NBA’s Detroit Pistons pair with rare circles for new NFT launch
The NBA’s Detroit Pistons pounced at the trade deadline, securing 2020 #2 draft pick James Wiseman as part of a 4-team trade. Wiseman had a fine performance in his Pistons debut, and now the team is back with another announcement over the NBA All-Star break, teaming up with NFT platform RareCircles for another digital fan engagement activation.
RareCircles and the Detroit club have launched ‘Pistons RareAccess’, a new gated fan experience using NFTs. The move shows a big investment from the team in building fan growth via web3 tools. Let’s take a look at what we know so far.
Pistons x RareCircles: Early stages
The NBA has done a good job of making the league a spectacle all year, but the most exciting time is undoubtedly the playoff push after All Star Weekend for the teams from the end of February until the playoffs start in June.
And while the club is very much in rebuilding mode, investing in a young core of high-potential prospects, including the aforementioned James Wiseman along with talents like Jalen Duren, Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and more, there’s plenty in the mix for Detroit’s flagship jumpers. While the team finds that there is a foundation to build around, it is finding new avenues for fan engagement in the meantime.
The RareCircles collaboration will offer a three-tiered approach with different levels of access: Legend Editions, All-Star Editions, and Starter Editions. It all starts with private “Huddle Sessions” with coaches, team managers and players, as well as limited edition merchandise and game day ticket giveaways. The move follows a growing number of NBA clubs looking to gain exclusive access and events via NFTs, allowing the club to simultaneously offer a digital collectible that has inherent recurring utility.
The Detroit Pistons will be teaming up with RareCircles for a new Ethereum-based digital collectible release. | Source: ETH-USD on TradingView.com
Crypto-native integration
RareCircles has helped Pistons with a particularly crypto-native approach, with the direct use of a crypto-hot wallet and Ethereum to access the NFTs. However, users can also use a credit card for transactions. This has been the common approach from both brands and teams engaging with digital collectibles – allowing crypto-first consumers to engage while still being consumer-friendly for the less crypto-savvy.
In a press release provided to Bitcoinist, Pistons Chief Revenue Officer Dan Lefton stated:
“We are always looking for ways to give our fans new opportunities to experience the Pistons like never before… Pistons RareAccess will bring fans closer to all the aspects of the Pistons that make NBA basketball a unique and exciting experience. We are excited to continue to innovating with our partners at RareCircles to provide Pistons fans with the most engaging and exclusive next-generation platforms.”
The move is the latest in culture-first thinking for a team that boasts rapper Big Sean as their creative director of innovation. Don’t be surprised to see more from the historic club going forward as elements of fan engagement via NFTs continue to grow.
