InPlay Global, the market for live sports performance, announced a strategic partnership with tZERO Group, Inc., a leader in blockchain-based financial infrastructure, to build the equity market for sports performance. The collaboration focuses on developing Sports Performance Securities™, equity instruments whose value is linked to team performance, effectively transforming sports performance into an investable asset class.
According to the announcement, the partnership combines InPlay's market model with tZERO's regulated digital securities infrastructure. Edwin Johnson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of InPlay Global, stated, "Sportsbooks allow users to wager on outcomes. Prediction markets allow users to trade probabilities. Yet no equity market exists for sports performance itself. We're changing that." Alan Konevsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of tZERO, added, "Tokenization, coupled with the right market structure, transforms real-world rights, interests, and economic activity into investable assets. Sports performance represents a compelling and largely untapped frontier."
The implications of this partnership are significant for sports fans, investors, and the financial industry. For the first time, individuals and institutions may be able to invest directly in the performance of sports teams through regulated equity instruments, rather than simply wagering on outcomes or trading probabilities. This could open up a new category of market participation, potentially attracting a broad audience of sports enthusiasts and traditional investors alike. The use of blockchain technology and digital securities infrastructure aims to provide transparency, accessibility, and liquidity to this emerging asset class.
InPlay is also preparing to launch the InPlay Trading Challenge™, a free-to-enter national competition aligned with the 2026 professional and college football seasons. Featuring cash prizes and participants from more than 15 universities, the competition is designed to introduce students and sports fans to sports markets, trading concepts, and financial literacy through active participation.
tZERO, through its broker-dealer subsidiaries, provides an innovative liquidity platform for private companies and assets. The company offers institutional-grade solutions for issuers looking to digitize their capital table through blockchain technology and make such equity available for trading on an alternative trading system. For more information, visit their website.
Investors should note that digital asset securities carry unique risks, including potential fraud, manipulation, theft, and loss. The securities described are subject to qualification by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under Regulation A+ (Tier 2) and have not yet been so qualified. No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted.
