THERE ARE A LOT TO CHOOSE FROM!
As little as a year ago there wasn't that many options when it came to Sports NFTs. At that time there was only two major players in the Sports NFT world. That was Dapper Labs NBA Top Shot and Sorare's Football (soccer) platforms. One year later things have changed dramatically!
There are more parent companies producing Sports NFTs now in a vast number of sports including NFL Football, Major League Baseball, Mixed Martial Arts, Motorsports, Cricket, and even Horse Racing! You also have Individual Sports Stars creating their own Collections of NFTs that are specifically about them. There are also a huge amount of Fantasy Game Sports NFTs that are designed around creating make believe Players in some of your favorite sports and competing against others on the platform in proprietary game systems.
For the purposes of this article I am only including Sports NFTs that involve Professional Sports Leagues, and are managed by a major player in the Sports NFT space. No Make Believe Fantasy games, or Sports Star independent NFT Collections will be included. So who are the major players? In my opinion Dapper Labs and Sports NFT developers on their Flow Network, Sorare, Panini, Candy Digital, and DraftKings. Each of these platforms offer something a little different to NFT Collectors. Depending on your personal interests one particular platform may stand out among the others. Is their one platform that can satisfy everyone?
WHAT SPORTS NFTS OFFER COLLECTORS
There are a few things that Sports NFTs provide Sports Fans. The first two are shared by all the major Sports NFT developers. They include another form of Collectible, and an investment opportunity. Obviously the two go hand in hand because just calling something a Collectible doesn't necessarily make it so. A baseball is just a baseball until you have a Major Leaguer sign it. Even then how collectible it becomes depends on which player signs it, and if that particular Baseball has some special significance.
Some NFT Developers are better at incorporating the significance and therefore the collectability of their NFTs. The three that stand out in that capacity are Candy Digital, Panini, and Dapper Labs. Candy Digital and Panini utilize a similar model to Collectible Sports Cards. They produce NFTs of varying rarities that highlight individual or Team achievements of the Players their platforms cover. They also create special release NFTs in smaller numbers to inflate the collectability. Dapper Labs has set themselves apart when it comes to including the significance in an NFT they create. Instead of a static image, their NFTs are video clips of actual Moments in a Player's or Team's history. A Collector can actually own the Moment their favorite Player wins the game for his or her Team. In that regard Dapper Labs has all of the other Sports NFT Developers beat, but that isn't the only reason somebody chooses to buy a Sports NFT. If it was this article would already be over.
So what else motivates a Sports Fan to purchase Sports NFTs? The other things that Sports NFTs offer are exclusive rewards for owning them, fantasy gamification, sports gambling, and real life experiences. Now here is where the different Sports NFT developers differentiate themselves.
First off lets look at the exclusive rewards on offer. I am not an active Collector of every platform so my knowledge is a bit limited when it comes to both Panini and Candy Digital. I don't collect either of those because to be honest if I wanted fancy Collectible Sports Cards I would just buy boxes of physical Sports Cards instead of the Digital equivalent. Now both Panini and Candy Digital do offer some Collection Rewards but nothing really stood out to me. Both Dapper Labs and Sorare do a good job of offering exclusive Rewards. For instance Dapper Labs has the Champions Club on their UFC Strike platform which rewards Collectors who own a Champion Moment with entry into an exclusive Discord, UFC swag, and VIP treatment at live events. Sorare has a special World Cup Fantasy Tournament that has a number of great giveaways for just being a participant including signed jerseys, and limited edition NFTs.
FREE FANTASY WORLD CUP - https://sorare.pxf.io/domPBj
Now Fantasy gamification, and Sports gambling have become two of the most integral aspects of many Sports NFTs. Sorare is basically a Fantasy Sports platform that you can play for absolutely Free, or purchase higher value NFTs in order to play for more valuable prizes including Cryptocurrency. DraftKings has their Reignmakers NFT gambling platform. Instead of paying to enter their traditional Daily Fantasy Sports gambling contests, you purchase NFTs to assemble your roster for their events. Essentially what you paid for your NFTs covers your entry fees for all the future events you enter those players into. Unfortunately Players you purchase are only usable in competition for the season you purchased them in. After that they become a very basic digital Collectible. Maybe not a Collectible considering they can no longer be utilized. Dapper Labs has gone a slightly different route. They have made partnerships with third party Web3 developers to create Fantasy contests involving their NFTs. Instead what Dapper Labs chooses to do themselves is create Collection Challenges that require Collectors to acquire a specfic group of a platforms NFTs to get a reward. Which one appeals to you will depend on what's most important to you? Dapper Labs has the most control over what you will require in order to win something valuable. DraftKings Reignmakers has the least control. Basically it's just straight up gambling. Sorare is a balance of the two. The rewards aren't as great as you might get on Draftkings, but it's the only one you can play for free, and they have no control over which NFTs are required to win.
Other then the aforementioned Champions Club offered through the UFC Strike platform by Dapper Labs. In Real Life experiences generally come as a Reward, or are offered alongside some special event. So determining if one particular platform is better at it than another is impossible. So where does that leave us?
THE BEST SPORTS NFT IS...
...the one that suits your interests the most.
I know, that sounds like a serious cop out. Now before you get upset and hit the dislike button, hear me out. If you are a true sports memorabilia collector then the Dapper Labs NFTs are probably the absolute best for you provided they have one that includes your favorite sport. The fact that they are video clips of actual Moments in history, instead of just a digital Sports Card is huge. Systems are in place for Collectors to share their Collections with others that aren't even on the platform is a massive win also. So for the purist who doesn't care about gamification or gambling the Dapper Labs NFTs are the best.
Now if the gambling and gamification side of things is more important you have options. The first question I would ask is how important is it? Do you even care about the NFTs you are purchasing, or is it just a means to playing the game? If all you are after is a way to win something big then I would lean towards DraftKings Reignmakers. It's DFS gambling period. They don't offer much else. What sets it apart from traditional gambling though is that you're able to not only win money by assembling great lineups, but also make money selling the NFT players you have in your collection if they become must roster pieces. Sorare on the other hand offers you the same gambling experience that DraftKings Reignmakers offers but also places a premium on the Collectability of their NFTs. Each player you use in their Fantasy tournaments earn experience. That experience effects their total points each game. So the more experienced a player the more points it accumulates. That means the more you play a player the more valuable it becomes, until they retire. NFTs aren't limited to one season of use. They are effective as long as that player continues to compete. Sorare is also the only platform that will allow you to play for absolutely free and still have an opportunity to win valuable prizes. So if you are on a budget then that might be the deciding factor right there.
Lastly if you are a Cardboard Sports Card Collector and you see Sports NFTs as the next logical step in a digital age. Well than Candy Digital or Panini might be right up your alley. Panini is probably the leading Sports Card producer right now so you are familiar with how they work. Sports Cards have never really been my thing so that isn't for me. All the different borders, special editions, and Holograms make very little sense to me.
SO NOW YOU KNOW RIGHT?
WHAT'S THE BEST SPORTS NFT FOR YOU?
