The NFL Alumni Association's new partnership with Aventus with the NFL Alumni Association will offer players the opportunity to tap into new revenue streams, including NFT collectibles for fans. The firm, which is part of a Polkadot parachain, will leverage the name, image, and likeness of retired players to create NFTs for those who opt for its brand's new offering.
NFL Alumni, a non-profit organization that is connected with the National Football League, spans thousands of former players, coaches, front office officials, spouses, cheerleaders, and other former players. Former pro players can benefit from discounts on travel, health care, and legal assistance, as well as opportunities like speaking gigs.
NBA alumni CEO Brad Edwards, a former safety who played nine NFL seasons from 1988-1996, told Decrypt that he views NFT collectibles as an evolution of athletes monetizing their memorabilia and traditional trading cards through selling them to fans.
The NFTs are expected to depict on-field moments from retired players-so an Edwards collectible, for example, could captured his iconic two-interception game for Washington in Super Bowl XXVI to beat the Buffalo Bills.
The tokens can be exchanged for benefits such as signed physical merchandise or'metaverse-based' experiences and video content from former players, as well as the ability to vote on features related to future NFT drops.
Edwards expects about 50 to 100 players to attend an upcoming NFL Alumni event in Dallas later this month, where he expects to begin the process of onboarding players who want to create collectibles for the NFLA's new marketplace with Aventus.
NFL alumni deal revenue splits are typical of NFL alumni deals, Edwards said.
The NFL has many NFT initiatives that have been carried out with various partners. Dapper Labs launched NFL All Day with the league in 2022 as a platform for video-based digital collectibles of active players, while Mythical Games offers NFL players in its NFT-backed mobile football game, NFL Rivals. Lastly, DraftKings is collaborating with the NFL Players Association for an NFT-based fantasy football game with cash prizes.
The league accounted for 82 of the 100 most-watched U.S. television broadcasts in 2022. The NFL's game broadcasts and programming frequently depict former players as commentators and analysts, which Edwards expects to fuel demand for their collectibles.
Retired former players include Peyton and Eli Manning, who broadcast games together on ESPN. In April 2021, Peyton and his brothers launched an NFT artwork series, while Peyton later that same year invested in sports and entertainment NFT startup Candy Digital.
In 2024, Tom Brady, regarded as one of the best NFL players of all time, has signed a contract to call NFL games on TV for Fox Sports. Brady co-founded his own NFT startup, Autograph, which raised $170 million in early 2022 while working with the PGA Tour, ESPN, and DraftKings. Brady was also a spokeswoman for collapsed FTX exchange.
But those famous names have an easier path to post-career success and continued success, he said. There are thousands of more players who find themselves on the other side of a pro football career without a plum gig, who may need the assistance of the organization, and it believes that NFTs can help those players benefit from their legacy.
s such a ready-made market for that Hall of Fame, top-of-the-food-chain type of athlete. It's all around them, they don't have to go looking for that, Edwards said.
My meteors like me, as opposed to stars like Tom [Brady].