OpenSponsorship Blog

Why Athlete Influencer Marketing Is B2B's Most Underleveraged Channel

ishveen@opensponsorship.com (Ishveen Jolly) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:54:56 GMT

If you're running marketing for a B2B company and you haven't seriously explored athlete, sports and influencer partnerships, you're not alone; but you're leaving one of the most effective channels on the table.

I've been running OpenSponsorship for over a decade, connecting brands with 25,000+ athletes, teams, events, leagues, content creators and influencers. And one of the clearest patterns I've seen in the last few years: B2B brands that test athlete, sports & influencer marketing are consistently surprised by how well it works.

Here's why the channel is so underused, and why that's actually good news for the brands willing to move first.

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The Assumption That Holds Most B2B Brands Back

Most B2B marketers assume sports sponsorship & influencer marketeing is a B2C game. Nike, Gatorade, Red Bull; all consumer brands with mass audiences and massive budgets. What does that have to do with selling software, professional services, or enterprise tools?

A lot, it turns out.

The core insight: your buyer is a sports fan and entertainment fan before they're a decision-maker. The CFO you're trying to reach watches Sunday football. The HR director you're prospecting follows tennis. The procurement lead you've been emailing for three months has a golf handicap he's quietly proud of. Or their kids influence them A LOT and they are fans of YouTube stars, content creators. Maybe that C-suite you are selling to loves to watch recipe creators at the weekend, or loves a bit of reality TV.

Traditional B2B marketing - LinkedIn ads, cold email sequences, gated content - reaches these people when they're in work mode, defensive, and already being sold to by ten other companies.

Athlete & Influencer marketing reaches them somewhere else entirely. In a headspace where they're relaxed, engaged, and actually paying attention.

That's why we call it underleveraged. The audience is the same. The context is completely different.

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What B2B Athlete Marketing Actually Looks Like

It's not about stadium naming rights or jersey logos. For mid-market B2B brands, the playbook is much more accessible than that.

Take Glassdoor. When they came to us, the brief was straightforward — reach HR decision-makers and company leaders in an authentic way that didn't feel like another corporate ad. We built a campaign that combined athlete social content with in-person locker room activations. The result: brand visibility with exactly the kind of senior professionals Glassdoor needed to reach, in environments where the message landed completely differently than it would have in a LinkedIn feed.

We worked with b2b security company, Sentinel One, to engage key B2B decision-makers with an exclusive webinar featuring a high-profile draw. What better way to ensure attendance than by hosting a live Q&A with the world-renowned astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson?

That's the template. You don't need a massive budget. You need the right athlete / influencer, the right sport or cultural moment, and a genuine connection between what you do and who follows that talent.

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Which Sports Index Highest for B2B Audiences

Not all sports reach the same people. For B2B brands, the demographic overlap between sport and buyer persona is everything.

Golf is the single most valuable sport for most B2B marketers. Golf audiences index exceptionally high for business ownership, executive-level employment, and high household income. The corporate culture around golf — client entertainment, relationship building, deal conversations on the fairway — is already baked in. A B2B brand showing up authentically in the golf world doesn't feel like advertising. It feels like it belongs. /categories/golf

Tennis delivers the widest international reach of any individual sport, with a fanbase that skews affluent across North America, Europe, and Asia. If your customers span time zones, tennis athletes are an underutilized way to build awareness across markets simultaneously. /categories/tennis

Triathlon and endurance sports attract an audience of high-income, highly educated professionals — one of the strongest demographic overlaps with B2B decision-makers in any sport. Brands that sponsor endurance athletes tend to build outsized credibility with an audience that values performance, precision, and quality.

NFL and NBA work best when your goal is broad brand awareness at scale. Less targeted than golf or tennis, but powerful for building the kind of name recognition that makes your eventual sales conversation easier.

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The Formats That Work for B2B

B2B brands have more flexibility here than they often realize.

Athlete & Influencer social content is the most common starting point — the athlete & influencer creates a post featuring your brand, speaks to their audience in their own voice, and drives authentic credibility that no ad can replicate. Works best when the connection between your product and the athlete's world is genuine. How to do that - well many athletes & influencers are business owners, they have security issues, finance and insurance needs. They not only influence your audience, but could also be your customer!

