In the Philippines, for instance, play-to-earn (P2E) games are not just games – they’re a legitimate way for gamers to make money. This phenomenon hinges on Axie Infinity, a blockchain game, where players are able to earn Smooth Love Potion (SLP) tokens, that can be exchanged for Philippine Pesos (PHP).

As the market for slp to php conversions grows, a new opportunity is emerging: athlete endorsements. With Filipino athletes carving a name for themselves on the international stage, can they be the face of play-to-earn games and how might this partnership benefit athletes and the P2E ecosystem?

The Philippines’ Growing Popularity of Play to Earn Games

Axie Infinity has pushed The Philippines to become a global play-to-earn game hub. The game has attracted thousands of Filipinos, especially during the pandemic when traditional employment opportunities were lost. The game of Axie Infinity pays you SLP tokens, which you can spend in the game to breed new Axies, but also can be traded on cryptocurrency exchanges for other digital assets or for PHP. Not only has this model brought in economic relief for so many, but it has also given rise to a thriving digital economy.

The Philippine market is one of the largest P2E gaming markets in the world as SLP to PHP conversions continue to rise. The advent of this has allowed for partnerships between the gaming and the sports industries, and most specifically, athlete endorsements.

Athlete Endorsements: Is Play to Earn a Natural Fit for Play to Earn Games?

Athlete endorsements have, of course, long played a central role in sports marketing. Brands become more effective ambassadors when they hire athletes to use their credibility, personality, and fan base to promote the brand. As play-to- earn games become more popular, people are beginning to wonder if Filipino athletes could be ambassadors for the platforms. After all, they have the reach, influence and loyal fan bases to expand the reach of gaming to the greater audience.

Appealing to a Broader Audience: The play-to-earn gaming model could bridge the gap between the gaming and sports world, by attracting the fans of sports to the play-to-earn model. P2E gaming can be the perfect way to introduce athletes (and especially those with large social media followings) to an audience who might otherwise not dabble with blockchain technology or cryptocurrency. And fans who discover P2E gaming is both entertaining and profitable may be drawn further to SLP to PHP conversions.

Cross-Promotion of Fitness and Gaming: There are many athletes who promote fitness, well being and active lives. With these values and the play-to-earn model, we could get a unique synergy. Athletes who engage with Axie Infinity and promote the game could emphasize balance: It encourages both physical and mental well being. Also, the feasibility of SLP to PHP could be described as a regular way to support athletic training, gear and health programs, further entwining the connection.

SLP as a Source of Income for Athletes: The life of an athlete in a developing country has always been marked by financial uncertainty, more so after retirement. For athletes, sharing their games could provide an additional income stream through play-to-earn games, playing the game themselves, encouraging their fans to play the game and potentially converting SLP. Moreover, these endorsements could also help athletes out of sports into a new stage of their career post-retirement when traditional sponsorship deals may fall away.

How Play to Earn Games Can Benefit Athlete Endorsements

Athletes can be very useful to the play-to-earn gaming ecosystem and help promote SLP to PHP conversions and grow the market for P2E games.

Increased Visibility: Play to earn games can also gain athlete endorsements, which can help demonstrate the transition of the old game-to-earn to the new play-to-earn and get the word out about it. The gaming companies could stick to well known figures and gain a sense of legitimacy and credibility, and thus receive more attraction of the mainstream.

Building Trust: There is still much that the average person does not understand about cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, and trust is still a big hurdle when it comes to adoption. Playing to earn will only create trust in the play to earn model if Filipino athletes particularly those with established reputation can help advise the public. If fans place their trust in their favorite athlete and see the games as legitimate opportunities without risk, they will be more likely to try the games themselves.

Promoting Financial Literacy: Play-to-earn companies could also offer to work with athletes to promote financial literacy — especially when it comes to cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi). With this, Filipino athletes could use their platforms to teach fans safe ways to convert SLP to PHP, store digital assets and be part of the crypto economy. This could eventually democratize financial opportunities for more and more Filipinos.

Potential Challenges

Athlete endorsements could be a huge boon, but there are also reasons why it might not be the best idea. Another worry is the volatility of the cryptocurrency market. SLP, like other digital assets, is subject to price fluctuations and endorsing athletes have to know the risk involved in promoting crypto-related products. In order for athletes and their teams to continue to protect their reputations, they would all need to communicate to their fans that there are possible risks of investing in cryptocurrency.

Furthermore, the play-to-earn games are still in the making and would require very careful management of partnerships to not over commercialize. Successful athlete endorsement campaigns hinge on authenticity, so any partnership would have to feel natural in order to stay within the fence of fan alienation.

Final Notes

The play-to-earn gaming market in the Philippines has seen its potential grow, and athlete endorsements are beginning to become viable. Filipino athletes, with their already existing strong fan bases and a trusted public persona, could really help promote games like Axie Infinity and also take advantage of the financial opportunities that the conversion of SLPs to PHPs can present.

By partnering with P2E gaming companies, athletes could bring in new income streams to themselves, as well as to their fans, and show them a new, rapidly growing digital economy. With gaming, sports and finance lines becoming increasingly blurred, these collaborations could open up both industries to increased interest in cryptocurrency and digital assets.