Sports betting and daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has announced an interesting new collaboration with the NFT platform Autograph, which NFL quarterback Tom Brady co-founded.

, DraftKings will become the exclusive distributor of Autograph’s NFTs (non-fungible tokens), with DraftKings accountholders able to buy and sell these NFTs on the soon-to-be-launched Marketplace platform.

The new pact with Autograph will see officially licensed sports-related NFTs sold on Marketplace.  The first items to become available will be part of the Pre Season Access collection, showcasing NFTs of legendary athletes.

The DraftKings NFT marketplace is due to launch this summer.

What is an NFT, and who is Autograph?

Non-fungible tokens can be anything digital such as drawings or music, with a focus on digital art.  They are thus digital assets, and their ownership is certified by blockchain technology. They are not interchangeable the way cryptocurrency is, but they can be bought and sold.

Autograph creates digital collectible content based on its flagship entertainment properties.

Autograph recently , which will create digital content on its behalf and exclusive multiyear NFT deals with star athletes such as Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Naomi Osaka, and Tony Hawk.

Lionsgate will become Autograph’s entertainment arm partner. There are already plans in the pipeline to create NFTs based on franchises such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, Mad Men, and Dirty Dancing.

Closer to the gambling industry, developments on the esports front, including NFTs, are explored in a recently launched video series called Lawyers with Game. 

What is the DraftKings Marketplace?

As per DraftKings, the Marketplace is a:

“digital collectibles ecosystem designed for mainstream accessibility that offers curated NFT drops and supports secondary-market transactions. Once launched, millions of customers will have the ability to seamlessly buy, sell and trade digital collectibles across sports, entertainment, and culture using their existing DraftKings account.”

DraftKings will make NFT collections available for purchase on the Marketplace platform through drops, and customers can join queues to access them.  In addition, customers can list the NFTs purchased on DraftKings Marketplace and offer them to other customers to buy.

DraftKings Marketplace users will be able to access and transact on the platform through their existing DraftKings accounts.

When the platform goes live, they’ll be able to register through the Marketplace website or DraftKings’ daily fantasy, sports betting, or gaming products.

Marketplace will be available across all platforms, including desktop and mobile, through the dedicated website or DraftKings products.

To join the DraftKings Marketplace, users need to have a verified Draftkings account.  Until the launch, users are being invited to sign up to be members of the early access platform and tokenize their names for free.

Autograph: NFTs Create “Incredible Opportunity”

The chief executive and co-founder of Autograph, Dillon Rosenblatt, said about the new collaboration, “As the world becomes more comfortable with digital ownership and collection, we see an incredible opportunity to bring users high-quality and personalized content from their favorite athletes, artists and franchises.”

He added that NFT’s are the perfect medium to connect users to the things they love and those who share their interests. Autograph seeks to leverage current partnerships to provide continued value to its community.

DraftKings: “Technological and Cultural Phenomenon”

According to co-founder and president of DraftKings, Matt Kalish, the NFT boom has reinvented the collectibles industry and driven excitement to early-adopting audiences worldwide. The DraftKings community is part of this trend.

“DraftKings Marketplace will sit at the center of this technological and cultural phenomenon, providing our immense existing customer base with an easily accessible experience that rivals all legacy marketplaces,” he said. “This initial vision in collaboration with Autograph, and its coveted collection of official digital collectibles, is a vital first step as we enter the emergent NFT market.”

“We aim to usher in this new era by introducing millions of collectors to this evolving space while providing beloved content through an intuitive interface built to win over the long term.”

Perfect Way to Connect with Fans

Sports associations and leagues worldwide are always looking for ways to connect with their fans, and NFTs could be the ideal solution.

Last week it was announced that Team GB, Great Britain’s Olympic Team, would be releasing a series of NFTs, after . Team GB is the first Olympic team to launch an NFT storefront. The collaboration with Tokns will run until the end of next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.