Iconic Basketball Brand SLAM Inks First-look Deal With NFT Content Platform Autograph
September 16 2021 - 1:03PM
Business Wire
Products To Be Sold on DraftKings
Marketplace
Autograph, the company partnering with the world’s biggest icons
to usher in a new era of digital collecting, and co-founded by Tom
Brady, has announced a deal with iconic basketball brand SLAM to
create and distribute digital-collectible content on DraftKings
Marketplace (Nasdaq: DKNG). As a launch partner for their
basketball vertical, Autograph users will have access to SLAM’s
300-plus cover archive dating back to 1994, featuring some of the
greatest basketball players over the last three decades.
SLAM will be a launch partner for Autograph’s basketball
vertical with iconic magazine covers that feature players ranging
from Allen Iverson and Vince Carter to Devin Booker and Sabrina
Ionescu. The magazines themselves have been collector items for
over 27 years, and the cover remains the Holy Grail for all
basketball players. As the most authentic brand in basketball
storytelling, SLAM has grown into a global lifestyle brand and
multimedia property with 20-plus social channels, a burgeoning
merchandise division and multiple franchise events annually with
over 16 million engaged followers across the globe.
“SLAM is uniquely positioned to bring the Autograph community
some of the most unique and historic basketball NFT content,” said
Dillon Rosenblatt, CEO and Co-founder of Autograph. “We’re proud to
announce this partnership and we’re looking forward to the
multitude of drops and exclusive releases to come.”
The Autograph NFTs previously dropped on DraftKings Marketplace
included such star athletes as Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Derek
Jeter, Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles and Tony Hawk. Autograph recently
announced a similar deal with Lionsgate in which the companies will
collaborate to create digital collectible content based on the
flagship movie franchises later this year.
“We’ve been constructing a portfolio of companies with a
specific focus on the intersection of sports media and blockchain
technology, and this deal sits squarely at that crossover,” said
Matt Aronson, President of SLAM’s parent company JDS Sports.
“Autograph is introducing a best-in-class NFT experience for the
mainstream. We’re thrilled to work with the team to bring SLAM’s
archive of collectible covers to the digital world.”
SLAM previously partnered with New Orleans Pelicans All-Star
Zion Williamson for a first-of-its-kind NFT drop in April, which
included two SLAM covers featuring Williamson. The SLAM x ZION
collection also included four limited-edition versions of both
covers — Basic, Gold, Gold Autographed, and a 1-of-1 Platinum
Autographed. The first cover, SLAM 222, was shot at Duke University
in April 2018 immediately before Williamson declared for the NBA
Draft, while the second, SLAM 228, was shot in New Orleans in June
2020 before the season restarted in Orlando.
About Autograph
Autograph is an NFT platform that brings together the most
iconic brands and legendary names in sports, entertainment and
culture to create unique digital collections and experiences for
users around the world. The start studded Advisory Board includes
Derek Jeter, Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, Tony Hawk, Tiger Woods and
more. Co-founded by Tom Brady and headquartered in Los Angeles,
Autograph is ushering in a new era of collecting through a
streamlined and inclusive process, authentic and creative products
and exclusive partnerships.
About SLAM
For 27 years and counting, SLAM has been the most authentic
brand in basketball storytelling. What started as a magazine in
1994 has now grown into a lifestyle brand and multimedia property
with 20-plus social channels, a burgeoning merchandise division,
multiple franchise events annually and over 16 million engaged
followers across the globe. SLAM is owned by JDS Sports, a sports
and entertainment holding company that was also an early backer of
Autograph.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. is a digital sports entertainment and gaming
company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports fans with
products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and
digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by
Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only
U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator.
DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming
technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for
operators in 17 countries. DraftKings’ Sportsbook is live with
mobile and/or retail betting operations in the United States
pursuant to regulations in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and
Wyoming. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 7
countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories.
DraftKings is the official daily fantasy partner of the NFL, MLB,
NASCAR, PGA TOUR and UFC as well as an authorized gaming operator
of the NBA and MLB, an official sports betting partner of the NFL,
an official betting operator of PGA TOUR and the official betting
operator of UFC. Launched in August 2021, DraftKings Marketplace is
a digital collectibles ecosystem designed for mainstream
accessibility that offers curated NFT drops and supports
secondary-market transactions. DraftKings also owns Vegas Sports
Information Network, Inc. (VSiN), a multi-platform broadcast and
content company.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210916005726/en/
Media Contact for SLAM: Erik Bright Jason Kasperski
Prodigy PR 310-857-2020 eb@prodigypublicrelations.com
jk@prodigypublicrelations.com
Media Contact for Autograph Caitlin Sawyer Jonesworks
caitlin@jonesworks.com
Media Contact for DraftKings Marketplace
Media@draftkings.com
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