In-person activations are underrated for B2B specifically. Locker room events, athlete appearances at conferences or client dinners, co-branded experiences at sporting events — these create memorable moments with exactly the senior professionals you're trying to build relationships with. The Glassdoor locker room campaign worked precisely because it put the brand in a context that felt exclusive, not promotional. The Sentinel One example worked because the brand's decision makers were in a (virtual) room with Neil DeGrasse Tyson!

Podcast and long-form content with sports personalities is one of the most effective formats for reaching B2B audiences. Podcast listeners act on brand mentions at significantly higher rates than social media viewers — and sports podcasts tend to skew toward the exact demographic profile that B2B brands are chasing.

Speaking and keynote appearances are worth considering if you run events. A recognized athlete or influencer draws attendance and creates a brand association that lasts long after the event itself.

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Industries Seeing the Best Results

Based on campaigns we've run, the B2B sectors that consistently perform well with athlete marketing:

HR and people platforms — sports themes around teamwork, talent, and peak performance map naturally onto HR messaging. Glassdoor is one example. Recruiting platforms, performance management tools, and employee benefits companies all have natural athlete alignment.

SaaS and enterprise software — particularly products aimed at business owners and operations leaders. Golf and endurance sports integrations work especially well here. Tech companies increasingly see athlete influencers as a way to reach the senior decision-makers who control software budgets.

Cybersecurity and IT infrastructure — the performance and resilience framing that runs through sports culture maps directly onto security product messaging. Audiences at tech-adjacent sports events are a highly relevant demographic. Sentinel One is an example.

Professional and financial services — golf and tennis remain the gold standard. For brands targeting the highest income brackets, equestrian and sailing sponsorships deliver ultra-premium positioning that no other channel can match.

B2B e-commerce and logistics — NASCAR and motorsport audiences index high for operational and supply chain roles, with exceptional brand loyalty that carries over into purchasing decisions.

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How to Choose the Right Athlete or Influencer

The most common mistake: chasing the biggest name available.

Reach matters, but relevance matters more. A golf influencer with 80,000 highly engaged followers who are 70% business owners will outperform a basketball player with 2 million followers whose audience skews 18–24.

The criteria that actually drive results:

Audience demographics over follower count. Ask for audience data before committing. What's the age split? Income bracket? Professional background? For B2B, these numbers matter more than the headline follower figure. Spolier Alert - we have all that available in our platform!

Authentic connection to your product. The campaigns that perform are the ones where the partnership makes sense in real life. If you have to stretch to explain why this athlete is using your product, the audience will feel that too.

Engagement rate. An athlete with 200,000 followers and a 4% engagement rate delivers more than one with 1 million followers at 0.3%. Look at comments and shares, not just likes.

Content quality. Review their existing sponsored content. If their previous brand posts look generic, yours will too.

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What to Expect on Budget

Mid-market B2B brands routinely run effective campaigns starting from $2,000–$5,000 per month. At that level, allocated to the right athlete in the right sport, you're getting consistent brand exposure to a targeted professional audience at a cost-per-impression that LinkedIn and programmatic advertising can't match.

The metrics worth tracking aren't always the obvious ones. Beyond impressions and engagement, pay attention to branded search volume lift during campaign periods, direct traffic spikes, and — most telling — the sales conversations where prospects say "I've been seeing you guys everywhere lately." That's the channel working.

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Ready to Explore What This Looks Like for Your Brand?

OpenSponsorship connects B2B brands with 25,000+ verified athletes and influencers across every niche, sports, audience size, and budget. We've run campaigns for brands targeting HR leaders, IT decision-makers, corporate buyers, and executive-level professionals — and we know which athletes, sports, and formats work for which verticals.

If you want to see what athlete marketing could look like for your specific product and audience, /book-a-call. We'll walk you through realistic options and what results to expect based on what's actually worked.

How much does athlete sponsorship cost?

ishveen@opensponsorship.com (Ishveen Jolly) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:11:27 GMT

How Much Does Athlete Sponsorship Cost?

