The NCAA’s new name, image and likeness (NIL) rules and state laws allow college athletes to profit from legitimate brand partnerships, opening opportunities for brands to engage fresh influencer talent and for college athletes to join the ranks of digital entrepreneurs while putting the responsibility for developing and enforcing NIL rules on the schools. There are myriad opportunities and challenges presented by these significant developments as well as lessons that can be leveraged from existing digital influencer economies in other verticals and the dealmaking standards that exist in these ecosystems.

Join Manatt attorneys and consultants from its digital and technology, emerging companies and advertising practices—who have an exemplary track record of representing both brands and talent in digital influencer deals and distinct in-house perspectives from negotiating athlete NIL sponsorship deals and conflicts at the professional level—as they share knowledge and outline a playbook for the various stakeholders affected by the NCAA NIL developments.

The presentation will be in the format of a moderated panel followed by audience Q&A.

Key topics covered will include:

• A high-level overview of the recent NCAA rule changes and the current patchwork of legislation across the country
• How brands can engage with this new class of talent, including the importance of compliance and disclosures to mitigate risk when working with student athletes
• Influencer deals and strategies, including current trends and new models
• College vs. pro NIL: commonalities and differences
• Influencer deal terms, metrics, red flags and pitfalls and what is “market” across the entertainment, social media personality, gaming and pro sports sectors
• Challenges and realities of enforcing compliance and mitigating college/student-athlete conflicts
• Launching a new company as an athlete-turned-entrepreneur who wants to leverage or contribute NIL to the business—“blocking and tackling” corporate formation, selecting advisors and strategic partners, preserving authenticity

Moderator:

Ned Sherman, Partner, Digital and Technology Transactions and Consulting

Panelists: 

Rustin Brown, Partner, Venture Capital/Emerging Companies
Kalon Gutierrez, Managing Director, Digital and Technology Consulting
Matthew Reece, Counsel and Director, Digital and Technology Transactions and Consulting
Po Yi, Partner, Advertising, Marketing and Media

Who Should Attend:

• Brands and advertisers
• University athletic departments and general counsel offices
• College athletes
• Entertainment and sports industry executives
• Talent managers and agents
• Investors

Date and Time

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Related Resources:

• 10 Things College Athletes Should Consider When Building a Business Based on Their Own Personal Brand (Entrepreneur)
• NCAA Adopts Interim Policy Allowing Student Athletes to Monetize NIL (Manatt)
• Supreme Court Speaks on Student Athlete Compensation in Alston v. NCAA (Manatt)
• It’s Time to Redefine the Influencer (Entrepreneur)
• Impending NIL landscape should have you cramming for finals (Sports Business Journal)
• Episode 10: New to the Game: College Athletes on Verge of Huge Opportunity to License NIL Rights (Perfect Balance: An Advertising Law Podcast)