• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

How The Crypto Crash Could Impact Sports Sponsorships

  • Crypto.com, FTX and Coinbase have inked several deals with leagues and teams over the last year.
  • Downturn of the crypto market could impact the pace of future deals.
Crypto downturn
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports

As more than $200 billion of the cryptocurrency market was sold off in a day, the sports world could be bracing for the repercussions.

Crypto exchanges like Crypto.com, FTX and Coinbase have made a slough of deals with major sports leagues and teams over the last several months. Those same exchanges — which take a percentage of each trade — have seen their cuts of each transaction tank as the value of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies have dipped dramatically.

“I am not worried about it in the big picture,” said Josh Olin, a veteran crypto trader and fraud expert. “The question is what kind of a winter is this? Is it a two month-winter or is it a two-year winter?”

Olin said major exchanges are capitalized enough to weather this downturn as Bitcoin and Ether have each fallen about 40% since the end of March. Bitcoin, which had an all-time high of $65,000 in February 2021, traded for about $28,0000 on Thursday, while Ethereum sat at around $1,900.

The volatility doesn’t appear likely to impact any of the current deals in the sports that include:

  • Crypto.com signed a 20-year deal reportedly worth $700 million to take over the naming rights of Los Angeles’ Staples Center in November. The company also agreed to a 10-year, $175 million deal with UFC and a five-year, $100 million partnership with Formula 1 last year.
  • FTX agreed to a 19-year, $135 million pact in March 2021 for the naming rights to the Miami Heat’s arena.
  • Last October, Coinbase inked a multiyear deal to become the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange of the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League.
  • The Dallas Cowboys became the first NFL team with a crypto partnership last month via a deal with Blockchain.com.

“Crypto.com remains fully committed to its sports sponsorships,” a spokesperson for Crypto.com told Front Office Sports in an email. “We are well-financed, and these are multiyear contracts, which will continue to play a crucial role in our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to cryptocurrency.”

There are some fears there could, however, be a slowdown on future deals if the valuations of other major exchanges slide.

Coinbase and FTX did not provide comment to FOS.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, however, doesn’t seem to be too concerned about the future of crypto, comparing the upheaval to the tech bubble crash two decades ago.

“Crypto is going through the lull that the internet went through,” Cuban tweeted on Monday.

That crash took out several companies that placed ads for Super Bowl XXXIV in January 2000. Many of those companies  — including Epidemic.com and Pets.com — shuttered later that year.

FTX and Coinbase each had ads run during Super Bowl LIV, during which NBC charged $6.5 million per each 30-second slot.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, August 31, 2025.

Underdog Bets on Prediction Markets With Crypto.com Deal

Sports event contracts will be offered in 16 states.
WNBA

Crypto Group Says It’s Behind WNBA Dildo Epidemic

The group backs a memecoin that launched last week.
exclusive

Bipartisan Effort Mounts to Repeal Gambling Tax Hike in Trump Bill

The president signed the bill into law last week.
Bill Ackman
exclusive

Billionaire Bill Ackman Prepares for ‘Once in a Lifetime’ Tennis Match in..

Ackman says he’s “peaking next week” at the Hall of Fame Open.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Jonathan Mariner

Former MLB CFO Jumps to PE, Says Teams Are Undervalued

Mariner worked in Major League Baseball for 24 years.
March 20, 2025

Nike Struggles Continue, but Signs of Turnaround Appear

The embattled company beats tepid expectations in both revenue and earnings.
James Harden
April 24, 2025

Adidas Posts Big Profits in First Quarter Without Yeezy

Profits and sales are up after selling off remaining Yeezys last year.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
Oracle Park
March 18, 2025

S.F. Giants Selling Stake to Private Equity to Pay for Facility Upgrades

The team said the cash would not be used to grow payroll.
Aug 11, 2024; Paris, France; Medals are carried out on Louis Vuitton trays after the women's volleyball gold medal match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at South Paris Arena
February 16, 2025

LVMH’s New Push: World’s Most Powerful Luxury Group Is Coming for Sports

LVMH is making long-term deals—and they’re not done.
February 14, 2025

DraftKings Turns First Full-Year Profit, Stock Up 47% in 2025

The company’s sports betting business continues to grow despite headwinds.
Billie Jean King
February 13, 2025

Billie Jean King: ‘Billionaires, Not Millionaires’ Are Fueling Women’s Sports Boom

Billie Jean King wants more women involved in team ownership, too.