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The National Football League (NFL) and Ticketmaster are expanding their non-fungible token (NFT) ticketing initiative and will offer free commemorative digital tickets to fans who attend one of 100 selected games next season.
Fans become eligible for the free NFT when they scan their ticket at a stadium entry point and can manage, trade, and sell their tokens via a dedicated marketplace on Ticketmaster. Commemorative tickets will be available for at least three home games for each team and at every single week one matchup.
The initiative is designed to tap into demand for both NFT collectibles and to provide a digital equivalent to the physical ticket stub in an era of mobile ticketing. Digital ticket stubs are a much more natural form of NFT than other concepts because they are directly analogous to physical tickets, which are in limited supply due to stadium capacities.
The NFL distributed more than half a million NFTs at selected games last season, however fans had to actively purchase the digital stubs and had to buy a ticket through an official partner.
By giving the NFTs away for free and making any ticketholder eligible, the NFL will hope to normalise the concept and drive adoption.
“By utilising emerging technology [last season], we introduced fans to the digital realm of NFTs while building engagement, which positioned the league to explore future NFT ticketing opportunities,” said Bobby Gallo, senior vice president of club business development at the NFL.
“As we approach the 2022 NFL season, we look forward to expanding our virtual commemorative ticket offerings for over 100 games. We are excited to continue to explore and learn more about this emerging technology, while also continuing to collaborate and innovate with Ticketmaster.”
Brendan Lynch, Ticketmaster executive vice president of enterprise and revenue, added: “NFTs extend the live event experience by giving fans a digital keepsake to remember the game they attended and share the experience with their friends online.
“Expanding NFT offerings for the 2022 season is yet another example of how Ticketmaster and the NFL continually innovate to take the fan experience to the next level.”
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