Athletes are no longer just players: how digital platforms and AI are shifting power away from sport organisations.

For more than a century, athletes have been cast as performers within systems run by clubs, leagues, and federations. Their job was to play, win, and perhaps endorse products chosen for them by agents or sponsors. But in the digital age, that arrangement is rapidly unravelling. Today’s athletes are their own media companies, producing content, building brands, and connecting directly with fans. With Thomas van Schaik I explored the power of platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok and how they have given athletes unprecedented reach and influence, allowing them to bypass traditional gatekeepers.

And now, with generative AI tools making it possible to scale content creation and personalise fan experiences, athletes are more empowered than ever. This evolution is reshaping the economics, governance, and culture of global sport. Athlete branding is no longer about polished media interviews or carefully managed press conferences. Elite athletes now operate as narrative architects, using social media to tell their own stories and define their identities. Research shows that athletes who share authentic stories about their personal lives generate deeper fan engagement than those who stick to on-field highlights. Fans expect direct access, behind-the-scenes content, and unfiltered emotion. This shift has enabled athletes to expand into entrepreneurship. LeBron James has founded media company SpringHill, Serena Williams runs a venture capital fund, and Naomi Osaka has launched her own media and skincare brands. These ventures demonstrate that athletes are no longer just endorsers; they are creators and owners in their own right. Traditionally, sport organisations controlled the message, the sponsors, and even the public voices of their athletes. But digital platforms are changing that balance.

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka and NBA player Rui Hachimura, for instance, have used their social media presence to engage in what scholars call “silent activism”, raising awareness around race and identity in Japan without needing permission from federations or sponsors. This ability to speak directly to fans has weakened the grip of clubs, leagues, and governing bodies. Some organisations have tried to rein athletes in. The NFL has historically restricted what players can post on game day but these efforts are increasingly seen as outdated and ineffective. The platform economy has become central to athlete power. On TikTok, athletes can gain millions of views without traditional media coverage. On YouTube, they can monetise content directly. On Instagram, they can convert followers into sponsors. College athletes in the United States are now cashing in on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals worth billions collectively, thanks to their ability to build and market personal brands.

But platforms are not neutral spaces. Algorithms decide who gets visibility, often rewarding controversy or sensationalism. This introduces new risks of platform dependency and loss of control over one’s image. Generative AI is supercharging athlete autonomy. Athletes can now use AI to produce automated highlight reels, generate personalised fan messages, create digital merchandise, or even build synthetic avatars to engage fans in multiple languages. These tools dramatically lower the cost of content production, but they also blur the line between authenticity and automation. Fans may wonder: is this really the athlete, or is it the machine? There are also risks around exploitation. Who owns the rights to an athlete’s AI-generated likeness? Can sponsors demand synthetic content on behalf of athletes? The law is struggling to keep up.

What we are witnessing is not just a branding shift, but a structural transformation of the sport industry. Athletes are launching their own media ventures, building subscription-based fan clubs, experimenting with blockchain fan tokens, and investing in teams or leagues. In doing so, they are reshaping how value is created and who controls it. This challenges the traditional business model where sport organisations monopolised broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals. Increasingly, fans and sponsors are willing to go straight to the athlete. For governing bodies, leagues, and clubs, these changes pose tough questions. How do you regulate AI-driven branding? How do you maintain control over sponsorship rights when athletes are cutting their own deals? How do you balance an athlete’s right to self-expression with the organisation’s commercial interests?

Sport organisations that fail to adapt may find themselves sidelined. Just as streaming services disrupted television, athlete-owned media and AI-powered branding could disrupt the traditional sport ecosystem. But there is also opportunity. By embracing athlete empowerment, sport institutions can remain relevant, share in new revenue streams, and align themselves with athlete-driven causes that resonate with younger audiences. Athletes are no longer just players on the field; they are media moguls, entrepreneurs, and activists. With digital platforms and generative AI at their disposal, they are reshaping the global sport landscape… often faster than governing bodies can keep up. The question is no longer whether athletes will seize greater power. The question is how sport organisations will adapt to a future where athletes call more of the shots.

Also… you can pre-order Thomas van Schaik and my new book, Building the Athlete Brand: a practical handbook