Dapper Labs, creators of NBA Top Shot, is to launch a similar project for the National Football League where users will be able to buy and sell NFTs of NFL sports highlights.
After funding $250m this past week, launching an NFT market for the NFL was a key move in funding further NFT projects across sports.
In what is a shrewd business move, the NFL and the NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA) will possess an equity stake in Dapper Labs per the agreement.
The marketplace for the NFL-based NFTs is set to launch before the end of the current football season in January 2022.
Dapper Labs also own the crypto derivative exchange FTX who signed an endorsement deal with Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones. Jones is one of a number of athletes to have partnered with FTX with NBA star Steph Curry and NFL great Tom Brady acting as brand ambassadors with the exchange.
The deal with the NFL makes Dapper Labs the NFLPA’s second-largest source of digital licensing revenue, second only to the EA Sports ‘Madden’ video game series.
Athletes entering crypto market
With the cryptocurrency market constantly increasing in popularity, we’ve seen countless athletes invest in the industry and in a few cases, attempt to get paid in crypto.
In May 2021, then-Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie attempted to tokenise his $34m contract but he was unsuccessful in his attempt but has since launched an app called Calaxy – aimed at content creators who wish to create personal crypto tokens.
NFL veteran Russell Okung, a proud crypto-head, led a Bitcoin meetup for beginners back in 2019 and was vocal about the potential of Bitcoin in sports.
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