The sports landscape is shifting, with athletes becoming increasingly influential figures in the digital age. A new wave of agencies is emerging to cater to this shift, blending traditional talent management with influencer marketing and content creation.
"We handle everything off the pitch and off the court," states Eric Eways, head of marketing at Klutch Sports Group, representing over 60 NBA and WNBA players, including Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey. Klutch offers a "one-stop shop" for athletes and advertisers, managing brand deals and employing a dedicated content production team.
This model isn't unique to Klutch. Agencies like Status Creative, Ten Toes and B-Engaged are also merging the worlds of talent representation, influencer marketing and content studios. This rise parallels a broader trend within sports marketing, where the relationship between athletes and brands increasingly resembles that of influencers and advertisers.
Sponsorship deals are becoming shorter, focusing on specific campaigns rather than long-term ambassadorships. An athlete's social media presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok is now a key factor in brand partnerships, eclipsing traditional measures of TV or display talent. Eways estimates that the "hundreds" of brand deals his agency manages annually include a major social component in "maybe a couple of dozen" campaigns.
Sophie Berman, head of talent influencer at Havas Play UK, describes these agencies as "a new breed" that meets advertiser demands while ensuring the authenticity and quality of social content associated with athletes.
B-Engaged, for example, represents 21 boxers, footballers and soccer players including Arsenal's Kai Havertz and Manchester United's Mason Mount. Founder Ehsen Shah explains that the agency not only manages talent but also facilitates relationships between athletes and brands.
Typically, advertisers or their creative agencies approach these agencies once they decide to include athletic talent in a campaign. While agencies like Klutch prioritize their player clients, any collaboration must benefit both the athlete and the advertiser.
For instance, the agency carefully manages the public image of client Juju Watkins, a student-athlete who prioritizes her on-court performance. Yet, Klutch has also successfully secured partnerships that align her public persona with brand values. A recent Nike sponsorship even extended to a clothing donation to a women's shelter run by her family.
These hybrid agencies are filling a gap for both brands and athletes. Players often lack the time to manage their TikTok and Instagram presence to the level required for brand deals, and their agencies can effectively manage these tasks, eliminating the need for a separate marketing team.
"If you're an athlete, you're a content machine... [and] most athletes are not doing that themselves," says Chris Ross, VP and analyst at Gartner for Marketers.
These agencies also act as intermediaries between athletes and their teams, reducing potential friction. While traditional sports agents focus on negotiating contracts with teams and sponsors, they typically don't handle brand social media deals.
"For [soccer] agents, especially, who make so much money from transfers and a percentage of salaries, they will manage inbound sponsorship requests but donât see the value of putting in the effort in proactive outreach given the relative returns seen," notes Malph Minns, managing director of sports marketing agency Strive Sponsorship.
However, today's players are increasingly aware of the potential earnings they're missing out on by not engaging with brands, says Shah. "Players are demanding different things to what past generations did. Past generations were happy to just fall in line because they were getting paid to play football," he explains.
This shift has created a space for hybrid agencies like Klutch and B-Engaged. Shah recalls a conversation with an unnamed soccer agent who dismissed social media as a fad, suggesting that players should focus solely on their sport. However, with the growing popularity of women's leagues like the WSL and WNBA, women's sports are attracting increasing advertiser interest, leading to a surge in opportunities for these agencies.
"It's absolutely exploded," says Eways. Klutch has recognised this trend and invested in the space, hiring Jade-Li English as head of women's basketball and signing more WNBA players.
"This isn't something that we got involved with just because we thought it was the right thing to do. It's also good for business," he says.
Some agencies have specialised in this area, like A&V Sports, which focuses exclusively on female soccer players. They offer a dedicated commercial department, a rarity in the world of women's sports agencies, and hunt down potential brand deals for their clients while managing their relationships with clubs and teams.
Though smaller than Klutch, A&V currently outsources content production, but they anticipate investing in their own production capabilities in the future.
The 2021 Supreme Court decision on name, image and likeness (NIL) rights in the US has significantly impacted the landscape, allowing thousands of college athletes to monetise their brand deals.
"All of a sudden, you have tens of thousands of athletes who have the ability to go represent themselves and to interact with sponsors," explains Ross.
The upcoming Olympics will present another opportunity for brands to add new faces to their creator rosters. A&V, for example, represents 12 athletes competing in the Games.
While women's athletes outside the US still earn significantly less than their male counterparts, the gap is narrowing. Despite this disparity, Irving predicts the size and number of deals will increase as women's sports continue to gain momentum. "It's only going in one direction," he says.
The rise of these hybrid agencies reflects a fundamental shift in the sports industry, where athletes are not only skilled competitors but also influential figures in the digital world. As this trend continues, these agencies are positioned to play an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of sports marketing.
