Athletes: From Performers to Platforms

Media Minute is WPP Media's series, specifically crafted to empower our clients and marketers for their intelligence era.

Why the Next Wave of Brand Growth Will Be Built with Athletes,
not Around Them

The role of the athletes as simple endorsers is over. They are no longer just performers on the pitch; athletes have become platforms; media creators, entrepreneurs, investors, and community builders who shape what we talk about and how we behave. 

This isn’t a fleeting trend; it’s a structural redefinition of influence. For brands navigating a world of scarce attention and loyalty volatile, this shift presents a massive opportunity. The brands winning today are those who understand that the most effective partnerships are no longer transactional. They are built on co-creation and shared ownership, embedding the brand directly inside the worlds athletes are building. 

Here are three fundamental shifts brands must embrace: 

1. From Endorsement to Ownership 

A decade ago, athlete partnerships were transactional: brands bought visibility, and athletes lend their image. That world is gone. Today’s successful most athletes now think and act like founders, taking equity in companies, launching content studios, and building venture portfolios. 

This completely changes the partnership dynamic. When an athlete is a co-owner of an idea or an outcomes, they bring deeper authenticity and a long-term commitment. They aren’t just executing a brief; they’re building something that matters to them and their community.  For brands, this means treating athletes as strategic collaborators, not just spokespeople, creating value that lasts far beyond a single campaign. 

2. From Campaigns to Collaboration 

Athletes are no longer downstream from media; they are media. Through their own YouTube channels, podcasts, and production companies, they control the spaces where audiences gather and the tone in which stories are told. 

This requires a new approach from brands. A campaign built for an athlete often feels like an ad, and the audience sees right through it. Work built with an athlete -- inside their world and voice -- feels like culture and the difference is profound. 

The most effective partnerships today plug into the athlete’s ecosystem rather than forcing them into a preconceived narrative. That means co-developing ideas and giving athletes the creative freedom to build content that feels native to the communities the athlete has cultivated. When brands do this, they don’t just gain access to an audience; they gain entry into an entire cultural universe. 

3. From Products to Human Stories 

The most resonant athlete-led work today is built around human stories, not product features. Athletes connect with us because they embody tension, ambition, and vulnerability – journeys we recognize within ourselves. When brands tap into that emotional territory, they stop advertising and become part of the narrative. 

This is especially clear in women’s sport, which has become one of the most powerful storytelling engines anywhere in culture. The narratives are richer, the communities more connected, and the emotional resonance deeper. Brands that show up here with sincerity are rewarded with a level of engagement traditional advertising struggles to achieve. 

Increasingly, athletes are not just characters in these stories. They carry their own creative codes – a unique style, mood, aesthetic. When brands respect and integrate those codes, the work becomes sharper, more relevant and more culturally sticky. 

The New Playbook for Brands 

The lesson for brands is clear: athletes are no longer assets to be deployed but partners to be built with. To unlock that value, brands must rethink their approach: 

• Think Long-Term: Develop long-term frameworks, not just episodic activations. 

• Co-Create from Day One: Bring athletes into the creative process from the very beginning. 

• Design for Authenticity: Respect the athlete’s unique voice, vision, and worldview. 

• Participate, Don’t Proclaim: Earn cultural relevance by actively contributing 

The days of athletes simply being athletes are long gone. They are platforms with the power to shift culture and drive commerce. For the brands prepared to partner with them in meaningful, imaginative ways, the opportunity has never been greater.