Retired NFL players have the opportunity to tap into new revenue streams, including NFT collectibles for fans, through the NFL Alumni Association’s new partnership with Aventus. The company that a Dot parachain will use the name, image and likeness of retired players to create NFTs of those who opt for the new offer.
NFL alumni is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the National Football League, but independently operated, and includes thousands of former players, coaches, front office executives, spouses and cheerleaders. The organization helps former professional players with discounts on travel, healthcare and legal representation, as well as speaking opportunities.
NFL Alumni CEO Brad Edwards, a former safety who played nine NFL seasons from 1988 to 1996, said Declutter that he sees NFT collectibles as an evolution of athletes monetizing their memorabilia and traditional trading cards by selling them to fans.
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“Often someone draws [physical memorabilia] and then sell it, then they’ll see it popping up for resale. It is on a secondary market and the player has done all the work but has not received any rights or rewards for what is rightfully his,” Edwards said. Declutter. “We certainly think blockchain technologies – the authentication, protection and ownership of property and those rights – make sense for us.”
The NFTs are expected to depict on-field moments of retired players, so an Edwards collectible, for example, could capture his memorable two-interception game for Washington in Super Bowl XXVI to beat the Buffalo Bills.
Fans who collect the tokens will have access to benefits such as signed physical merchandise or “metaverse-based” experiences and video content from retired players, as well as the ability to vote on features related to future NFT drops.
Edwards expects approximately 50 to 100 players to attend an upcoming NFL Alumni meeting in Dallas later this month, where he expects to begin the process of onboarding players who want to create collectibles for the NFLA’s new marketplace with Aventus.
“We’re trying to make sure that the preponderance of those funds goes back to the players. Sometimes as much as 70% goes back to a player,” Edwards said of the typical revenue splits of NFL alumni deals.
The NFL already has a number of NFT initiatives with various partners. Dapper Labs launched NFL all day with the league in 2022 serving as a marketplace for video-based digital collectibles from active players, while Mythical Games features NFL players in its NFT-powered mobile football game, NFL Rivals. DraftKings, meanwhile, has a partnership with the NFL Players Association (but not the league itself). an NFT-based fantasy football game with cash prizes.
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The league was responsible 82 out of 100 most-watched U.S. television broadcasts in 2022. NFL game broadcasts and programs regularly feature former players as commentators and analysts, which Edwards believes will drive demand for their collectibles.
“That fame continues to fuel the popularity of former players,” he said.
Retired players turned broadcasters include quarterback greats Peyton and Eli Manning, who together broadcast “Monday Night Football” games on ESPN. The brothers launched one NFT artwork series in April 2021, while Peyton invested in sports and entertainment NFT startup Candy Digital later that same year.
Tom Bradyconsidered one of the greatest NFL players of all time, has signed a contract to broadcast NFL games on TV for Fox Sports beginning in 2024. Brady co-founded his own NFT startup called Autograph, which $170 million early 2022 in collaboration with the PGA Tour, ESPNAnd DesignKings. However, Brady was also a spokesperson for collapsed crypto exchange FTX.
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But those great legends have an easier path to post-career fame and continued success. There are thousands more players who are on the other side of a professional football career without a gig, and who may need the organization’s help – and she believes NFTs can help these players benefit from their legacy.
“There’s such a ready-made market for that Hall of Fame, highest-level athlete in the food chain. It’s all around them, they don’t have to look for it,” Edwards said.
“Where we really serve our members is with players, some of whom we didn’t even have acquired players – they may have been in training camp for a year or two,” he added. “We serve a lot more ‘meteors’ like me, as opposed to stars like Tom [Brady].”
