May 27, 2025 10:09:09 AM Jayden Walker 2 min read
Let’s talk about the Hyperice effect.
Founded in 2010.
Barely cracked $400k in revenue by 2014.
Then, over the next few years? A rocket ship.
• 2017 – $10M Revenue
• 2019 – $100M
• 2020 – $200M
• 2024 – $850M Valuation
What changed?
Simple. They brought athletes into the game — as investors and ambassadors.
Patrick Mahomes. Naomi Osaka. Erling Haaland. JJ Watt. Anthony Davis.
Even the NFL, through 32 Equity.
The result? More than capital — they unlocked cultural capital.
And that’s where the new scoreboard is being written.
Why Athlete Equity Is the New Growth Engine
We’re in an era where trust, influence, and reach can’t be bought with ad spend alone.
The modern consumer buys with connection, not just convenience.
That’s why brands are partnering with athletes — not as influencers — but as owners, storytellers, and stakeholders.
Athletes bring:
• Built-in audience trust
• Global distribution (thanks to sport)
• Relentless credibility in high-performance
• A personal story that sells better than any campaign ever could
This isn’t a gimmick. It’s a business strategy.
The kind that turns 7-figure brands into 9-figure machines.
The UNITE Playbook: Athlete x Brand = Legacy Moves
At UNITE, we’ve seen it firsthand.
We help athletes build personal brands.
Then we help them partner with, invest in, or launch products that align with their DNA.
Because when an athlete owns the story — and the upside — it hits different.
Fans don’t just buy. They buy in.
This is the blueprint.
From performance to profit.
From player to partner.
If you’re building a product, it’s time to stop looking at athletes as talent.
Start seeing them as brand accelerators.
UNITE THE DREAM
