The Hype Is Real

Welcome to The Hype Is Real where we break down the latest news, stories & happenings around sports & web3.

Here's What You Need To Know This Week:

• Neymar Jr. Ventures Deeper Into Web3

• Outback Steakhouse Has NFTs...?

• New York Knicks Release A New NFT Collection

• Warner Bros Discovery Sports Hops In The Metaverse

Let's Dive Into It...

NFTSTAR Partners With NR SPORTS To Release 'Beastmode Metaverse x Neymar Jr.' NFT Collection

NFTSTAR, an NFT platform for global stars and fans, announced this week that it's releasing a new line of exclusive NFTs in collaboration with Brazilian soccer star Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior.

NFTSTAR will trade the collectibles authorized by NR SPORTS, a company specializing in image management, representing Neymar Jr. This partnership is a perfect example of his creativity and ambition to shape the future of entertainment and interaction with his fans and community in the web3 space.

NR Sports and Neymar Jr. have worked with NFTSTAR to develop a digital collection that is connected to several exclusive project utilities. NFT owners will be able to interact with exclusive content from Neymar Jr. and participate in holder-only exclusive meet-and-greets, win special collector items, and many more surprises.

Outback Steakhouse Announces Second Class Of TeamMATES NIL Program

Running backs, Kendall Milton of Georgia and Braelon Allen of Wisconsin are releasing limited-edition NFTs in conjunction with Outback Steakhouse’s NIL platform.

Through the chain restaurant's TeamMATES initiative, Milton and Allen’s digital tokens dropped this Thursday and are redeemable for awards such as memorabilia and a $100 catering discount.

Outback has also extended NIL deals to Elon defensive lineman Jon Seaton and Michigan wide receiver/punt returner A.J. Henning due to each player’s emerging presence on TikTok.

Seaton’s "Big Guy" content, has earned him 1.7 million followers and counting on TikTok.

Milton, Allen, Seaton, and Henning are part of an Outback TeamMATES roster that, through NIL, will allow them to donate catered holiday meals to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fond du Lac, the Boys & Girls Club of Athens and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan — an Outback campaign dubbed as "Steak It To The House."

Other players with NIL deals from Outback include:

• Defensive back Jaydon Hodge of Bethune-Cookman

• Quarterback Dematrius Davis of Alabama State

• Wide receiver Josh Downs of North Carolina

• Wide receiver Justin Shorter of Florida

• Wide receiver Beaux Collins of Clemson

• Running back Sean Tucker of Syracuse

• Linebacker Errington Truesdell of Vanderbilt

• Defensive tackle KD Hill of Ole Miss

• Wide Receiver Jake Bobo of UCLA

In June, eight college baseball and softball players were added to the TeamMATES NIL roster, including Oklahoma’s softball prodigies Jocelyn Al and Jayda Coleman.

At that time, Outback made plans to release 8,000 free TeamMATES NFTs in total.

New York Knicks Drop ‘New York Forever’ NFT Collection In Partnership With Coinbase

The New York Knicks, one of the most storied franchises in the world, just launched a new project that will pay homage to the Mecca of basketball, culture, and innovation.

“The Knicks” presented to fans the ‘New York Forever‘ NFT collection, in collaboration with a strong roster of local artists. The NFT collection only consists of 9 NFTs, and will come with a range of real-life perks.

The initial sale of the new NFT collection was held on October 25th, 2022.

Instead of releasing them to the open market, the New York Forever NFTs were sold as part of a 24-hour auction divided into three groups. One of the artists working on the project, Andre Vandenburg, even shared a preview of his NFT, ‘KnicksVerse’, on Twitter. 

The collection includes work by local digital artist “Freehand Profit”, who is also working on the Web 3.0 project FREEverse. Naturally, the New York Forever digital art NFTs feature representations of New York’s top sightseeing spots, such as ‘The Statue of liBEARty’ NFT, presented by the very same Freehand Profit as part of the “Bear Market Special”.

Each of the winners from the three auctions will gain access to real-life privileges, such as tickets to the Madison Square Garden arena for the 2022-2023 NBA season, which just kicked off.

With The Knicks missing out on a championship title for the last 49 years, the support generated by the collection could be very much needed. Coinbase is also planning to host another “Knicks Kicks & Cocktails Gala Party” in New York in February 2023, where guests can bring a plus one.

The New York Knicks’ NFT collection comes on the back of a similar, recently launched NFT project by the Chicago Bulls. In this regard, the New York Forever NFT collection stands out through the physical perks it offers, and the bi-dimensional aspect it has taken. The history of Madison Square Garden goes back to 1879, and now there’s a real chance for NFT art lovers to secure a seat at The Garden by celebrating the new NBA season with the purchase of the team's digital art.

Warner Bros Discovery Sports Jumps On The Metaverse Train With Infinite Reality Partnership

Warner Bros Discovery Sports (WBD) recently announced their multi-year partnership with Infinite Reality to create virtual sports venues in the metaverse. WBD wants to leverage Infinite Reality’s metaverse technology to create virtual hubs where users will be able to interact with their favorite sports such as motorbiking, and track cycling.

According to the announcement, sports communities, athletes and brands will be able to interact in virtual environments constructed around upcoming Discovery Sports Events properties.

Don't get it confused. This isn't Warner Bros’ first foray into web3 and the metaverse. Last week, the company teamed up with web3 studio Eluvio to bring “The Lord of the Rings” Films to the metaverse.

Warner Bros has also been in on an ongoing partnership with NFT marketplace Niftys. In June, the global media conglomerate announced its 3rd NFT collection inspired by the popular TV and comic book series Looney Tunes.

However, this will be the company’s first major foray into virtual sports venues as it aims to onboard sports fans onto web3.

What To Watch:

The Role Web3, Blockchain, & NFTs Will Have In Sports

This past week in Spain, World Football Summit hosted this panel discussing the transformational era the sports industry is living through as it embraces web3 tech.

Panelists included:

• Fred Antunes - @RealFevr

• Elfried Samba - IOCONIC (Formerly Gymshark)

• Michael Sidgmore - Broadhaven Ventures

• Antonio Cacorino - Apex Capital

• David Circa - Digital Alliance 2030 Foundation

See the full conversation below:

What To Read:

That's it for this week.

Have an amazing Sunday and I'll check back in next week.

Talk soon!

Malcolm