When Athletes and Fans Become Equal Stakeholders: The PlayersTV Revolution

The traditional media landscape rarely gives audiences a seat at the decision-making table. PlayersTV is rewriting that script entirely. The athlete-owned media platform has fundamentally reimagined how content creators, sports figures, and viewers relate to one another—by transforming fans from passive consumers into actual shareholders.

This July, PlayersTV launched its second equity crowdfunding campaign, building on momentum from a 2023 round that brought in $3.2 million from more than 2,200 individual fan-investors. The model is straightforward yet radical: people who watch the content can own a piece of the company. Running parallel to this are some of sports’ biggest names who’ve joined as athlete-investors, including DeAndre Jordan, Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, Travis Kelce, Dwyane Wade, Damian Lillard, Natasha Cloud, and others. Together, they’re proving that athlete-driven content with authentic storytelling resonates far more than traditional celebrity endorsements.

Why This Model Works: The Data Behind the Strategy

Market research validates PlayersTV’s approach. According to Nielsen Sports, 78% of sports enthusiasts are significantly more likely to purchase products endorsed by athletes they genuinely follow. Beyond purchasing behavior, Ministry of Sport research reveals that athletes generate higher average engagement rates across social platforms compared to traditional influencers. Consumers increasingly perceive athletes as more authentic and relatable than other celebrity figures, making athlete-led content a natural evolution in media.

Co-founder Deron Guidrey emphasizes this cultural moment: “We’ve made fans and athletes the core of our business since day one. You need both to succeed in today’s markets, so we put them at the heart of everything we do.” This philosophy has accelerated PlayersTV into what Guidrey calls “the undisputed leader in athlete lifestyle media.”

The company’s distribution already reflects its scale: PlayersTV reaches more than 300 million households across DirecTV, Fubo, YouTube TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Philo, broadcasting 24/7. For a platform that didn’t exist years ago, this footprint signals genuine market demand.

From Viewers to Owners

What separates PlayersTV from conventional media ventures is its explicit invitation for fans to become decision-makers. As Guidrey frames it: “This marks an exciting milestone as we open the doors for fans to become proud owners in PlayersTV, our very own athlete-owned media company… by becoming owners, our fans are not just spectators, but integral players in shaping the future.”

This ownership structure directly addresses a gap in how sports and entertainment media typically operates. Fans have always driven the engagement and viewership that fuels these industries, yet rarely benefit from their own loyalty and attention. PlayersTV flips this dynamic, creating alignment between those who consume content and those who profit from it. The strategy proved successful enough in 2023 that the company returned for a second round of fan investment, signaling both viability and the appetite among supporters to deepen their stake in the venture.