A Look At The 5 Industries That NFL Players Have Expressed Interest In Off The Field

Athletes are increasingly taking additional ownership over decision making when it comes to their investments, particularly when they are earning significant salaries playing their respective sports. The NFL Players Association took notice of that and developed its OneTeam Collective, an athlete-driven business accelerator for companies that want to involve athletes in an effort to drive growth.

Thus far, there are nine portfolio companies that are a part of OneTeam Collective that have invested over $5 million. Impressively, there are more than 400 new applications from prospective companies and startups.

In conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) currently going on in Las Vegas, and with knowledge that many active players are in attendance, the NFLPA has released some information concerning what types of companies seem to interest athletes most. The five areas of enhanced interest are as follows:

1. Health & Wellness: The Quantified Self

Athletes are influencing wellness tech, ripe for disruption – from eating and exercising smarter to sleep performance, mental health and building a prolific market for athletes to commercially license data.

2. Direct-to-Consumer Via Digital

Combining the influence athletes possess to boost awareness for startups as well as impact sales through their own channels forms a powerful union.

3. Betting: Driving the Future of Sports

America is confronting previously inconceivable possibilities of a new sports gambling market and OneTeam Collective is wagering that tech advancements will create opportunities for everyone in the sports ecosystem.

4. Fan Engagement: From Video to Virtual

Engagement will be amplified by customization and personalization. Platforms will have extensive implications on sports, both commercially and from a privacy/safety perspective in particular for athletes. 

5. Blockchain Tech

Blockchain remains a potentially disruptive tech stack and holds transformational power with major implications for athletes and the sports industry.