Why do people collect things? As humans, we regularly form attachments to objects connecting them to special memories and even people. We can even create a bond with items relating to artists, creators, sports figures, or authors because we find some element of ourselves in them. This explains a lot about the collector’s behavior but, how is it connected to NFTs?
Well, as it turns out NFTs are a great tool to complement fan culture. In fact, sports clubs and their fans have begun creating, collecting, and acquiring digital media as NFTs that represent all facets relating to the said sport, from teams to athletes, venues, and beyond. By doing, so they are collecting huge earnings coming from these NFTs. This nascent way of engaging with sports can potentially change the way fans live the sport themselves along with how they create a nuanced relationship with sports superstars.
TL;DR
- For many years, people have collected sports cards to connect with their favorite teams and also to be able to interact with the community of said same teams.
- NFTs act as proof of ownership to different items. In sports, they can represent exclusive items, sports-worthy moments, and all kinds of other sports memorabilia collectibles.
- NFTs have the right attributes to upgrade the experience of sports and monetize the assets surrounding them.
Why are sports paying attention to NFTs?
In the past, collecting sports cards was a way for fans to connect with their teams. Back then, fans would take the activity of collecting sports cards quite seriously. Part of the success of sports in NFT is based on the idea of traditional card collection. This is because the concept remains the same, the only thing that changed is that now, fans can continue to collect in the virtual space. They may get their hands on collectibles from their favorite teams, players, or even their favorite coaches in a more interactive way. What’s more, collectible NFTs enable the space for fans to become the building blocks for community building around sports teams, players, and organizations or institutions.
The main difference with NFTs collectibles has to do with their scarcity and exclusivity. As we know, no NFT is similar to another, so depending on its inherent qualities, its value may vary dramatically.
There are plenty of examples of sports NFTs. Let’s have a look at some of the ways NFTs can relate to sports.
Read more: What are the Steps to creating an NFT?
What kind of sports NFTs are there?
There are many examples of tokenized sports items fans can acquire and collect or exchange. Let’s see some of them:
Clips
These are video clips of iconic sports moments. They can represent special moments in a game, a competition, or anything related to the sport that may call fans’ attention.
Memorabilia
These include tokenized trophies, awards, and even autographs stored on the blockchain. Instead of having an autograph on a piece of paper, a t-shirt, or a cap, you have the chance to collect it as an NFT.
Trading cards
Some baseball, football, and hockey teams are releasing tokenized cards. This way, fans can strive to complete their NFT collection and obtain benefits as well.
Sports Kits
They can include socks, boots, wristbands, and whatever related item you can imagine. They are minted into NFTs and stored in a blockchain. Some of them can even be part of an avatar’s custom skin.
What do sports NFTs bring to the table?
NFTs have several attributes to upgrade the sports experience and monetize assets. They can be classified in the following way:
Direct connection with sports idols
Fans can obtain a direct connection with their favorite athlete or sports figure, thus eliminating all types of intermediaries and enhancing the fan experience.
Liquidity
Users are offered the chance to earn profits by trading NFTs in different marketplaces. With thousands earned through sports NFTs, this phenomenon is far from over.
In a nutshell
It’s not easy to predict how sports NFTs will evolve in the future, but one thing is certain: they are here to stay. We could say this is due to the effect on fans and the enhancement of their engagement with the sports they love. Leagues and sports clubs are offering fans more and more unique experiences and, as a result, NFTs are poised to continue their relevancy.
Blog Credits: Medium
