Online searches for ‘Ronaldo NFT’ exploded 206% worldwide on November 15, analysis of Google search data reveals.
News broke that the legendary footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo launched his first Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) collection, which is set to be unveiled on Friday, November 18 in collaboration with Binance Marketplace.
The partnership will be the start of the multiyear collaboration with one of the largest crypto exchange platforms and one of the most iconic professional athletes on the planet.
Reports by CoinGecko reveal that as soon as the launch was announced via Twitter by Ronaldo, fans caused an explosion of searches on the web to find out more about his new partnership with Binance.
Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Co-founder of CoinGecko, Bobby Ong, said celebrities’ influence and popularity are important tools for driving the success of NFT projects.
“Fans and followers want to spend on collectibles and experiences created by their favorite stars, and this includes digital collectibles, like NFTs,” said Mr Ong.
The report further states that over the past few days, searches for ‘Ronaldo’ have also increased by 191% in the UK and 47% worldwide.
“Searches for ‘Binance’ in the UK saw an explosion of 499% due to fans’ curiosity to know more about the cryptocurrency marketplace,” read a statement in the report adding that, “Over the past seven days, Google searches for ‘celebrity NFTs’ increased by 1,251% worldwide.”
However, demand for Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous number 7 Manchester United shirt has dropped 78% this month, based on worldwide Google search data.
Fair Betting Sites have been tracking demand data around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s Manchester United shirts after clips emerged on Sunday of the Portuguese international’s exclusive interview with Piers Morgan.
Less fans are now inclined to buy the star’s number 7 shirt as Google searches for it fell by as much as 78%, reducing the commercial viability at Manchester United massively.
Manchester United should expect to see a drop in commercial status and revenue amid the situation, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s powerhouse name a staple across the world of football.
The relationship between the player and club will likely never be the same, with Ronaldo’s next destination likely to bring an influx of revenue and global status on board.