Welcome to Out2Win’s Weekly Report!

In This Week’s Edition:

• James Family Social Media Breakdown

• 2024-25 College Basketball Overview

• October’s Athlete-Influencer of the Month

• Ray-Ban’s A-List Basketball Partnership

👑 The Kings of Social Media Marketability

Last week, Bronny made his NBA debut alongside LeBron, becoming the first-ever father-son duo to play together. As the family makes major headlines on the court, let’s take a closer look at their impact off the court.

With LeBron still at the forefront of social media marketability, and Bronny’s profile steadily rising now that he’s in the NBA, the family’s influence is only set to grow. Additionally, with Bryce on the verge of dominating the college basketball scene, even LeBron’s eventual retirement won’t halt this family's reign as the kings of social media for athletes in the U.S.

Quick Stats:

• LeBron is the most followed NBA player and ranks as the 5th most followed athlete globally.

• Bronny was the most followed college athlete before graduating and is currently the 16th most followed NBA player, achieving this remarkable feat in just his first week.

• Bryce is the most followed high school basketball player right now, and if he were in college, he would rank as the 5th most followed basketball player.

Collaborative Partnerships:

Nike: Lebron X Bronny | 41M Reel Plays
Executional Breakdown: This rookie prank on Bronny just before his first NBA game had LeBron filling Bronny’s car with Fruity Pebbles, generating a ridiculous 880K shares and 41 million reel plays in just one week!

Taco Bell: Bronny X Bryce | 19.4M Reel Plays
Executional Breakdown: In this video, Bronny and Bryce challenge each other to a game of Horse, spelling out "Taco" to promote the Taco Bell brand and pay homage to LeBron’s iconic “Taco Tuesday” catchphrase.

Beats by Dre: Lebron X Bronny | 15.4M Reel Plays
Executional Breakdown: This iconic video showcases LeBron and Bronny facing off in a 1v1 matchup, promoting Beats headphones by allowing fans to experience the different music styles each athlete is playing.

💥 Out2Win’s College Basketball Breakdown

Pre-Season Analysis:

Next week, the college basketball season kicks off, poised to further the landscape of NIL and athlete marketing in the sport. Deals are at an all-time high, with thousands of influencers ready for investment across D1, D2, D3, and JUCO levels.

Stars like Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, and Jared McCain have highlighted the significance of developing a strong digital brand before turning pro, attracting the attention of valuable brand partners along the way. Meanwhile, college players like D’Vontay Friga and Jenna Bandy, who didn’t go pro, have successfully built their brands as basketball content creators. Whether they go pro or not, college basketball players are more inspired than ever to embrace their roles as athlete influencers.

Here’s a breakdown of last season’s influencer deal costs to help navigate this season’s partnerships, along with our rankings of top players based on Out2Win Score.

Last Season’s Social Media NIL Deals Costs:

Key Takeaways:

• Average Deal Cost: Men's deals average $1,451, while women's deals are higher at $2,204, indicating greater investment in women's basketball on social media.

• Median Deal Cost: The median for men's deals is $250, compared to $207 for women's deals, suggesting that while women's deals are overall more expensive, the typical transaction is fairly similar.

• Broader Deals for Women: Nearly 48% of men's deals fall between $100 and $1,000, whereas women's deals are more varied, with approximately 30% distributed across three different price ranges.

• High-End Deals: Only 4% of men's deals exceed $10,000, compared to 2% for women's, indicating that high-end deals are rare for both.

Top Players Ranked by Out2Win Score

Request Out2Win’s FREE College Basketball Marketability Report for Early Access on November 13th!

• Discover the Top 100 Athlete-Influencers

• Dive into Key Deal and Viewership Trends

• Identify standout rookies

• Uncover Hidden Gems to Invest in This Season

🙌  Cam Ward’s October NIL Dominance

October’s Athlete-Influencer of The Month:

Cam Ward has been a standout performer for the University of Miami this season, scoring 27 touchdowns and throwing for over 2,700 yards, leading his team to an 8-0 record. His exceptional play has positioned him as a contender for the Heisman Trophy.

His dominance on the field has also led to an incredible 271% follower growth (over 70K new followers!) in his social media this season, and 3 high-profile NIL partnerships in the month on October, making him our athlete-influencer of the month!

October NIL Partnerships:

Adidas | 280K Reel Plays
Executional Breakdown: This video signifies the launch of Cam's partnership with Adidas. Adidas showcases his dedication to football as he trains in the Miami athletic facility preparing up for the rest of the season and beyond while repping his Adidas gear.

Bose | 150K Reel Plays
Executional Breakdown: In partnership with the Hurricanes' official football account, this video showcases Cam putting on Bose headphones to tune out distractions. Bose leverages Ward’s rising media presence to demonstrate how their headphones help him stay focused and overcome challenges.

C4 Energy | 140K Reel Plays
Executional Breakdown: C4 presents a day in the life of Cam Ward, featuring his active lifestyle as he hits the gym, practices on the football field, and even enjoys some golf—all while sipping on C4 energy drinks.

Want a closer look at more College Athlete-Influencers like Cam Ward?

Try a free trial and explore the data for yourself!

🕶 Ray-Ban’s Partnership With Basketball’s Top Influencers

Ray-Ban’s groundbreaking technology with Meta has been promoted by top influencers globally, and in the athlete-influencer realm, they’ve chosen basketball stars Jared McCain and Flau’jae Johnson to represent the brand through social media partnerships.

Here’s our analysis on their partnership with these two A-List basketball stars.

Partnership Breakdown:

Jared McCain

Marketability Analysis: When collaborating with Jared McCain, Ray-Ban capitalizes on his 5.2 million followers as he embarks on his rookie NBA season. Of his total followers, 3.7 million are from TikTok, where he has an impressive 11% engagement rate. Notably, his TikTok audience consists of 64% individuals aged 18-24, with 69% identifying as male.

Executional Breakdown: Jared takes us through a day-in-the-life of him using Ray-Ban’s Meta Smart Glasses on and off the court. This includes the AI picking his outfit, and even recording and assisting his basketball workouts.

Results: Instagram ~300K Reel Plays | TikTok ~420K Views

Flaujae Johnson

Marketability Analysis: While partnering with Flau’jae, Ray-Ban is focusing on her Instagram presence just before the college basketball season. On the app, she reaches nearly 2 million followers, averages almost 300K views per post, and engages a 76% female audience. Of her total audience, 81% are aged 18-34 and 59% are African American.

Executional Breakdown: Flau’jae showcases the versatility of Ray-Ban’s Meta Smart Glasses as she records her basketball workout and then with the assistance of AI, she receives a smoothie recipe for a quick refuel, highlighting the innovative features of the product in action.

Results: Instagram ~185K Reel Plays

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