How NIL opportunities are created with FanSpark

This episode of The Athlete Brand Advisor Podcast featured Barrett Garese and Greg Glynn discussing Barrett's career journey from film school to his current role with FanSpark, a subscription content platform for athletes that enables monetization through exclusive fan-powered content.

Barrett explained how FanSpark operates as a safe and simple platform with an 80-20 revenue split favoring athletes, and discussed its features including discovery tools and safety measures designed to foster authentic athlete-fan relationships.

Social Media Producer's Career Evolution

Barrett shared his career journey, starting in film school where he realized he preferred producing over directing, leading to roles at Thunder Road and UTA. He became an expert in social media during his time at UTA, helping agents advise clients on digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook. After leaving UTA, he founded a consulting company focused on social media strategy for actors, which expanded to working with TV shows, production companies, and studios on emerging technologies and streaming platforms.

Athlete-Focused Content Monetization Platform

Barrett explained that FanSpark is a subscription content platform for athletes that allows them to monetize their fanbase through exclusive content, similar to Patreon but with a 80-20% revenue split in favor of athletes. He emphasized that the platform is free to use, does not have DMs, tipping, ads, or AI content, and is designed to be safe and simple for both athletes and fans. Barrett also highlighted that FanSpark is a PG-13 or lower platform, aiming to be inclusive for the whole family, and mentioned that while Ilona Maher's was an inspiration for the platform, she is not currently on FanSpark.

Athlete-Fan Relationship Platform Discussion

Barrett and Greg discussed the importance of creating a platform that fosters authentic relationships between athletes and fans, emphasizing the need for content that reflects genuine athlete personalities without compromising safety. They highlighted the platform's features, such as blocking and muting tools, to ensure athlete safety and comfort, particularly for college athletes. Barrett explained their focus on discovery features, like the Sparkboard, which prioritizes engagement over popularity, encouraging users to explore new athletes and sports. Both agreed on the potential for such a platform to enhance fan engagement and athlete influence, drawing parallels to how social media could have transformed athlete-fan interactions in the past.

FanSpark's Discovery Pathways for Sports

Barrett explained that FanSpark's discovery pathways aim to introduce users to new sports by leveraging the popularity of existing ones, similar to ESPN's approach of featuring top 10 clips during SportsCenter. He shared his personal experience of discovering women's rugby through Ilona Maher's social media content during the 2024 Olympics, which led him to become a fan of the sport. Greg agreed that the platform is well-suited for growing women's sports and discussed the opportunities for athletes to monetize their content through brand deals and storytelling.

FanSpark Athlete Engagement Strategy

Barrett explained how athletes can use FanSpark.pro to create authentic content and engage with fans, recommending twice-weekly posts. Barrett announced a new campaign called "First to 500," offering a $500 bonus and a custom championship ring to the first athlete to reach 500 subscribers on the platform.

Episode resources

Website
www.fanspark.pro

Social media accounts 
https://www.instagram.com/fansparkpro
https://www.tiktok.com/@fansparkpro

Email
info@fanspark.pro