NFTs at Baseball Stadiums
Hot summer evenings are best spent at the ballpark. Once the sun starts to go down and the lights come on, all sorts of fun is had and memories are made. We can’t help but to awe how much we love baseball. The history, the venues, the iconic figures…everything about baseball is classic. We could seriously talk about this for hours, but let’s get to the ways that technology, specifically NFTs can change the “going to a baseball game” experience.
NFTs as Entry Tickets
Let’s visit a ballpark. First of all, our entry ticket is a digital NFT. As tickets are purchased, whether online, previous to arriving to the ballpark, or even at the ticket office, a digital “ticket” as an NFT is added to your digital wallet and entry is granted when scanned at the entrance. These digital NFTs could potentially be artwork that is themed for the day or week or certain timeframe.
NFTs as Game Giveaways
Along these lines, similar to the way that local companies sponsor a certain game, the digital artwork (NFT entry tickets) could be themes or maybe color coordinated with the company sponsoring. Often times, when companies sponsor a game, they give away a certain something (a bobblehead doll, a wave rag or other various items.) What if these give-aways from these companies could be digital pieces of art that are connected to the entry ticket for the game.
NFTs at Concessions Stands
As the game goes on, different experiences are continuing to occur. Draft beers are running aplenty; peanuts, popcorn and hot dogs are being consumed at an alarming rate. These activities are all part of the ambiance for most fans. Not having a beer and/or a hot dog at a baseball isn’t really a possibility for some people. Missing out on the opportunity to buy their child a hat in the memorabilia area, is a huge no-no for some fathers. Why couldn’t all of these experiences have a digital NFT attached? Think of this, every time a bucket of popcorn is bought, a digital NFT is given as a receipt. Instead of a printed or even emailed receipt, a visitor that scans their digital wallet, connected to their phone, can receive a piece of Collectible artwork as an NFT.
NFTs for Different Experiences Throughout the Game
Now, with all of this explained, why couldn’t there be a digital NFT given as each of these experiences are experienced? Buy a beer, get an NFT. Have a hot dog, get an NFT. Drink a Coke, get an NFT and so on and so forth. All of these examples are having to do with food. Thinking in this same realm, what about buying a baseball or a cap or even entering a certain store or shop? What about a hang out spot throughout the venue and receiving NFTs after participating in these festivities?
Let’s say a certain ballpark venue has a prestigious experience like a certain thing that people really enjoy doing while at the ballpark. Obviously, certain arrangements could be made to modify or accommodate what makes sense for each experience. For example, a place where people want to spend time at inside the ballpark could not only receive an NFT for each time they spend time there, but also could have a certain number of these NFTs exchangeable for another or a bigger/better NFT from that venue within the ballpark.
NFTs from Sporting Teams at Events
Let’s also look at what the teams could potentially do. Let’s say, there’s a family who is interested in seeing a complete series between two teams over the course of a weekend. There could potentially be a group of friends who are trying to spend as much time as they can together and most of that time is at the ballpark. They are able to spend a good amount of time at the ballpark at hit every home game in the month of June at the ballpark. As the collection of NFTs build, each of these entry tickets could either be exchanged for a bigger/better NFT that depicts a full month of home games or a whole series between two teams. It could also be a possibility that a different bigger/better NFT could be given out and in addition to the NFT entry tickets that complete a weekend series or a complete home game month.
NFTs and Concessions Stands
When it comes to the concessions stands, a collection of one of these examples could potentially be the most relevant and beneficial to visitors. As people visit the ballpark throughout the summer, they could potentially be buying (and collecting NFTs) for certain items. Think off this, someone visits the ballpark a number of times throughout the month or even two. At each game, they purchase a hot dog and a coke. They then accumulate these NFTs (essentially receipts) and have quite a collection of them. A concessions stand could have a system where a certain number of purchases of a certain item could potentially get them a free or discounted item later on down the road. Think about a buy 10 hot dogs and get one free type of program set up by certain concession stands. Having said all of this, there are hundreds of other possibilities that could be created by individuals involved.
Experience Based NFTs to Help Revenue for Venues & Teams
Thinking even further, all of these things could potentially help people make more out of their experience at the ballpark. It could potentially help visitors spend more time before and after the game. From a management/ballpark employee standpoint, this may not be the most popular proposition, however; if it helps people experience more and spend more and want to come back and experience more and spend more again, it seems like a win if looked at from this perspective, especially if employees expect to be at the ballpark longer.
Conclusion
Ballparks around the nation and even potentially around the world could create some pretty clever and innovative collectibles. Connecting collectible digital art as NFTs from these different teams and ballparks could not only be beneficial to teams and the venue they perform at, but also a really cool memorabilia possibility as well. Sporting teams are companies, big companies with serious upside and all kinds of massive potential. Big companies have the capabilities to do BIG things and we can’t wait to see what they will do with innovative technology with digital assets like NFTs.
Interested in learning more about NFTs? Find our other articles here, subscribe to our newsletter and be sure to follow us on our socials.
