Icon Source Facilitates Sweeping NIL Partnerships for The Players’ Lounge

-Icon Source facilitated more than 100 NIL deals for The Players’ Lounge at 12+ schools-

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Icon Source, the leading digital endorsement deals marketplace, successfully activated its partnership with The Players' Lounge, facilitating more than 100 name, image and likeness partnerships for the platform in a matter of weeks with NCAA athletes across the country. The NFT-supported endorsement deals benefitted student athletes at schools including the University of Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas and the University of North Carolina.

Icon Source’s proprietary AI and industry-leading technology make it easier than ever to scale NIL activations, handling deals from start to finish while remaining compliant throughout the entire process.

At the University of Georgia, The Players’ Lounge’s Icon-Source powered NIL deals–of which athletes receive 50% of profits from primary NFTs sales in exchange for ongoing community engagement–put checks of $28,000 in each participant's hands. The success of the model’s initial launch prompted The Players’ Lounge to scale rapidly, signing deals with athletes at 12+ schools and reaching over 100 NCAA athletes, male and female, as of April 2022. All participants signed contracts with The Players’ Lounge through Icon Source’s marketplace.

“Icon Source is thrilled to provide The Players’ Lounge a marketplace that allows them to so easily connect and facilitate deals with student-athletes,” said Drew Butler, Executive Vice President of Collegiate at Icon Source. Butler, a former NFL punter for the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, played college football at the University of Georgia.

The success builds on Icon Source’s established history of facilitating NIL endorsement deals from start to finish in a seamless process. With an executive team composed of former college and professional athletes, like Butler, Icon Source has a uniquely intimate first-hand knowledge of the industry that enables it to employ best practices that support its best-in-class product.

“We believe The Players’ Lounge to be a pioneer in redefining the fan experience as we move into Web 3.0. New technologies allow communities of fans the ability to interact with their favorite programs in ways that provide a more inclusive experience,” said Keith Marshall, Co-Founder of TPL. “We would not have been able to scale as rapidly without the help of Icon Source and their easy-to-use marketplace. We are grateful for their support in our expansion.”

Among the athletes who have benefitted from the partnership between Icon Source and The Players’ Lounge, which was created by former University of Georgia football players Ty Frix, Keith Marshall, Aaron Murray, and Trent Frix, are:

• Ragan Smith (Oklahoma, Gymnastics)
• Drake Stoops (Oklahoma, Football)
• Theo Wease Jr. (Oklahoma, Football)
• Marvin Mims (Oklahoma, Football)
• Jaylon Guilbeau (Texas, Football)
• Andrew Jones (Texas, Basketball)
• Tyra Gittens (Texas, Track & Field)
• Tanner Witt (Texas, Baseball)
• Justice Finkley (Texas, Football)
• Brian Branch (Alabama, Football)
• Cameron Latu (Alabama, Football)
• Malachi Moore (Alabama, Football)
• Trey Sanders (Alabama, Football)
• Tyler Fromm (Auburn, Football)
• Shedrick Jackson (Auburn, Football)
• Owen Pappoe (Auburn, Football)
• Derick Hall (Auburn, Football)
• Miles Brennan (LSU, Football)
• Kayshon Boutte (LSU, Football)
• Sami Durante (LSU, Gymnastics)
• Blake Money (LSU, Baseball)
• Tre’ Morgan (LSU, Baseball)
• Antiono Grimes (UNC, Football)
• Myles Murphy (UNC, Football)
• Drake Maye (UNC, Football)
• Ja’Qurious Conley (UNC, Football)

About Icon Source

Icon Source is a digital marketplace that brings agents, athletes and brands together. The Denver-based company is the only platform that provides brands of all sizes direct communication with agents or the athletes themselves, eliminating unnecessary intermediate steps to engage with potential professional or collegiate partners. For additional information and to create a free account, visit www.iconsource.com and follow Icon Source on Instagram (@iconsource_), Twitter (@iconsource_), and Facebook (@iconsource).

About The Player’s Lounge

The Players' Lounge is a platform built by lettermen to empower relationships within the collegiate sports community through connecting current and former athletes with their respective fan bases while providing opportunities for student-athletes to monetize their individual brands. The Players’ Lounge is the first NIL community envisioned by players built for both fans and players alike. To learn more, visit https://www.theplayerslounge.io/ and follow TPL on Instagram (@thplayerslounge), Twitter (@thplayerslounge), and Facebook (@thplayerslounge).