Dream Sports signs 5-year deal with New Zealand Cricket for NFTs, gaming and merchandising

The five-year deal will see Dream Sports create fan-focused avenues across non-fungible tokens (NFTs), gaming and merchandising through its portfolio companies – Rario and FanCode.

With the deal, NZC will debut in cricket NFTs, which will be developed by Rario, creators of the first cricket NFT platform.

Rario is the latest addition to the Dream Sports portfolio after it led a $120 million Series A round last month through its arm Dream Capital. Rario claims the largest share of cricket NFT rights globally.

Rario will launch NZC’s cricket NFT program, which will include digital collectibles across player cards, video moments, and cricket artifacts, with FIAT-only products offered in India.

Additionally, a mobile game will be built by Dream Sports’ game development arm – Dream Game Studios; and a complete sports merchandise range, to be hosted on its sports content and commerce platform – FanCode in India.

Dream Sports’ flagship brand Dream11 has been NZC’s official fantasy sports partner since 2019.

NZC chief executive David White said the new partnership with Dream Sports represented an exciting step into the metaverse for his organisation, opening up a new world of opportunities for New Zealand cricket fans.

“One of NZC’s key goals is to extend our teams’ global reach; to build closer relationships around the world, and to develop new ways for fans to engage and connect with the deep history of our sport,” he said. “We’re delighted to be aligning with Dream Sports that is right at the forefront of the industry: innovative, go-ahead and well-known for putting fans and subscribers first.”

Vikrant Mudaliar, chief marketing officer, Dream Sports, added, “We are excited about the next big leap in our association with New Zealand Cricket, and look forward to exploring its full potential for fan engagement through the Dream Sports portfolio. The first-of-its-kind collaboration will enable deeper engagement opportunities for sports fans through newer avenues like NFTs, Gaming and Merchandising, in a phased manner.”

Founded in 2008 by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth, Dream Sports has over the years partnered with multiple associations, leagues, and players across sports to bridge the gaps in fan engagement. Some of the current partners include the IPL, ICC, BCCI, Cricket Australia, The Hundred, La Liga Santander, and Pro Kabaddi League.