The Future is Now for Zetly and Fans of Sports
WARSAW — A Polish company called Zetly Fueling Sports (Zetly.io) is changing the way sports fans, many of whom are also sports bettors, are engaging with their favorite teams.
To get a better understanding of how the future is now for Zetly and its clients, Gambling 911 recently sat down with Zetly Fueling Sports Chief Executive Officer Michal Glijer at the company‘s headquarters in the Polish capital. And all of this is being done through blockchain, specifically the BSV Blockchain.
Here is a transcript of that interview:
Gambling 911: What is Zetly and what does it do?
Michal Glijer: Zetly Fueling Sports is an innovative sports platform that engages fans through modern technology. The company's main objective is to support sports clubs by leveraging digital assets to increase fan engagement. The platform enables partners to create digital collections and generate new revenue streams. Zetly responds to the growing expectations of today's sports fans, who want to be more involved in sports events than just watching games. With Zetly, fans can experience sports in a new digital way, opening up new opportunities for interaction, experience and monetization in the world of sports.
G9: Can you be more specific about what services you offer?
MG: We are a sports fan engagement platform focused on connecting sports fans with their favorite teams and athletes. Our primary mission revolves around enhancing the fan experience in the world of sports. Our platform is designed to foster community engagement and support for sports fans, ensuring they have an exciting and interactive connection with their favorite teams and athletes.
G9: Can you tell us more about the Zetly platform?
MG: The involvement of fans is of great importance for the development of a sports organization. Planning the model of our platform and its functionality was a key issue. Our platform uses cutting-edge technology, relying on digital assets that can create a new model of fan, which we call "Fan 24/7.” This allows the fan not only to buy and sell their digital collections, but also to actively participate in the life of their club through the functionalities provided by the platform. Today, most clubs are limited to monetizing their fans' behavior on match days, but we are changing that because Zetly's tools allow our partners to monetize fan engagement all-year round.
G9: Is your company involved with blockchain technology?
MG: Yes. Zetly is actively working with blockchain technology. Simply put, blockchain is a decentralized and transparent digital ledger that records transactions across a network of computers. It ensures that data is secure, immutable and accessible to all parties involved. Zetly is leveraging this technology to create secure and trustworthy interactions for our users, improving the overall sports fan engagement experience. Our use of blockchain technology helps maintain data integrity, authenticity and transparency, building trust among our users and stakeholders.
G9: Are you also involved with so-called Digital Collections?
MG: Yes. Digital Collections are innovative solutions in sports that are revolutionizing the way we manage digital assets in the world of sports. Digital Collections are collections of all data, such as photos, video clips or other content related to sports events. These collections are linked to blockchain technology, which means they are immutable and impossible to forge, which gives them value and authenticity. NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are produced in this ecosystem. These are the original digital tokens, which are authenticity and digital equipment. With blockchain technology, the history and provenance of NFTs can be transferred, making them valuable collectibles. The importance of Digital Collections and NFTs in the world of sports in the near future will be enormous. Fans can collect and exchange digital sports assets with their favorite clubs and players, creating a stronger bond between them and the teams.
G9: Where do you see your company five years from now?
MG: In five years, we envision Zetly to be not only the largest sports fan engagement platform in Central and Eastern Europe, but also one of the most significant players on a global scale. Our vision is to redefine the way sports fans connect with their favorite teams and athletes, creating a vibrant and interactive community that transcends borders and traditional barriers. We expect Zetly to achieve remarkable growth, both in terms of user engagement and partnerships with sports organizations, enabling us to reach fans around the world. Our goal is to provide fans with an unparalleled experience where they can engage, support and stay connected to the sports they love in innovative and exciting ways.
G9: You recently attended the World Football Summit Europe in Seville, Spain. What was that like?
MG: We were privileged to be a conference partner alongside Transmira. The main reason for our participation was to introduce and showcase the game-changing Digital Twin technology to the football (soccer) industry. The experience at the Summit was truly enlightening and exciting. It was a unique opportunity to connect with key stakeholders, experts and enthusiasts in the football world. The level of enthusiasm and innovation at the event was palpable and reaffirmed our belief in the transformative potential of Digital Twin technology. During the Summit, we had the opportunity to share our vision and demonstrate how Digital Twin technology will revolutionize the football industry. We received valuable feedback, insights and interest from various parties, including football clubs, organizations and technology innovators. Attending the World Football Summit Europe was an enriching experience that allowed us to showcase our Digital Twin technology and connect with like-minded individuals who share our passion for transforming the football industry. We are excited about the possibilities and positive impact this technology will have on football and look forward to driving this innovation forward.
G9: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Zetly?
MG: Zetly is a pioneering sports fan engagement platform operating in the Web3 space. Our core mission is to transform the way sports fans connect with their favorite teams and athletes, creating an interactive and immersive experience. In the Web3 space, we leverage cutting-edge technologies to build a vibrant and user-centric community for sports enthusiasts. Through our platform, fans can engage, support and stay informed about the sports they love in innovative ways. We are committed to enhancing the fan experience and fostering a deeper bond between fans, teams and athletes. We believe that the future of sports fan engagement lies in Web3 technology, and we are committed to being at the forefront of this exciting transformation. At its core, Zetly operates in the Web3 space, revolutionizing the way sports fans engage with their passion and deepening their connection to the sports they love.
G9: What are the company’s core values?
