David Arends, a New York Rangers fan, has never bought an NFT, but he has his favorite hockey team. Set of digital tokens To commemorate the retirement of legendary goalkeeper Henrik Lundukvist, he thought it could be a unique addition to his collection of jerseys, packs and other sports souvenirs. ..
Arends bought two NFTs for $ 20 each.A banner with the player’s name Lifted up Madison Square Garden where fans cheered. Arends later printed a screenshot of the NFT, framed it, and hung it on the wall next to the goalkeeper’s signed photo.
“I never exchange it or anything — like mine, I’m going to keep it,” Arends said. Decryption.. “For me, it’s sentimental.”
The world of sports is becoming more saturated with cryptocurrencies advertisementSponsorships and collaborations take place daily, which seems to be pushing more people into the Web3 space.
Recent Seton Hall University Investigation Of the 1,500 US adults, there is increasing duplication between sports fans and those who have purchased NFTs or cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Polls show that 57% of households with enthusiastic sports fans own digital assets, more than double that of households without digital assets, only 24%.
“We are in the early stages of cryptocurrency and NFT ownership, but sports fans are showing a real trend in engaging in these markets,” said Daniel Ladik, a marketing professor and research methodology at Seton Hall. I am.
Celebrities such as Matt Damon Anyone who appears in a commercial promoting cryptocurrencies probably has something to do with it.The Super Bowl is one of the most watched TV events of the year and this year’s game Spots included According to eToro, Crypto.com, and FTX seen at home by more than 100 million U.S. viewers. Nielsen..
More than just TV advertising, major crypto companies are also pouring money into sponsorship. Crypto.com Estimated $ 700 million Due to the naming rights of what was known as the Staples Center in Los Angeles.Exchange Signed a contract He played against the UFC in 2021 and became the first fight kit partner in the championship. The Crypto.com Lions Head logo is hung on the chest of the fighter uniform along with the center of the Octagon. (Since then, the UFC has also signed a logo agreement VeChain.. )
Non-substitutable tokenBlockchain-verified digital or real item ownership proof — connects businesses and sports leagues with fans, selling everything from ticket sales to sneaker photos. Video clip For collectibles.
The tradition of collecting baseball cards began in the late 19th century when they were packed with baseball players and paper cards displaying statistics. Cigarette pack As a sales promotion tool. For many fans now, collectibles are simply digitized.
Overall, Seton Hall polls show that most people who trade or own cryptocurrencies and NFTs are between the ages of 18 and 34 (42% of respondents) compared to those aged 55 and over (only 7%). was. The survey also found that men (47%) were more likely to own or trade cryptocurrencies or NFTs than women (14%).
“If managed effectively, NFTs can not only be a major source of revenue, but also a new way to connect with sports brand fans. In the digital age, interactive assets like NFTs , May promote owner fairness and sense of belonging. This is an important attribute of a brand’s success. “
The NFLNBA, and UFC Everyone stepped into the NFT space and worked with Dapper Labs to create the NFL All Day. NBA top shotAnd UFC Strike on top of Dapper’s Flow blockchain.
The NBA Top Shot is one of the first NFT projects to be blessed by a major sports league, with total sales of over $ 1 billion recently. Cryptoslam..
The Dapper Labs project is not the only sports-centric collection hosted by Flow.The consumer nature of blockchain NFT Genius Founder Jeremy created the Gia Marketplace and made it BallerzA collection of pixelated basketball players that primarily serve as PFPs (profile pictures).
“If we create more friction known in crypto space over the last decade, many of these people will be out of reach,” Born said. DecryptionBeing aware of some crypto wallets, which involve a complicated setup process, can turn off potential users. “It’s very scary for the average person to come in and try to understand MetaMask.”
Born emphasized that NFTs are driving the adoption of cryptography not only among sports fans but also among athletes themselves.
Among the people who took me to Proud Twitter NFTs are icons like Steph Curry and Von Miller.And tom brady has him Own NFT company Called an affiliated autograph Draft Kings Marketplace..
If the old “Flex” posted a photo posing in a luxury car or watch, Bourne would be the new status symbol for professional athletes. Bored monkey.. Not surprisingly, fans also want PFP flex.
Want to be a crypto expert? Make the most of Decrypt and send it directly to your inbox.
Get the biggest crypto news articles + weekly summaries and more!