Blackbird lends support to One Future Football's groundbreaking global virtual soccer league launch
chandni
One Future Football (1FF), a startup based in Melbourne, has introduced an ambitious project: the world's first global soccer league. The league, which begins today, showcases over 250 computer-generated players, each with their own unique backgrounds designed to resonate with fans from diverse cultures. These stories include players with diabetes and autism, aiming to create relatable connections with supporters. The league consists of 12 founding member teams situated around the world.
In a significant development, 1FF announced that it has successfully secured $3 million in pre-seed funding, with leading investment firm Blackbird Ventures at the forefront. Well-known strategic investors, including soccer players Chris Smalling, Patrice Evra, Jesse Lingard, and UFC fighter Kamaru Usman, have also joined the venture. Adding to the star-studded support network, tennis stars Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, and Ons Jabeur have signed on as brand ambassadors.
1FF's revolutionary virtual sports platform utilizes computer-generated imagery (CGI) and features 12 matches per week divided into two rounds. The matches, accompanied by immersive narrative-driven content, will be broadcast globally. The league follows a traditional format, with teams competing against each other in a league structure. The founding member teams represent various global locations, including London, Paris, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, India, Indonesia, and Japan.
The concept for 1FF emerged from the minds of serial entrepreneurs Peter Davis and Rohit Bhargava, who shared their participation in a Fantasy Premier League mini-league. Davis, known for his involvement in ventures like Ampjar and Get Glossy, possesses a background in sports and talent management. Bhargava, the founder of StageLabel and a former member of the AWS Startups Team, brings valuable expertise to the team. The co-founders' shared passion for football, coupled with inspiration from a thought-provoking BBC article on "faux football clubs," drove them to create a global football league that encompasses culture, fashion, and personal narratives. Bhargava elaborated, stating, "Football clubs felt like the perfect way to shape a narrative that people want to say about themselves because you can associate it with a geographic reason, causes like positive action in the climate sense, or even a style of play. As we delved deeper, we felt we could tap into trends around athlete investors and help build stories around each of the teams through them as well."
With the backing of Blackbird Ventures and an impressive roster of investors and ambassadors, One Future Football is set to redefine the convergence of sports, storytelling, and virtual experiences while captivating a global audience.
