Smart Technology Enters NCAA NIL Scene, Allowing Student-Athletes To Cash In On Personal Brands

LOS ANGELES, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in NCAA history, NCAA student-athletes will be able to monetize their name, image, and likenesses. To support these student-athletes in the NIL era, INFLCR, the top athlete brand-building and compliance platform for collegiate and professional organizations, and Influential, the world's largest influencer marketing company, which provides social media insights and brand connections through its AI-powered Social Intelligence™ platform, announced a partnership today. This unprecedented alliance will help student-athletes navigate the new NIL legislation and brand partnership opportunities, while remaining compliant with current and anticipated state, federal, and NCAA rules.

To set the stage for this partnership: in 2019, California became the first state to pass legislation that would allow NCAA student-athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness. While the California legislation doesn't go into effect until 2023, thirty-eight other states have since introduced similar bills, and sixteen of those states have officially adopted NIL legislation. Among those states, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and New Mexico have all passed legislation which goes into effect on July 1, 2021. This has led to a pivotal conversation within the college sports industry, as states and federal governments and the NCAA continue to work towards a consistent set of rules to govern the NIL activities of NCAA student-athletes. What is clear, however, is that student-athletes will have opportunities to monetize their NIL, and this new NIL era brings with it challenges surrounding agents, the right to publicity, and brand partnerships.

Together, INFLCR and Influential are teaming up to help both athletes and brands take advantage of these new influencer marketing opportunities. INFLCR, along with its parent company Teamworks, reaches over 150,000 student-athletes in its user network. This partnership equips NCAA student-athletes with Influential's innovative Social Intelligence™ technologies to maximize their brand potential and monetize their NIL, while streamlining compliance by automating all required reporting through the INFLCR Compliance Exchange™.

"We're very excited to see student-athletes tap into Influential's vast influencer and brand network to provide insight into potential partnerships and a safe environment to engage in NIL activities with brands, which hasn't been possible before," said Jim Cavale, CEO and Founder of INFLCR. "By partnering with Influential, we can help the institutions we serve while ensuring their student-athletes remain compliant and maintain their eligibility within this very dynamic regulatory environment. We're also very excited to help educate student-athletes with Influential's best practices for influencer marketing and transacting with brands along with the materials available in the INFLCR Storyteller Playbook™."

"We are thrilled to play a part in such a historic moment for college sports. We want to put the power to control their own NIL destinies into the hands of student-athletes," said Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential. "We have a reputation for building strong, safe relationships between brands and influencers, and we are looking forward to offering the tools and insights that will allow student-athlete and brand partnerships to flourish in college sports as well."

For more information about INFLCR, visit https://www.inflcr.com/. For more on Influential, visit www.influential.co.

About INFLCR

INFLCR is the leading content and compliance software platform for college athletic programs, educating and preparing staff and student-athletes for new opportunities and guidelines from upcoming NIL legislation, all powered by best-in-class content delivery via the INFLCR mobile app. INFLCR works with more than 1,000 collegiate and professional sports teams with a network of over 35,000 athlete users. Visit www.inflcr.com for more information.

About Influential

Influential is an AI-powered social data and conversion technology and the largest influencer marketing company in the world, by revenue. Leveraging a network of over 3 Million social media influencers, Influential's technology powers seamless talent discovery, comprehensive brand safety, and creative and execution services. Through strategic partnerships with first and third-party data providers, Influential's Optimized Paid Media offering enables bespoke targeting and measurement solutions, including both online and offline attribution, such as sales lift, TV tune-in lift, foot traffic, as well as brand lift studies. Influential works with Fortune 500 brands, including Walmart, McDonald's, Pepsi, NFL, Nestlé, General Mills, Toyota, Samsung, and Sony Pictures. With offices in Los Angeles, NYC, and Las Vegas, Influential is a developer partner of IBM Watson, a strategic partner of WME and Oracle, and a Facebook and Instagram Marketing Partner. (www.influential.co)

SOURCE Influential