Sports stars are starting to take more control over their media careers before their playing careers end.
This year, we introduced England soccer captain Harry Kane, Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo (he’s the most popular sportsman in the world, as measured by followers across social platforms), and NFL players. We’ve seen athletes, including Travis Kelce, strive to put their personal brands into action. before they are kicked off the field. They’re also exploring ways to do it outside of traditional media infrastructure.
Companies like Kane’s new Cleats Club, a soccer-themed messaging app, and Ronaldo’s recently launched UR Cristiano YouTube channel are creating new opportunities for advertisers looking to reach large fan audiences in their wake. is producing.
Sports luminaries have been able to turn their on-field work into media careers for decades. However, they typically wait until the performance is over, and often work within established structures, such as broadcast commentary or gigs as brand ambassadors. Cain’s app, which plans to sell display ads and land commercial sponsorships, and Kelce’s $100 million podcast deal with Wonderly both demonstrate how athletes are jumping over the traditional media fence. There is.
“In the past, you had to wait for a media channel to tell you the story you wanted to tell. Now anyone can create their own channel,” says a sports-specific Karin Kildow, co-founder of social agency CCG Social, told Digiday. “Power is starting to shift from individuals to media companies.”
On YouTube, Ronaldo broke the platform’s record with the launch of his channel. According to YouTube, it gained 1 million subscribers in the first 90 minutes and 65 million total subscribers at the time of writing. Behind the scenes, agency Dentsu Creative Iberia is responsible for the channel’s content strategy, producing several videos each week, and negotiating sponsorship and brand placement opportunities, but the agency has not yet confirmed whether or not they have been awarded. has not been made clear.
This is not a shift reserved for top names only. NFL defensive end Isaac Rochell has amassed a sizable social following (more than 2 million on TikTok and just under 300,000 on Instagram) by featuring content that has little to do with his day job as a player for the Las Vegas Raiders. ). This year, he interviewed vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and former US President Barack Obama on his social media channels.
Direct relationship with fans
England captain Kane’s company Harry Kane Company recently launched Cleats Club. This app allows fans who follow players to talk directly to them about off-field and on-field matters. Users can ask Kane questions, and he responds with videos, voice notes, images, or text answers that are publicly available. While the content is similar to what athletes like Kane sometimes share on X and Instagram, the new app targets a younger audience than those typically present on those platforms.
“This is what you and I share with our friends in environments like WhatsApp,” explains James Kirkham, head of brand at Cleats Club. “It’s very personal and not stage-managed.”
While the partners currently advertising on Cleats Club, including Skechers, Reflero and Fanatics, are all booked through direct partnerships with Kane, Kirkham said the app will sell display units and allow brands to create specific messages. He said it would allow them to sponsor the board. “They’re going to be part of this great, real, honest, genuine conversation…It’s great for brand trust,” he said.
The app mimics the functionality of platforms like Discord and the official WhatsApp channel created by Warner Records for pop star Dua Lipa. However, Kane’s company believes it has a better chance of monetization than the WhatsApp channel.
“They (Dua Lipa) can broadcast it and promote it, but they still don’t own anything,” Kirkham said.
Additionally, the app’s creators say it’s set up to be a safer environment for young fans and brands than other platforms. One reason for this is that users will only see questions and messages sent by other users if Kane or the other player approves and answers the question or message.
“You don’t have to sift through millions of cluttered messages and noise, it doesn’t feel like it’s at arm’s length, and it certainly doesn’t feel that harmful at all,” Kirkham explained. did.
While Kane is the current face of the app, Kirkham said users would soon discover the names of other footballers who will join the England captain, although he did not reveal specific names.
“Athletes have always tried to find ways to communicate to audiences, but it has always tended to be through a third party,” said Steve Martin, founding partner of specialist British sports agency MSQ Sports & Entertainment. states.
Advertisers know that social content that features sports stars, rather than club badges or broadcasters, is likely to receive higher engagement rates from fans. And the niche fan base that follows players like Kane across borders and clubs is attractive to brands.
However, long-term success with fans and advertisers requires consistent content and a flow of new talent.
For example, Ronaldo’s YouTube channel currently churns out multiple videos per week. However, the channel is still in its early stages and it’s anyone’s guess how long the former Real Madrid star will continue his routine.
“The drum beat must always be constant, and it must always be interesting,” Martin said. “With 65 million followers, Ronaldo will have to constantly entertain their followers. If they don’t continually entertain their long-form content, the content can quickly dry up. ”
