Alam niyo ba na ang Philippine Basketball Association o PBA, ang oldest na basketball league sa Asia (48 years), ay meron narin sarili nitong NFT gaya ng sa NBA Top Shot collection ng National Basketball Association (NBA)? Gamit ang Virtualness, isang mobile NFT platform, pwede nang i-unlock virtually ang IRL experiences ng mga fans sa kanilang mga idol tulad ng meet and greet, invitation sa mga VIP seat during PBA games, at discounts tuwing bibili ng game tickets. Ayos na ayos para sa mahilig sa NFTs at sa PBA.
Ayon sa Virtualness, maraming pwedeng pag gamitan ang mga collectibles nila, gaya nalang ng commemorative and topical to gamification and unlocking unique fan experiences. “Exclusively power an innovative, easy-to-use digital experience for basketball fans to discover, explore, collect, trade, buy, and own memorable, once-in-a-lifetime moments in the games via branded digital collectibles.” Parang kung sa dati ay mga NBA cards, ngayon naman ay NFTs, pero mas astig.
Gaya nong sa NBA na Top Shot, makakapag-collect narin ang mga PBA fans ng mga past and present in-game moments and merchandise mula sa PBA season gamit ang Virtualness platform. Inaasahan na mai-launch ito sa first half ng 2023. Kasunod nito ay mag launch din ng rewards at loyalty fan experiences.
“These moments, such as Japeth Aguilar’s dunks or June Mar Fajardo’s use of finesse and stature that have made him known as ‘The Kraken,’ will all be available to be owned and collected by fans. They will be used to unlock unique virtual and real-world experiences such as player meet and greets or invitations to special seats as well as online discounts, exclusives, and more,” dagdag pa ng Virtualness.
Ayon sa mga founder ng Virtualness na sina Kirthiga Reddy at Saurabh Doshi, “PBA and its players are beloved by their fanatical fans not just in the Philippines, but throughout the world.”
“We’ve been at the heart of Web2 ecosystem building, and the digital transformation of media, sports, and entertainment over the last decade. We’re on our journey to do it again in Web3 and excited to enable the PBA to mimic various physical experiences in digital forms and in newer ways unlocked by the power of blockchain,” pahabol nila.
Kung tatanungin naman ang PBA Commissioner na si Willie Marcial, ang partnership nila sa Virtualness ay isang maiging step para i-angat ang next generation technology para maging patok pa rin ang basketball sa mga Pilipino at sa buong mundo gamit ang mga digital collectibles at experiences.
Gamit ang platform na ito, mas lalong makakaconnect ang PBA sa wider audiences at mas lalo pang magiging matibay ang kinabukasan ng PBA at ng larong basketball.