Negotiating Brand Endorsements

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) assets used in athlete endorsements can include a variety of elements associated with an athlete’s personal style and social media presence. Brand managers have to consider many elements when evaluating whether or not to negotiate a contract with an athlete. Athletes also need to consider how a specific brand endorsement will affect their long-term career objectives.

SponsorUnited recently published a white paper outlining some of the statistics on recent NIL endorsement deals and the results may be somewhat surprising. For example, as shown on the chart, the number of NIL deals is roughly similar between men and women. The chart also shows the share of sponsorships by sport.

According to SponsorUnited, the top five fastest growing college athletes are all women beyond their freshman year: Alex Glover saw the largest increase in NIL deals with 33 deals in the 2022–23 season, followed by Yazzy Avila (19 deals), Isabella Choice (17 deals), Lexi Hiltunen (16 deals), and Sean Kelly Darks (16 deals). While men currently secure 65% of all NIL deals, women average a higher number of brand deals (3.5 versus 2.5). Additionally, 24% of women have five or more NIL deals compared to just 12% of men.

Planning for the Future

All athletes can position themselves strategically if they consider the context of the general market and have a good understanding of the evaluation criteria that a brand manager will use. Some of these evaluation criteria are listed below:

• Athlete’s Name: The use of an athlete’s name in association with a product, service, or brand. This can include the athlete’s full name, initials, or any nicknames that are associated with them.
• Athlete’s Image: Visual representations of the athlete, such as photographs, illustrations, or other likenesses, used in advertisements, promotional materials, or product packaging.
• Athlete’s Likeness: Elements that are characteristic of the athlete, which can include their voice, signature, or other distinctive features.
• Social Media Presence: Athletes can use their social media profiles to promote brands, engage with fans, and share sponsored content.
• Apparel and Merchandise: Athletes’ names, images, or signatures can be featured on clothing, shoes, and other merchandise.
• Personal Slogans or Catchphrases: Phrases or slogans that are uniquely associated with the athlete can be used in marketing campaigns.
• Video Appearances: Athletes can appear in commercials, video advertisements, or promotional videos for brands.

According to SponsorUnited, leading the pack in collegiate sports—with 41 NIL deals activated in the past 12 months—is recent graduate and former volleyball star, Alex Glover. In second place are reigning basketball champion Angel Reese and veteran quarterback Chase Griffin, each with 26 deals. Last year’s leader, football player Rayquan Smith, signed 25 deals this year, and redshirt sophomore softball player Yazzy Avila made a notable impact with 21 deals.

Even before an athlete secures an endorsement, they can begin to cultivate their NIL brand by carefully curating a social media presence and by scheduling some of the following activities:

• Public Appearances: Athletes can make appearances at events, trade shows, or other public gatherings as part of their endorsement deals.
• Voiceovers: Athletes can provide voiceovers for commercials or promotional videos, using their voice as part of their likeness.

One other method for building brand is to set up a logo and a line of merchandise. On the NIL Zone Platform athletes can easily design their own line of merchandise by using Admiral’s C3D design tool.

Don’t get left behind. Use this time strategically to created a source of income for the future. Sign-up for the NIL Zone Platform now.