Fan Tokens as A Financial Source and Digital Marketing Tool in Football: An Analysis with The Entropy-Based Waspas Method

Abstract

Considering that the revenues of the five most important leagues in Europe reached 15.6 billion euros in the 2020-2021 season (Deloitte, 2022), it is clear that the competition in football, whose global economic weight is gradually increasing, is no longer just limited to the sporting field but has expanded to include financial and marketing efforts. The concept of "token" is taken as a tool that can display fan-oriented experiential and financial efforts combined in the context of current developments, which will be seen as the reflection of the digitization process on football. This study analyzes the activities of 'fan tokens' belonging to thirty-six different football clubs listed on the coinmarketcap.com crypto asset instant information platform, in terms of market value, 90-day return, change from the highest value (1 Year), number of exchanges traded and watchlist. (watch list)”, it aims to analyze by using Entropy in the determination of criterion weights and WASPAS methods in the multi-criteria decision-making process. The global reach of the football economy and the extent of the audience it appeals to reveal the necessity of studies to be carried out in the relevant field. Therefore, as a result of this study, which was prepared with the aim of contributing to the literature for current practices, the fan token with the highest efficiency value belongs to the 'Paris Saint-Germain' club, and the related club is followed by the 'Lazio' and 'Santos' clubs; it has been determined that the club with the lowest efficiency value is 'Bayer 04 Leverkusen'.