Hasbro, Incorporated, a global branded entertainment company, has unveiled the NERF brand’s first-ever officially organized team sport, NERFBALL. Since 1969 when the beloved brand was first introduced to the world with the original NERF ball, dozens of iterations of NERF have been created across consumer products categories from sports items to blasters, apparel and much more. With several in-person and digital experiences, sports collaborations and the recent launch of Murph, the brand’s first-ever mascot, NERF has transformed itself into a true active play lifestyle brand. What started with a simple NERF ball more than 50 years ago comes full circle through a cutting-edge competitive sport, NERFBALL.
NERFBALL brings the excitement and heart pounding play of paintball and airsoft, together with the speed and agility of basketball, all combined with buzzer beating shots and unbelievable highlight moments. It’s a game built by athletes for athletes. The sport will introduce an all-new Pro series blaster, one-of-a-kind ball and a rule set designed to get your heart-rate pumping.
To launch this new sport, Hasbro is working with Donald Driver, one of football’s all-time leading receivers, dance competition champion and best-selling author. Donald has been working closely with Hasbro to design the rules and test the gameplay at his sports facility and formally bring it to market with the first public NERFBALL tournament launching in summer 2023.
“I am a huge fan of the NERF brand and have loved seeing it continue to expand into the world of sports,” said Donald Driver. “This past year has been a pleasure working with Hasbro to conceive such an exciting and entirely new sport. Through gameplay testing I’ve seen, I can confidently say that NERFBALL is sure to bring the exhilaration, rush and fun you get playing and watching other competitive sports, but in a way that only NERF can do.”
“We are thrilled to introduce NERF’s first-ever organized sport and honored to work with Donald Driver, a true sports icon for the launch to showcase the impact it’s sure to make on NERF fans and athletes everywhere,” said Teresa Pearson, Vice President of Global Franchise Strategy & Brand Management at Hasbro. “The game of NERFBALL will bring emotion, active play and competition to new heights for the brand through several unique elements. The game is inclusive and adaptable, giving fans even more of a reason to get out and play.”
In the coming months, Hasbro will announce additional details around the NERFBALL gameplay, tournament and equipment. Sign up at hasbropulse.com/nerfball to stay up to date on announcements and get your hands on the soon to be revealed, Nerf Pro blaster.
For regular updates on NERF, follow the official brand social channels on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also follow the new NERF mascot, Murph, on Twitter. It’s NERF or Nothin’!
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to making the world a better place for all children, fans and families. Hasbro delivers immersive brand experiences for global audiences through consumer products, including toys and games; entertainment through eOne, its independent studio; and gaming, led by the team at Wizards of the Coast, an award-winning developer of tabletop and digital games best known for fantasy franchises Magic: the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. The company’s unparalleled portfolio of approximately 1,500 brands includes Magic: the Gathering, NERF, My Little Pony, Transformers, Play-Doh, Monopoly, Baby Alive, Dungeons & Dragons, Power Rangers, Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, as well as premier partner brands. For the past decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media and one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute.