If you've been considering athlete sponsorship for your brand, pricing is probably the first thing you want to know — and the answer you'll find online is frustratingly vague.

The reality: athlete sponsorship can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several hundred thousand. What you pay depends entirely on who you work with, what you're asking them to do, and how you manage the process.

Here's a straightforward breakdown of what brands actually pay in 2026.

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What Determines the Cost of Athlete Sponsorship

Four factors drive pricing more than anything else:

1. Athlete reach and profile
A college athlete with 8,000 engaged followers costs a fraction of an NFL player with 2 million. Both can drive real results — the right choice depends on your brand goals, not just the follower count.

2. Deliverable type
A single Instagram post is cheaper than a video series. An in-store appearance costs more than a social post. Ambassador deals — where the athlete represents your brand over several months — are priced differently again.

3. Exclusivity
If you want an athlete to work only with your brand (and not competitors) in their category, that commands a premium.

4. Duration
One-off campaigns cost less upfront but less per deliverable over time. Ongoing partnerships typically offer better value and better performance — athletes who genuinely use your product over time are more convincing to their audience.

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Athlete Sponsorship Costs by Tier

┌────────────────────────┬──────────────────┬───────────────────────┐
│ Athlete Tier │ Followers │ Typical Cost Per Post │
├────────────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────────────────┤
│ Micro-athlete │ 5,000 – 50,000 │ $200 – $1,500 │
├────────────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────────────────┤
│ Mid-tier │ 50,000 – 500,000 │ $1,500 – $10,000 │
├────────────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────────────────┤
│ Macro │ 500,000 – 2M │ $10,000 – $50,000 │
├────────────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────────────────┤
│ Elite / household name │ 2M+ │ $50,000+ │
└────────────────────────┴──────────────────┴───────────────────────┘

One thing most brands get wrong: bigger isn't always better. Micro and mid-tier athletes consistently outperform on engagement rate and audience trust — particularly in niche categories like running, fitness, golf, and college sports.

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What Does $2,000/Month Actually Get You?

At OpenSponsorship, managed brand campaigns start from $2,000 per month. That covers:

- Access to 20,000+ verified athletes across every sport
- Athlete matching based on your target audience, category, and goals
- Campaign strategy and execution — not just a marketplace
- Full management of deliverables, contracts, and reporting

For brands new to athlete sponsorship, this is typically the right entry point. You get to test the channel with real athletes, real campaigns, and real data — without committing to a six-figure ambassador deal before you know what works.

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What Brands Are Actually Getting for That Investment

Some recent examples from OpenSponsorship campaigns:

SteadyMD partnered with health and fitness athletes for a targeted social campaign. Result: +25% increase in web traffic within 3 months.

Harmless Harvest activated college athletes for campus awareness. The NIL angle gave the campaign authenticity that traditional
influencer content can't replicate.

Walmart ran a campaign with NFL athletes around a Spring fashion launch — reaching a sports audience that was already primed to engage.

These aren't outlier results. They're what happens when brand and athlete are matched correctly.

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The Hidden Cost of Doing It Yourself

Many brands try to negotiate directly with athletes or their agents. The math rarely works out:

- Legal costs for contracts
- Time spent on outreach, vetting, and coordination
- No performance data or benchmarks

A managed platform handles all of this. The $2,000/month starting point at OpenSponsorship is often comparable to — or cheaper than —
what brands spend trying to run one direct deal.

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Is Athlete Sponsorship Worth It?

For the right brand, yes — consistently. The sweet spot is brands with a genuine connection to sport, fitness, or lifestyle who want to build trust with a specific audience rather than just buy impressions.

Athlete sponsorship outperforms traditional influencer marketing in one critical way: authenticity. An athlete talking about a product they actually use is inherently more credible than a generic influencer post. That trust translates directly into conversion.

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How to Get Started

If you're exploring athlete sponsorship for the first time, the best move is a strategy call to understand what's realistic for your budget and category.

Campaigns start from $2,000/month. No long-term commitment required to get started.

