The Houston Rockets basketball team has made a deal with leading cryptocurrency company NYDIG. The firm will serve as the official crypto platform of the team and will provide sponsorships and employee pay in bitcoin should the players be interested.
The Houston Rockets Has Partnered with NYDIG
Gretchen Sheirr – president of business operations with the Houston Rockets – explained in a statement:
From basketball operations to business development, our organization has leaned on advancements in technology to remain on the cutting edge. Partnering with NYDIG allows us to leverage the growth of Bitcoin to provide creative rewards and payment options to our fanbase and associates.
Trey Zeluff – director of digital assets strategy at Fertitta Entertainment – also put his two cents into the mix, commenting:
Expanding the partnership between the Fertitta family and NYDIG to the Houston Rockets was a natural choice. The Rockets are a leading sports brand, and NYDIG is the leader in bitcoin financial services. Together, we will deliver new opportunities for Rockets fans and the city of Houston to learn about and use bitcoin.
One of the big things the Rockets hope to accomplish by partnering with NYDIG is to unveil new community outreach and education programs to ensure individuals everywhere get the information and resources they need through and about cryptocurrency. The NYDIG will also gain exposure through all the Rockets’ social media platforms, and NYDIG will get first naming rights to the Toyota Center suite levels, which is where the Rockets host all their home games.
At this stage, those levels are likely to be named “Bitcoin Suites by NYDIG.” The firm will also receive baseline apron signage during Rockets games. Kelly Brewster – chief marketing officer at NYDIG – said:
We are thrilled to have found a forward-thinking partner in the Houston Rockets and the Fertitta family, who understand that by embracing bitcoin, companies and brands can build loyalty with this expanding and influential customer base. The Rockets will be #PaidInBitcoin, and this partnership underscores our excitement about the Houston area and the bitcoin innovation taking place there. NYDIG’s partnership with the Fertitta family, across their businesses, will significantly accelerate its goal of making bitcoin accessible to all.
Basketball Heads Deeper into the Crypto Space
This is not the only time basketball and crypto have joined hands. Not long ago, Coinbase – one of the biggest and most popular cryptocurrency exchanges in the world – unveiled a press release that announced it as the official crypto exchange of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
In addition, several basketball teams have begun accepting crypto payments for tickets and related merchandise. One of these teams is the Dallas Mavericks, which is partly owned by Mark Cuban of “Shark Tank” fame. Cuban has stated he owns some bitcoin and Ethereum. He has also told his followers that he’s a big Dogecoin fan.
