It appears Aussies love football and NFTs in equal measure. The NFT collection from the Australian Football League (AFL), dubbed Ripper Skipper 2022, sold out in 12 hours flat.
The NFT collection was launched only on 17 August through its AFL Mint program. Under the program, people were allowed to purchase any one of the 3,800 packs earmarked for the sale. The release follows the April debut of the AFL Mint—the official marketplace for collecting licensed AFL NFTs. The Mint, established in partnership with Animoca Brands, would produce NFTs and plan future ventures.
What are Ripper Skipper NFTs?
The Ripper Skipper NFTs are digital memorabilia for a niche subset of NFT traders and collectors. They represent 78 major moments from the 2021 season and feature captains from 18 teams in the league. Containing both video and audio snippets, each pack captures three moments rated in terms of rarity: common, deluxe, and ovation. The NFTs were priced at 34.39 USDC each, raising over $130,000.
More NFT sales planned
After the roaring success of Ripper Skipper NFTs, another drop is scheduled for 24 August. AFL’s future plan includes open metaverse offerings for both the AFL and AFL Women’s codes. AFL plans to expand the basic concept of NFTs by integrating game day events, tickets, and the chance to meet players in the metaverse.
While the selling out of AFL NFTs is quite impressive, this is not the first of its kind. AFL is following the popular trend of sports teams’ foray into the metaverse and Web 3.0 space. For instance, the NBA launched their marketplace NBA Top Shot in 2020, while the UFC created UFC Strike in February 2021.
