Socios.com to Launch Historic First-ever U.S. Fan Tokens® with Five Major University Programs

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LSU, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State and Texas A&M become the first U.S. college programs to launch Fan Tokens® in partnership with Playfly Sports. A total of 30 college Fan Token ™ launches are targeted over the next 12 months — creating new opportunities for fans while generating revenue to support student-athletes through NIL programs. NEW YORK -July 21, 2026 – Socios.com, the leading sports tokenization platform, today announced its landmark entry into U.S. sports with the country’s first-ever Fan Token partnerships with five leading university athletic programs: Louisiana State University (LSU), the University of Maryland, Michigan State University, Penn State University and Texas A&M University. The agreements, completed by Fan Token Management (FTM) US, part of The Chiliz Group, in partnership with Playfly Sports, the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company, are the first of this kind in the United States and the first deployment of Fan Tokens® in college sports. Socios.com plans to expand the program to 30 university athletic departments over the next 12 months. This upcoming scale-out is key to ensuring collegiate Fan Tokens® benefit from the same network effects that make NCAA athletics so engaging. This emerging Fan Token ecosystem will also include performance-tied token supply gamification to create a sentiment marketplace for fans to interact with. The launch of the first US Fan Tokens® follows joint guidance from the SEC and CFTC in March 2026, which cited Socios.com as evidence and categorized its Fan Tokens as digital collectibles and digital tools. Fan Tokens® are utility tokens designed to provide fans with the ability to directly support their schools’ athletic programs while opening the door to new engagement experiences, rewards and access. Through Fan Tokens®, supporters can vote on fan focused decisions, participate in exclusive experiences, unlock unique benefits and connect with their favorite teams in new ways. Through Socios.com, these universities join a global network of more than 70 global sports organizations, including Arsenal, AS Roma, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, FC Internazionale Milano, AC Milan, Juventus, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Flamengo, and the national teams of Argentina, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Belgium. A meaningful proportion of revenue generated from Fan Token sales will go directly toward supporting student-athletes across college’s entire athletic department through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) programs, bringing a new layer of funding that is publicly visible, on-chain, and that provides a direct and transparent connection between alumni support and funding. In strict compliance with NCAA and conference rules, these NIL activations will be fully administered by Playfly Sports. Socios.com’s role is to contribute the Fan Token revenue, rather than operate an NIL fund. This innovative contribution model creates an entirely new, modern revenue stream for universities, improving the overall funding and long-term viability of college sports programs while ensuring student-athletes share in the value their communities create. The launch represents a significant milestone in the development of the convergence of sports, digital ownership and fan engagement, known as SportFi. As the leading sports tokenization platform, Socios.com provides fans access to sports digital assets, including Fan Tokens®, while delivering engagement opportunities, rewards, experiences and utilities linked directly to those assets. The company’s vision is to create a global fan network where supporters are active members of digital communities and can engage more deeply with the teams they love. “The United States is the most important sports market in the world, and college sports represents one of the most passionate and culturally significant fandoms anywhere,” said Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO and Founder of Chiliz and Socios.com. “These are the first Fan Tokens® in U.S. college sports and represent not only a new frontier for Fan Tokens® but also a new iteration of the established asset class. LSU, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State and Texas A&M represent some of the most passionate fan communities in global sports, and Fan Tokens® will provide fans, alumni and supporters everywhere with a new way to connect, engage and be rewarded for their fandom. At the same time, a meaningful proportion of Fan Token revenue will support NIL programs, creating a new source of funding for student-athletes and college athletics. We expect to expand this network to 30 universities within the next 12 months.” “We’re excited and proud to be partnering with Socios.com and bringing a global platform that already houses some of the leading and largest sports teams in the world to college sports,” said Craig Sloan, CEO of Playfly Sports. “Our university partners are always looking for innovative ways to engage their fans and create new commercial opportunities that positively impact the fan experience. This program accomplishes both objectives all while introducing a new revenue stream that can help support student-athletes through NIL initiatives. We believe many more universities will want to be part of this ecosystem as it grows.” Following this summer’s FIFA World Cup, Socios.com will be working closely with its college partners to define the new characteristics and new tokenomics for the first US Fan Tokens®, with a planned launch date before the end of the 2026 calendar year. The Chiliz Group is the leader in blockchain solutions for the sports and entertainment industry, pioneering the development of Fan Tokens™, the leading digital asset for sports. Chiliz also powers Socios.com , which functions as a secure and intuitive hub where users can access exclusive experiences, rewards, and opportunities from top-tier sports organisations—including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Juventus, and Inter Milan—to strengthen the connection and loyalty between brands and fans. The Chiliz Chain provides a trusted, decentralised infrastructure for brands, developers, and communities to build the future of the Web3 ecosystem. Playfly Sports, the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company, drives growth for its partners across the sports ecosystem – including 2,000+ brands, 100+ professional teams, 65+ college athletic departments, all U.S. local sports networks and associated streaming platforms, and other marquee properties. Its fan engagement platform allows its partners to reach and engage over 85% of all U.S sports fans. Playfly builds and implements custom strategies across media, sponsorship, premium experiences, ticketing and fan engagement offerings through proprietary data, innovative technology and compelling storytelling. Playfly operates an expansive portfolio of services with a data-driven and fan-focused approach to maximize revenue yield in key growth areas, such as media, sponsorship, ticketing, premium experiences and fan engagement offerings. Founded in September of 2020, Playfly Sports is now home to approximately 1,000 team members located across 43 U.S. states and internationally dedicated to maximizing the impact of highly passionate local sports fans. The company has been named a Best Place to Work in Sports by Sports Business Journal, Front Office Sports, and Newsweek. To learn more, follow Playfly Sports on social media platforms or visit www.Playfly.com

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Socios.com is entering the U.S. sports tokenization market by partnering with five major universities to launch the first collegiate fan tokens. The program is set to expand to 30 universities within the next 12 months, with revenue supporting NIL programs for student-athletes. By adhering to SEC and CFTC guidelines, these tokens are classified as digital collectibles, signaling the expansion of the SportFi ecosystem.

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The collaboration marks a strategic shift for Socios.com into the U.S. collegiate market. By integrating blockchain technology with university sports, the company is establishing a regulatory-compliant framework that legitimizes fan tokens as digital assets.

The scaling plan to include 30 universities indicates a robust growth strategy that could set a new standard for athlete monetization. As these tokens provide a direct bridge between fans and NIL funding, the ecosystem is likely to see increased adoption and engagement, bridging the gap between traditional collegiate athletics and digital finance.

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