US sportsbook giant DraftKings has announced the launch of DraftKings Marketplace, a platform for customers to buy and sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs) through their existing DraftKings accounts.
The company has partnered with NFT platform Autograph as part of the launch, which will see it become the exclusive distributor of Autograph’s NFT content.
The first wave of items available for purchase will be the “Pre Season Access“ collection, showcasing Autograph’s NFTs related to legendary athletes.
“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,” added Autograph chief executive and founder Dillon Rosenblatt.
“NFTs are the perfect medium to connect users to both the things they love and those who share those interests, and we want to leverage today’s incredible partnerships to provide continued value to our community.”
DraftKings co-founder and president Matt Kalish said: “The NFT boom has reinvented the collectibles industry and driven excitement to early-adopting audiences worldwide—including the DraftKings community.
“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. 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.”
The introduction of NFT’s is part of DraftKings’ recent attempts to expand its content offering.
The company recently expanded its deal with Major League Baseball to include streaming content from the league, and it also secured betting partnerships with a number of PGA Tour golf events.