Jerry Jones was elevated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of his contributions to the NFL, and not simply because he helped former head coach Jimmy Johnson build a dynasty in yesteryear. It was also because of his ability to blaze trails in the business world, being mostly responsible for stadium sponsorships that have become the norm in 2022 but were not in the early 1990s — as one example of many — when Jones went toe-to-toe with former commissioner Paul Tagliabue in the infamous fight involving sponsorship deals with Pepsi and Nike.
Fast forward to now, and the Cowboys owner is a carving another path in the league, this time involving the growing field of cryptocurrency, announcing a move to partner with Blockchain.com in a first-ever move for an NFL team.
“Blockchain is one of the oldest and most trusted digital asset platforms in the world, has easy-to-use products and remains relentlessly focused on customers,” Jones said, via press release ahead of a press conference to announce the partnership. “They are bringing Wall Street to Main Street by making digital assets available to anyone, anywhere in the world — and that’s a touchdown for our millions of global fans. We take pride in being the first team in the NFL to sign an official cryptocurrency partnership, and are proud to venture into this innovative business with Blockchain.com.”
The feeling is mutual from the other side of the deal.
“We chose to partner with the Cowboys because they represent the most trusted brand in professional sports, they compete with a champion mindset and believe in longterm partnerships,” said Blockchain.com CEO Peter Smith. “Growing up in rural America where football is deeply rooted in the culture, I’m incredibly honored to join forces with the world’s most valuable sports franchise and the Jones family, who have dedicated their lives to building a first-class franchise on and off the field for 33 years.”
Jones’ recent expansion of the Cowboys brand now includes a casino and cryptocurrency, the latter announced as the team battles through a tumultuous offseason that includes controversy both in personnel moves and in Jones’ personal life.
