Dapper Labs Announces NBA Top Shot Mobile App

The NBA Top Shot app mirrors its web platform and gives fans mobile-friendly access to the Top Shot ecosystem.

Dapper Labs, in collaboration with the NBA and NBPA, is kicking off NBA All-Star Weekend 2023 with the unveiling of the NBA Top Shot app.

The new app will enable fans to purchase Moment NFT packs directly on the platform, making NBA Top Shot one of the first NFT collections available for purchase via apps compatible with iOS and Android devices. Launching the NBA Top Shot app is another milestone on Dappers Labs’ journey to becoming a mobile-first company.

Jenn van Dijk, SVP of Dapper Labs’ sports studio products, told Boardroom in an exclusive interview that the NBA Top Shot app will virtually mirror the web product; the app and website are meant to provide consumers the same experience across different platforms.

“As we’ve seen over time with Top Shot, we know this is what consumers do first. They go and look in the app store for an app, whether you’re Web3 native or not,” van Dijk told Boardroom. “This app will be the first of many across our company and our products that will also try to bring in more users to Web3 through the mobile channel.”

Everything You Need to Know About the Top Shot App

Nearly 75% of Top Shot traffic comes through mobile web browsers, further supporting the project’s need for a robust app. Dapper began developing the Top Shot app early last fall, working closely with Apple and Google.

When building the app, van Dijk said Dapper wanted to do it in a way that works for everybody — consumers, the Dapper business, IP partners, the NBPA, and the NBA. Dapper also wants to help Apple and Google shape their Web3 visions with app offerings like NBA Top Shot.

“We want to get consistent with iteration and growing,” she said. “It’s important to us to get this first version of the app out now.”

Last summer, Dapper Labs acquired an interactive storytelling app and mobile gaming company called OK Play. The team behind OK Play became Dapper’s core mobile products unit. They led product development, vision, and the partnership relationship with Apple and Google to build out the NBA Top Shot app.

“They’ve brought an incredible vision and ability to deliver that really bolsters Dapper pretty uniquely in the space,” van Dijk said.

The NBA Top Shot app launches Thursday to a select waitlist, and Dapper will continue its rollout progressively to a more full-featured public app in the spring.

Core features of the app include:

Collection access
Latest trending Moments
Notifications for upcoming drops and challenges
Ability to purchase starter packs
COMING LATER: Marketplace, trading mechanics, and pack swaps

van Dijk believes the app will add value to Top Shot’s already established audience. Its launch is also consistent with Dapper’s goal of onboarding more people to Web3 through Web2 ease, like access to an app.

Dapper will look to downloads and user sign-ups to measure the success of the NBA Top Shot app, but the company is also tracking what consumers want out of the mobile platform. van Dijk said Dapper would take its learnings from the NBA Top Shot app launch and implement them for future app deployment.

“We are excited that this is really the first mass-market Web3 app that’s going to be out there. That also means we have a ton to learn,” van Dijk said.

She emphasized that NFL All Day’s future app won’t be a copy and paste from Top Shot, and it will instead cater to its audience. Dapper didn’t share a timeline for future app drops.

One thing that will remain the same in the app is Top Shot’s ability to maximize big NBA moments through its pack offerings. In the 24 hours after Lebron James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Top Shot sold roughly 100,000 packs valued at $9 each. One of James’ Moments even sold for $13,500.

“There are a lot of opportunities out there as Web3 goes mobile,” van Dijk said. “We’re focused on the consumer and keeping pack prices accessible and reasonable for people. We’re really bullish on this opportunity.”

Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou will expand on the new NBA Top Shot app during the annual NBA Tech Summit on Friday as part of All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.