DraftKings, Pixel Vault and NFLPA Announce New Collaboration for Reignmakers Football
DraftKings, Pixel Vault and NFLPA Announce New Collaboration for Reignmakers Football
BOSTON & JACKSONVILLE (December 13, 2022) – DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG), Pixel Vault Inc., and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) announced today an exciting collaboration to transform select professional football players into limited-edition player cards with a superhero twist using Pixel Vault’s signature intellectual property. The collection is scheduled to drop today, December 13, 2022, on DraftKings Marketplace ahead of Week 15 of the professional football season. The Pixel Vault player cards will be playable exclusively in Reignmakers Football contests, DraftKings’ NFT-based fantasy football-style game, which uses Reignmakers Football player card NFTs that are officially licensed by the NFLPA. Reignmakers Football launched in August 2022 and provides customers the opportunity to build a collection of NFT player cards with which they can draft a lineup for use in fantasy sports-style contests on DraftKings’ platforms.
“Pixel Vault is one of the most innovative brands in Web3, and I am thrilled to incorporate their creative artwork into Reignmakers Football,” said Matt Kalish, DraftKings co-founder & President, DraftKings North America. “We believe our customers will be drawn to the limited edition, action-packed character collection and we look forward to debuting the player cards on DraftKings Marketplace.”
As part of the collaboration, select professional football players will be transformed into superheroes created by Pixel Vault which will be available for purchase on DraftKings Marketplace. The complete list of players will be announced in the coming days.
The previously announced agreement between DraftKings and the NFLPA facilitated by OneTeam Partners, which leads the NFLPA’s video games and trading cards business, grants DraftKings licensing rights for active players, including the authentic use of name, image and likeness.
“We’re excited to integrate Pixel Vault’s incredible artwork to create a unique set of collectibles for new and existing fans to showcase their fandom and connections to their favorite NFL players,” said Terése Whitehead, VP of Consumer Products and Strategy for NFL Players Inc., the marketing and licensing arm of the NFLPA.
“Pixel Vault is excited to collaborate with DraftKings and the NFLPA,” said Sean Gearin, Founder and CEO of Pixel Vault. “Storytelling takes many forms, and our portrayal represents how fans look to athletes as their everyday heroes. Digital collectibles such as Reignmakers Football player cards connect fans to the sports they love. This is just the beginning of what’s possible when the world of Web3 and sports collide.”
Those who purchase one of the limited-edition Pixel Vault packs will unlock access to gated Pixel Vault-themed contests, which will feature over $100,000 in total cash prizes, for the professional football games taking place on Saturday, December 17. Additionally, eligible Pixel Vault player card holders may receive a ticket to compete in a private daily fantasy sports contest in Week 17 of the professional football season, in which contest rewards will be scaled based on touchdown-scoring yardage of Pixel Vault players in Week 15.
Reignmakers Football customers can purchase NFTs from the collaboration anywhere in the U.S. and play in Reignmakers Football contests where available. For more information on DraftKings Marketplace, Reignmakers Football and related upcoming drops, customers can visit marketplace.draftkings.com.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for operators in 17 countries. The company operates iGaming in 5 states through its DraftKings brand, as well as operating Golden Nugget Online Gaming, an award-winning iGaming product and iconic gaming brand, in 3 states. DraftKings’ Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail betting operations in the United States pursuant to regulations in 21 states and in Ontario, Canada. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 6 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories. DraftKings is both an official daily fantasy and sports betting partner of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA TOUR and UFC as well as an official daily fantasy partner of NASCAR. Launched in August 2021, DraftKings Marketplace is a digital collectibles ecosystem designed for mainstream accessibility that offers curated NFT drops and supports secondary-market transactions. DraftKings also owns Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN), a multi-platform broadcast and content company.
About Pixel Vault
Pixel Vault, Inc. is a Web3-native media company with storytelling at its core. The creators of PUNKS Comics and Inhabitants Universe (formerly, MetaHero Universe), Pixel Vault leverages unique blockchain mechanics, decentralization and game theory to engage collectors of their digital tokens through comics, games, digital experiences and more.
About the NFLPA
The National Football League Players Association (“NFLPA”) is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 NFL season.
About NFL Players Inc.
NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, connects businesses to the power of NFL players. NFL Players Inc. creates customized business solutions for partners, through licensing, marketing strategy and player activations. For more information, please visit nflpa.com/players.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside DraftKings’ control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see DraftKings’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. DraftKings does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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