I'm joined this week by Porter Grieve, CEO of Mercury, a white-label NFT platform that focuses on helping universities and sports teams to create one-of-a-kind digital fan experiences.
Mercury recently partnered with Kansas Athletics (read my piece on the deal) to create a new NFT platform. What I thought made this deal really interesting was how it was being combined with an NIL deal for the Kansas men’s basketball team.
The Kansas men’s basketball team will have a personalized NFT platform called Rock Chalk where fans will be able to buy, sell and trade Jayhawk collectibles. The first NFT drop is available on February 19.
Porter joined me to chat about:
- How the deal with Kansas came to be
- New revenue possibilities with NFTs
- How athletic departments can work with their student athletes on NFTs and allow them to benefit financially thanks to the new name, image and likeness rules
- The benefits of creating a community within your NFT platform
- How much time and effort it takes an athletic department to create an NFT platform like the one at Kansas
- The benefits of pairing in-person experiences, tickets, products and more with NFTs
- Creative ideas for using NFTs to drive fan engagement
- And so much more!
Previously, Porter co-founded Trace Innovations, a biosecurity and contact tracing software company he started in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, which delivered Bluetooth- based health and safety technology solutions to private middle and secondary schools and small businesses nationwide. Prior to that, he founded Sage Wellness (acquired by Bearn), a holistic wellness app and engine that provided customized recommendations based on data ingested from fitness apps and wearables.
Porter also was Special Projects and Digital Development Manager for Italian soccer club AS Roma, actively shaping club and brand-wide strategy across digital media, communications, and PR, as well as managing all technology partnerships and third-party integrations for the digital team. Porter graduated from Washington and Lee with degrees in Economics and Philosophy.
Porter: Twitter
Mercury: Twitter
You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.
You can find more of my analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.
You can follow Kristi on Twitter and Instagram to discuss further, ask additional questions or suggest future episodes.
You can find more of her analysis on the business of college sports at BusinessofCollegeSports.com and Forbes.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.