NBL Dunks Into Metaverse

The Hungry Jack’s National Basketball League (NBL) will slam dunk into web3 after signing a partnership with BlockTrust and ePlays to develop their web3 marketplace program, and creative blockchain company, Tracksuit Group.

Built using the Flow blockchain’s eco-friendly technology, the multi-year agreement will introduce NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to the ever-growing community of basketball fans in Australia, creating a new engagement tool to promote the sport and reward fan commitments.

The partnership will allow fans to engage with the NBL in a new and exciting way, through Discord channels, NFTs, digital collectibles, and more. In addition, fans will have access to a dedicated app that acts as the entry point to their personal web3 world. Much like a traditional wallet, this platform will allow them to showcase and trade their NFTs, but will also include a strong community component, allowing the NBL community to connect with each other to collect, trade, play and engage with NBL and its partners to receive exclusive digital and real-life benefits airdropped over time. NBL collectibles will also be compatible with user-friendly wallet Dapper, one of the easiest ways for basketball fans to onboard and become familiar with web3.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be stepping into the metaverse with ePlays, BlockTrust and separately the Tracksuit Group,” Hungry Jack’s NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said.

“The digital universe space provides NBL fans a new way to engage with the league. Whether it be owning NFTs of the league’s most famous moments, or debating the game’s biggest topics in Discord channels, there’s something for everyone.

"As one of the fastest growing sports in Australia, we are always looking for new and innovative ways to grow our audience. The metaverse will help expose the NBL to a whole new legion of supporters, and it provides our current fans with a unique experience to connect with the league.

“We look forward to working closely with our new partners and believe this is just the start to a long and successful program.”

Fans can get access to exclusive information by registering their interest at chainz.basketball.com.au.

ABOUT BLOCKTRUST
 BlockTrust is paving the way for mass adoption of NFTs for loyalty programs by larger organisations in sports, e-gaming, luxury retail, entertainment conglomerates and high-profile celebrities. Its simplified user experiences bring web3 to audiences that struggle to navigate the complex world of wallets, NFTs and blockchain, allowing fans and customers to buy and trade digital collectibles with real-life benefits using traditional e-commerce checkout experiences.

“Digital assets, tokens, data decentralisation and authentication will impact every organisation as surely as the Internet has done,” BlockTrust Co-Founder Mike Alexander said.

“However, in order to capitalise on the revolutionary opportunity to engage and reward customers and fans like never before, brands need to ensure that the user experience and technology that enables this paradigm shift is purpose fit for the masses and ensures compliance and brand protection.”

ABOUT EPLAYS
ePlays is Australian company leading the charge regarding digital collectables, NFTs and their use within fan groups and the broader community. ePlays has partnered with some of Australia’s largest sporting and business organisations, to deliver customised and easy-to-use blockchain solutions and tailored NFT experiences with real-life utility and benefits.

“With the advent of blockchain technology and the emergence of NFTs, a new era of internet use is emerging – web3,” ePlays Co-Founder Damian MacRae said.

“Web3 offers a more secure, decentralised platform for online activity that promises to improve user experience and security. In this new paradigm, NFTs play an essential role in enabling decentralised applications (dapps) and providing users with ownership of their data while increasing engagement, fandom and connectedness within their chosen communities, web3 and NFTs, supercharging the way we interact!”

ABOUT TRACKSUIT GROUP
Tracksuit Group is a creative web3 blockchain company, founded in Australia with teams spanning nine countries and four continents.  With specialist businesses dedicated to the democratisation of Sport, Fashion, Music & Art through digital creation, commerce and community.  Driving community fandom, product digitalisation and virtual experiences, for the creator economy.

“We can’t wait to work with the NBL and its new partners in building fandom in ways that have never been seen before,” James Burke, SVP Global Operations, Tracksuit Group, said.

ABOUT FLOW
Flow is the blockchain designed to be the foundation of Web3 and the open metaverse, supporting consumer-scale decentralised applications, NFTs, DeFi, DAOs, and more. Powered by Cadence, an original programming language built specifically for digital assets, Flow empowers developers to innovate and push the limits that will bring the next billion to Web3. Created by a team that has consistently delivered industry-leading consumer-scale Web3 experiences including CryptoKitties, Dapper, and NBA Top Shot, Flow is an open, decentralised platform with a thriving ecosystem of creators from top brands, development studios, venture-backed startups, crypto leaders, and more. For more information, visit www.flow.com.