Funko has partnered with multinational retail giant Walmart and American film and entertainment studio Warner Bros to bring digital collectibles to the retail space, the pop culture collectibles company announced Wednesday. According to Funko, the digital collectibles offering is convenient for consumers as fans can purchase a non-fungible token (NFT) and a physical collectible at the same time.
Funko, Warner Bros. and Walmart to release NFTs tied to physical collectibles
Funko (Nasdaq: FNCO ), the maker of unique bobble heads and vinyl figures, has announced a partnership with entertainment giant Warner Bros. and retail giant Walmart. Funko says the company is bringing NFTs to the retail space in a digital pop series featuring DC’s “The Brave and the Bold” #28 (1959) comic cover pop. The collectible will feature the Justice League teaming up with Starro and will be available exclusively at Walmart.com on October 7th.
The new Funko Digital Pop will debut during Walmart Collector Con and the company says 30,000 units will be available. That includes the NFT and its “physical twin,” Funko revealed on Wednesday. Funko has been in the non-redeemable token (NFT) space for some time and recently partnered with entertainment company Paramount to release “Avatar Legends” NFTs.
The company has positioned itself with several popular brands and the company’s Digital Pop series has featured cult and DC Comics characters such as Jay and Silent Bob. Andrew Perlmutter, CEO of Funko, stated that the pop culture collectors organization is excited to bring the latest digital Pop NFTs to the retail space. “We are very excited to bring this opportunity to market for the first time to the world’s largest mass retailer,” said Perlmutter. The CEO of Funko added:
This is an opportunity to create an easy entry point for buyers.
Funko isn’t the first to introduce NFTs into the retail space, and it’s not the first to bring them to Walmart. In late February 2021, trading card, candy and collectibles company Topps introduced the “2021 Garbage Pail Kids Food Fight” series featuring physical cards and Garbage Pail Kids (GPK) NFTs. GPK NFTs can be found in GPK cards sold at Walmart and Target retail stores at the time.
Last month, luxury jewelry and specialty retailer Tiffany & Co. launched jewelry cryptopunk pendants tied to NFTs. In August 2021, the NBA Top Shot Collection will be available to fans who visited the Top Shot vendor kiosks during last year’s NBA Summer League games. Josh Hackbarth, head of NFT business development at Warner Bros., detailed that Walmart’s latest offering of Funko Digital Pop should reach a wider market.
“Bringing this new set of digital collections to retail allows for wider access and invites fans — both avid collectors and first-timers alike — to physically and digitally engage with beloved franchises, like DC,” Hackbarth said in a statement. The published “The Brave and the Bold” series featured a group of well-known DC characters in the comic book universe.
What do you think about Funko teaming up with Warner Bros and Walmart to drop a new Digital Pop NFT series? Let us know what you think about this in the comments section below.
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