EBay Wants NFTs To Connect Fans With Sports Stars

Interactive, virtual, events platform Notable Live has partnered with e-commerce giant eBay to leverage NFTs for fan experiences with their favorite sports players, leagues and teams, among other initiatives.

The partnership will combine eBay’s collectible marketplace with an immersive experience facilitated by Notable Live, and provide sports fans with a platform to connect with players.

EBay’s venture capital arm, eBay Ventures, previously led Notable Live’s Series A round, the company said in a statement. The two businesses are currently executing a multi-year contract where Notable Live will be bringing limited edition NFT and player merchandise to eBay.

The online marketplace’s latest partnership with Notable Live marks its next step in the digital collectible space.

“Our partnerships [focus] on delivering transformational solutions that provide fans true access. These solutions are built upon authentic offerings that attach memories to memorabilia and experiences directly from the source themselves,” Mike Antonucci, co-founder and CEO of Notable Live, said in a statement.

The tech startup is the brainchild of Antonucci and NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. Launched in 2018, Notable Live initially started as a mobile app that gave fans access to memorable experiences with players.

“Fans and collectors turn to eBay to celebrate their favorite players and teams, knowing they can find authentic, one-of-a-kind memorabilia that connects them with the history and future of sports,” Dawn Block, vice president of collectibles at eBay, said.

“Our partnership with Notable Live further enhances the market-leading experiences we’ve been building for our community of sports fans, collectors and investors, enabling them to engage with living legends in a new and meaningful way.”

It’s not yet clear which blockchain Notable Live’s NFTs will be issued on. Blockwork has reached out to both companies for comment.

Still, eBay has been slowly making moves in the NFT space. It acquired UK-based NFT marketplace KnownOrigin for an undisclosed amount in June last year and launched the NFT collection “Genesis” despite declining market interest.

Unlike NFTs sold on crypto-native marketplaces such as OpenSea, eBay’s NFT sales aren’t recorded on-chain. Purchases require fiat currencies — through PayPal or credit card — and the digital asset is delivered to the buyer through a redemption link once the purchase is made.

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