Quick take:
- Mercury will also create PFL’s digital collectibles.
- The NFTs can be purchased with credit cards or cryptocurrency.
- Professional Fighters League is the second most popular mixed martial arts league globally.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced today that it is joining forces with NFT solutions platform Mercury to operate PFL’s NFT marketplace as well as create digital collectibles.
Mercury has built white-label platforms for sports properties, universities, and leagues, providing long-term solutions for sports leagues to create and sell NFTs. Services by Mercury include platform design and build, NFT strategy, creative and release, platform hosting and maintenance, community setup, moderation and management.
“Mercury is focused on ushering in an entirely new way to follow and support your favorite sports teams and athletes,” said Mercury CEO Porter Grieve. “Partnering with widely-recognized innovators like the PFL is key to our mission to reimagine the fan experience using web3 technology.”
PFL’s digital collectibles are expected to go on sale ahead of the 2022 Regular Season beginning on April 20 across ESPN networks and streaming platforms. Neither PFL nor Mercury have revealed what exactly the NFTs will represent. The NFTs can be purchased using credit cards or cryptocurrency at a to-be-announced subdomain.
“The marketplace will serve as an integral part of the PFL community and accentuates our strategy to leverage blockchain technology to build deeper engagement with our global fanbase,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “PFL features the best fighters in the world and we’re excited to work with Mercury to give MMA fans and collectors cutting-edge ways to connect with our star athletes.”
PFL saw a 100% audience growth in a breakthrough year in 2021, and has signed a multi-year renewal with ESPN this year. With its upcoming Challenger Series on Fubo Sports Network has generated widespread buzz, PFL has added several leading brands to its blue-chip sponsorship portfolio.
The mixed martial arts (MMA) league is the second most popular MMA league globally. PFL features a roster of elite fighters with 25% of its fighters independently ranked in the top-25 of the world, including 2021 PFL champions Ray Cooper III and Movlid Khaybulaev.
Its live event coverage is screening in 160 countries on leading distribution platforms, reaching more than 600 million MMA fans globally.
PFL joins mixed martial arts organisation UFC in launching digital collectibles. UFC launched its NFT platform, UFC Strike, in January.
Stay up to date:
