The AFL (Australia Football League) Mint initiative is the result of a five-year partnership between the AFL and Animoca Brands, a blockchain and gamification startup.
Fans will be able to immerse themselves in virtual worlds, digital art, and gaming as a result of this. The first significant Australian athletic league project in the Web3 environment will be accomplished as a result of this collaboration.
In the coming weeks, the AFL will issue its first official licenced NFT ‘drop’ through its AFL Mint brand.
Official NFTs for AFL fans will be available at AFL Mint, allowing them to own their favourite moments from the past and present decades. Unique events, such as ticket upgrades, hospitality, experiential zones, and exclusive goods, will be used to give rewards and real-world experiences through AFL Mint products.
NBA Top Shots, ICC Fancraze, MotoGP Ignition, and UFC Strikeforce are among the various world athletic codes that have introduced NFT initiatives.
Gillon McLachlan, Chief Executive at the AFL stated, “Our aim is to continue to bring fans new ways of engaging in Australian football. By partnering with Animoca Brands, we will be playing in a digital space that is only getting bigger,” he continued. “We are officially entering the Web3 space and excited to immortalize moments in time across our AFL and AFLW competitions”
Kylie Rogers, Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial at the AFL commented, “Animoca Brands is at the forefront of the Web3 space and has partnered with a significant number of sporting organisations and international brands.”
“We know we have the most passionate fans in the world, and we want to ensure our audience can continue to experience the game in different ways. We see the partnership with Animoca Brands as key to our next evolution in digital fan engagement,” Rogers concluded.
“I’m extremely pleased to partner with the AFL – Australia’s premier sport – to deliver the AFL Mint,” said Yat Siu, Co-founder and Executive Chairman at Animoca Brands. “Australian rules football is a unique game, and the AFL Mint is an opportunity to showcase it to the wider world while introducing existing fans to digital collectibles. This is a special project for us given our roots as an Australian company and we are honoured to bring the AFL and AFLW to the open metaverse”
Animoca Brands is a leader in digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification, as well as a Deloitte Tech Fast winner and a Financial Times list of High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021. It creates and distributes a diverse range of products, including the REVV and SAND tokens, as well as original games like The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes, and products based on popular intellectual properties like Disney, WWE, Snoop Dogg, The Walking Dead, Power Rangers, MotoGPTM, and Formula E.