The Next Play — October 17, 2025
Daily insights on the athlete, influencer & creator economy.
Today’s Spotlight: Athlete Storytelling, Brand Longevity & NIL Growth
1/ Rosie Volpintesta builds an audience through transparency
Brown University track athlete Rosie Volpintesta is expanding her online presence by openly sharing stories about training, burnout, and mental health.
→ Why it matters: The move from “performance influencer” to “process influencer” is genuine. Fans from Gen Z and Gen Alpha prefer athletes who openly share their struggles and routines over polished highlight reels. Agencies should guide athletes to embrace structured authenticity, which helps build trust and enhances brand appeal.
2/ Adidas secures multi-year marketing extension with NBA, WNBA, and G League
Adidas has renewed its marketing partnership with the NBA, WNBA, and G League until 2030, launching the Future Starts Now initiative. This strategy emphasizes athlete-led storytelling across digital channels. The agreement focuses on emerging athletes as content creators, combining on-court exposure with influencer-style marketing. With access to more than 60,000 college athlete influencers through networks like Postgame, Adidas is strengthening its connection with Gen Z audiences.
→ Why it matters: Brand partnerships are shifting from simple logo placements to creating narrative ecosystems. This shift shows how brands leverage creators and NIL pipelines to grow authentic engagement — making athlete storytelling the new form of media currency.
3/ NIL creators grow audience share in Tier 2 sports
The Youth Sports Business Report states that athletes in volleyball, track, and softball now make up 28% of NIL social engagement, which has increased from 17% the previous year.
→ Why it matters: Brands are expanding their talent portfolios beyond major sports. Agencies that can effectively scale creative storytelling and manage deal flow in smaller categories will establish a sustainable competitive advantage.
Tonbara Take
1. Storytelling > visibility. Rosie’s honesty and Adidas’ creator-first strategy both demonstrate that genuine storytelling leads to longer-lasting ROI than mere exposure.
2. Long-term brand deals are the new content studios. Adidas’ multi-league extension demonstrates that brands seek partnerships they can tell stories about, not merely renew.
3. NIL growth is fragmenting the field. The athlete economy is growing laterally. Mid-level athletes are expected to generate more engagement for each dollar than elite pros soon.
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