NIL Data Quicktake Q1 2023

The end of the quarter is a good time to look at a few key NIL data points that give us a pulse on where we're headed. Of note is NIL data on women’s basketball, sponsors, social media, and the overall growth of NIL.

+141% Overall

The overall amount of NIL “activity” continues to rise and is up 141% over 2022. But be careful in your analysis: activities include everything student-athletes are doing to earn compensation - not just brand endorsement deals. In this number, I include social media, athlete-owned brands, appearances, autographs, instruction, group licensing, endorsements, NFT’s, and other activities.

+171% WBB

Not even including the recent bump it’s sure to have gotten over the last two weeks during the Tournament, women’s basketball is the hottest sport in NIL right now with deals up 171% since 2022. The second fastest growing sport in terms of NIL deals is men’s basketball, up 61%.

+850% Healthcare

The fastest growing sponsor category in NIL is Healthcare. Let’s not get too crazy here - there were relatively few deals in 2022, so that high triple digit increase can be misleading, but there is no doubt that it’s a category on the rise. The Top 3 categories so far in 2023 are Apparel/Footwear, Tech, and Quick Serve Restaurants.

Median Compensation Remains Flat

In numerous 2022 surveys I conducted, the median (“value lying at the midpoint”) compensation for DI student-athletes was about $65 per NIL activity. My Q1 2023 survey results are similar.

Social Media Remains Consistent

Social Media, as a percent of all NIL activity, rose slightly to 79%. Instagram was the #1 social platform on which student-athletes promoted brands (58%.) TikTok continues to be used by a growing number of student-athletes to promote NIL deals - that # is now 22%. Twitter - long left behind by college students - is proving to be a non-factor when it comes to NIL.

NIL Activity by Sport Remains Unchanged

Football remains king by a wide margin, accounting for 42% of all NIL activities. (Things do get a little bit more competitive when you try to extract the non-brand, Collective deals.) After football, the most NIL deals in 2023 have gone to men’s basketball, women’s basketball, softball, and baseball.

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