Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company Signs Partnership with Dolphin Entertainment

Company will begin offering Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to maximize value of original media content

CANTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (“HOFV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football, today announced it has signed a partnership with Dolphin Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: DLPN), a leading independent entertainment marketing and premium content development firm, to offer non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) that will allow fans of professional football and sports entertainment to buy and sell exclusive content developed by HOFV and its partners. The partnership provides the Company with another way to generate revenue from its burgeoning media division.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Dolphin, an emerging thought leader in the NFT market, to accelerate our entry into the space,” said Michael Crawford, President and CEO of HOFV. “The significant progress we have made on our strategic initiatives since going public in July 2020 has allowed us to be in a position where we can offer individuals the opportunity to own NFTs associated with original content centered on professional football. This partnership will provide us with another opportunity to unlock additional value from the one-of-a-kind media projects we have in development.”

HOFV’s entry into the NFT space is a reflection of the overwhelming demand for this relatively new form of purchasing digital art and media. HOFV expects that its first NFT offering will be connected to its Heisman 2 Hall (“H2H”) platform, created in partnership with Elite Team Holdings, LLC, which represents the exclusive group of only 10 athletes that have won a Heisman Trophy and been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Crawford continued, “Focusing on this space at a time when NFTs are surging in popularity demonstrates our company’s ability to leverage direct access to exclusive content and to a robust pipeline of brand and intellectual partnerships.”

Bill O’Dowd, CEO of Dolphin, stated, “HOFV is a leader at the crossroads of professional football and entertainment, which makes them a perfect first partner for Dolphin's new NFT division. Dolphin’s best-in-class entertainment marketing companies and ability to design, produce, release and promote NFTs will deliver tremendous value for this powerful partnership. We are thrilled to collaborate with HOFV and their partners on creating and marketing sought-after digital collectible NFTs for the vast sports fanbase."

About Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame's campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.

About Dolphin Entertainment, Inc.

Dolphin Entertainment is a leading independent entertainment marketing and premium content development company. Through our subsidiaries 42West, The Door and Shore Fire Media, we provide expert strategic marketing and publicity services to many of the top brands, both individual and corporate, in the film, television, music, gaming and hospitality industries. Viewpoint Creative and Be Social complement their efforts with full-service creative branding and production capabilities as well as social media and influencer marketing services. Dolphin's legacy content production business, founded by Emmy-nominated CEO Bill O'Dowd, has produced multiple feature films and award-winning digital series.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made herein are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as “opportunity,” “future,” “will,” “goal,” and “look forward” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; costs related to the business combination; the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the Company’s shares on Nasdaq; the Company’s ability to manage growth; the Company’s ability to execute its business plan and meet its projections; potential litigation involving the Company; changes in applicable laws or regulations; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s products and services, and in particular economic and market conditions in the resort and entertainment industry; the potential adverse effects of the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on capital markets, general economic conditions, unemployment and the Company’s liquidity, operations and personnel, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in our reports and other public filings with the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.