NYDIG announces partnership with Houston Rockets basketball franchise, reveals plans to pay team in BTC
The New York Digital Investment Group has announced it would pay the National Basketball Association’s team Houston Rockets franchise in Bitcoin, as agreed within the new partnership aiming to promote crypto education and adoption. In the November 16 announcement, the Houston Rockets have said that the New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG) has become its official Bitcoin services partner.
As part of the new collaboration, the NYDIG has planned to name some of the Rockets’ premium seating at Houston’s Toyota Center as the ‘Bitcoin Suites. ’The deal with NYDIG appears to be part of a bigger strategy for the owner of Houston Rockets, Tilman Fertitta, who is also the CEO and Chairman of Landry’s Restaurant Group.
The firm had made an announcement last week that it would be introducing a Bitcoin rewards program for its all restaurants in addition to rolling out Bitcoin payment options for the players.
Through Landry’s and other ventures headed by Fertitta, his total assets are estimated at $6.3 billion. He also owns a few hotels and a total of five casino resorts across the United States. At the time of writing this news, there have been no new reports of either Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies being included as payment options at these venues.
In June 2021, Fertitta had said his holding company had been planning to start validating blocks on the Akash Network.Since the beginning of 2021, the crypto space has been witnessing many major basketball franchises in the US partner with firms dealing with digital assets and blockchain technology. In October, Voyager Digital had reportedly inked a deal with the Dallas Mavericks aiming to make crypto more accessible through fan engagement.
Coinbase has also recently signed a multi-year sponsorship contract with the NBA to wherein the platform would become its exclusive crypto services partner.
