A mere few months ago, most eyes glazed over when it came to the topic of NFTs (aka non-fungible tokens). But that response began to change when high profile sports figures like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning became involved in this emerging industry.
Tom Brady moved into NFTs very early and in a big way when he co-founded Autograph, an NFT platform that is revolutionizing the experience of collecting. In the past, sports collectibles like football jerseys and baseball cards were sought and purchased by fans. But in a digital world that is now almost all-encompassing, digital collections and experiences are now taking off, and more and more high-profile people are joining in and supporting them.
Continuing that momentum and excitement, Autograph announced its new strategic relationships with global content leader Lionsgate and vertically integrated sports betting operator DraftKings Inc. In addition, Autograph disclosed their multi-year, exclusive NFT deals with sports legends that include Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Derek Jeter and Naomi Osaka. They will be joining Autograph’s Advisory Board with the goal of establishing Autograph as the official NFT partner of global iconic talent.
“Autograph brings users closer to the world’s most legendary sports and entertainment icons by working hand in hand with our partners to co-produce exclusive digital collections and experiences that can’t be found anywhere else,” said Dillon Rosenblatt, Co-Founder and CEO at Autograph. “Our team is dedicated to providing value to our users through an offering defined by creativity, simplicity and fun as we work to usher in a new era of digital collecting.”
Following this announcement and at summer’s end, sports-related, officially licensed Autograph NFT content will be sold exclusively on DraftKings Marketplace. It will be a digital collectibles ecosystem designed for easy access with curated NFT drops and secondary-market transactions. The expectation is for millions of customers to use the platform to buy, sell and trade digital collectibles across sports, entertainment and culture via their existing DraftKings account.
“The NFT boom has reinvented the collectibles industry and driven excitement to early-adopting audiences worldwide—including the DraftKings community,” said Matt Kalish, DraftKings co-founder and president. “DraftKings Marketplace will sit at the center of this technological and cultural phenomenon, providing our immense existing customer base with an easily accessible experience that rivals all legacy marketplaces.”
Expanding Autograph’s reach, Lionsgate is leading Autograph’s entertainment vertical with the launch of iconic film and television properties that include John Wick, Hunger Games, the Twilight Saga franchises and the Mad Men TV series.
Together, Autograph and Lionsgate will offer a range of creative products to entertain and engage fans and followers that Jenefer Brown, EVP & Head of Lionsgate Global Live, Interactive & Location-Based Entertainment, describes.
“NFTs present a tremendous opportunity for mixed-reality world building experiences, deepening user engagement and interaction and fostering a community for our hundreds of millions of global consumers to create one-of-a-kind digital collections and Autograph is the optimal destination for this discovery”.
DraftKings partnering with Autograph is one of a number of strategic collaborations combined with acquisitions that has propelled their growth since its founding in 2012. Creating a partnering relationship with Autograph during the early stage of NFTs aligns with their goal of being an innovative leader in sports and entertainment. This adds to DraftKings being the official daily fantasy partner of the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, PGA TOUR and UFC. Additionally, DraftKings also owns Vegas Sports Information Network, Inc. (VSiN), a multi-platform broadcast and content company.
“We are honored to partner with these powerful icons and marquee businesses, DraftKings and Lionsgate, as we announce Autograph’s expanded Advisory Board and exclusive NFT rights,” said Richard Rosenblatt, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Autograph. “As the nascent NFT market continues to develop, we are fortunate to enlist these leading partners with additional luminaries to be announced in the near future.”
