The Australian Football League (AFL)’s first limited edition drop of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) saw huge takeup on Wednesday, selling out in just under 12 hours.
On Aug. 17, the football league launched “Ripper Skipper 2022” through its AFL Mint program, allowing people who joined the “allowlist” to purchase one of 3,800 packs reserved for the drop.
The packs came with a retail price of 34.39 USDC each, with the project estimated to have raised over $130,000 in USDC.
The Ripper Skipper 2022 NFTs feature 78 significant moments and highlights from the 2021 Season utilizing both video and audio. Each pack features three “moments” in a trio of different rarity tiers, common, deluxe, and ovation.
Limited edition digital content is also available; anyone who participated in the first drop has a 10% chance of getting an AFL Mint Genesis Ball.
While the initial mint was sold out within hours, the wider public will gain access to another drop on Aug. 24.
AFL shares Metaverse plans
NFTs are digital certificates stored on the blockchain proving ownership of a digital or physical asset, often an artwork, 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, Executive General Manager of Customer, and Commercial at AFL, said they hope to use the technology to make better fan experiences.
“Through our AFL Mint brand, we will launch exciting new moments across our Men’s and Women’s competitions, plus celebrate past greats and other product releases that will bring a unique fan experience we haven’t seen before.”
The AFL announced their NFT marketplace, AFL Mint, back in April, revealing they signed a five-year partnership with Be Media, a Perth-based subsidiary of Hong Kong NFT gaming giant Animoca Brands.
Related: Australian football league secures $25M deal with Crypto.com
The marketplace will launch in 2023, allowing the selling and trading of moments between fans and collectors.
Following the lead
With the launch of their Ripper Skipper 2022 NFTs, the AFL has followed in the footsteps of other international sporting codes that have forayed into the world of Web3.
The NBA launched their marketplace NBA Top Shot in 2020 to critical acclaim, while the UFC created UFC Strike in February of this year.
Other Australian sporting codes have also followed suit; Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) signed a multi-year licensing deal with Singapore-based collectibles platform Rario and NFT trading company BlockTrust in April.
While Queensland Rugby League had a 10,000 NFT drop titled ‘The Ultimate Queenslander NFT’on the Flow Blockchain.
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