Athlete creators have become must-have partners for brands at March Madness

The injection of college sports creators into the U.S. influencer economy has permanently altered the way creator marketing and sports partnerships work.

At this year’s March Madness tournament, you would be hard pressed to find a participating brand without a clutch of NIL (name, image, likeness) partners attached to its campaign. And four years on from the sector’s Big Bang moment, brands are booking creators for more than just their on-court presence.

Take bottled water brand Niagara as a case in point.

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