DraftKings Marketplace on Tuesday introduced its Primetime NFT Series, which the company said is designed to deepen engagement and reward collectors on DraftKings during the defining moments of sports.
The first Primetime NFT Series drop will be the 2022 College Hoops Collection, which DraftKings noted launches just in time for March’s college basketball national tournament.
This will be the first fully in-house NFTs launched by DraftKings Marketplace. The company said there are drops set for key moments throughout the tournament from now until April 4.
Collectors holding all eight editions of the 2022 College Hoops Collection following the championship game will be airdropped a ninth commemorative NFT as a reward for collecting the full set. DraftKings said this airdrop will grant collectors priority access to the next Primetime NFT Series drop.
With each drop, collectors will be eligible to receive DK Dollars, which are site credits that can be used for gameplay across all parts of DraftKings’ digital sports entertainment and gaming ecosystem, including sportsbook and daily fantasy.
Eligible holders can use their 2022 College Hoops Collection NFT rewards to place bets and enter pools, brackets or fantasy contests, DraftKings said.
Officials said there will be exclusive one-of-one (1/1) editions of all eight collectibles, which will be auctioned off concurrently using DraftKings Marketplace’s recently launched auction platform.
DraftKings said future drops from the broader Primetime NFT Series will centered around major global sporting events. The company noted this launch follows several Web3 initiatives from DraftKings over the past year, including an upcoming NFT-based game alongside the NFL Players Association, as well as becoming one of the first corporate validators on the Polygon blockchain.
“DraftKings is already deeply embedded within the biggest moments in sports, and the new Primetime NFT Series will further drive engagement while also providing rewards that bridge to our gaming offerings for the first time,” Matt Kalish, co-founder and President of DraftKings North America, said in a statement. “Few times on the sports calendar can match the drama and spectacle of March’s college basketball tournament, which is why we chose this monthlong event to initiate this new digital collectibles program.”
