Datavault AI and Sports Illustrated Explore NIL Digital Asset Exchange Partnership

Datavault AI has announced an agreement with Sports Illustrated to explore a potential collaboration on a digital asset exchange focused on athlete name, image and likeness monetization. The parties will evaluate development of a platform powered by Datavault AI proprietary technology stack, including its patented Data Vault, DataScore, and DataValue AI agents, smart contracts, and the Nasdaq Financial Framework-compatible Information Data Exchange, with the goal of a potential commercial launch in the second half of 2026.

This initiative aligns with accelerating regulatory clarity in the U.S. digital asset market and growing NIL and global sports endorsement opportunities, positioning the company to pursue compliant, scalable tokenization and trading of NIL assets for athletes, brands, agencies, and investors. The quantum-secure technology stack represents a significant advancement in securing digital assets, particularly important as athlete NIL rights become increasingly valuable in the sports industry.

The potential partnership with Sports Illustrated brings together technological innovation with established sports media presence, creating a platform that could transform how athlete endorsements and licensing are managed. By leveraging Datavault AI's Information Data Exchange technology, the platform aims to securely attach physical real-world objects to immutable metadata objects, fostering responsible AI with integrity while enabling digital twins and NIL licensing.

The timing of this exploration coincides with expanding opportunities in the sports endorsement market and evolving digital asset regulations. As more states and institutions establish NIL policies for college and professional athletes, the need for secure, compliant platforms for monetizing these rights has grown substantially. The platform's compatibility with the Nasdaq Financial Framework suggests institutional-grade infrastructure that could attract broader market participation.

Datavault AI's technology suite offers AI and Machine Learning automation, third-party integration, detailed analytics and data, marketing automation and advertising monitoring capabilities that could be applied to the NIL exchange. The company's cloud-based platform serves multiple industries, including sports and entertainment, events and venues, biotech, education, fintech, real estate, healthcare, and energy sectors, demonstrating the scalability of their technology solutions.

Forward-looking statements in the announcement acknowledge various factors beyond management's control, including risks discussed in the company's SEC filings available at http://IBN.fm/Disclaimer. The exploration phase will determine the feasibility and structure of the potential collaboration, with both parties evaluating technical requirements, market demand, and regulatory considerations before committing to full development and commercial launch.