The St. Louis Blues have partnered with Rank + Rally, DBK Studio, and Mantis XR to launch Blues Experiential Reality (BXR), North America’s first Metaverse shopping experience in sports and live entertainment.
The first phase will debut in time for the Blues’ 2022 playoff run, and will include an immersive Metaverse experience that can be accessed through web link from any device without the need for additional hardware.
Fans can go behind the scenes of the legendary hockey team by visiting a 3D, photorealistic locker room
Fans can access BXR by going to stlouisblues.com/xr or by scanning QR codes found on the concourse and in STL Authentics spots at Enterprise Center. Initially, the retail assortment comprises four recently released Series Six line products – three t-shirts and one sweater – as well as the Blues’ home, away, Winter Classic and vintage jerseys.
“We are delighted to unveil our virtual locker room and deliver fans a new purchasing journey using immersive reality,” said Matt Gardner, St. Louis Blues Vice President of Innovation and Digital Strategy. “As we all prepare for a future world driven by metaverse-style experiences, it’s excellent to have innovators like Mantis XR, Rank+Rally and DBK Studio to work with us in establishing a foundation in this sector.”
“The Metaverse is such an exciting concept because it has so much untapped potential to give fans deeper access to their favorite teams, both physically and digitally, that has never before been possible,” said Andy Lansing, President and CEO of Levy, the parent company of Rank + Rally and DBK Studio. “The playoffs, when excitement is stronger than any other time during the year, is the right opportunity to take this initial step into an imaginative new world. We’re ecstatic to be collaborating with the St. Louis Blues to actually pioneer a new approach to communicate with and engage fans.”
“Rank + Rally and the St. Louis Blues both recognize that you have to meet fans where they are,” Mantis XR Founder/CEO Kahlil Ashanti remarked. “Our team at Mantis XR has greatly enjoyed working with them to provide Blues Experiential Retail, a first-of-its-kind, dynamic, social-commerce driven 3D metaverse experience without the need for downloads, wearables or 360 cameras. This is just the first step of our cooperation, and we have more in store.”
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