The Formula for Athlete & Influencer Sponsorship ROI: Our 6-Step Influencer Marketing Process

ishveen@opensponsorship.com (Ishveen Jolly) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:10:02 GMT

How OpenSponsorship Delivers Performance-Based Influencer Marketing Success

When launching an athlete sponsorship or influencer marketing campaign, a data-driven strategy is the difference between a one-off post and a measurable return on investment. As the creator economy trends evolve, we have refined our methodology into a proven 6-Step Influencer Marketing Process that ensures our clients hit their marketing goals and maximize their sports sponsorship ROI.

1. Goal Setting & Influencer Marketing Strategy

Every great B2B or B2C campaign starts with alignment. During our initial kickoff, we dive deep into your brand’s objectives to define exactly what success looks like. We set the timeline, confirm action items, and create a tracker sheet to ensure long-term influencer partnerships are built on a solid foundation before we even look at talent.

2. Talent Discovery & Athlete Tracking

Within days of the kickoff, we launch your campaign. We don't just rely on our extensive on-platform network; we utilize target searches and agency contacts to build a curated list. By starting with an early list of highly relevant athletes, we can rapidly align with the best niche communities for your brand.

3. Finalizing Picks & Locking In Talent

Once you approve the names, our team handles the heavy lifting. We confirm representation, draft comprehensive proposals (including usage rights and specific deliverables for omnichannel strategies), and negotiate to secure the absolute best price for true sports sponsorship ROI.

4. Creative Management for Authenticity

Authenticity in influencer marketing is critical for performance. We take ownership of the creative brief, outline the key messaging and "Do's and Don'ts," and manage all approvals. This ensures that user-generated content (UGC) perfectly encapsulates your brand voice when it goes live.

5. Amplification & Performance Media Strategy

A simple post is just the beginning. We advise clients on how to treat influencer content as performance media. By leveraging strategically boosted posts, creator-led ads, email marketing, and PR, we ensure your campaign contents achieve maximum reach well beyond organic limits.

6. Influencer Campaign Measurement & ROI Reporting

We don't just hand over raw numbers—we tell a story with data. Through proprietary O-Auth tracking and advanced influencer marketing analytics, we deliver transparent performance reports. We celebrate the wins, evaluate the challenges, and provide data-driven recommendations that make it easy to scale your next campaign.

Ready to kick off your own performance-based athlete sponsorship campaign? Connect with the OpenSponsorship team today to get started.

Golf Influencer Marketing in 2026: A Data-Driven Case Study of Ping’s Creator Strategy

ishveen@opensponsorship.com (Ishveen Jolly) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:26:42 GMT

Golf Influencer Marketing in 2026: A Data-Driven Case Study of Ping’s Creator Strategy

In the competitive landscape of golf influencer marketing, simply having a large roster of creators is no longer enough. Performance in 2026 is measured by conversion and community trust rather than vanity metrics. We recently analyzed Ping Golf's 2025-2026 creator strategy to understand how they maintained a 22.50% share of voice with a remarkably lean content volume.

How Ping Identified High-ROI Golf Creators

While many brands chase "mega-influencers," Ping’s success came from "anchor creators" who dominate specific niches. Our analysis of their 1,319 total posts revealed a masterclass in creator efficiency:

The Power of One: A single creator, Haley McCartney, generated 34,116 engagements, representing over 53% of Ping's total social engagement during the period.
Elite Engagement Rates: McCartney achieved a 13.10% engagement rate, a gold standard in golf influencer marketing where the industry average often hovers much lower.
The "Mhmoose" and "Erika Larkin" Effect: By partnering with creators like mhmoose (7,758 engagement) and erikalarkingolf (4,466 engagement), Ping ensured their brand was seen as a "trusted authority" rather than just another advertiser.

Targeted SEO Strategy: Dominating the Women’s Golf Niche

Ping’s 2026 strategy reflects a major pivot toward the women’s golf demographic, currently one of the sport's fastest-growing segments.

Semantic Keyword Dominance: Ping dominated search and social categorizations by leaning into hashtags like #womensgolf, #womensgolfapp, and #womensgolfclub.
The Best Time to Post for Golfers: Our data shows that for maximum reach, Tuesday at 08:00 AM is the peak window, yielding an average of 8,593 engagements per post.

