The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and sports betting giant DraftKings have revealed a plan to launch unique gamified NFL non-fungible token (NFT) collections, that will debut on the DraftKings Marketplace during the 2022/23 NFL season.
The plan will allow DraftKings to have full licensing rights for every football player in the NFL, allowing them to use their names and likenesses for the purposes of the gamified NFL player NFTs.
This will be the first time in the history of sports that a major sports organization has partnered with one of the sports technology companies to integrate gamified NFTs into their product, as NFTs continue growing in popularity worldwide.
“The future of fandom is unfolding in front of us, and few organizations beyond DraftKings are as equipped to capitalize on the increasing intersection between sports and NFTs that will be cornerstones of engagement and entertainment within Web3,” said Beth Beiriger, Senior Vice President of product operations for DraftKings Marketplace.
“We will continuously adapt, innovate and seek progressive collaborators like the NFLPA and OneTeam to reach early adopters among fanbases and ultimately introduce these next-generation products to the masses.”
Upon the launch of the NFTs in 2022, customers should be able to buy and sell the NFL NFTs, as well as use them within the game to compete against others.
The football-themed NFTs will be powered by Polygon, and varying degrees of rarity and tiers of quality are expected to exist, making particular NFTs more valuable than others.
DraftKings has already begun collaborating with Polygon to provide proper blockchain solutions to use on their platform, which should enable lower transaction fees and expanded capabilities.
“The NFLPA strives to be at the forefront of innovative new products, and the emerging landscape of digital entertainment that creates excitement among players and fans. We look forward to integrating NFL players into DraftKings’ NFT experience to create authentic connections for avid fans,” said Sean Sansiveri, General Counsel and Head of Business Affairs at NFL Players Inc., the marketing and licensing arm of the NFLPA.
The deal between the NFLPA and DraftKings was facilitated by OneTeam, the company that takes full care of NFLPA’s digital marketing.
What is the DraftKings NFT Marketplace?
Last July, DraftKings announced the upcoming launch of a digital marketplace that would allow their customers to buy and sell NFTs using their existing credentials with the popular sports betting and fantasy sports platform.
The DraftKings Marketplace was facilitated by Autograph, an NFT platform co-founded by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Tom Brady.
Back then, DraftKings announced the launch of the first NFTs collection with their Pre-Season Access, which included a number of sports stars who were already partnered up with Autograph.
Now, we can expect to see brand new collections of NFTs available for trading, as the operator launches NFL-themed games on their platform with the exclusive licensing rights obtained from the NFLPA.
DraftKings’ also has existing partnerships with a number of major sports organizations apart from the NFL. We can expect the DraftKings Marketplace to become one of the biggest for NFT trading in the US, with MLB, PGA, UFC and more NFT collections likely to come in the near future.
