NFL and Sportscastr to use Blockchain to Connect With Fans

NFL Players Association has partnered with a sports commentary blockchain platform to help athletes create content and monetize it.

Thanks to the adaptability of its solutions, Blockchain technology is gaining ground in pretty much all sectors.

In the U.S. sports world, it seems that football will provide one of the first arenas for Blockchain tech to show off its chops.

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) has been looking for ways to integrate Blockchain into its system and now it has found the partner with whom to push this project over the goal line.

NFL Players and Fans Relationship Tokenized by FanChain

On July 31, SportsCastr issued a press release announcing that NFL Players Inc. has acquired a minority stake in the company.

Founded last year, SportsCastr is a startup based in New York that offers a live video streaming platform for sports commentary.

To allow anyone to become a live color commentator, SportsCastr is powered by a Blockchain network called FanChain, launched last June.

Upon the deal with NFL players union, FanChain will serve as an ecosystem where NFL past and active players provide live commentary on football as well as other sports events.

Athletes have a chance to monetize their service via FanChain cryptocurrency bought by fans to get access to this exclusive content.

NFLPA’s Athlete Content & Entertainment Media (ACE Media) will assist players in the creation and production of their content.

Other than the player-driven video content, fans can also use the platform to buy tickets and merchandise, follow their favorite players, or send them virtual gifts.

“SportsCastr enables fans to get authentic, real-time reactions and commentary from all sports fans and now, for the first time at scale, professional athletes. We’re excited to partner with the NFLPA to accelerate adoption and work together to enhance the fan experience,” said Andrew Schupak, SportsCastr’s CFO and Head of Strategy.

Why would current and retired football players need alternative cash venues?

Well, the average NFL player career is, at just a little over three years, pretty short. Besides, not every player can secure 8 figures endorsements deals like Giants’ wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

SportsCastr said NFL players will start using its FanChain network in the third quarter of 2018.

SportsCastr supports a number of pro and collegial sports leagues, such as NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, Men’s College Football, Men’s College Basketball, WNBA, and English Premier League Soccer.

Although the deal with NFL Players Inc. is the first of its kind, the company hopes other partnership of the same kind will follow with other sports leagues and players unions.