MonkeyLeague esports tournaments that will bring together the game’s best players from around the world to play in hotly-contested matches, with the winners taking home exclusive rewards. At the same time, there will be promotions galore, with prizes including VIP match tickets to some of the biggest games at Milan’s legendary San Siro stadium, and signed AC Milan shirts and other gear.

The game itself will benefit from the input of some of AC Milan’s biggest stars, as a number of squad players take part in playtesting the game and providing feedback and guidance to ensure the gameplay is as realistic and engaging as possible.