The power of athlete partnerships

There are a lot of reasons why sports and athletes always draws and captivates a crowd, but here's a start: They're engaging, they evoke passion, and they are truly unique. Sports and athletes have long been the way people and cultures come together during good times and bad, often unlocking the most compelling stories of triumph and accomplishment. It's the drive, determination, and resilience of athletes that are the foundations of their talent, uniqueness, and authenticity.

At 10.team, our aim is to harness athletes' unique influence to drive meaningful engagement for brands and real results, showcasing what sets athletes and sports apart. Unlike traditional influencers, athletes offer real, tangible influence rooted in their personal journeys, achievements, and authentic connections with their fans.

We create athlete/brand collaborations to elevate brands and have successfully executed many over the last three years. But ahead of our international expansion, we knew we needed to dream a bit bigger and make an impact in new markets. Of course, there was no better way to do this than by partnering with athletes on our platform and showcasing that their real influence drives real results.

It's this philosophy that not only underpins our new marketing campaign but is the foundation of our strategy, “Real Influence. Real Results.” Yes, we are poking a bit of fun at the conventional influencer model to highlight the superior value athletes bring to brand partnerships; it's because we know the impact they actually have. Athletes aren’t just content creators; they are the real deal, delivering genuine engagement and results that translate from the top of the funnel all the way to the bottom.

For starters, professional athletes have greater reach than others, whether they be influencers, media, or even sports teams or leagues. Our data shows that athletes have 'True Reach' exceeding 100% of their social following. In many cases, that number even goes above 250%! Reach is great and a growing challenge for many brands, but it's almost meaningless without engagement. Athletes drive 2-5x greater engagement than traditional influencers and up to 9-10x that from teams, leagues and media! All of this is due to trust and authenticity; 80% of fans say they are more likely to trust recommendations from their favorite athletes.

But what good is trust, reach and engagement if it doesn't impact the bottom line? Well, 87% of consumers state that they are more likely to purchase a product endorsed by an athlete they follow.

That's the power of athlete partnerships: Real Influence. Real Results.