Whether it’s Kylian Mbappe promoting a pair of sneakers or Serena Williams touting her new tennis apparel, athlete endorsements create powerful connections with consumers. This parasocial relationship creates trust, boosting brand loyalty and conversions. However, navigating these relationships requires careful planning and legal considerations.
Endorsement contracts must clearly define deliverables and compensation. For example, the drafting of exclusivity clauses is key to preventing endorsement conflicts, particularly when deals span multiple regions or product categories (e.g., sports footwear vs. lifestyle apparel). Attorneys must also address termination provisions, cure periods and ambiguous language to protect clients’ reputation and enforce their rights.
Content delivery is also key, with athletes leveraging social media platforms to promote their partnerships through personal stories, behind-the-scenes videos or interactive posts. Athlete-driven content typically generates high engagement rates, which legal teams can track using tools like Opendorse FMV and Syncapse ROI trackers.
Athlete endorsements can boost both consumer confidence and sales, but they also come with inherent risks. Reputational damage caused by poor performance or involvement in controversies can hurt the image of both brands and athletes. For this reason, it’s crucial that brands evaluate athlete candidates carefully and select only those whose performance and public profile align with their goals and values. In addition, attorneys must ensure that NIL (name, image, and likeness) agreements are structured correctly to avoid NCAA eligibility issues and tax penalties. Athlete endorsements can provide a significant source of income and help athletes balance their education with the demands of professional sports.