Through his media company, Thirty Five Media, Kevin Durant is on the cutting edge of building athletes into direct-to-consumer businesses that could someday become extremely lucrative.
For years professional sports franchises have become highly profitable by diversifying their assets, creating revenue that has nothing to do with the on-court/field/ice product. Professional athletes like Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant are starting to replicate that approach and should expect similar results.
On Wednesday Thirty Five Media announced in a press release that it has partnered with YouTube to create a new array of channels produced by professional athletes. Like Durant’s own channel which will remain the flagship of the production, it will be an opportunity for fans to connect with select athletes apart from conventional sports media. The primary offerings will include Seattle Seahawks defensive back Richard Sherman and Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns. Durant’s teammates Javale McGee and Nick Young will collaborate on a channel as well.
Like how the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees have profited off their joint business Legends Hospitality, the revenue that the Thirty Five athletes will make off their YouTube channels will enable them to build an income stream that will outlive their short athletic careers. It’s also part of an emerging trend in the industry of athletes building their brands.
Antonio Brown is a great example of producing his own content and selling that directly to consumers via the Vaunt platform. The direct-to-consumer model is the meat of another platform, Rackfest, which allows fans to buy custom experiences and merchandise from celebrities. If the athletes are successful enough in building a customer base, there could be yet a bigger payday in their future.
Streaming media companies like YouTube are starting to shell out huge payments for exclusive rights to content, like Amazon’s $50 million for NFL Thursday Night Games. It’s possible that if Durant or one of his clients build a large enough following, Twitter or some competitor might put up the cash necessary to acquire that content as well.
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Sustainable income for professional athletes in the future won’t be just limited to the elite few who are able to land lucrative endorsement deals. Through creativity and digital technologies, wealth that isn’t dependent on success in sports is attainable for any professional athlete willing to put in the work necessary to build that brand.