AFL and Be Media launch first phase of their five-year NFT and Metaverse partnership

April 20, 2022

Marketing / Sport / Technology /

The AFL and Be Media by Animoca Brands - a leader in digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification - have announced a five-year partnership that will bring the power of NFTs and the open metaverse to the AFL and AFL Women's (AFLW) and will launch the AFL Mint initiative.

The partnership is the first of its kind among the Australian sporting landscape. The AFL Mint is the only official marketplace to collect licensed AFL NFTs and will offer exclusive AFL items showcasing the iconic moments, spectacular highlights, and champion players, unique to the web3 and metaverse space.

By partnering with Animoca Brands and its Australian operations engine Be Media, the AFL taps into a strong local team to deliver the strategy, product roadmap and access to Animoca Brands’ extensive Web3 ecosystem. This will provide fans with immersive metaverse experiences in areas such as virtual worlds, digital art, and gaming.

Through the partnership, the AFL will also be able to access the global Animoca Brands ecosystem, which consists of over 170 different companies.

The partnership structure of the deal will see the AFL join other international sporting codes who have launched similar NFT programs, including NBA TopShots, ICC Fancraze, MotorGP Ignite and UFC Strikeforce.

Jordan Fogarty, Founder and Chief Executve of Be Media by Animoca Brands enthused “I am thrilled to announce that our first partnership of 2022 is with the AFL. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid. I have a long standing, great love for the game so it’s really exciting on many levels to bring this to life.”

AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan said the partnership was an exciting new chapter for Australian Football, AFL Players and, most importantly, the fans and noted “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.

“We are officially entering the Web3 space and excited to immortalise moments in time across our AFL and AFLW competitions.”

AFL Mint products will expand to deliver rewards and real-world experiences via exclusive events, including ticket upgrades, hospitality, experiential zones, and exclusive merchandise.

AFL Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial Kylie Rogers said that partnering with Animoca Brands ensures fans are getting the best and most innovative offering possible and advised “the AFL is excited to partner with Animoca Brands to take our game into the metaverse. 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.

“Through our AFL Mint brand, we will launch exciting new moments across our current Men’s and Women’s games, plus past greats and other product releases that will bring a unique fan experience we haven’t seen before.

“AFL Mint will be the place to collect, trade, win and earn.”

Yat Siu, the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands adds “I’m extremely pleased to partner with the AFL - Australia’s premier sport - to deliver the AFL Mint. 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.”

The AFL, through its AFL MINT brand, will release its first official licensed NFT ‘drop’ in the coming weeks.

AFL Mint is the home of official NFTs for AFL fans, allowing them to own their favourite moments from both the past and present decades.

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