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🗓️ Saturday, 17th Jan 2026
👋 Hi, and welcome back to Licensing Radar - your weekly signal on where licensing is heading - decoded by RAD Worldwide.
After the first wave of fan tokens and blockchain partnerships, much of the sports industry quietly stepped back. The hype faded, fan attention dropped, and many deals stalled.
But this isn’t the end of blockchain in sports licensing.
What’s emerging now is a second-generation licensing reset — one that’s more disciplined, more fan-aware, and far more aligned with how fandom actually works. The shift matters because it signals a broader correction in how sports IP licenses technology-led fan engagement.
How sports rights holders are resetting fan token and blockchain licensing strategies — moving away from speculation-led models toward utility, access, and controlled fan participation.
Image Source: Fan Tokens
Why this matters for licensing:
The first wave of blockchain deals prioritised platform growth and hype over fan trust. That damaged brand equity and weakened long-term fan relationships.
Today, licensors are rewriting agreements to:
Retain control over fan data and narrative
Limit open-ended rights and financial exposure
Define specific, non-financial fan use-cases
Shorten licensing cycles to manage risk
This marks a shift from experimental tech licensing to infrastructure-based fan licensing — a far more sustainable model.
Key Learnings from the Fan Token Reset
1. Fan Tokens Didn’t Fail — Over-Promising Did
The issue wasn’t blockchain itself. It was positioning tokens as financial instruments rather than fan tools.
Fans disengaged when promised influence, ownership, or upside failed to materialise in their lived fan experience.
2. Fans Want Access, Not Pseudo-Ownership
The most effective new models focus on:
Proximity to the club
Priority access
Recognition and belonging
Not symbolic ownership or speculative value.
This reframes tokens as relationship tools, not assets.
3. Participation Works Best Without Responsibility
Early fan voting models asked too much of fans and delivered too little value.
Successful use-cases now limit participation to:
Cultural moments
Cosmetic decisions
Community-driven initiatives
Fans want a voice — not accountability for sporting outcomes.
4. Digital Identity Beats Financial Speculation
The strongest emerging use-case is tokens as:
Portable fan IDs
Loyalty passports
Proof of tenure and engagement
This aligns with how fandom actually functions — status is earned over time, not bought.
5. One Global Model No Longer Works
Fan token licensing performs differently by market:
Europe is cautious after early overexposure
LATAM remains strong due to mobile-first engagement
India requires a non-financial utility to scale
The Middle East demands localisation to build emotional stickiness
Licensing strategy must now be market-specific, not platform-led.
3. Strategic Takeaways for Licensors
Based on this reset, here are practical licensing learnings for clubs, leagues, and athlete IP holders:
License defined fan use-cases, not broad platforms
Specific access rights outperform open-ended experimentation.Separate technology rights from fan relationship ownership
Platforms should enable engagement — not own the fan narrative.Treat blockchain partners like infrastructure vendors
Think CRM and loyalty systems, not brand co-creators.Design for core fans, not crypto-native audiences
The most valuable fans are emotionally invested, not financially motivated.Use blockchain quietly, not performatively
Fans care about outcomes, not technology branding.
Closing Thought
Fan tokens are not a cautionary tale — they’re a licensing lesson.
They show what happens when technology partnerships move faster than cultural understanding and fan psychology. The next phase of fan engagement won’t be won by platforms launching loudly, but by rights holders rebuilding trust through well-structured, utility-led licensing.
At RAD Worldwide, we work with sports, entertainment, and creator IPs to design licensing and partnership strategies that protect fan relationships while enabling innovation — where structure follows culture, not hype.
If you’re reassessing your fan engagement, blockchain, or digital licensing strategy, let’s talk.
👉 Connect with RAD Worldwide to explore smarter, fan-first licensing models built for long-term value.
About Me
I founded RAD Worldwide to help IP reach its fullest potential, transforming ideas into products, partnerships, and experiences that connect with fans globally. With over a decade of experience in licensing, IP expansion, and go-to-market strategy across sports, entertainment, and creator-led brands, I’ve built fan-first strategies and global partnerships across the UK and India, turning IP into long-term value.
🖋Nilesh Deshmukh
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