According to a recent report from the Sponsorship Data Company, North Carolina’s RJ Davis and USC’s Juju Watkins have topped NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals for male and female athletes, respectively, over the past year. Davis led male athletes with 25 NIL deals, while Watkins secured 20 deals among female athletes. The popularity of basketball players continues to dominate these agreements, as they benefit from a combination of vision, personality, and cultural influence.
Notably, female athletes are increasingly marketable, particularly in basketball, where they often outperform male counterparts in social media engagement. Caitlyn Clark and Juju Watkins are highlighted for their compelling stories and significant followings as they transitioned from high school to college. Paige Bueckers, who garnered 3 million new social media followers in the past year, and other female athletes captured a majority of the top spots in audience engagement, with eight of the top ten being women.
The NIL landscape has evolved into a billion-dollar industry, and insights suggest that investing in women’s sports yields substantial returns. The report also noted that while the number of tracked NIL transactions grew by just 1% compared to last year, the technology and non-alcoholic beverage sectors have driven this growth, contrasting with declines in retail and apparel contracts. Brands like EA Sports and Adidas remain leading sponsors across college sports. Despite the prominence of star female athletes, many top male non-starters, such as Cash Peterman, have fewer visible contributions on the field, raising questions about how popularity translates to business in sports.
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