This past Wednesday, we hosted our monthly Meetup in Barcelona. This month’s topic was about ATHLETES INC, one of the trends identified in the 2019 Trends in Sports Technology report which we published in January. We had the pleasure of hosting David Rosa , Advisory Board Member at More Than Players Foundation , and Niccolo Campriani , Sports Intelligence Manager at the IOC, as the guest speakers.
Niccolo, a 3-time Olympic gold medallist, guided us through his journey as a professional athlete, and how he was able to use his role as an influencer to do something greater off the field of play. He is now working at the IOC, and taking time to coach a group of refuge sport shooting athletes to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. You can find more information about this project here .
David guided us through the process of advising professional athletes to use their brand off the field of play while they are still developing their sporting career. He helps professional athletes to become investors, influencers, content creators by connecting them with brands. There is a big opportunity for brands to use professional athletes to test news things, and to reach a bigger audience.
Q: Why are athletes thinking about investing in new markets?
A: There are different reasons, the first one is because they are more aware of the new opportunities for them. But also, because of technology, the evolution of new start-ups, and the capacity of the sport industry to attach new technology to the sport. If you want to test something new or to reach out to a global audience, there is no better industry than sports due to the rapid deployment compared to other industries such as pharmaceuticals or aviation. ¨Players want to take an active part in their investments, not just with money but also with their time, expertise and image¨
¨Technology, the evolution of new start-ups, and the capacity of the sport industry to attach new technology to the sport are the reasons why athletes are thinking about investing in new markets¨
¨Combining sports with something else is the secret. Find a passion outside of sport, use your knowledge, role, and network to find something that creates value for you¨. Years ago there were not as many opportunities for a professional athlete to have a name off the field, but now the landscape has changed and there are multiple channels to leverage.
What can athletes gain when they start to invest? That is a question with many different answers, as each player expects something different from their investment. It is not only about putting a lot of money into a start-up, but also about teaching athletes what they can do once they retire from sports.
The Rule 40 topic was brought up into the conversation as the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee released an updated Rule 40 guidance ahead of Tokyo 2020. Now, athletes will be able to thank and receive congratulatory messages from their own sponsors. Personal sponsors will be able to engage into general advertising during the Games. With that being said, athletes will be able to make money during the biggest sporting event—the Olympics.
To conclude the event, some great examples came up but in the near future, those stories will be even greater as technology advances, which translates into more opportunities, and Athletes Inc will continue to deliver value to athletes, brands and other stakeholders.