NHL Hiring Exec To Helm Nascent NFT Business

The NHL is looking to make a key hire to support the league’s nascent foray into NFTs. The move comes two months after the top hockey league inked a deal with digital collectibles marketplace Sweet.

Betting fans will engage with NFTs (non-fungible tokens) — the NHL is attempting to “enhance” the experience for fans while also generating “incremental revenue” for the league and its clubs, according to a LinkedIn job listing.

An NHL spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.

The NHL joins other major US sports leagues toying with the idea of NFT-derived revenue — including the NBA, MLB and the NFL.

As the director of “Innovation for NFT and Blockchain,” the hire would be responsible for shoring up the league’s digital collectible initiatives by acting as the primary point of contact for external technology partners and internal league departments.

The position will require a combination of project management, partner development, revenue generation and execution skills, the NHL said. Building and maintaining a “deep professional network” with companies, investors, industry experts and other stakeholders across the NFT and Web3 industry is also critical, according to the league.

The director is expected to work closely with strategic partners and vendors — including Sweet, which was named the NHL’s “Official NFT Digital Collectibles Marketplace” in June — to drive NFT and blockchain initiatives.

To ensure the league stays abreast of the NFT sector’s potentially lucrative avenues for the brand, executives plan to analyze the value and growth trajectory of the market and related “blockchain opportunities” through research, quantitative analysis and knowledge of marketplace dynamics.

The new role aside, the NHL intends to deploy league-wide NFT programs and platforms with external partners and vendors as well as hash out dates and milestones with developer teams to ensure deliverables are met, according to the posting.

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