NHL launches NFT Marketplace for Hockey Collectibles

The National Hockey League has great NFT plans and it is ready to share most of them with the world.

The NHL, along with the Alumni Association and the Players’ Association, announced on Thursday that they have partnered with the NFT platform Sweet to create a unique NFT marketplace and collections of NFTs – unique blockchain tokens that mean ownership.

David Lehanski, the league’s executive vice president for business development and innovation, said Decrypt in an interview that the NHL’s marketplace will fall somewhere between a full-fledged NFT trading platform and a website that offers NFT drops for a limited time.

The NHL wants to give fans a bit of both, and build an NFT marketplace with exclusive drops. The NHL’s Sweet Marketplace is expected to go live in October, in time for the start of the 2022-2023 season.

But there’s also a bit of a gameplay here: the NHL wants to gamify NFTs with “search and collect” features so fans will get involved and can be rewarded with benefits like other NFTs, Lehanski said Decrypt.

Some of the NFTs will also be dynamic and change over time, depending on a player’s performance. NFTs will also be “cinematic game highlights from past and present NHL seasons” or surprise packages of NFTs that can be viewed in “3D interactive trophy rooms,” according to a statement.

As for which blockchain it will build on, Lehanski said the NHL was not quite ready to share. But if Sweets offer is any indication, it may be on Polygon or Tezos.

“We look at everything,” Lehanski said, adding that “low gas taxes” and “environmental sustainability” are priorities for the NHL when it comes to choosing a blockchain.

It is worth noting that the NHL is one of the last major professional sports organizations to enter the NFTs, following the intervention of the NBA, with Top Shot NFTsNFL, with one “Play and own” NFT gamesand MLB, with its forthcoming NFT games.

“It was definitely a lot of temptation to potentially move very quickly […] but we thought it was a bit short-sighted, ”Lehanski said of the NHL’s approach to NFTs, adding that in his view it was worth the effort to take the time to examine calculations such as fan behavior. “NFTs have long-term viability as relevant and meaningful products for fans, especially when it comes to digital collectibles and games.”

But Sweet boss Tom Mizzone told Decrypt that NHL’s NFTs will not only be aimed at NHL fans who are new to crypto – experienced NFT collectors will also be able to participate in a way that feels at home to them.

“It will have an absolute appeal to it you a culture, “he added,” but not to the point where it excludes broader customer bases that are just fans. “

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