NFL to offer free NFTs at 100 games throughout 2022 season

The National Football League (NFL) and Ticketmaster have escalated their non-refundable token (NFT) ticketing, to offer free digital tickets to fans who attend one game of the season.

NFL fans will receive the free NFT after scanning their ticket at the stadium entry.

Ticketmaster will manage how tickets are traded and sold through the specific marketplace section on Ticketmaster.

The initiative has surfaced from the demand for NFT collectibles and to offer a digital version of the ticket stub.

The NFL will distribute NFTs away for free in the hopes to normalise the concept and drive implementation.

Senior vice president of club business development at the NFL, Bobby Gallo, said: “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.”

“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,” he said.

The NFL issued more than half a million NFTs during games in the last season, however the digital stubs had to be actively purchased through an official partner.

Commenting on the initiative, Ticketmaster executive vice president of enterprise and revenue, Brendan Lynch, 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,” he said.

Only recently the NFL partnered with gaming technology company, Mythical Games, to create a play-and-own NFT video game.