Attendees of the Super Bowl LVI will receive a souvenir NFT along with their ticket, as part of a partnership between the NFL and Ticketmaster.
The NFT will be marked with the fan’s unique section, row, and seat, according to a press release accompanying the announcement.
For the time being, the NFL is issuing NFTs as a “digital keepsake,” but it is evaluating the space “for future ticketing and event engagement opportunities,” said the league’s SVP of Club Business Development, Bobby Gallo.
“Collecting ticket stubs has always been something our fans love to do, especially for the season’s biggest game, and offering customized Super Bowl NFTs allows us to enhance the gameday experience,” Gallo added.
Alongside fans’ souvenir NFTs, the NFL is also releasing a series of seven historic commemorative NFTs in the run-up to Super Bowl LVI. One NFT will be released each day from February 6 to February 13, when an NFT featuring the current Super Bowl LVI ticket artwork will be released.
NFTs for the participating teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, have also been released; the winning team will also be commemorated with a final NFT after the game.
It’s not the first time the NFL and Ticketmaster have experimented with commemorative NFTs; last year, attendees of games from November through the end of the year were able to claim a “virtual commemorative ticket” as an NFT.
The Super Bowl is set to be something of a coming-of-age party for cryptocurrency, with a big advertising push from crypto businesses accompanying the event.
Crypto exchanges FTX and Crypto.com have both bought prestigious ad slots during the event, while rumors abound that Bored Ape Yacht Club could figure as part of the half time show, which features rappers Eminem and Snoop Dogg—both of whom own BAYC collectibles.
The exchanges’ advertising is part of a wider move into the sports arena.
FTX has signed a 19-year deal with the NBA’s Miami Heat to become its “official and exclusive” crypto partner, renaming the team’s home stadium the FTX Arena. The exchange has also inked deals with the Golden State Warriors, the Washington Wizards, and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.
FTX’s sports push has “penetrated more than anything else we’ve done combined, in terms of people’s perception of us,” CEO Sam Bankman-Fried told Decrypt‘s gm podcast.
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