NFL Legends Launch Lifestyle Network, Seek Additional Investors

Oct 02, 2024

PFRPA

Most pro athletes fall out of the public eye once they end their playing careers. But a collection of former NFL stars has teamed up to create a new platform where loyal fans can watch them score at other sports and activities.

Former Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green and ex-Pro Bowl quarterback Gus Frerotte are among the former stars who have helped launch the Alumni Media Network, a live streaming platform that allows retired players to still engage with fans in a meaningful way. The network features former athletes turned content creators who will receive their own channels where they take up everything from esports tournaments to golf lessons while fans peer into their current lifestyle.

AMN is marketing itself as the first lifestyle network that features multiple channels owned and distributed by former standouts who made their names in various sports from pro football to championship boxing. The AMN board of advisors features notable names across the sports industry, including former NCAA CFO Keith Martin and former New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon.

“We want the athletes to be in control and allow them to help shape the narrative with things that’s important to them,” AMN CEO Craig Richardson said in an interview. “It’s not a concept that they’re being asked to develop for someone else. It’s the first time as a collective group guys can control their own narrative when before it was the other way around with other [traditional] networks.”

The industry’s ongoing wave of athlete empowerment typically features current stars diving into media and other non-sports endeavors, but this latest athlete-driven content platform looks to create a space where retirees can produce their own videos and reap the financial benefits of sponsorship and advertising revenue.

AMN originally was constructed within the NFL Alumni Association but has since branched out as its own entity away from the league umbrella, which has unlocked commercial opportunities. AMN has already struck partnerships with various brands including sports betting operator DraftKings and ticket marketplace Gametime.

While the bulk of content is currently coming from former NFL players, the on-demand programming network wants to be the go-to destination for former stars in other sports, too. AMN has gained momentum with a couple early key partnerships, including with former NBA All-Star-turned-entrepreneur Baron Davis. AMN has acquired entertainment assets from Davis’ SLiC studios, and the two entities will partner up to amplify each other’s content. The move also allows AMN to veer deeper into basketball after establishing a base of former NFL player-led content.

Additionally, AMN inked a partnership with Leonard Sports Management, a consultancy and marketing agency headed by executive Ray Leonard Jr. The collaboration calls to bring more visibility to former pro athletes while elevating content with combined resources. This is just the beginning, as AMN looks to keep expanding to different sports via partnerships with the Women’s Football Alliance and United Shore Professional Baseball League.

The AMN, which is looking for strategic investors, is backed by the Pro Football Retired Players Association (PFPRA), which provides benefits for retired players. Green, Frerotte, Leonard Jr., and former Florida State star and football coach Terrell Buckley are also invested in AMN. “We’re looking for investors but the right investors,” Richardson said. “We want the right people who have the money but also can bring value to the table beyond their cash. That makes life even better for us.”

Read the original article on Sportico.