Professional athletes have been taking more control of their consumer products and other commercial ventures over the past several years. They are increasingly stepping outside the bounds of their players’ associations to extend their own brands, and they are playing a more central role in designing, managing, and financing their products and promotions, often in lieu of licensing.
Recently, there has been a new twist on this trend. Current and former athletes are establishing companies that not only help them pilot their own commercial course, but also assist other athletes—and sometimes other celebrities as well—in navigating theirs.
Former New York Giant Tiki Barber co-founded Thuzio 360, an online platform that pairs businesses with celebrities for licensing and endorsements. The site provides social media activity and reach, brand-partnership history, charity organizations supported, contact information, and other details for thousands of sports, entertainment, lifestyle, food, and music celebrities. Targeted subscribers range from PR and advertising agencies to brand marketers.
Meanwhile, soccer star David Beckham launched a lifestyle products company in partnership with Global Brands Group. It plans to develop his signature brand in additional categories—he has a number of licensing partners in place, including H&M—as well as launching new brands tied to other sports and entertainment celebrities. One of the venture’s first moves was to sign a five-year deal with Trinity’s sports-inspired British men’s fashion label Kent & Curwen, for which Beckham will participate in product development, marketing initiatives, store design, and brand management.
Former New York Yankee Derek Jeter set up his own media business, The Players’ Tribune, with a mission of giving pro athletes from different sports the chance to talk to fans without the filter of traditional media. Jeter also is closely involved in a number of other ventures, including a children’s book publishing imprint with Simon and Schuster and RevolutionWear’s Frigo for Men underwear brand, of which he is one of several celebrity investors.
Each of these initiatives is unique in its business model and purpose; the common thread binding them together is that they focus not just on the athlete’s own brand extension, but also facilitate other athletes’ and celebrities’ deal-making, product development, and/or publicity activities.
It should be noted that this trend has also extended into non-sports celebrity licensing. Daymond John, the fashion entrepreneur and celebrity judge on Shark Tank, founded Shark Branding in 2012 as a brand management and licensing agency for celebrities and corporations, for example.
And, more recently, Willie and Korie Robertson, stars of Duck Dynasty, founded 3292 Brands as a licensing, entertainment, and talent management company representing “heartland” properties. Among its clients are the Robertsons’ own company, Duck Commander; their daughter’s lifestyle brand Sadie Robertson Live Original; Junk Gypsy, a company featured in Junk Gypsies on the HGTV and Great American Country channels; and Team Never Quit, whose members include Tara Kyle, author and widow of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.
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