Sports Illustrated Covers To Release As NFT Collectibles

The legendary magazine Sports Illustrated has just announced its Sports Illustrated Covers NFT collection. The collection includes some of the most iconic covers in pop culture.

Sports Illustrated has teamed up with NFT platform OneOf, 3D animation artists Jonathan Winbush and its mother company Authentic Brands Group to release this NFT collection. By dropping these NFTs, the magazine is taking the plunge and investing in the metaverse.

The first batch of NFTs will feature NFL legends Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Dick Butkus. In addition to the cover, the NFT also includes a reimagined 3D version of these historic Sports Illustrated covers. The rest of the collection will feature prominent sports figures such as Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Wayne Gretzky, Dale Earnhardt Jr as well as Dick Butkus.

The sports magazine is reducing the barriers to entry for sports fans by making these NFTs affordable. This is because the Sports Illustrated NFTs begin at a price point of $25. Another key point is that different covers have a different rarity values. This is likely to determine the price of each NFT.

OneOf co-founder and COO Josh James commented on this partnership: “This collaboration with Sports Illustrated to mint legendary athletes’ NFTs on the energy-efficient Polygon blockchain is the perfect way to launch our Sports and Lifestyle marketplace. We are excited for the opportunity to engage millions of sports fans worldwide.”

Sports Illustrated is likely to drop this NFT collection immediately after the Superbowl on February 13. Additionally, the collection will be available on the Polygon blockchain; which has recently recruited YouTube’s Head of Gaming – Ryan Watt – as the CEO of Polygon Studios.