The National Football League (NFL) team Houston Texans has become the first organization in the league to sell single-game suites for cryptocurrency.
The move is part of a deal with Texas-based cryptocurrency firm bitWallet, which as of August 16 became the team’s official crypto wallet provider. bitWallet will also provide brokerage services when exchanging crypto for cash for the Houston Texans.
According to an announcement from the Houston Texans, the local digital marketing agency EWR Digital made the first purchase of a match suite using cryptocurrencies, shortly after the offer was launched, making it the first time a match suite had been sold for digital assets in sports history.
It seems that the cryptocurrency offer is only for the suites, as there has been no mention of the possibility of buying regular matchday tickets with digital assets at this time.
A gaming suite refers to a lavish private box in the stadium that is often decked out with buffets, expensive alcohol, restrooms, televisions, attendees, and a prime location to watch the game.
The Houston Texans’ website doesn’t list the price of single-game or season-long suites, instead asking users to first submit a request to get one. From The Seat estimates that a suite for a single team game can cost between $14,000 and $25,000.
bitWallet claims to be compatible with more than 160 countries and currently allows users to buy, sell or store Bitcoin, (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH).
NFL, cryptocurrencies and blockchain
The Dallas Cowboys became the first NFL team to sign an endorsement deal with a cryptocurrency company in April, after Crypto.com signed on to be its official digital asset partner over a multi-year period.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have also partnered with the creators of Blockchain Flow, Dapper Labs, in late 2021 to launch the official NFL All Day NFT collectibles project. The deal also saw the NFL and NFLPA take an equity stake in Dapper, and the duo have likely gotten a fair share of the $36.8 million in sales NFL All Day has generated since February.
The league also boasts many crypto-friendly players who have chosen to take a portion of their salary or contract bonuses in digital assets, including big names like Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former LA Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Carolina Panthers quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was the top pick in the 2021 draft.
Iconic quarterback Tom Brady has also dabbled in the space by launching his own NFT Autograph marketplace in April 2021, also giving a fan 1 BTC (worth $62,000 at the time) to get the historic soccer ball. his 600th touchdown in October.
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