Aaron Rodgers-backed startup goals to be the IMDb for professional athletes

NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers is backing a startup that hopes to make athletes extra accessible to firms, charities and sponsors.

AthleteAgent.com launched on Tuesday as a rebrand of the previous On-line Sports activities Database. The location was created to enhance entry to athletes, providing a extra streamlined approach for organizations to attach with them.

The rebrand is not nearly a brand new identify. AthleteAgent.com can also be rolling out a subscription-based mannequin, providing customers full entry to its rising database for $29.99 monthly, or $199.99 per yr.

Rodgers, at the moment quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is an unique founder within the platform. He is joined by a high-profile group of traders that features legendary sports activities agent Scott Boras and the Google for Startups Cloud Program: Scale AI Tier, in addition to non-public fairness companies Solyco Capital, Prota Ventures, Bullock Capital and Pressplay Capital.

AthleteAgent.com declined to touch upon the precise dimension of Rodgers’ funding within the firm, however mentioned it was within the seven figures.

CEO Sean O’Brien mentioned AthleteAgent.com is on tempo for six-figure income and constructive money move this yr.

The idea was first co-founded in 2021 by actor and producer Ryan Rottman, who mentioned he seen a obtrusive hole in how athletes are listed in contrast with how actors are made out there on IMDb.

“I had a producer from a Hallmark Christmas movie have a look at my IMDb Professional profile — they noticed me on “90210” — to see who my agent was and reached out. Since then, I have been in eight Hallmark Christmas movies. Had that data not been proper, they may have moved on to the subsequent particular person, and I’d have missed out,” Rottman advised CNBC.

He pitched the thought to Rodgers, who instantly received on board.

“Aaron likes to say we’re constructing this not for the 1% of athletes, however for the opposite 99% — to assist generate income, get their tales on the market, discover endorsement offers, help their charities. That is the way it got here to fruition,” Rottman mentioned.

As we speak, AthleteAgent.com has greater than 4,000 athletes and a couple of,000 brokers in its database. Every profile affords every thing from their illustration to their endorsements and philanthropy. The corporate has a small workforce that works with the leagues and brokers to compile and replace the info.

It plans to scale the database by including entrance workplace executives, workforce contacts and retired athletes sooner or later.

Rottman mentioned brokers have been embracing the platform.

“It saves them time, helps meet endorsement quotas, and we do not take a lower,” he mentioned.

The software additionally helps keep away from misfires in outreach, O’Brien mentioned, citing NBA legend LeBron James as a hypothetical instance.

“Earlier than us, somebody may electronic mail Wealthy Paul for a model deal — however Maverick Carter is the man you need for LeBron’s enterprise stuff. We remove that confusion,” mentioned O’Brien.