Meaningful relationships seem to be declining in our new age of technology. And one new Ohio State NIL program is cutting directly through the illusion of friendship.
Ohio State-Fan Jolt Partnership
Ohio State booster Brian Schottenstein and former QB Cardale Jones are partnering with FanJolt for a new interactive program between fans and players. FanJolt is an online program that allows people to connect directly to celebrities. Some celebrities on the site include Shark Tank’s Daymond John, NY Yankees star Aaron Judge, and tennis legend Rafael Nadal. Fans must pay up to $5000 to get a personalized fan video from Nadal and $4000 for a instagram follow from John.
Ohio State athletes will now be allowed to monetize interactions like fan videos, instagram followers, twitter followers, and audio files on the FanJolt Platform.
It seems likely most Ohio State players would price their interactions for much less. They don’t have as large of a platform as the aforementioned stars/celebrities. For example, LSU basketball player KJ Williams charges $49.99 for an instagram follow and $10.99 for a Twitter follow. On the other hand, Virginia star QB Brennan Armstrong is charging $100/$50 dollars for an Instagram/Twitter follows respectively.
However, there could be some price differentiation amongst the OSU athletes, depending on their brand. For example, QB CJ Stroud and WR Jaxon-Smith Njigba could likely charge more for their interactions than others.
What does this indicate?
In previous eras, fans may have enjoyed more free access to players. But now those days seem long gone. Increased monetization of interactions seems likely to continue under current NIL rules. There’s a huge market for it, as many fans want to interact with their favorite players. Or at least brag that their favorite players follow them. It’s also one of the easiest ways for college players to market themselves, even if they aren’t pro prospects.
The relentless commoditization of college football may upset older fans, as the illusion of amateurism is continually vanishing. Corporate influences are continuing to permeate the college football environment in ways previously unseen. But it’s all here to stay, whether you like it or not.
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