MG: We are fan-centric. We prioritize the fan experience, empowering sports enthusiasts to connect with their favorite teams and athletes. We are innovative. Our commitment to innovation drives us to leverage Web3 technology for an immersive and cutting-edge platform. We are global. Zetly fosters a global fan community, breaking down geographic barriers to unite sports fans around the world.
G9: How did the idea for the company come about?
MG: The idea for Zetly was born from the convergence of several critical factors that highlighted the need for a transformative fan engagement platform. It was motivated by a genuine passion for football and a desire to improve the fan experience. We observed a lack of fresh and innovative ways for sports fans to engage with their favorite teams and athletes. Traditional fan engagement methods were no longer sufficient to meet the expectations of a new generation of tech-savvy sports enthusiasts. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the limitations of traditional fan engagement, particularly the limitations of in-person events. Fans were looking for new ways to connect with their teams, even when they could not physically attend games. It also became clear that we were on the cusp of a significant shift toward tokenization, where digital assets would play a central role in the fan experience. We realized that Web3's technology offered a unique opportunity to create a global fan engagement platform that transcended local boundaries. This realization was not just about creating a fan engagement platform; it was also about supporting the beloved teams and athletes that we, as sports fans, hold dear. We saw the potential to build a sustainable ecosystem that could benefit clubs, fans and athletes alike. In short, Zetly was born out of a passion for football and a desire to usher in a new era of fan engagement. We were motivated by the changing landscape of fan expectations, the rise of tokenization and the potential for Web3 technology to revolutionize the fan experience on a global scale while supporting our beloved teams. Zetly sees itself playing a pivotal role in driving the broader adoption and understanding of Web3 technology in the years to come. As a fan engagement platform, our contribution extends beyond sports to influence the broader Web3 landscape. Zetly's user-friendly approach to Web3 technology introduces fans to blockchain and decentralized systems without the need for deep technical knowledge. This ease of use encourages fans to explore and embrace the benefits of Web3 technology. We are committed to raising awareness of Web3 through educational initiatives and informative content. Our platform will serve as a valuable resource for fans and stakeholders interested in understanding the technology and its potential. Zetly's tokenized fan engagement introduces fans to the concept of digital ownership and incentivizes them to learn and adapt to Web3 technology in an interactive and fun way. Our global reach and cross-border engagement showcase the real-world applications of Web3 technology. By connecting fans worldwide, we demonstrate how Web3 can bridge geographic boundaries and foster a sense of community. Zetly actively collaborates with other Web3 innovators and blockchain projects, contributing to the growth of the broader ecosystem. These partnerships allow us to explore and integrate the latest advances in Web3 technology. In essence, Zetly's role in fan engagement extends beyond the sports arena, serving as a catalyst for the adoption and understanding of Web3 technology. Through user-friendly experiences, educational efforts, tokenized engagement, a global community and strategic partnerships, we are dedicated to bringing the benefits of Web3 technology to a wider audience.
G9: What are some of the challenges your company has faced?
MG: As a relatively young company, Zetly has faced several challenges in the technology industry that have tested our resilience and determination. Overcoming these hurdles has been critical to our current success. We began our journey during a bear market in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry, which created funding challenges. Venture capitalists were understandably cautious. However, this environment encouraged us to be resourceful, bootstrap our operations and seek alternative sources of funding, which allowed us to move forward. The sports industry has traditionally lacked familiarity with Web3 and blockchain technology. Overcoming this challenge required extensive outreach and education efforts. We invested in informational content and engaged with sports stakeholders to demonstrate the benefits of these technologies for fan engagement. Building Web3 solutions is a process that takes time and patience. We resisted the temptation to prioritize short-term gains over long-term impact. Instead, we focused on building a robust, easy-to-use platform that would stand the test of time. The negative narratives in the mass media about cryptocurrencies and Web3 were a challenge. We addressed this by actively promoting the positive aspects of the technology, highlighting its benefits and addressing concerns to build trust among ordinary people, sports fans and clubs. In summary, Zetly's journey as a young company in the technology industry has been marked by navigating bear markets, bridging education gaps, prioritizing long-term goals and dispelling misconceptions in the mass media. Through perseverance and a commitment to our vision, we've overcome these challenges to reach our current level of success. These new technologies will be with us for many years to come. Sports clubs need to be ready for a new era in which the digital function of the asset becomes increasingly important. By working with Zetly, clubs can be at the forefront of this technology and create a future sport that is more interactive and engaging for fans. It's a great opportunity for everyone, and one not to be missed. We care deeply about sports and we hope that you will think of new technologies as a twelfth player, an enabler of development, not an add-on. The world is changing, people's behavior is changing and the expectations of new generations of fans are evolving, so embrace innovation because it is the key to a better future for sports. As pioneers in this market in Poland, Zetly and Transmira together provide the tools to engage your fans like never before, make data-driven decisions and usher in a new era of sports entertainment. We are here to partner with you on this journey and together we can create a sports landscape that is more dynamic, connected and exciting than ever before.
G9: Finally, can you tell us a little about your personal background?
MG: I am a seasoned entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in marketing, project management and investment. I started my career as co-founder of More Than Explore, an event agency specializing in organizing business meetings and events for major companies in Europe. I have a degree in economics and sports management and have explored a variety of fields. In addition to being an entrepreneur, I am a traveler and a former basketball referee. My motto is “Opportunities don't happen, we create them,” which reflects my approach to business and life.
By Tom Somach
Gambling 911 Chief Correspondent
