The Australian Football League (AFL) has announced a new NFT and Metaverse partner, Animoca Brands, bringing NFTs and the open metaverse to the AFL and AFLW.

The five-year deal sees the AFL become the first major Australian sporting league to enter the NFT market.

By using their new ‘AFL Mint’ brand, the league will tap into the Web3 ecosystem with immersive metaverse experiences in areas such as virtual reality.

Additionally, the new brand will provide fans with rewards and real-world experiences via exclusive events, game day ticket upgrades, hospitality, experiential zones and exclusive merchandise.

Commenting on the deal, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan, said: “Our aim is to continue to bring fans new ways of engaging in Australian football and by partnering with Animoca, we will be playing in a digital space that is only getting bigger.”

AFL executive general manager of customer and commercial, Kylie Rogers, added: “Amimoca Brands is at the forefront of the Web3 space and has partnered with a significant number of sporting organisations and international brands.”

“We know we have the most passionate fans in the world, and we want to ensure our audience can continue to experience the game in different ways.

“We see the Animoca Partnership as a key initiative in our continued evolution of fan engagement.

“Through our AFL Mint brand, we will launch exciting new moments across our current Men’s and Women’s games, plus past greats and other product releases that will bring a unique fan experience we haven’t seen before,” she said.

Commenting on the AFL Mint brand, Animoca Brands co-founder and executive chairman, Yat Siu, said: “I’m extremely pleased to partner with the AFL to deliver the AFL Mint.”

“Australian rules football is a unique game, and the AFL Mint is an opportunity to showcase it to the wider world while introducing existing fans to digital collectibles.

“This is a special project for us given our roots as an Australian company and we are honoured to bring the AFL and AFLW to the open metaverse,” Yat Siu said.

The announcement comes after Cricket Australia partnered with Rario and BlockTrust to create Australian cricket NFTs.