The use of NFC is expanding throughout the sports world, as the ability to connect with fans while also certifying authenticity of the product are both attractive to the teams. For example, Identiv recently collaborated with the NHL’s Nashville Predators on a commemorative jersey for longtime goalie Pekka Rinne, as well as Spanish football club Atletico Mineiro.

Each time these NFC-related products, it seems that even more capabilities are added. Such is the case with Identiv’s latest project, a partnership with German Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln. Working with collectID, which specializes on jersey experiences, Identiv has delivered an NFC-enabled immersive fan experience for the German football club, providing NFC life-of-garment tags to provide fans with enhanced real-time match day access to exclusive digital content.

In this case, a digitized scarf was created. Identiv selected NFC tags featuring the highest security level based on NXP NTAG 424 DNA IC. The scarves can withstand more than 100 hot and cold wash and dryer cycles. The scarf took the place of a conventional or mobile ticket, providing entry to the stadium.

In addition, users were able to access exclusive real-time digital content during the match while also receiving rewards and offers, for example, fans with a registered scarf were invited to redeem a free pretzel in the second half.

Amir Khoshniyati, VP and GM Transponders, Identiv, noted that 1. FC Köln is leveraging the power of near field communication (NFC) to expand the fan experience in an innovative way.

“This customized consumer experience digitized soccer scarfs with an embedded NFC tag for the new Bundesliga (German professional association football league) season in what was coined an innovation game,” noted Khoshniyati.

“It was rolled out in a expansive format between the top team in the Bundesliga, 1. FC Köln and the top team in the Italian Serie A, AC Milan. Fans with the scarfs were greeted with many personal touch points throughout the game with the unique experiences on their mobile phones when engaging with the scarfs.”

Khoshniyati said that FC Köln created notoriety and increased fan engagement and brand awareness by launching this during one of the most popular games of the season.

“The high-attraction event coupled with unique fan experiences pre, during and post match, created much more engagement,” he said. “With the activation of the interactive scarf, 1. FC Köln could also make sure fans showed up in the club’s traditional team colors, securing their loyal fan base and commanding the home atmosphere.”

As has been the case in every NFC-enabled sports item, the fans have enjoyed the additional aspects brought by the technology.

“Fan feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and timing of the launch could not have been better,” Khoshniyati noted.

“The feedback received from supporters of 1. FC Köln was so positive that there will be similar activations in the future. We look forward to being involved in developing more fan engagement with 1. FC Köln,” added David Geisser, co-founder of collectID, in announcing the project.

“We’re taking the interactive sporting event experience to the next level of entertainment through digitization, security, and a sustainable approach with less reliance on printed tickets,” said Khoshniyati. “We see a big market opportunity with life of garment applications. We are well positioned with the proper tag design, encoding capabilities, best in class integration methodologies and proper formats of working with well-positioned partners. We’re focused on providing brands with the proper data and analytics from these customized interactions.”

It is likely that fans of other teams and other sports will be seeing NFC-enabled commemorative items in their future.

“We have started to expand into many sports,” said Khoshniyati. “Soccer and hockey have been prominently popular this year. We have also had history prior to this with the NBA in the Nike connect jerseys.

“The NFC-enabled technology can take the place of a conventional or mobile ticket, provide entry to a stadium, and also let users access exclusive real-time digital content during a sporting event and receive offers and rewards,” he concluded. “We have found a good niche in our life of garment secure authentication applications with this innovative and durable design.”