NIL Deals: The Intersection Between Sports and Entertainment
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There has been a big change in entertainment and sports in the past couple of years but none more than the NIL deal. NIL is short for Name, Image and Likeness and to put it simply it is the ability for your child to earn money for the use of themselves in images, commercials, or any sort of public facing media. This became a huge discussion primarily in college sports where athletes weren’t being paid for the use of their image in marketing efforts. Now, universities have to pay the athletes when they use their photos or even their name on jerseys. This can now be applied to high school athletes or even children who are making a name for themselves in their respective sport.
NIL deals are important to understand because it can be a great way for your child model to build a personal brand that is tied to their athletic abilities. Especially if your child is a star athlete and is anticipating going to a Division I school, it will become a great way for them to earn money as well as build their brand. Here are the ways kids and teens of different ages can best take advantage of this new aspect of the sports industry.
Child, 12 and Under
For children under 11 it can be a little difficult to navigate but still important. We’ve seen examples with kids like Baby Gronk, who were able to leverage their fame as an athlete before they were even in high school. Child athletes are then able to book more once they already have a brand built up in their respective sport. The key is to truly understand who may be trying to use their likeness and how you can earn money from it. For example, imagine they are in a competitive basketball league, and the league uses their image on posters to promote games. If you have an agent, your child model can actually create a huge career solely based on their marketability as an athlete. The sooner you can get them an NIL deal the better, because you’ll be able to leverage it for years to come.
Teen, 12 – 18
Once your child becomes a teenager the stakes will increase as they will be entering into tougher competition. Middle school and high school athletes are all competing for the top spot and there are more teens sharing the limelight. If you already had an NIL deal in place then there’s nothing to worry about, but if not then you’ll need to make sure it’s in place. We’ve seen high school athletes who were able to grow their brand because of how famous they became at an early age. Bronny James is the ultimate example of a high schooler using their fame to earn money. When he was in AAU the large number of people showing up to games solely to see him, or a glimpse of his famous father, were paying to come. If your child athlete is that much of a draw, not only can they earn money just for playing, they will be able to become an athlete influencer and brands will send them gear to use. This is because even though they are young, they’ll have a large enough audience for brands to target.
College, 18+
While many college athletes will already have deals in place, especially if they were famous in high school, some athletes hit their stride late. If your child is in college athletics and beginning to make a name for themselves or goes viral, they’ll need to reach out to an agent ASAP. NIL deals were created primarily for college athletes. Many college athletes are now earning money as they are going to school and competing. They can earn money from jersey sales, promotions, and even being used in local commercials. Bryce Young, last year’s top college athlete in terms of NIL deal earnings, made over one million dollars while playing for The University of Alabama’s football team. This is the type of money that your child can make if they reach the pinnacle of fame in athletics.
This is why NIL deals are so important to understand and get a hold of – your child can earn an immense amount of money for the practice they do to be a top athlete. It can be difficult to put such high expectations on children and young adults, but it is the best way for them to build a brand while they are at their most famous. At Bensimon Model and Talent we have worked with athletes in the past and are so excited to work with more now that we have these types of deals in place.