NFT's and their path to survival

Despite a broader downturn in NFT and crypto markets — sales fell 60% in late 2022 — the Premier League pressed ahead with a multimillion-dollar deal with Sorare for digital player cards, highlighting a real fork in the road for how sport uses the technology.

Beyond digital trading cards

Most sports NFTs to date have followed a simple collectible model, buying and trading digital cards or moments. A more durable approach ties NFTs to genuine fan engagement — similar to how Red Bull Racing's "The Paddock" rewards fans with points for engaging with content — giving tokens real entitlements like discounted tickets or meet-and-greets, rather than relying purely on resale value.

Tennis Australia's example

Tennis Australia's AO ArtBall NFTs let fans own a piece of the court, with owners of a court section that produces a match point earning complimentary tickets to the equivalent match the following year — a genuine utility model rather than a speculative collectible.

As the player-card model loses steam, attaching real entitlements to tokens looks like the more sustainable path forward for sports NFTs.