Authenticity as an Algorithm Signal

In 2026, AI-driven search engines like SearchGPT and Google AI Overviews prioritize content that feels human and expert-led.

Organic over Sponsored: Ping only ran 12 sponsored posts during this period. By focusing on organic mentions from accounts like @originalpenguin, they built "entity clarity"—making the brand a trusted recommendation for AI agents.
User-Generated Content (UGC): The strategy relied on creators sharing authentic "What's In The Bag" (WITB) style content, which is a high-intent search term for golfers looking to buy new gear.

Key Lessons for Golf Brands in 2026

Prioritize Quality Over Volume: A few "solution partner" creators with high trust are more valuable than dozens of one-off campaigns.
Optimize for AI Discovery: Use structured data and clear, literal descriptions of your equipment to ensure AI agents recommend your brand.
Focus on Niche Verticals: Ping’s focus on the female golfer proves that "micro-market dominance" is the most profitable SEO move in a crowded field.

Gear Up Your Brand For The Winter Olympics: How To Win The Marketing Gold Medal

Bianca Tornecrantz — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:41:06 GMT

The world is starting to gear up for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The energy is heating up as the temperature is dropping. From the icy slopes of alpine skiing to the gravity-defying spins and turns of figure skating, the spotlight is shifting toward athletes who will captivate, entertain, inspire, and capture audiences across the continents.

But the Olympics isn’t just a stage for athletes to go for gold; it’s a cultural phenomenon. And for brands, it’s the golden opportunity to leverage emotional connections.

The Winter Olympics Is a Brand’s Dream Arena.

The Olympics create a unique cultural moment where passion, unity, and storytelling converge. Fans across the globe will tune in not only to cheer for their favorite athletes but also to connect emotionally with the brands that successfully capture the Olympic spirit.

Whether it’s through inspiring content, purpose-driven campaigns, or athlete partnerships, the brands that come prepared will be the ones remaining on the final podium.

With the event's massive global reach across platforms, the games offer unmatched visibility. The narratives surrounding it are rich with triumph and drama, which provides a perfect opportunity for authentic brand alignment and emotional storytelling. The cultural relevance by association taps into a shared global movement that is sure to boost brand resonance. The athlete's influence is unmatched, with athletes such as moving past their athletic image to become icons with loyal followings.

Take some inspiration from athletes who’ve successfully transcended sports, such as Shaun White and Chris Mazdzer, both known for turning Olympic moments into personal brands.

Don’t Just Watch It - Activate.

Whether you're a legacy brand or a new challenger looking to break through, now is the time to make your move. Be bold and think beyond traditional ads. Consider athlete partnerships, immersive digital experiences, cause-driven storytelling, and real-time social engagement.

The future of your brand may lie in the snowy slopes of the Alps. If you are wondering how to tie on your boot, worry no further; we have you covered.

Check out our Winter Sports category on OpenSponsorship to explore active athletes available for collaborations.

Get Ready To Go For Gold.

To ensure your audience is listening, you will need to identify the right athlete partnerships for your brand. Timing is key, and activation strategies will determine how your Olympic season will end. The content must be both shareable and authentic to maximize your chances of the gold.

The countdown is on. Don’t wait until the torch is lit. Start preparing your campaign today and get ready to capture the world’s attention once the games begin.

Check out this blog post to get some ideas and get ready for the thrilling event.

The Social Media Playbook: Current Trends

Bianca Tornecrantz — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:30:00 GMT

Social media trends shape how audiences engage with, discover, and buy. The current 2025 climate, amid the rise of AI, makes it challenging to form authentic connections. For brands seeking to build sustained engagement, we need to understand that the rules of the game have changed. In this blog post, we will break down the current trends, what they are, why they are gaining momentum, and how to apply them. Think of it as your own Social Media Playbook, helping you cut through the noise and maximize your social efforts.

Play 1: AI is Your Partner

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has moved past a mere experiment and is now deeply integrated into social media. Rather than asking if brands should use it, it is now a question of how.

