U.S. Women’s National Team player tokens. (Courtesy of Player Tokens)
Player Tokens has partnered with the U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association to create the first digital collectibles featuring female athletes in the retail market. Player Tokens produces crypto keepsakes tied to the blockchain.
Fans can purchase individual tokens or packs of three with a credit card, so previous cryptocurrency ownership or experience is not required. Player Tokens began distributing its first product with the MLB Players Association back in August.
“There is an untapped market for women’s sports collectibles and we are proud to be trailblazers in partnering with the USWNTPA to develop Player Tokens for each of the current members of the team,” said Kush Parikh, founder and CEO of Player Tokens, in a news release. “Our approach to growing the digital collectibles market in women’s soccer is focused on bringing our technology’s value and experiences to the hands of consumers. This partnership gives us the unique opportunity to interact with a diverse and engaged fan base.”
The defending World Cup champion U.S. women’s team begins play in the 2018 CONCACAF tournament against Mexico on Thursday. The crypto collectible partnership was brokered via REP Worldwide, the group licensing company developed by the NFL Players Association.
“Player Tokens is a new innovative way for our players to connect with our passionate fan base. As we continue to break ground for women’s sports, especially fighting to make progress on the revenue and business side, we felt partnering with a progressive company like Player Tokens was a perfect fit,” said Meghan Klingenberg, USWNT World Cup 2015 champion and REP Worldwide advisory board member, in the release.
SportTechie Takeaway
This partnership between the USWNTPA and Player Tokens brings crypto collectibles to women’s sports, but it is not the first time blockchain-based technology has linked up with women’s sports. In September, a deal between the WNBA and social streaming platform SportsCastr included a cryptocurrency component. With SportsCastr, fans can use FanChain tokens to unlock content. Both of these agreements were made possible by REP Worldwide, which has now become the innovative licensing arm for several pro athlete unions.
