Athletes First Adds Sinclair as Sports Media Partner

Athletes First has entered a multi-year partnership with telecommunications company Sinclair and its sports content arm, AMP Sports, in a move aimed at increasing the agency’s media presence and event commercialisation opportunities.

The agreement will see AMP Sports become the exclusive sports media partner for Athletes First, producing original content and brand activations linked to the agency’s Super Bowl hospitality hub, The Block, as well as its travelling college football series, Tailgate Tour.

Sinclair’s Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Monetisation Officer, Eric Welles, said his interest was sparked after attending The Block in New Orleans last year, which hosted clients such as Dak Prescott and Ed Reed, and featured live shows with Shaquille O’Neal and Marshawn Lynch.

“I immediately called the president of my company because I saw these brand activations going on.”

“It’s better than any event I’ve ever been to at a major sporting event, period.

“Athletes First needed a media partner to enhance visibility, draw in additional talent, and facilitate access to brands… We’re going to be their megaphone,” Welles said.

New video podcasts featuring Athletes First’s athlete roster will also be developed, with distribution across Sinclair’s network of 180 local broadcast stations—reaching more than 100 million homes.

The deal, brokered by Playbook REPS, comes with no disclosed financial terms. Both parties are actively seeking sponsorship rights tied to the content and associated events, signalling potential commercial upside for brands seeking access to NFL and college football audiences.

Strategic implication of the partnership

The partnership aligns with Athletes First’s push to create “tentpole” cultural events around high-profile sporting moments.

Head of Properties at Athletes First, Matt Shulman, said the agency’s leadership aimed to leverage opportunities from the Super Bowl to marquee college football matchups, noting Sinclair’s reach as a key factor in scaling the impact of the agency’s 15 existing sports podcasts.

The move reflects a broader industry trend in which athlete representation agencies are expanding into event ownership and media production to diversify revenue streams and strengthen brand positioning.

Athletes First’s recent growth includes launching the Athletes First Classic and Big & Beautiful events, onboarding NFLPA agent Tory Dandy, and earning recognition in Forbes’ rankings of valuable sports agencies.

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