AI tools such as ChatGPT and platform assistants are excellent for generating ideas. However, their true brilliance lies in being a strategic thought partner. Turning messy notes and performance data into structured formats that can easily be leveraged will enhance your output. Transparency is a rising trend, and to build trust, the savvy marketer will share their processes. For example, sharing what prompt led to success creates a culture of collective learning.

Don’t simply leverage AI for drafting posts, play around with the analytical capabilities, use tools for decoding the “vibe” behind a trend, and allow for longer-lasting emotional connections.

Play 2: The Vibe Culture

The speed at which micro-trends emerge has led to consumer fatigue. Rather than chasing every fleeting, short-lived trend, it’s now about being selective and adapting to the slower, mood-driven vibes.

The key is to be intentional about your selection, since moving on to every viral moment can be perceived as inauthentic, thus annoying your audience. There is a power lying within social listening, and by monitoring this, we allow for informed decisions. Assessing a trend’s relevance and predicting its longevity before participating will show what aligns with your brand's values and what doesn't.

Sometimes the best move is to avoid a trend altogether and create original content to reinforce brand identity. Use social listening to understand the context and create a framework for evaluating the newest trends before diving in.

Play 3: Video is Still Dominating

It is no secret that video is still the unrivaled dominant force of content. However, the domain is expanding. While short-form video remains an important driver of engagement, there is a resurgence of long-form videos as they allow for deeper storytelling.

There is a current trend among consumers preferring authentic, “raw”, low-production, genuine videos over polished corporate content. This trend highlights the need for relatable content that is easier to digest than the elaborate edited form. We can see a switch in search engines, as video platforms have become the go-to for consumers seeking to purchase and find information on products and services. This makes video SEO a key player in visibility.

Develop a video strategy that repurposes long-form content into short clips for different platforms and prioritize authenticity.

Play 4: The Need to Belong

With public feeds becoming oversaturated, individuals now seek a more intimate and meaningful connection. This is the reason for growth in private communities. Communities fulfill the human need to belong, which is becoming increasingly more difficult in the current social media climate.

Building brand loyalty by creating a space for the most engaged customers increases the chance of loyal customers, as they are more likely to remain loyal to a brand that offers community access. This trend extends beyond the devices, as brands host events as extensions of online communities. Thus, creating more tangible, powerful experiences for their audience.

Think about how you can build a community around your brand and focus on fostering genuine conversations rather than simply promoting.

Looking to Q4 and beyond....

Taraneh Ansari — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 16:35:32 GMT

From Q4 into the start of the new year, some of the most exciting events take place — each offering a fresh opportunity to work with athletes and creators to promote your brand in ways that feel timely, relevant, and impactful

Thanksgiving NFL Games: The three Thanksgiving Day NFL games in 2024 averaged 34.2 million viewers (across linear TV + digital), a record high for the holiday, according to NFL records dating back to 1988. The Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears early game on Thanksgiving 2024 averaged 37.5 million viewers on CBS — the highest ever for the early time slot.

Black Friday & Giving Tuesday: Giving Tuesday raised over $3.1 billion in the U.S. in 2023 — all in just 24 hours. In 2023, Black Friday sales hit $9.8 billion in online spending alone — with 54% of purchases made via smartphones. Over 77 million people in the U.S. shopped online on Black Friday 2023, while 20 million Americans participated in Giving Tuesday

Christmas NBA & NFL Games: NBA's Christmas Day 2024 slate averaged -5.25 million viewers per game in the U.S. across ABC, ESPN, and streaming platforms, its highest Christmas viewership in years. NFL's two Christmas Day 2024games on Netflix drew nearly 65 U.S. viewers between them, marking a record day.

New Years: In a study of purchase behavior, U.S. retail sales in January 2025 jumped about 4.8% year-over-year, driven largely by New Year’s resolution spending. Brands that invest $1 in athlete influencer marketing typically receive about $5.78 in media value.

Winter Olympics: Over 2 billion people tuned into the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, making it one of the most watched global sporting events. The games had around 2,900 athletes, representing 91 countries. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be the most geographically widespreads in history, events will take place in cities and towns like Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Bormio, and Val di Fiemme.

If you’re not building campaigns for Q4 and Q1, you’re leaving the field wide open for your competitors.

