Whalar Group Is Expanding Into Sports to Help Athletes Brand Themselves

Sixteenth Sports will equip athletes with information about topics like money management and planning for life. Sixteenth Sports aims to fill this gap, distinguishing itself from traditional sports and name, image, and likeness (or NIL) agencies.The stage is set! Advertisers, don’t miss this cultural moment. ADWEEK House The Big Game is headed to New Orleans on February 7. RSVP.Many young athletes sign up for sports careers without a clear understanding of how to navigate their future after their sports career ends.Sixteenth Sports is entering a competitive market. Giants like Creative Artists Agency and Wasserman Media Group have long had strong ties to sports. And a boon of sports agencies and education resources have sprung up to handle the NIL industry like Accelerate Sports Ventures and FanWord.The goal of Sixteenth Sports is to help athletes extend their careers beyond sports by creating brand deals and other partnerships as well as intellectual property. The division hopes to elevate rising-star athletes to household names and grow their personal brands.

Keys to success

“Educating them on money comes and it can go right away if you don’t have the right team and the right partnership,” said Brown. Brown said some players enter a league, but once their playing careers are over, they disappear due to the absence of a proper strategy or partnership.Sixteenth Sports sees a void to fill around equipping athletes with business skills like financial literacy and connecting athletes to entrepreneurs.

“It’s a strategy—it’s not just an endorsement deal,” Ramos said.Brands often overlook the importance of building long-term relationships with athletes. They focus on offering significant money for a single campaign or post without fully understanding the athlete and their personal brand, Brown said.When it comes to recruiting an athlete, there’s an entire pre-draft process for athletes transitioning from college to the NFL. There’s rigorous preparation involved, including training, dietary guidance, and interviews. Once athletes reach the professional level, the team takes over these preparation.

A competitive, growing market

Sixteenth Sports is initially working with a small group of athletes and plans to gradually expand its roster to include collegiate athletes.Sixteenth Sports is trying to differentiate itself from traditional sports and NIL agencies is through its connection to Whalar Group. Sixteenth Sports can leverage its athletes to create partnerships with Whalar Group’s brands in the tech, fitness, wellness, and retail industries.