Sports teams are finding that NFC and collectibles are an ideal match. Whether its jerseys or other merchandize, teams are using NFC to bring their fans specialized contents, including videos and special offers, while also proving authenticity.

With its NFC-enabled tags, Identiv is a leader in the sports memorabilia segment, utilizing collectID’s blockchain technology to bring new experiences to fans. So far, Identiv has brought its technologies to a variety of teams including Atletico Madrid in La Liga, 1. FC Koln in the German Bundesliga, the Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL), among others.

You can add French Ligue 1 football club ES Troyes AC to the list. In partnership with collectID, Identiv is digitizing its 2022-23 season jerseys. The tags feature a digital ID, authenticated by a non-fungible token (NFT). After a successful pilot project with players’ jerseys in May 2022, ES Troyes AC expanded its engagement with collectID to include all home, away, and goalkeeper jerseys sold to fans during the 2022-23 season. ES Troyes AC is now the first club in France to offer these NFT-authenticated jerseys to their fans.

Working with collectID, Identiv’s NFC tags, featuring NXP NTAG424 DNA IC, are embedded into the jersey. The tags can withstand more than 100 rigorous hot and cold wash cycles and heated dryer cycles.

The tag gives Troyes fans the opportunity to unlock bonus features, including special promotions and giveaways and video highlights, as well as providing product authentication. Fans can also access a shopping channel, while the club can gather user data.

“Our technology allows ES Troyes AC to connect with their fans in a more personalized and meaningful way, and we look forward to seeing how Troyes fans respond to this dynamic digitized experience,” said David Geisser, co-founder of collectID.

Amir Khoshniyati, VP and GM IoT, Identiv, said that the theme of authentication and immersion of consumer experience for fans and enthusiasts makes sports ideal for NFC.

“Through digitization we are bringing the brands, teams and consumers together digitally through physical items,” Khoshniyati observed. “The beauty of these embedded applications is that they live with the lifecycle of the product and can be used for current and upcoming seasons. The teams can change their experiences, weekly, daily even every few minutes.”

Meanwhile, ES Troyes is happy with the new NFC-enabled capabilities.

“They are receiving great feedback and it is leading to more interactions through their online store,” Khoshniyati reported.

It is likely that North American fans will be seeing NFC-enabled memorabilia more frequently as well. In one notable example, the NHL’s Nashville Predators released a limited-edition goalie Pekka Rinne retirement jersey, while Identiv has also stitched NFC tags into National Basketball Association (NBA) jerseys, which allows the user to connect to the Nike Connect app that provides team information, Twitter feeds and Spotify playlists.

“We are now witnessing adoption across sports spanning soccer, NHL and even the NBA,” said Khoshniyati. “We see this spanning into more use cases across regions, sports and various memorabilia items.”