- The NFLPA, MLBPA, and RedBird Capital have launched OneTeam Partners — which is a company that helps athletes maximize the value of their name, image, and likeness rights
The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), and RedBird Capital Partners have launched OneTeam Partners — which is a company that helps athletes maximize the value of their name, image, and likeness rights. And RedBird Capital is making a significant capital investment as well as contributing financial and operational expertise. The NFLPA and MLBPA are contributing exclusive group rights, operational expertise, and personnel.
OneTeam will manage and further commercialize player intellectual property starting with established franchises in video games and trading cards. And with existing revenue in video games — including Electronic Arts’ Madden NFL and Sony’s MLB The Show — and select trading cards as the foundation, OneTeam will develop other revenue and licensing platforms that leverage the company’s core competencies to generate commercial opportunities for athletes worldwide. And these opportunities will initially include group licensing, player marketing, and venture capital.
OneTeam is going to be led by founding CEO Ahmad Nassar (President of NFL Players) and president Brent Stehlik (Operating Partner at RedBird Capital and formerly Chief Revenue Officer of the Cleveland Browns and San Diego Padres). And the Company’s Board of Directors will include representatives from each of the founding partners – NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark, RedBird Capital Founder and Managing Partner Gerry Cardinale and RedBird Capital’s Alec Scheiner (formerly the President of the Cleveland Browns and SVP and General Counsel of the Dallas Cowboys).
“I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity to lead OneTeam,” said CEO Ahmad Nassar. “Our mission is to empower world-class athletes to own their individual and collective intellectual property. We see the opportunity for athlete-centric sports properties around the world to leverage and fully monetize their group licensing rights on an independently capitalized basis. To that end, we will build upon REP Worldwide, the brand management and representation business founded by the NFLPA, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association and the U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association. Ultimately, our goal is for OneTeam to work with and support every athlete in every country.”
With the formation of the company, OneTeam will launch a venture fund that includes other Players Associations including the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association, and the Major League Soccer Players Association. And this fund will invest in sports-related early-stage companies that can benefit players and player performance.
“The creation of OneTeam has the potential to advance the interests of athletes in all sports,” said NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. “We have grown through innovation in the past decade, whether through the creation of ACE Media, One Team Collective, or REP Worldwide, and OneTeam is the next step in our ability to expand our services to players and partners.”
OneTeam is going to be headquartered in Washington D.C. and New York with localized operations in every major city in the US and select cities around the world.
“Athletes across all sports are interested in connecting more directly and authentically with their fans,” added MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark. “The OneTeam partnership provides a platform for athletes to provide additional value in new and innovative ways while strengthening the bonds and sense of community between athletes worldwide. We’re pleased to join with Redbird Capital and the NFLPA to launch this exciting new venture.”
RedBird Capital Partners is known for helping long-term capital help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Founded by former Goldman Sachs partner Gerald Cardinale, RedBird has invested and/or led $2.5 billion of equity to support its entrepreneur-led platforms.
“We are honored to partner with the NFLPA, the MLBPA, and their players. The commercial opportunity for collective player rights has been steadily growing in recent years, as many players associations have brought ownership of their rights back in-house as they seek new monetization opportunities. With OneTeam, we are capitalizing a new platform company across Leagues with experienced leadership focused on maximizing the value of these rights. Through this independent platform, all the participating associations will be able to accelerate current revenue streams, as well as develop future revenue categories on behalf of their members,” explained Cardinale.
Featured photo credit: NFLPA
