DraftKings has partnered with the NFL Players Association to expand the
offerings of its marketplace via gamified NFL player NFTs.
The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, in collaboration with sports betting operator DraftKings Inc., announced
the launch of a gamified nonfungible token, or NFT, collection to drop
on DraftKings Marketplace during the 2022–2023 NFL season. Starting next
year, fans will be able to play NFT-based games featuring their
favorite NFL Players, according to the company.
OneTeam, the
official media business partner of the NFLPA, helped facilitate the deal
with DraftKings, giving them the necessary licensing rights to use the
name, image and likeness for active NFL players.
In a statement shared
on the DraftKings website, Beth Beiriger, senior vice president of
product operations for DraftKings Marketplace said, “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 Web 3.0.”
The DraftKings Marketplace went
live this past August with its inaugural Tom Brady NFT collection in
partnership with the NFT platform co-founded by Brady, himself, called
Autograph. Besides NFTs, Brady further displayed his backing of crypto
by giving a fan 1 BTC for his 600th touchdown pass.
The announcement suggested that DraftKings’ upcoming NFTs will enable
customers to buy and sell collectibles via the Polygon network, and use
them within games against other players. The goal of the DraftKings’
NFT experience is to “create authentic connections for avid fans,”
according to Sean C. Sansiveri, general counsel and head of business
affairs at NFL Players Inc., the marketing and licensing arm of the
NFLPA.
Last month, the NFL also entered
a collaboration with Ticketmaster to tie NFT collectibles to select
game tickets when purchased, emphasizing the pro sports league’s broad
adoption of blockchain technology.
source link : https://cointelegraph.com/news/draftkings-marketplace-plans-to-launch-gamified-nft-collection-next-nfl-season
