The Rise of Athlete-Owned Media

From LeBron’s SpringHill to Ronaldo’s YouTube and the Kelce brothers’ $100M podcast deal — athletes are no longer just subjects of sport, they’re its storytellers, producers, and distributors.

For decades, athletes were subjects of sports media – interviewed, analyzed, and packaged by networks or journalists. Today, many athletes are the media. An emerging wave of sports stars is launching their own production companies, podcasts, and digital channels, turning personal brands into media businesses. This shift represents more than a passing fa…