ESPN has signed its first NFT deal with Autograph, the Web3 brand co-founded by Tom Brady.
The multiyear deal kicks off with an NFT collection based on “Man in the Arena: Tom Brady," the 10-part ESPN+ documentary series produced by Religion of Sports, a media company in which Brady is also a co-founder. The "Man in the Arena: Tom Brady Collection" is exclusively available to view on Autograph.io and for sale on DraftKings Marketplace.
The documentary, which previously was exclusive to ESPN+, is now also streaming on Hulu and Disney+ for a limited time.
The NFT collection consists of three ESPN magazine covers highlighting Brady’s career. The quarterback will sign 50 of them. A second collection, called “Back in the Arena,” will drop with the debut of the series 10th episode.
"ESPN is excited to offer our first NFTs to meet our fans at the intersection of sports, technology and content," said Kevin Lopes, ESPN’s vice president of sports business development and innovation, in a statement. "Our work with ESPN Edge has led us to where we are today, exploring new, innovative ways of engaging fans, and we are thrilled to partner with Autograph for this collection and others in the future."
Los Angeles-based Autograph in January closed its series B funding totaling $170 million in a round co-led by a16z and Kleiner Perkins.
