https://www.theblock.co/post/212233/fox-entertainments-masked-singer-show-launches-token-gated-fan-experience?utm_source=news.xml&utm_medium=rss

Fox Entertainment and its web3 arm Blockchain Creative Labs are unveiling a new token-gated fan experience for the network's hit singing competition show “The Masked Singer.”

Holders of a non-fungible token, or NFT, called “Masked Singer Stars,” will be able to “watch exclusive content featuring behind-the-scenes and confessionals from this season’s contestants.” The NFTs will cost about $50 and there will be a limited supply of 1,050, Fox said in a statement.

Fans will need to win a chance to purchase the NFTs by scanning a QR code and then participating in interactive initiatives like voting on the contestants they think will advance. By participating, fans will be able to "level up their Loyalty Pass" and become eligible to buy the NFTs which will unlock additional exclusive content. The fan voting will not influence the outcome of the show, the media company said.

Fox and Blockchain Creative Labs’ move is one of the strongest examples of a Hollywood media company combining the popularity of an existing brand, blockchain technology and gamification in order to engage with fans. Fox’s strategy is to increase both fan engagement and the monetization of one of its top intellectual properties.

AMC Networks has also used blockchain technology to engage with fans by tapping NFT studio Orange Comet to help it create an online fan experience based on its hit show "The Walking Dead." Those NFTs have generated several million of dollars in trading volume, according to OpenSea.

“The Masked Singer” airs its season premiere Wednesday night. Now in its ninth season, the show has been a hit for Fox in the U.S., ranking as the nation's top unscripted TV show four years running with each episode scoring an average of more than 7 million “multi-platform viewers,” the company said in a statement.

Fox's Blockchain Creative Labs partnered with crypto infrastructure firm MoonPay to help launch the new token-gated fan experience.