United States ice hockey team the LA Kings have launched a blockchain-based tool for tracking the authenticity of merchandise, executives confirmed in a press release on Feb. 20.

A partnership with augmented reality (AR) startup Pro Exp Media, the AR Authentication App provides a way for fans purchasing various items to know that their products are genuine.

The release did not reveal the technical workings of the app, but said it relied on various tests and would reject a piece of merchandise if it did not pass all of them.

“The LA Kings pride ourselves on innovation and a drive to be first in-market as it relates to our digital strategy,” the Kings’ senior vice president of business development and brand strategy, Jonathan Lowe, commented.

The platform marks a fresh departure for the U.S. major league sports industry regarding blockchain.

Various entities have sought to leverage the technology to obtain different results, but the Kings so far appear unique in their bid to target merchandise.

Lowe added:

“This utilization of AR and Blockchain in the sports memorabilia realm is truly a first of its kind but — more importantly — also adds extra layers of authentication and security to the many fans who have become customers of our Game-Used product.”

Unlike some other clubs worldwide, no mention was made of additional blockchain-based features appearing for fans, such as bespoke tokens.

As Cointelegraph reported, local baseball team the Los Angeles Dodgers had launched collectible tokens on Ethereum (ETH) last year.

The move was followed by similar announcements from European soccer clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.