We are on the cusp of a new era, an era where fans can directly support their favorite content creators. A few weeks ago, a world-class professional esports team took a giant leap when they announced the release of the Immortals fan token.
The Immortals fan token is the first major step in this direction, signaling a shift towards a more creator-focused economy. In this article, we explain what the Immortals fan token is, why you might want to buy one, and the broader implications of this announcement on the wider esports community.
The Immortals fan token is a digital asset that can be used to vote on team decisions, access exclusive content, and receive rewards. Each $IMT token is fungible and ERC-20 compliant, which means it can be stored in any Ethereum wallet. As of this writing, tokens will be available for $2 through a Fan Token Offering scheduled on Wednesday, October 19th.
Are you wondering why you should buy an Immortals fan token? We don’t blame you. Fan tokens are a relatively new concept and haven’t yet broken into the mainstream.
Even though fan tokens aren’t widely used, one main reason to own one is the benefits.
According to their press release, Immortals says that token holders will receive the following:
This token promises an elevated and more engaging fan experience for any die-hard fan of Immortals.
We think the Immortals fan token is a significant step forward for the world of esports. Fans have been on the sidelines for too long, unable to impact the teams they love directly.
With the Immortals fan token, fans finally have a way to show their support and have a say in team decisions. This is a huge step forward for the Immortals organization and sets a precedent for other esports teams to follow.
By releasing a token that can be tied to tangible benefits and traded on marketplaces like Opensea, token holders will have an entirely new way to support their favorite team and benefit financially should the price of $IMT increase.
Despite all the positive aspects of releasing a fungible fan token, we should think about the limitations of such a token. Each Immortals fan token is fungible, meaning it is impossible to tell the difference between any two tokens. Because of this, Immortals cannot offer tiered fan experiences.
If they had decided to release non-fungible tokens (NFTs), they would have been able to offer different perks on an individual token leave. While this may not have been a motivating factor for Immortals, it would have been interesting to see them curate better experiences for fans willing to pay more money for more exclusive tokens.
The Immortals fan token signals a shift towards a tokenized creator economy. For years, content creators have turned to centralized platforms like Twitch and Patreon. While these platforms provide resources for creators to monetize, they can change their revenue share policies at any time. Twitch’s recent subscription payout policy changes show how a small change can dramatically impact a creator’s earnings.
The Immortals fan token provides a new way for content creators to monetize their work. By releasing a fan token, Immortals is giving their fans a way to support the team financially directly. This type of direct financial support from fans can provide a stable source of income for content creators immune to any platform’s policy changes.
In addition to the financial implications of this decision, we see this move as a signal that prominent players in the esports space are looking to offer their fans unique experiences.
Immortals fan token holders receive many benefits. Of these benefits, we see several (merchandise raffles and player meet-and-greets) that continue what many esports organizations have been doing for years.
We also see them introducing a new kind of benefit that brings the fan into the team experience. Benefits like voting rights in exclusive polls allow fans to have a say in everything from merchandise design to pivotal team decisions. Team Liquid has demonstrated that this strategy increases fan engagement and attracts new fans to the team. Immortals are taking this concept further by doing it in a way that allows the free trade of these voting rights. We’re not exactly sure how this will affect the outcome, but we’re excited to see it!
Immortals is an early mover in the space. However, when other esports organizations and prominent creators see the success of the Immortals fan token release, we’ll see others following in their footsteps.
