The Australian media company Basketball Forever has found a novel way to boost fan engagement and it's using NFTs.

Australian media company News Corp has announced a new partnership with the NBA that will see the launch of a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The partnership will focus on fan engagement, with the NFTs being used to access exclusive content and experiences. The first phase of the partnership will see the launch of an NFT-based digital trading card game, with plans to expand into other areas such as physical collectibles and tickets in the future. This is not the first time that News Corp has experiment with blockchain technology, with the company previously launching a crypto exchange in Malta. However, this is one of the first times that a major media company has partnered with a major sports league to launch an NFT-based product. It remains to be seen how successful this partnership will be, but it could pave the way for similar partnerships in the future.

Critics of NFTs have consistently targeted the tokens' alleged inefficiency, with "right-click save" memes circulating. However, there has recently been an increase in utility-focused NFT projects such as Bored Ape Yacht Club and NBA Top Shot, in which holders gain exclusive access to real-world events and products.

Basketball Forever, the NBA-focused subsidiary of sports media company Forever Network, has built a strong social media presence in Australia over the last four years and hopes to expand that focus with NFT.

Basketball Forever will feature a total of 8,888 different "hounds," which are various basketball and NBA personalities represented as various styles of animated canines, each with unique traits and varying levels of rarity. The NFTs are expected to be available within the next six weeks, according to the company.

Basketball Forever founder Alex Sumsky told his company is "fully involved" in NFTs, claiming that the technology is more than just a token tied to a JPG and allows organizations to provide innovative ways to increase user engagement. and provide real utility to fans

Users who create Hoop Hound NFTs, for example, receive collectibles and memorabilia from real-world fans no matter where they live.

"During the first phase of the roadmap, users will receive physical items, merchandise, and souvenirs. That are directly related to the unique trait of the NFTs they own."

When a user mints a bloodhound with specific items, they gain access to the corresponding physical items in real life. Certain traits and bloodhounds will be linked to various NBA season triggers, including flights and lodging, that would cause certain starters to be sent to NBA games.

Sumsky also stated that the physical merchandise and NBA experiences made available to users are only the first phase of the project.‍

"The most significant change is Phase 2 of our roadmap:
Ownership of the Hound grants users access to daily pools of merchandise, souvenirs, and cash prizes that unfold in the form of a fan engagement app," he explained.

Basketball Forever already ran a non-blockchain-based version of the app, called V.O.A.T, with high participation rates, according to Sumsky. Every day, app users log in to answer five questions about the NBA, then enter to win prizes.

He claims that switching to NFT opens up a plethora of new opportunities.

"NFTs and digital providence enable companies and organizations like Forever Network to learn more about what our users want when it comes to participating in the sport they love, but more importantly, it enables us to optimize the delivery of real-world items." as well as experiences."