2022 Australian Open has become the first major sporting event to come to the metaverse.
Tennis Australia and Decentraland Metaverse partnered in this historic endeavor, holding the event simultaneously in the virtual world, from January 17 to January 30th.
Some of the things replicated in the metaverse are the iconic sporting venues like the Rod Laver Arena, the Grand Slam Oval, and the New Beach Club.
“What the AO has been able to do with its IP, and the access and the trust they’ve given us is the reason why we’ve been able to push the boundaries this far.
And I think that’s a testament to IP that’s flexible enough to really take risks. It’s pushed the boundaries of what it could be because it’s easy to become complacent in what has already worked.”
Adam De Cata, Decentraland’s Head of Partnerships
This whole metaverse partnership came together in just 3 months, showing the determination of both sides to usher in this new reality to the world of sports.
A collection of 6,776 art ball NFTs were released in the run-up to the tournament’s opening date. That entire collection sold out in a couple of minutes.
The Australian Open has meanwhile committed itself to a long-term relationship with Decentraland.
