One of the first in the North American Sports World, the New York Islanders, releases an NFT with real-world benefits.
The professional North American sports world is typically represented by the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Therefore, these big four leagues attract massive crowds and hold the most viewed sporting events every year. For example, according to Statista, the average tv viewership of NHL season opener games is 700,000.
Moreover, these big four leagues are usually always resistant to change compared to European leagues, for example, who have started to adopt Web3. However, we’re beginning to see that change.
As a result, “The Islanders” are the first teams to lead innovation in sports marketing. Partnering with Avalanche, “The Islanders” are releasing five different editions, some of which have real-world benefits.
The @OrangeCometNFT Marketplace is bringing elevated NFT experiences to #Avalanche, partnering with some of the top brands in sports, music and entertainment.
The first drop is tomorrow with the @NYIslanders to celebrate the opening of @UBSArena 🏒 https://t.co/ZHlO5VkFSG
— Avalanche 🔺 (@avalancheavax) November 19, 2021
What Do I Get From A NFT From the New York Islanders?
According to the annoucement, each NFT comes with different digital collectibles. The more expensive tiers receive more benefits.
Therefore, the most expensive tier is the New Era VIP Experience, which includes a full fan experience in the real world. The buyer will receive the following benefits:
- 2 VIP tickets to a future NY Islander’s home game at the UBS arena.
- VIP car service to and from the competition.
- Two customized official Islander’s Jerseys.
- Pre-game dinner with a NY Islanders Alumni.
- Post-game ON-ICE Photo opportunity.
The price of this ultimate fan experience is $10,000. However, the other tiers come for $250, $100, $50, and $25. On the other hand, the additional tier with IRL rewards is the $250 New Era Deluxe Package. This NFT comes with a chance at receiving one of 5 custom Islanders Jerseys. The rest of the tiers include digital collectibles.
The Reaction From The Sports World To NFTs
More than 3,000 @NYIslanders NFTs were sold in the first 48 hours with @OrangeCometNFT, launched to coincide with the opening of the @UBSArena. pic.twitter.com/GW1FOOitDp
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 22, 2021
Like you can see in the tweet above, this collection hasn’t sold out, but there has been a lot of hype. A possible explanation could be presenting itself as to ownership because when you purchase an Islanders NFT, it is not sent to your wallet. Additionally, buyers purchase these NFTs with a credit card, not cryptocurrency. Therefore, buyers cannot resell their NFTs, so anything other than the VIP experience is just a digital collectible.
On the other hand, the Islanders join the Milwaukee Bucks as the first major North American sports teams to take steps into Web3. As more teams begin to embrace NFTs, more teams expect to offer these collectibles to their fans. As a result, this creates a whole new layer on the fan experience, where fans will trade them with other fans worldwide.
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