InPlay Global, a company developing a market for live sports performance, has announced a strategic partnership with tZERO Group, Inc., a leader in blockchain-based financial infrastructure. The collaboration aims to create a new asset class: Sports Performance Securities, equity instruments whose value is tied to team performance. This initiative seeks to provide a regulated market for sports fans, investors, traders, and institutions to participate in sports performance as an investable asset, distinct from sports betting or prediction markets.
According to the announcement, InPlay is developing Sports Performance Securities, while tZERO will provide its regulated digital securities infrastructure. Edwin Johnson, Founder and CEO 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 CEO 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 partnership comes as InPlay prepares 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 aims to introduce students and sports fans to sports markets, trading concepts, and financial literacy.
This development could have significant implications for the sports and financial industries. By creating a regulated equity market for sports performance, the partnership may open new investment opportunities for a broad audience, potentially increasing engagement and liquidity in sports-related assets. For business leaders, this represents a convergence of sports, finance, and technology, highlighting how blockchain infrastructure can enable new asset classes. The initiative also underscores the growing trend of tokenizing real-world assets, which tZERO has been advancing through its platform.
tZERO’s involvement brings regulatory credibility, as its broker-dealer subsidiaries are registered with the SEC and members of FINRA and SIPC. The company offers a liquidity platform for private companies and assets, using blockchain technology to digitize capital tables and facilitate trading on an alternative trading system. This infrastructure could help ensure transparency and accessibility for the new securities.
For the sports industry, this could transform how teams and leagues monetize performance, moving beyond traditional revenue streams like ticket sales and broadcasting rights. Fans may gain a new way to engage with their favorite teams, while investors could diversify into a novel asset class. However, the press release cautions that digital asset securities involve substantial risks, including potential loss of principal, lack of liquidity, and unique risks such as fraud and theft. The securities described are subject to SEC qualification under Regulation A+ and have not yet been qualified.
As InPlay and tZERO work to bring this market to fruition, the impact on financial markets and sports economics remains to be seen. The partnership signals a shift toward integrating sports performance into the broader investment landscape, potentially creating new opportunities and challenges for stakeholders.
