• Loading stock data...
Sunday, August 24, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Buy tickets now!

NBA Top Shot’s Success Has Other Leagues Interested

  • Dapper Labs, creator of NBA Top Shot, is in talks around similar partnerships with the NFL, NHL, and MLB.
  • The company has been a defining force in the non-fungible token market.
Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

A blockchain-backed LeBron James dunk highlight sold for $208,000 on NBA Top Shot last month, and another James “Moment” sold for $179,000 on Tuesday.

NBA Top Shot, created and run by Dapper Labs, has been a huge success for the NBA, which licenses its content to the Vancouver-based company. Now, other leagues are taking notice.

Sources told Front Office Sports that MLB, the NFL, and the NHL have been in talks with Dapper Labs and others in the NFT space to create marketplaces like Top Shot.

“We’ve talked to a lot of other major leagues,” said Caty Tedman, head of partnerships at Dapper Labs. “We already know we’re not going to build everything, so we are talking not only to other sports organizations but other builders who might be doing cool stuff.”

Top Shot — created and run in partnership with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association — has been open to the public since October and has netted $396 million in sales so far. 

NFTs are an attractive option for leagues seeking to recoup revenue lost to the year-long pandemic, though it’s no guarantee they will replicate Top Shot’s success. Major League Baseball’s MLB Champions NFTs haven’t been nearly as lucrative as the NBA’s.

Players regularly talk up their Top Shots — which makes sense since they get a cut of the sales — on social media. The NBA’s global audience is also beneficial; around half of Top Shot’s sales come from overseas.

“The engagement we’ve seen around NBA Top Shot since the start of the season has exceeded our expectations,” NBA executive Adrienne O’Keeffe told Front Office Sports.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Malik Beasley

Malik Beasley Could Still Be Charged in Gambling Probe Despite Feds Dropping..

Beasley’s lawyer is hoping his client can return to the NBA.
Samuel Basallo

Orioles Give Catcher Record Extension Amid Adley Rutschman’s Stunning Fall

Samuel Basallo’s reported $67M deal would be a record for pre-arbitration catchers.

$2B A’s Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, on Track for 2028

Construction progress and costs pick up in the Las Vegas project.
Mo Vaughn

How Michael Bloomberg Jump-Started Mo Vaughn’s Business Career

The Red Sox legend had a sprawling housing empire before starting a podcast.

Featured Today

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks at quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
August 22, 2025

Private Equity Enters College Sports—Without the Equity

As college football starts, lending agreements have become PE’s best way in.

UFC’s Vegas Sphere Fight Should Set Records

The MMA fight has big aspirations and a budget to match.
August 13, 2024

Duael’s One-On-One Racing Brackets Are Yet Another Stab at Saving Track

Duael will debut in March 2025 with the inaugural Duael 100.
September 8, 2024

Guardian Caps Make NFL Debut

Multiple NFL players wore Guardian Caps over their helmets Sunday.
Sponsored

Building A Pro League From Scratch

Front Office Sports and Gainbridge® spotlight what it takes to build a professional women’s soccer league.
August 11, 2024

Guardian Caps Have Arrived in the NFL—Ahead of Schedule

Colts star Jonathan Taylor strapped one on for Sunday’s preseason game.
August 5, 2024

How Omega Timing Determined Noah Lyles Won Olympic Gold

Omega touches every corner of the Olympics.
The Adidas ball has changed over the years.
July 25, 2023

The Most Advanced Tech at the Women’s World Cup Might Surprise You

This year’s OCEAUNZ introduces connected ball technology to the women’s game.
Sponsored

Rewriting the Sports Media Playbook

WSC’s highlight automation improved Clemson’s content strategy and overall growth.