• Loading stock data...
Friday, October 31, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Chargers’ Ekeler Takes to YouTube to Build His Brand

Austin Ekeler YouTube
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Austin Ekeler YouTube

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler watches a lot of YouTube.

“I subscribe to six or seven channels and find myself watching it instead of TV or movies,” said the 23-year-old, who signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. “It’s a younger generation thing, YouTube is a big platform, and there’s a lot of good content to figure out how to do anything.”

Ekeler said he’s used YouTube to do everything from learn how to change a tire to educate himself about personal finance and the stock market. He’d also watched people work out. A self-described gym rat, occasionally recorded his own workouts, too, in an effort to watch himself improve and learn.

READ MORE: Alex Rodriguez Takes Fans Behind the Curtain With New YouTube Channel

Eventually, something clicked. Why can’t I do that? Now, Ekeler is devoting his offseason to building his brand via making a YouTube channel out of his workout routines.

“It was a no-brainer,” he said. “I just started posting them for fun, I’m not trying to make money, it’s just something for me.”

That doesn’t mean he can’t try to draw an audience, though. The channel isn’t large by any means and boasted fewer than 300 subscribers prior to being shared last week by the NFL’s Instagram account. For now, Ekeler says, that’s a start.

“It’s building a brand,” he added, before noting he may try to actively grow the site down the road if he believes it provides revenue potential. “It’s amazing, people can get behind the scenes and find out who you are and not just playing on Sundays and in interviews.”

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

According to David Artzi, founder of DA Athlete Marketing, which handles Ekeler’s marketing efforts, it’s a strategy in line with where brand-building is going in a time when younger generations and their shifting consumer habits begin to play a greater role in an athlete’s fanbase. Artzi believes it’s more important than ever for athletes to establish themselves as their own brand and connect with fans on a more personal level if they aspire to grow off-the-field income sources.

“There’s a misconception with athletes I’ve worked with before that, just because they’re in the league, they’re entitled to getting partnerships and sponsors,” Artzi said. “They need to build their own brands. And with guys like Austin, they’re finding more creative ways to build their brands off the field.”

For Ekeler, perhaps the easiest part is that it’s not forced. YouTube was an obvious extension of his own consumer habits, as well as a natural platform considering he was already recording his workouts and occasionally posting them to Instagram. He believes the organic nature of the content plays a major role in his desire to create it.

“YouTube is something you can’t force,” Ekeler said. “It has to be something you can put up with. It’s like if a rock star writes a song — they better like it because they’ll be playing it for 20 years.

“You can’t be dreading the content.”

That authenticity can also be a valuable audience growth tool when it does come time to grow the product. Gen Z and younger audiences are more likely to relate to athletes on a personal level as well as trust the more implicitly. To that end, they desire a more genuine connection to brand incorporation, too. 

READ MORE: NHL Turning to Hair to Tell Stories with Great Clips

Artzi believes a natural next step would be to leverage Ekeler’s passion by organically including a brand within future videos.

It’s just one way to grow the channel, which Ekeler expects to continue into next offseason. Another could be to hire a video editor, which would both save himself time as well as facilitate a more consistent style between episodes. Stretching the channel beyond workout videos also isn’t out of the question, perhaps through a vlog to further allow fans into his life.

No matter the trajectory, though, don’t expect Ekeler to stop using YouTube in his daily life any time soon. After all, flat tires don’t fix themselves.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) talks with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

CBS Bets Big on Chiefs-Bills Rivalry As AFC Landscape Changes

Big viewership likely awaits the revival of the NFL rivalry.
Multiple streaming services appear on a Roku TV.

Disney, YouTube Settle Suit Over Poached Exec With Deep ESPN Ties

A carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube remains ongoing.
John Madden

How John Madden Became ‘America’s Nutty Football Professor’

“Once paired with Summerall, Madden found his true path.”

Like NFL, NBA Is Doubling Down on Cosm’s ‘Mini-Sphere’ Venues

League games will continue to be shown at the immersive venues.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Sep 11, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) stands on the sidelines before a WNBA game against the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena.

After ‘Mebounds’ and ‘Reesebounds,’ Angel Reese Trademarks Her Name

The Sky player has already trademarked “Reesebounds” and “Mebounds.”
May 1, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Floyd Mayweather (left) stares at Manny Pacquiao during weigh-ins for the upcoming boxing fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
October 29, 2025

Pacquiao Confirms Mayweather Fight Talks After Political Career Fizzles

Pacquiao and Mayweather last fought in May 2015.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
Aug 25, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Close up view of the ball and club of Scott Scheffler during the first round of the TOUR Championship golf tournament.
October 27, 2025

From Third Tier to $1M: Michael Brennan’s Surprise PGA Tour Win

The 23-year-old won his first professional start on the PGA Tour.
Oct 26, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates a three-point shot in the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Frost Bank Center.
October 27, 2025

NBA Betting Scandals Overshadow Wembanyama’s Superstar Leap

Wembanyama is following the path of Shohei Ohtani in MLB.
Terry Rozier
October 24, 2025

Terry Rozier Will Be Paid Full NBA Salary While on Leave

The Heat are scheduled to pay Rozier $26.6 million for this season. 
Oct 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) holds the MVP trophy after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in game five of the NLCS during the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium.
October 24, 2025

World Series Will Be First to Showcase Ohtani’s Two-Way Skills

The two-way superstar is slated to pitch in the World Series.