August 27 – Napster, the former illegal streaming music service that went legit and then morphed into a digital innovation giant, has agreed with Turkish football giants Fenerbahce, who similarly seem to live in the edge, to launch a 3D, AI-powered virtual store.
The Fenerbahce deal follows the launch of Benfica’s ‘immersive’ store with Napster. Fenerbahce’s store will be available exclusively through Fenerium, the club’s official retail platform.
The partners say that 90% of Gen Z identify as gamers and 82% of sports fans use mobile devices for content while watching events, “suggesting that gamified, interactive experiences are table stakes for young, digitally native consumers. Fenerbahçe’s virtual store is meeting the moment, offering fans a spatial game-like environment to interact with 3D models of products along with an embodied AI shopping companion that engages in multi-language conversations via real-time video chat.”
Key features include 3D merchandising via a branded locker room more than 50 products available; an AI-powered shopping assistant who fans can speak to via video with an embodied multi-lingual AI companion; and customisable Jerseys and other products within the platform.
Esin Güral Argat, Board Member of Fenerbahçe SK and Chairman of The Board of Fenerium said: “We believe in this initiative not merely as a commercial endeavor, but as a strategic step to deepen the emotional connection between our fans and the club in the digital sphere. With the launch of Turkey’s first 3D virtual store, we are bringing the in-store experience to the digital world.”
For Napster it is another step into the global sports and entertainment sectors which delivers large and passionate fan bases.
Sam Huber, CEO of MENA and Global President of Enterprise for Napster, said: “With over 150 million digital interactions tracked on our platform and more than 500 successful projects executed for iconic brands like Crate & Barrel, J.Crew, Laura Mercier and Swarovski, Napster is at the forefront of innovation, delivering scalable, data-driven solutions that help brands forge deeper connections with today’s digitally native and AI-savvy consumers.”
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