The first limited edition of the Australian Football League (AFL) non-fungible tokens (NFTs) saw a huge purchase on Wednesday, selling out in just under 12 hours.
On Wednesday, the Football League launched the Ripper Skipper 2022 through the AFL Mint program, allowing people who joined the “allowlist” to purchase one of 3,800 custom drop packages.
The packages came with a retail price of $34.39 each, and the project is estimated to have raised over $130,000 in US dollars.
The Ripper Skipper 2022 NFTs feature 78 key moments and highlights from the 2021 season using both video and audio. Each pack contains three “Moments” in three different levels of rarity, Common, Luxury and Precious.
A limited edition digital content is also available; Anyone who participated in the first drop has a 10% chance of getting the AFL Mint Genesis Ball.
While the initial mint sold out within hours, the wider public will be able to reach another drop on August 24.
AFL Shares Plans Metaverse
NFTs are digital certificates stored on the blockchain that prove ownership of a digital or physical asset, often a work of art, but AFL Mint has plans to expand on the concept and offer game day events, tickets, and the chance to meet players in the Metaverse.
Kylie Rogers, AFL’s executive general manager of customers and commerce, said they hope to use the technology to deliver better fan experiences.
“Through our AFL Mint brand, we will unlock exciting new moments across the men’s and women’s competitions, as well as celebrate past greats and other product releases that will provide a unique experience like never before.”
The AFL announced its NFT marketplace, AFL Mint, back in April, revealing it had signed a five-year partnership with Be Media, a Perth-based subsidiary of Hong Kong giant Animoca Brands.
Related: Australian Football League secures $25 million deal with Crypto.com
The market will be launched in 2023, allowing moments to be sold and traded between fans and collectors.
Follow the lead
With the launch of the Ripper Skipper 2022 NFTs, the AFL followed in the footsteps of other international sports icons that entered the world of Web3.
The NBA launched its NBA Top Shot market in 2020 to critical acclaim, while the UFC created the UFC Strike in February of this year.
Other Australian sports icons have also followed suit; Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) signed a multi-year licensing agreement with Singapore-based collectibles platform Rario and trading firm NFT BlockTrust in April.
While the Queensland Rugby League recorded a drop of 10,000 NFT titled The Ultimate Queenslander NFT on Flow Blockchain.
