An interesting look at NIL commercial activity at the University of Texas: Just two of the top 10 athletes compete in sports traditionally considered part of the "Big Four" in the US Track & field, softball, volleyball, and beach volleyball account for the other eight spots A good reminder that athletes don’t need to compete in the most mainstream sports or have the largest followings to attract NIL deals and bring value to brands Creating authentic content, being consistent, and building a genuine connection with an audience can go a long way Image credit: Brandon Gorski/LinkedIn

This is a big reason brands are leaning more into YouTube creator partnerships On Instagram, even strong content tends to get most of its reach early on On YouTube, videos can keep generating views for months. The same study found 30% of sponsor clicks come after day 30

“To have the hot hand is to achieve some elevated state of ability in which you feel briefly superhuman. There is no more pleasurable sensation for humans. The ethereal feeling of having the hot hand exists in nearly every industry and touches nearly every person on earth.” The Hot Hand, @bzcohen

Interesting article from @MarketingDive on one of the biggest challenges in influencer marketing - measurement According to ANA research, two-thirds of marketers say measurement is the most difficult part of influencer marketing. It's an important issue to address given how central influencer partnerships have become to brands' marketing strategies Three thoughts - 1) As the article states, build a paid media strategy around your influencer partnerships. We'd all love for organic content to perform on its own, but even high-quality content from the right creator is far from guaranteed to reach the audience you want in today's constantly changing algorithm environment. Paid amplification gives brands more control over distribution and better data to measure and optimize results 2) Utilize whitelisting as part of that paid strategy. At @hochbergsm, we've found this to be beneficial for both brands and their creator partners. It allows brands to run ads through a creator's handle, reaching targeted audiences well beyond the creator's existing followers. For creators, it provides additional exposure and the opportunity to earn more through paid usage rights 3) Recognize that there is a halo effect to influencer marketing. Not every dollar spent should be judged solely on immediately attributable sales. Someone might discover a brand through a creator, become familiar with its products, and make a purchase weeks later without that sale ever being attributed to the partnership I understand that's easier said than done, particularly for startups and growing brands with tighter budgets. But I think judging every influencer partnership solely on directly attributable sales risks overlooking a significant part of what makes influencer marketing so valuable in the first place h/t @njh287 for sharing the article marketingdive.com/news/why-b…

The NWSL continues to expand its national media reach 🚀 220 matches scheduled across national broadcast and streaming platforms in 2026 - an 82% increase in just two years

I love this - Highly authentic to Mendoza - Unique compared to most off-field athlete initiatives - Different from so much of what we’re seeing right now... LeBron/Polymarket, all the gambling ads, etc. - Actually useful, educational, and doing some good The most successful athlete initiatives feel like a natural extension of who the athlete already is

Sign of the times… Kylian Mbappé leaves Nike to lead On’s entry into football Harry Kane left Nike to lead Skechers’ entry into football Kawhi Leonard left Jordan Brand to become the face of New Balance Basketball Breanna Stewart left Nike for Puma and a signature line Ben Shelton chose On as it built its tennis business For years, landing with Nike/adidas was viewed as the destination for many of the biggest athletes. Increasingly, however, there’s another path - become one of the athletes a challenger brand builds a significant part of its growth around

Pro athletes having fun with LinkedIn 💯

Itala Gemelli's journey to the NWSL is a great example of how a development pathway can work - Finishes a strong NCAA career in 2024 - Enters a very uncertain pro landscape following the elimination of the NWSL Draft - Spends time in the @thekccurrent development system - Excels with @thekccurrentII - Earns her first professional contract with KC Current -- the 2025 NWSL Shield winners - And last night, she made her first pro start in the world's top league -- playing 90 minutes and helping KC pick up the win on the road Really proud of Itala for staying with it and earning every step. Credit to @AngieKLong1, @cdlong97, @ryandell, and the KC staff for creating a pathway that gave her the opportunity to do it

- Women’s World Cup in ~10 months - LA Olympics less than two years away - More professional opportunities than ever for women’s soccer players in North America -- NWSL, USL, NSL, and more It's a fun time to be building in women’s soccer

One of the coolest parts of HSM’s growth is seeing just how many places our clients are competing in on any given weekend From Friday through Sunday alone, we had players competing in: Dallas, TX Seattle, WA Harrison, NJ Louisville, KY Lexington, KY Molde, Norway Washington, DC Salt Lake City, UT Fort Lauderdale, FL And that doesn’t include players currently in preseason in Portugal, France, and elsewhere. Pretty rewarding to see @hochbergsm's growth Image below: catching @GainbridgeSL’s season kickoff last night!

Nice ad placement @GothamFC

The NWSL is having its earliest-ever season start in 2027 For the many seniors and fifth-year players with pro aspirations, I hope this thread can be a bit helpful to navigate the months ahead 🙏