At OpenSponsorship, we take you from idea to execution—helping you brainstorm, source, and activate the right talent for your campaigns.

Olympic athletes: Hundreds of medalists and rising stars to bring global credibility.
NFL & NBA talent: Thousands of players for local relevance or national reach.
Fitness & wellness creators: Authentic voices driving impact with health-conscious audiences.

With our platform and white-glove services, you’ll always find the right fit—while we handle the logistics to deliver fast, smart, and measurable results. Book a call today to find out more!

5 Essential Branding Plays for a Successful College Football Season

christian.noyola@opensponsorship.com (Christian Noyola) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 02:47:18 GMT

College football is one of the most electrifying sports in the U.S., capturing the attention of millions every fall. The 2025 season kicks off on August 30th, launching months of high-stakes matchups, packed stadiums, and passionate fan engagement. With an average of 1.7 million viewers per game—and marquee games drawing over 5 million—college football offers brands unparalleled exposure. The rise of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals has opened the door for athletes to partner with companies across industries, from apparel and fitness to tech and food. These partnerships not only elevate brand visibility but also empower student-athletes to grow their personal brands and connect with fans in authentic ways. OpenSponsorship makes it easier than ever for brands to tap into this thriving space—streamlining the process of discovering, connecting with, and sponsoring top college football talent.

5 Tips For Brands

Align with Authenticity: Choose athletes whose personal values, lifestyle, and audience align with your brand’s mission. Authentic partnerships feel natural and resonate more deeply with fans. For example, a fitness brand will gain more traction with an athlete known for their training content. Avoid forced collaborations that appear purely transactional—consumers can spot inauthenticity, and it may hurt both the brand and the athlete’s credibility.
Leverage Storytelling Over Sales: Don’t just use athletes as promotional billboards—tell stories that highlight their journey, challenges, and achievements. A powerful narrative builds emotional connections with audiences and humanizes both the athlete and your brand. Whether it's through social media content, short videos, or behind-the-scenes moments, storytelling adds depth to the partnership and increases engagement and trust from fans.
Utilize Multi-Channel Campaigns: Maximize your reach by collaborating with athletes across several platforms—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, podcasts, and even in-person events. Different platforms serve different audiences and engagement styles. A well-executed multi-channel approach ensures your message is seen by a broader and more diverse group while allowing the athlete to showcase your brand in creative, platform-specific ways that drive results.
Prioritize Long-Term Relationships: While one-time campaigns can be impactful, long-term partnerships generate stronger brand recall and loyalty. Repeated collaborations help reinforce the brand-athlete connection in the minds of fans, making the endorsement feel more genuine. Consider building multi-season or year-long deals that allow for brand integration into the athlete's routine, training, and personal milestones, fostering deeper engagement and continuity.
Track Performance and Adapt: Measure the ROI of your athlete partnerships through clear KPIs like engagement rate, reach, conversions, and brand sentiment. Use tracking tools and analytics to assess what’s working and where to adjust. Athletes with high engagement may outperform those with larger followings. By staying data-driven, you can refine future campaigns, improve targeting, and strengthen the impact of each collaboration over time.

Conclusion
College football season is more than just a game—it’s a cultural powerhouse that brings together millions of fans, students, and alumni across the nation. With unmatched energy, national exposure, and fan loyalty, it’s a golden opportunity for brands to make a lasting impact. By partnering with college athletes, brands can tap into authentic, highly engaged audiences and drive awareness in powerful, personal ways. From social media shoutouts to campus activations, the potential for creative, high-return campaigns is limitless. As NIL continues to reshape college sports, now is the time for brands to get involved and connect with the next generation of influential athletes. OpenSponsorship is here to make that process simple—offering access, tools, and guidance to help brands build meaningful partnerships and win big during college football season and beyond.

Athletes Rule the Influencer World in 2025

ishveen@opensponsorship.com (Ishveen Jolly) — Tue, 13 May 2025 19:55:38 GMT

Trust fuels influence. Performance builds trust. Athletes embody both.

We live in an age where consumers can spot manufactured authenticity from a mile away. The influencer landscape has evolved dramatically, and in 2025, athletes have emerged as the gold standard for authentic digital influence.

