Quick take:
- NFT holders will be able to place bets in DraftKings site.
- DraftKings plans to release an NFT-based fantasy game ahead of the next NFL season.
- The company is currently looking to hire Web3 talents.
American sports betting company DraftKings announced today the launch of its first NFT collection that is fully created in-house.
Named ‘Primetime NFT Series’, the project consists of several drops set for key moments throughout March’s college basketball national tournament. The first drop is the 2022 College Hoops Collection, which launches just in time for the tournament.
“DraftKings is already deeply embedded within the biggest moments in sports, and the new Primetime NFT Series will further drive engagement while also providing rewards that bridge to our gaming offerings for the first time,” said Matt Kalish, co-founder and president of DraftKings North America. “Few times on the sports calendar can match the drama and spectacle of March’s college basketball tournament, which is why we chose this monthlong event to initiate this new digital collectibles program.”
Holders of all eight editions of the 2022 College Hoops Collection will be airdropped a ninth commemorative NFT as a reward for collecting the full set following the championship game.
This airdrop will grant collectors priority access to the next Primetime NFT Series drop.
With each drop, collectors will be eligible to receive DK Dollars, which are site credits that can be used for gameplay across all parts of DraftKings’ digital sports entertainment and gaming ecosystem, like sportsbook and daily fantasy.
Speaking to Blockworks, Beth Beiriger, DraftKings’ senior vice president of marketplace operations said that this is the first time that DraftKings is connecting NFTs to its products. Holders of the 2022 College Hoops Collection NFT can use their rewards to place bets and enter pools, brackets or fantasy contests this season.
Exclusive 1/1 editions of all eight collectibles will be auctioned off concurrently on DraftKings Marketplace’s recently launched auction platform.
With the 2022 College Hoops Collection kickstarting the Primetime NFT Series, fans can expect future drops centred around major sports events globally.
The NFT launch follows several Web3 initiatives from DraftKings over the past year including an upcoming NFT-based game alongside the NFL Players Association as well as becoming one of the first corporate validators on the Polygon blockchain.
With other Web3 initiatives to come, DraftKings is currently seeking talents within the space. Its careers page shows job listings for a senior Web3 engineer for its NFT marketplace. In this role, the candidate will “develop a suite of WEB3-empowered front-end applications that power modules across the DraftKings ecosystem.”
DraftKings is also looking to hire a crypto/NFT fraud specialist, who will investigate fraud related to crypto, blockchain and the company’s NFT Marketplace.
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