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Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

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Axios Sports

Peng Shuai, the Chinese tennis star who disappeared after accusing a former top government official of sexual assault, reemerged this weekend — but this story is far from over.

Driving the news: Peng held a 30-minute video call on Sunday with IOC president Thomas Bach. According to the IOC, she is safe and well at her Beijing home and asked for privacy at this time.

Chinese state media journalists published photos and videos showing Peng allegedly sitting in her bedroom, eating dinner with friends and attending a tennis event.

China's state-owned broadcaster released a statement from Peng that read more like a hostage note. In it, she said her sexual assault allegation was "untrue" and that "everything is fine."

State of play: The unverified videos, photos and statement have been met with widespread skepticism, and the IOC call didn't satisfy WTA CEO Steve Simon, who has threatened to pull tournaments out of China and is demanding a proper investigation.

"It was good to see Peng Shuai in recent videos, but they don't alleviate or address the WTA's concern about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion."

"[The IOC video] does not change our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern."

The backdrop: The Peng scandal comes amid calls to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics over China's human rights record. Last week, President Biden said the U.S. is "considering" a diplomatic boycott.

The IOC has faced intense backlash for holding the Games in Beijing, and was criticized for being slow to respond to Peng's disappearance.

The organization put its reputation further on the line with Sunday's video call, a seemingly casual chat that some have labeled a "publicity stunt."

The big picture: After decades of mostly silence from corporations, the WTA's willingness to challenge the Chinese government, demand transparency and risk losing millions of dollars is "radical and transgressive," writes Slate's Ben Rothenberg.

"We've grown so accustomed to silence when there's money at stake in the China market," tweeted the Economist's Gady Epstein.

Could the tide be shifting as the Olympics approach? Or is Simon's aggressive posture destined to be a mere footnote in history?

Go deeper: Missing Chinese tennis player tells Olympic Committee she is safe

China's Peng Shuai scandal is far from over

The Peng scandal comes amid calls to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics over China's human rights record.

Peng Shuai on a video call with IOC president Thomas Bach.

Peng Shuai on a video call with IOC president Thomas Bach. Photo: Greg Martin/AFP via Getty Images 

China

World

The International Olympic Committee held a video call on Sunday with missing tennis player Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts have been a subject of international worry for weeks.

The latest: Peng "explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time," according to the IOC statement released on Sunday.

“I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was doing fine, which was our main concern," said Athletes’ Commission Chair Emma Terho, who joined IOC President Thomas Bach and an IOC member in China on the call.

"It was good to see Peng Shuai in recent videos, but they don’t alleviate or address the WTA’s concern about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion," a spokesperson for the Women's Tennis Association told Axios Sunday.

"This video does not change our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern," they added.

Peng had not been seen in public since she accused China's former vice premier of sexual assault on Nov. 2.

Catch up quick: While tennis authorities have called for a full investigation into the allegations, China's state-controlled media suppressed all reporting on the case.

On Sunday, the tennis star appeared to attend the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals, and photos that appear to be of her were published on the event's official WeChat page, Reuters reported.

This appearance comes a day after footage circulated on social media that appeared to show Peng at a restaurant in downtown Beijing on Saturday night, per Reuters.

But, but, but: In a statement on Saturday, WTA CEO Steve Simon said that Peng's recent appearance did not assuage the organization's concern.

“I am glad to see the videos released by China state-run media that appear to show Peng Shuai at a restaurant in Beijing. While it is positive to see her, it remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own, without coercion or external interference," he said.

Missing Chinese tennis player tells Olympic Committee she is safe

"It remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own," the Women's Tennis Association said.

Peng Shuai at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 21, 2020. Photo: Xinhua/Bai Xue via Getty Images

The mobile revolution replaced paper tickets with digital barcodes. Now comes the next leap: upgrading barcodes to non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Driving the news: Teams and leagues are experimenting with NFTs as a way to increase the value of digital tickets, with the ultimate goal of rewarding (and thus increasing) attendance.

In some cases, the ticket is the NFT, which can be collected or resold. Think: digital ticket stubs.

In other cases, the ticket grants access to a separate NFT, which can also be collected or resold. Think: digital bobbleheads.

Example No. 1: The NFL announced Thursday that it will attach NFTs to tickets for 21 select games this season. Once attendees scan into the game, they'll receive an email with a link to obtain their NFT.

Tickets must be purchased through Ticketmaster, StubHub or SeatGeek to be eligible. The NFTs can be stored on Ticketmaster or sold on its marketplace.

Side note: The NFL also sold 4,000 collectibles representing each NFL team for $10 each on Thursday (pictured above, nothing to do with tickets). Those are all now selling for hundreds on the resale market.

Example No. 2: The Mavericks are giving NFTs to home game attendees, also via Ticketmaster. Some are digital ticket stubs (see above), while others are "MetaMavs Legends" (the pixelated dudes above).

"The whole idea is to reward fans for coming," says Mavs owner Mark Cuban. "You can't just buy a ticket and not go. What gets you the NFT is that you actually [scan your ticket]. And if you go to 10 games ... there will be rewards for that."

"Let's say Luka has a 30 assist game," adds Cuban. "There are going to be 500,000 people that say they were there, right? But the reality is, the people who are actually there are the ones who get the NFT commemorating that game."

Food for thought: The Mavericks are retiring Dirk Nowitzki's No. 41 on Jan. 5. Instead of commemorative shirts, perhaps fans will get Dirk-inspired NFTs that can be collected or sold (for way more than a shirt).

The big picture: The magic of NFTs is that they create verifiable digital scarcity and ownership. We communicate digitally. We work digitally. We live digitally. Why should collectibles be any different?

"The bobblehead was all the rage for years, and teams definitely saw higher ticket prices on 'Bobblehead Night.' But if you think about that value prop, it's not that great. You have to get there super early. You have to carry it around all game and not lose it. And then you get home and put it on your desk. ... The physicalness actually reduces the value, I think. So transitioning to a digital version makes a ton of sense."

Brad Griffith, CEO and founder of ticketing app Gametime

What's next: For now, these attendance-based NFTs are still linked to actual tickets, which are used to enter the venue. In the future, the NFTs could be the tickets, themselves.

All transactions would be stored on the Blockchain, thereby increasing transparency and all but eliminating fraud.

NFT tickets would also allow the original seller (like a sports team) to track all resales, and get a cut each time the ticket changes hands.

Sports tickets meet NFTs

Teams and leagues are experimenting with NFTs as a way to increase the value of digital tickets.

Illustration of a admittance ticket in a frame

Monday's sports stories

China's Peng Shuai scandal is far from over

Missing Chinese tennis player tells Olympic Committee she is safe

Sports tickets meet NFTs