🏆 The Hype Is Real

Welcome to The Hype Is Real where we break down the latest news, information & happenings around sports, business & web3.

Here's what you need to know this week:

• NFLPA x StatusPRO

• Tom x Tiger

• Fan Controlled Partnerships

• Big Metaverse Money

• NFT Ticketing Going Mainstream?

Let's dive into it...

NFL PRO ERA, First-ever NFL & NFLPA-Licensed Virtual Reality Game Is Available Now

The National Football League Players Association and StatusPRO, Inc., a sports technology and gaming company that uses NFL game data to create authentic extended reality experiences, announced the release of NFL PRO ERA, the first-ever NFL, and NFLPA-licensed virtual reality (VR) simulation gaming title.

Available globally on Meta Quest 2 and PlayStation® VR platforms, NFL PRO ERA will bring fans closer to NFL players’ point of view with a first-person 3D immersive football gaming experience.

NFL PRO ERA will feature the NFLPA group license to allow fans to play the current NFL roster in the game.

PGA TOUR LINKS UP WITH TOM BRADY TO LAUNCH NFT PLATFORM

The PGA TOUR and Autograph, a web3 brand co-founded by Tom Brady, have announced a long-term deal to create a ‘digital collectibles’ NFT platform.

The new platform will allow golf fans to ‘own a token of its storied history.’ The PGA TOUR will work with US-based Autograph to create a digital collectibles platform that pulls from TOUR competition video, data, imagery, and other competition-related components.

The NFTs will feature the best PGA TOUR golfers in the world as well as some of their favorite moments from the archives and the current FedExCup Season.

Additionally, collectors will have a chance to earn rewards with a wide range of utility, including access to exclusive digital, in-person and onsite experiences, along with other program benefits.

Fan Controlled Basketball

Fan Controlled Sports & Entertainment, creators of the Fan Controlled Football League, announced it will launch a Fan Controlled Hoops basketball league set to debut in February 2023.

The league will bring to the court similar innovations that FCSE established in football, with heavy hitters on its advisory board including former

NBPA Executive Director Michelle Roberts and former NBA All-Star Baron Davis.

Big Metaverse Money

Sports-focused blockchain gaming platform LootMogul has secured a $200 million investment from alternative investment firm Global Emerging Markets.

LootMogul will use the capital to build metaverse gaming environments allowing fans to engage with athletes, teams, and brands via virtual “sport cities.”

• LootMogul has partnered with more than 180 professional athletes in the U.S.

• It is currently onboarding over 1.5 million high school and college athletes.

• The platform will build more than 200 virtual cities with the investment from GEM.

• It plans to have those cities available across multiple platforms, including Meta’s Oculus.

As part of the investment, GEM will give the California-based platform a share subscription facility of up to $200 million for 36 months following an equity exchange listing.

The transaction allows LootMogul to withdraw funds by issuing equity shares to GEM.

Blockchain and Metaverse Deals

Software and venture firm Animoca Brands recently raised $110 million, valuing the NBA Top Shot and blockchain gaming investor at more than $5 billion.

In July, metaverse builder Infinite Reality closed its deal to acquire esports and entertainment conglomerate ReKTGlobal, Inc. for $470 million, valuing the combined entity at $2.47 billion.

That same month, gaming-focused VC firm Konvoy Ventures raised $150 million for Konvoy Fund III, which will have 20% to 30% of its funds allocated toward blockchain-related games.

Ticketing Platform EventsFrame Is Entering Web3 With NFT Tickets

EventsFrame now offers a blockchain-backed NFT ticketing solution, an early realization of an idea whose potential has been bandied about in numerous panels and conversations over the past couple of years.

While Candy Digital and Ticketmaster have created commemorative NFT tickets for MLB and NFL games, the tokens are not yet the actual means of admission.

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