The Rise of Athlete-Led Fandom: How Individual Stars Are Reshaping Sports Business.

From Teams to Personal Brands: The Athlete-Led Content Evolution

The relationship between fans, teams and leagues is changing. Digital disruption over the last 10–15 years is creating new methods of consumption. Fans are moving from traditional broadcast and official team / leagues channels to engaging with their favourite athletes through social and 3rd party platforms. The data backs this up; Inter Miami, who themselves have seen significant growth since Messi joined, have a mere 17.2m followers versus Messi’s 504m. But it’s not just about follower counts — this shift in relationship represents a fundamental change in who is controlling the future of the fan relationship and how sports content is discovered and consumed.

This evolution is most evident in how younger fans engage with sports. Over 90% of Gen Z sports fans turn to social media for their sports content, but what’s most interesting is that 46% report watching live sporting events because they follow specific athletes online, not because of team loyalty. According to ESPN Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass subscriber count increased from 700,000 to nearly a million by Messi’s debut, even sweeter for Messi who in an industry first receives a percentage of the 10 year deal.

Fans are not just looking for game highlights; they want behind-the-scenes access, personal moments, and unfiltered content that teams and leagues simply can’t provide or aren’t providing fast enough. Athletes are increasingly aware of this opportunity, with stars like Jude Bellingham and Ronaldo launching their own YouTube channels and behind-the-scenes series. Traditionally, this type of content would have been produced and controlled by clubs or leagues, but we’re witnessing a clear shift in power. The implications for sports organisations are clear — the traditional top-down model of fan engagement is being disrupted by athletes who can now build and monetise their own audiences independently of the teams they play for; if they can negotiate their rights correctly.

New Gatekeepers: Athletes as Audience Builders

The ability for athletes to unlock and engage new audiences is becoming increasingly valuable to sports organisations, even if it creates tension with traditional marketing approaches and image rights. Athletes are often reaching audiences that teams and leagues struggle to connect with — by creating authentic content that resonates particularly well with younger demographics.

A great example of this audience-building power is Australian golfer Min Woo Lee, who has attracted a new generation of fans to golf through his engaging social media presence and ‘fire edits’. His “Let him cook” catchphrase, which started organically through his content, has evolved into a powerful marketing tool.

At the 2024 WM Phoenix Open, over 200 fans showed up in coordinated Lululemon outfits and branded chef hats. What appeared to be an organic group of friends supporting Min Woo Lee was actually a strategic brand activation from Lululemon, who had just signed Lee as their newest golf ambassador. Lee’s global and engaged audience proved so valuable that Lululemon made him their first-ever professional male golfer ambassador — demonstrating how athlete-led communities can drive commercial opportunities while highlighting their growing importance to both brands and traditional sports organisations.

The success of athletes like Lee in building engaged communities highlights a crucial shift in sports — fans are increasingly drawn to individual personalities rather than team or league brands. This personal connection creates stronger emotional bonds, as athletes can share their journey, struggles, and personalities in ways that institutional brands cannot. We’re seeing this across all sports, from F1 drivers growing their sport in new markets through social content, to NBA players building global followings that transcend their teams. For leagues and teams, the challenge now is how to harness rather than resist this trend, understanding that today’s fans often become invested in a sport through its stars rather than its institutions.

The Commercial Impact

The commercial implications of athlete-led fandom are becoming impossible for teams and leagues to ignore. Take MLS, where attendance is up 13% in 2024 versus 2023, with 25 of 29 clubs reporting improved numbers. But the most telling story comes from Inter Miami and the ‘Messi Effect’. In a remarkable shift of commercial power, I received an email in the summer from the Chicago Fire football club offering credit guarantees to fans if Messi didn’t play against them for Inter Miami in an upcoming game — a clear acknowledgment that Fire fans were buying tickets to see an individual athlete (on the opposition team) rather than support their local team.

The numbers paint an even more compelling picture of an athlete’s commercial impact. When Messi’s move to Inter Miami was announced, the club sold more team merchandise than in the entirety of 2023 combined. According to Fanatics, the first 24 hours of Messi jersey sales set an all-time record for any player changing teams across all sports, surpassing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady, and LeBron James. Perhaps most remarkably, from July 17 to July 20, Inter Miami became Fanatics’ top-selling team across all sports — an incredible achievement for an MLS team that saw merchandise sales spike 50 times higher than pre-Messi levels. Source: ESPN

The ‘athlete effect’ on commercial success isn’t limited to men’s sports. The WNBA is experiencing its own transformation through Caitlin Clark, whose impact on the league mirrors Messi’s influence on the MLS. The data tells a compelling story: attendance surges 105% when Clark plays, with away games seeing an 87% jump in home attendance. Her Indiana Fever debut drove team store sales up by over 1,000%, while the first month of the WNBA season achieved record TV ratings. Most notably, Clark’s influence extends beyond just attendance — she’s attracting major brand partnerships with Nike ($28 million), Wilson, and State Farm, demonstrating how individual athletes can now drive commercial value that rivals or exceeds their leagues.

This shift in commercial power is forcing teams and leagues to rethink their traditional business models, particularly around image rights and media deals. The complexity is evident in recent high-profile cases: Norwegian skier Lucas Braathen retiring at just 23 over image rights restrictions, and the innovative structure of Messi’s MLS contract including a share of Apple TV’s subscription revenue — a deal that recognises an individual athlete’s power to drive streaming subscriptions. As athletes become more valuable than their leagues, we’re seeing growing tension between collective and individual rights. Some organisations, like SSC Napoli, still demand full image rights from players, while others are adapting to hybrid models that allow athletes to build independent commercial portfolios. This balance becomes even more critical as athletes create their own content channels and media platforms, challenging the traditional boundaries between team, league, and individual commercial interests.

Building With, Not Against: The New Athlete-Team Dynamic

The reality for sports organisations is clear — adapt to athlete-led engagement or risk becoming irrelevant to new generations of fans. Forward-thinking teams and leagues are already evolving their approach, recognising that suppressing and restricting their athletes is potentially damaging to their own growth. The NBA has long understood this, embracing player personalities and digital content creation while still maintaining strong team identities. Other leagues are following suit — the PGA Tour’s partnership with Netflix for ‘Full Swing’ and F1’s ‘Drive to Survive’ show how leagues can amplify athlete narratives while growing their overall audience. As we look ahead, the most successful sports organisations will likely be those that position themselves as platforms for athlete storytelling rather than restrictive gatekeepers. The future of sports engagement isn’t about choosing between team loyalty and athlete following — it’s about understanding that in today’s digital landscape, the path to team fandom often starts with individual athlete connection.