But why have athletes pulled so far ahead of traditional influencers? The answer lies in something that can't be faked: lived experience under pressure.

The Authenticity Advantage

Traditional influencers build personas. Athletes build performances.

This fundamental difference creates a trust gap that brands are increasingly recognizing. When consumers follow athletes, they're following individuals whose claims to fame came through demonstrable skill, discipline, and achievement rather than carefully curated feeds.

The numbers tell a compelling story. Three in four consumers believe athletes are more authentic than traditional celebrities. This perception translates directly to consumer behavior, with 87% of consumers more likely to purchase products endorsed by athletes they follow.

Authenticity isn't just a buzzword. It's the currency of influence in 2025.

Engagement That Outperforms

We've tracked the metrics, and they reveal a stark contrast. Athletes on social platforms achieve an average engagement rate of 5.6%, towering over the typical influencer's 2.4%.

Why such a dramatic difference? Athletes bring several unique elements to the table:

Built-in passionate communities. Athletes come with pre-established fan bases who already have emotional connections to their journeys.

Performance-based credibility. Their influence is earned through visible achievement, not carefully filtered content.

Authentic struggle narratives. Athletic careers naturally generate compelling stories of challenge, failure, and triumph that resonate universally.

This combination creates engagement that feels earned rather than engineered.

The ROI Reality

Marketing budgets face increasing scrutiny in 2025. Every dollar must work harder. This economic reality has pushed brands toward athlete partnerships for one simple reason: they deliver.

Campaigns featuring athletes can generate up to 7x return on ad spend when using athlete content in advertisements. For every $1 invested, brands earn an average of $5.78 in media value through these partnerships.

These aren't incremental improvements. They represent a fundamental shift in what works in influencer marketing.

The Generational Connection

Gen Z and millennial consumers show particular affinity for athlete influencers. Nearly half of Gen Z makes purchasing decisions based on influencer endorsements, with athletes ranking among their most trusted sources.

We see this trend accelerating as these demographics gain purchasing power. The connection isn't superficial. It's built on shared values and aspirational identification.

Young consumers don't just admire athletic achievement. They connect with athletes who demonstrate authenticity in their personal journeys and social stances.

Behind-the-Scenes Access

Social platforms have transformed how athletes connect with fans. The direct channel between athletes and audiences eliminates traditional media gatekeepers, creating unprecedented authenticity.

Training videos, recovery routines, nutrition choices, family moments. These glimpses into real life humanize athletes in ways traditional media never could.

This content isn't just entertaining. It creates meaningful parasocial relationships that traditional influencers struggle to match.

Values-Driven Leadership

Modern athletes increasingly use their platforms for advocacy and social impact. This values-driven approach resonates particularly with younger audiences who expect the brands and personalities they follow to stand for something meaningful.

When athletes speak on issues they care about, it carries weight because they risk something real: endorsements, fan support, and public goodwill.

This willingness to take stands despite potential consequences signals an authenticity that carefully managed influencer brands rarely achieve.

The Future of Authentic Influence

As we look toward the remainder of 2025 and beyond, the trajectory is clear. Athletes will continue to dominate the authentic influencer space for one simple reason: their influence is earned through visible performance rather than manufactured through content strategies.

For brands seeking genuine connections with audiences, athlete partnerships offer something increasingly rare in digital marketing: influence built on foundations that existed before the partnership began.

In a world saturated with carefully constructed personas, athletes offer something refreshingly real: influence earned through sweat, discipline, and the universal drama of competitive performance.

That's an authenticity advantage that can't be manufactured.

Sold on Athletes as the best influencers in 2025? Yes. Great. Now you can:

See our entire roster of 19000+ athletes at https://opensponsorship.com/athletes or sign up for a free brand account to explore further and book a call with us https://opensponsorship.com/registration?type=Athlete

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Conclusion

Athletes Rule the Influencer World in 2025

The Authenticity Advantage

Engagement That Outperforms

The ROI Reality

The Generational Connection

Behind-the-Scenes Access

Values-Driven Leadership

The Future of Authentic Influence