Howzat.
Cricket Australia has announced a multi-year partnership with Rario (a cricket-based NFT marketplace) and BlockTrust (an NFT data company) to launch a series of NFTs.
Woof, we’re not gonna see NFTs go quietly, are we? Last month, we reported that Qantas, one of Australia’s most iconic brands, is also getting in on the NFT game. Well, so is the body behind one of Australia’s biggest sports, as per today’s announcement.
“We are excited to step into the metaverse with our partners Rario, BlockTrust and the Australian Cricketers’ Association for this historic deal, which will open up huge opportunities for innovation and fan engagement,” says Nick Hockley, the CEO of Cricket Australia.
“The game’s deep connection with its past, the passion of our fans and the appeal of Australian cricketers to a global audience, means the incorporation of NFTs is another way that fans across the world can engage and be part of the sport.
The NFTs that will be sold will contain memorable moments from Australian cricket history. Digital versions of iconic moments from the game will be sold as the NFTs, available to own and trade digitally via a blockchain, such as Steve Waugh’s iconic Ashes ton at the SCG in 2003.
Anyway, here’s a digital copy of that moment in a YouTube clip, as recorded by Wide World of Sports (from our sister site Nine), that you don’t have to pay for.
In all seriousness, Cricket Australia is basically selling these moments as one-of-a-kind digital tokens, for which there can be only one owner. Of course, you can watch the above clip freely on YouTube, but buying the official NFT from Cricket Australia (via Rario) is the only legit way to own the moment from the cricket body.
“Like all sports memorabilia, the value of an NFT is determined by market demand,” the announcement adds.
If you’re a cricket fan, thinking this whole blockchain matter is a bit silly: yeah, it is. It’s a conflicting topic. There’s a number of criticisms of NFTs, but one major one is the environmental impact, which the announcement directly addresses.
“NFT technology has been criticised for producing significant carbon emissions but in a statement, Rario, CA and the ACA said they are ‘committed to a partnership that sees NFTs produced in a sustainable manner’ by using Polygon blockchain, which they say, ‘translates to more eco-friendliness and considerably fewer carbon emissions’,” the announcement reads.
The Polygon blockchain isn’t free from criticism itself and recently the World Wildlife Foundation cancelled its NFTs because of said criticism.
Regardless, the NFTs haven’t launched yet, but we’re expecting them soon.
If you’d like to get an official Australian Cricket NFT, you can do so through Cricket.com.au or through Rario.