• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

NBC Sports Signs Notre Dame Running Back To NIL Deal

  • The network created a service for fans to buy subscriptions for access to exclusive athlete content.
  • Notre Dame running back Chris Tyree will be the first athlete to participate.
Michael Caterina / USA TODAY NETWORK

In April, NBC Sports announced its foray into the name, image, and likeness space with a marketplace for athletes at Temple, Notre Dame, and Vanderbilt.

Now, the program, called NBC Athlete Direct, is expanding into the fan-powered NIL sector — with the help of Notre Dame running back Chris Tyree.

  • Fans can now purchase subscriptions through NBC for access to exclusive athlete content — including virtual meet-ups, autographed photos, and podcast episodes. 
  • They’ll also get a few non-athlete specific perks: movie tickets from Fandango and six months of access to Peacock.
  • Tyree will be the program’s first athlete, but it plans to add other players by the end of the quarter.

Tyree is a logical choice to launch the program, given that Notre Dame already has a media deal with NBC Sports — so the school, network, and Tyree could collaborate on content and intellectual property. 

One example of that collaboration: the deal itself will be promoted within the broadcast for Saturday’s game between the Fighting Irish and Stanford.

The fan-powered NIL space could be a billion-dollar industry, experts previously told Front Office Sports — but so far, existing companies have struggled to capture the attention of enough fans to grow at a major scale. Perhaps the network’s existing reach could help it bridge that gap.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Lane Kiffin: ‘Doesn’t Seem’ Like CFB Revenue-Sharing Cap Works Very Well

The outspoken Ole Miss football coach isn’t impressed with revenue-sharing guidelines.
NBC Sports
exclusive

NBC Hiring Ex-Hawks Exec Grant Liffmann As NBA Front Office Insider

Liffmann spent the last three years with Atlanta after covering the Warriors.

SEC’s Sankey Is ‘Fine’ With Big Ten’s Differing View on CFP Expansion

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey won’t commit to a 2026 CFP format.

NCAA: March Madness Expansion to 76 Teams ‘Still Viable’ for 2026

Negotiations continue with media rights holder CBS and TNT Sports.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.

SEC’s Greg Sankey: Conference Not Sold on Private Equity—for Now

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he’s taken PE meetings.
July 10, 2025

Deion Sanders Rips ‘Bulljunk’ in CFB, Calls for NFL-Style Salary Cap

Coach Prime is frustrated with the new revenue-sharing era.
The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.
July 10, 2025

Athletic Departments Express Renewed Interest in PE in Wake of House Settlement

Schools now have more expenses—and are looking for creative solutions.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard KK Arnold (2)1 dribbles against UCLA Bruins forward Angela Dugalic (32) during the third quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena.
July 10, 2025

‘Kind of a Joke’: Frustrations Mount As New NIL Deal Approval Process..

Delays have already led to athletes losing NIL opportunities.
Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Head coaches Willie Fritz of Houston, Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia, Lance Leipold of Kansas, Sonny Dykes of TCU, Kyle Whittingham of Utah, Brent Brennan of Arizona and Deion Sanders of Colorado all sit on stage for a Coaches Roundtable during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star.
July 9, 2025

Big 12 Commish: Conference Is ‘All In’ on International Expansion

The conference had once planned a large initiative in Mexico.
Sebastian Rivera (R) tf. Danny Coles 6:47 (20-3). Rutgers University Wrestling vs Princeton in Piscataway, NJ on February 18, 2022.
July 9, 2025

The House Settlement Is Being Appealed. It Won’t Stop Revenue-Sharing—for Now

The settlement’s approval on June 6 triggered an appeals process.
July 9, 2025

Big Ten, Big 12 Commissioners Remain Far Apart on CFP’s Future

A decision on expansion must be made by December.