Ben Strack

<div id="highlights-block_62704a8e9d83b" class="highlights">
 <ul>
 <li>DraftKings seeks to continue delving deeper into the NFT space by “aligning with Web3-centric partners”</li>
 <li>The company launched its first in-house NFT collection in March ahead of the NCAA’s college basketball tournament</li>
 </ul>
 
</div>



DraftKings has teamed up with NFT company <a href="https://metabilia.io" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Metabilia</a> as it looks to continue capturing what the company considers to be rising demand for digital sports collectibles.&nbsp;



The sports betting company is set to release NFTs featuring some of the youngest Major League Baseball stars as part of the collaboration. The collection includes NFTs of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Shane Bieber, Wander Franco, Joe Musgrove and Fernando Tatís Jr.&nbsp;



Called NFT Membership collectibles, owners will be rewarded with various event-based NFTs throughout the season, which will correspond to milestones or accomplishments for the respective athletes.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-medium"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="300" height="300" src="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-20874" srcset="https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg?w=300 300w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg?w=150 150w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg?w=257 257w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg?w=261 261w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg?w=219 219w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg?w=80 80w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg?w=50 50w, https://blockworks-co.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Vlad-Platinum-1-300x300.jpg?w=609 609w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure></div>



“DraftKings will continue to push its footprint within the NFT industry by continuously aligning with Web3-centric partners to produce curated content that resonates with our DraftKings users,” a spokesperson told Blockworks.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“[We will focus] on providing unique experiences and collectibles in the sports and entertainment space and a frictionless way for our users to interact with those.”</blockquote>



DraftKings Marketplace, which the company launched last August, will be the exclusive distributor of Metabilia NFTs. The marketplace was already the exclusive distributor of sports-related NFT content from Autograph, a company co-founded by Tom Brady.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Metabilia has multi-year partnerships with franchises in the NFL and NBA and has direct deals with more than 40 athletes.



&#8220;At Metabilia, we are focused on delivering NFT collectible programs that deliver high-quality benefits for the long term, and our Membership NFT programs allow fans to show their support for a young athlete and be a part of his or her journey,” Metabilia CEO Joseph De Perio said in a statement.



DraftKings Marketplace has incorporated many iconic sports stars on its platform, including Derek Jeter’s first-ever NFTs ahead of his Hall of Fame induction last year.



The company <a href="https://cms.blockworks.co/draftkings-links-nfts-to-legacy-products-in-web3-push/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">launched its first in-house NFT collection</a> in March ahead of the NCAA’s college basketball tournament.



The <a href="https://marketplace.draftkings.com/lp/2022-college-hoops-nft-collection" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022 College Hoops Collection</a> was the first within a planned Primetime NFT Series that will drop around other major sporting events, Beth Beiriger, DraftKings’ senior vice president of marketplace operations, told Blockworks at the time.



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DraftKings Continues NFT Push With Metabilia Partnership

<div id="highlights-block_6230791f4bdeb" class="highlights">
 <ul>
 <li>Sports will be a main driver for blockchain adoption, and digital collectibles are an important part of that process, DraftKings exec says</li>
 <li>The company is paying close attention to the blockchain gaming space as play-to-earn models gain momentum</li>
 </ul>
 
</div>



DraftKings is launching its first NFT collection developed in-house, Blockworks has learned, as the company expects sports to be a mainstream driver for blockchain adoption.



The Boston-based sports betting company is launching the NFT (non-fungible token) series in time for the NCAA’s college basketball tournament, which tips off Tuesday and runs through April 4. 



“Few times on the sports calendar can match the drama and spectacle of March’s college basketball tournament, which is why we chose this month-long event to initiate this new digital collectibles program,” DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish said.



The <a href="https://marketplace.draftkings.com/lp/2022-college-hoops-nft-collection" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022 College Hoops Collection</a> is the first within a planned Primetime NFT Series that will drop around other major sporting events. Beth Beiriger, DraftKings’ senior vice president of marketplace operations, told Blockworks that the company could launch future NFT collections alongside the NBA Playoffs and the Super Bowl.



The launch comes after DraftKings unveiled last August its digital collectibles marketplace, which offers curated NFT drops and supports secondary-market transactions. It announced at the time that it would be the exclusive distributor of sports-related NFT content from NFT platform Autograph.&nbsp;



Beiriger said that the new NFT series marks the first time the company is connecting digital collectibles to its legacy products. The 2022 College Hoops Collection NFT holders will be eligible to receive DraftKings site credit to place bets and enter pools, brackets and contests across its sportsbook and daily fantasy offerings.



Collectors holding all eight NFTs within the collection will receive a ninth NFT after the NCAA championship game that will give them early access to the next Primetime NFT Series drop.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“We see sports as a mainstream driver for blockchain adoption, and digital collectibles are an important part of that early onboarding process,” Beiriger told Blockworks.</blockquote>



“Between cashless concessions within stadiums, online ticketing and much more today, consumers have already been conditioned for the ongoing digitization of sports as NFTs further advance this trend,” she added.



The company is also paying close attention to the blockchain gaming space as play-to-earn models gain momentum, Beiriger said.



The company expects to debut an NFT-based fantasy game ahead of the next NFL season. An agreement with the NFL Players Association grants DraftKings licensing rights for the league’s active players.



<h3>Polygon partnership</h3>



DraftKings also announced last week that it was partnering with infrastructure platform Zero Hash to stake digital assets it holds in its treasury to support the Polygon (MATIC) blockchain network. The news builds upon the company’s <a href="https://www.draftkings.com/about/news/2021/10/polygon-and-draftkings-enter-into-a-strategic-blockchain-agreement/?wpsrc=Organic%20Search&amp;wpaffn=Google&amp;wpkw=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.draftkings.com%2Fabout%2Fnews%2F2021%2F10%2Fpolygon-and-draftkings-enter-into-a-strategic-blockchain-agreement%2F&amp;wpcn=about&amp;wpscn=news%2F2021%2F10%2Fpolygon-and-draftkings-enter-into-a-strategic-blockchain-agreement%2F" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previously disclosed partnership</a> with Polygon.



“As a validator, DraftKings will become an even more active participant in the Polygon ecosystem, playing a critical role in guaranteeing the integrity of the blockchain and securing the network,” Polygon Co-Founder Sandeep Nailwal said.



<h3>Drafting Web3 talent</h3>



Amid the crypto initiatives and plans, the company is seeking to onboard talent within the space, job postings indicate.&nbsp;



DraftKings is seeking a senior Web3 engineer for its NFT marketplace, for example, that will help the company “build and expand our blockchain infrastructure to ensure the scalability and availability of the entire platform,” according to its website.



The company is also looking for a fraud specialist to work on investigations related to cryptocurrency, blockchain and the NFT marketplace, as well as ensure compliance with anti-money laundering regulations.&nbsp;



Though the company has made moves to directly onboard blockchain, crypto and NFT experts, such as through its acquisition of Scarcity Labs last year, it is scouring all industries for people who can help DraftKings grow.&nbsp;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“The crypto space is still so nascent and rapidly growing that we do not want to miss out on premier talent by focusing solely on crypto natives,” Beiriger said.</blockquote>



“Just as we want to onboard customers through mainstream accessibility, we want to attract a diverse talent pool from a range of native professional backgrounds or transferable skill sets.”



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