Athlete-Owned Media: Owning the Narrative

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Owning the Narrative

How Athletes Are Disrupting the Media Landscape, Reshaping Sports Culture and Transforming the Future of Sports Storytelling (But Risk Perpetuating Longstanding Inequities)

A new era in sports storytelling
Athlete-owned media is transforming the global sports landscape—financially, culturally, and creatively. Owning the Narrative, a first-of-its-kind report, reveals how athletes are building a new media economy by creating, owning, and distributing their own content. From LeBron James’s SpringHill Company to the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, this fast-growing industry—valued in the billions—is redefining who tells the story and how.

Through a mixed-method analysis of more than 370 athlete-owned ventures, our research team found that ownership empowers athletes to shape authentic narratives, reach fans directly, and challenge legacy media power structures. Yet opportunities remain—especially for women athletes, who are underrepresented in this space. 

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