• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Sports Creators Brace for Potential TikTok Ban

TikTok is a staple in the name, image, and likeness industry, especially for less well-known athletes.

Athletes’ TikTok accounts

From angry teens to frustrated lawmakers, social media users are bracing for a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. The implications could have serious implications for the sports world, from the NIL industry to how fans interact with their favorite teams.

TikTok has certainly helped big sports entities get bigger, like the unhinged Buffalo Bills account. But it’s also helped turn lower-profile athletes and teams into household names, like rugby player Ilona Maher, track power couple Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis-Woodhall, and baseball’s viral Savannah Bananas.

“Over the past five years we were able to reach millions of fans through TikTok and utilize the platform as one of many ways to grow our tremendous fan base,” a spokesperson for the Savannah Bananas tells FOS. “We will always look for new ways to meet fans where they are, and we’ll continue to go wherever the attention goes.”

Some of those most impacted by a potential ban are content creators, a niche where college athletes dominate since the emergence of name, image, and likeness deals were widely legalized in 2021. Yes, the vast majority of money flowing through the NIL world right now goes through NIL collectives as pseudo-salaries for college football and men’s basketball players. But for all other sports, commercial brand deals can be a huge moneymaker, and college athletes are some of the best-performing creators for marketing departments.

At the center of it all is TikTok, a platform teetering on extinction yet again. In April, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill saying the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, had to divest from TikTok for the platform to continue operations in the U.S. The deadline for that sale to happen—or be in progress—is Jan. 19. Last week the Supreme Court heard TikTok’s arguments that the ban would violate the First Amendment, after President-elect Donald Trump asked the court to delay the deadline until after he takes office.

“In the history of advertising, forget just like sponsorships or sports or athletes, I can’t think of a bigger platform that could potentially disappear or completely change since major TV mergers,” Bob Lynch, the CEO of the endorsement tracking platform SponsorUnited, tells Front Office Sports. “When you think about it through the lens of college athletics, that’s where it has the biggest impact because most college athletes don’t have massive followings, but yet they’re able to get real, tangible exposure, which is obviously valuable to the brand community. And so if you take that away, that algorithm, it’s not as good on other platforms.”

“I think it really hampers their ability to monetize their IP to the degree that they can now in some cases,” Lynch added.

According to the NIL marketplace Opendorse, top-earning women’s volleyball players can do close to 90 commercial NIL deals per year, followed by women’s basketball at almost 40. Those sports see very few collective deals compared to football and men’s basketball, but partnering with the women is more attractive to brands. Top-earning women gymnasts make more than $20,000 per year, and the top-earning female athletes in swimming and diving, soccer, and volleyball make more than double what the male athletes in their sports do, according to Opendorse. Bigger deals can range in the six or seven figures.

About 40% of social media engagement for high school and college athletes comes from TikTok, which is a 73% increase from last year, according to SponsorUnited. Lynch says he anticipates that number will only grow if TikTok isn’t shut down.

“If you took half of my exposure away, is that half the dollars that I could potentially receive?” Lynch says.

Duke track alum Emily Cole, who has more than 325,000 TikTok followers, tells FOS she doesn’t think the ban would be detrimental to NIL, but says the idea is “not fun.”

“The amount of hours and time me and my creator friends and these small businesses have put into growing their business and having the majority of your followers be coming from that platform, the idea of it just disappearing in a day is really daunting,” Cole says.

Clemson track athlete Makenzie Steele, who has more than 20,000 TikTok followers, tells FOS she has mixed emotions about the ban: sad about potentially losing years’ worth of videos, confused about whether it’s going to happen, and a bit excited to have one less platform to worry about. The 21-year-old posts running and cooking content, and she has worked with companies including Lululemon, Under Armour, and Graza Olive Oil. Instagram Reels seems the most natural fit for scooping up TikTok’s audience, but YouTube Shorts and even Snapchat Spotlight are also luring creators, Steele says.

“I think for maybe the new athletes, like incoming freshmen in the next few years,” Steele says, “it just might be a little harder to develop that audience with how fast things can go viral on TikTok versus how fast they can go viral on Instagram.”

Cole, who has done NIL deals with companies including Gatorade, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Invesco QQQ, says she had already been moving away from TikTok before the January deadline approached. While TikTok’s algorithm gives her a much wider reach, the 24-year-old says she’s always felt more connected to her audience on Instagram, where she has just under 200,000 followers.

“For these athletes that are in college sports, I know a lot of them like to keep their Instagram a lot more professional and not share as intimately on it as they do on TikTok,” Cole says. “I think that a lot of athletes are going to have to be willing to make that shift. And the ones that do are going to see really, really big returns on it.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 4, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back DeShon Singleton (8) celebrates after making an interception during the game against Michigan State at Memorial Stadium.
exclusive

Big Ten Considering Investment From California Pension Fund

In the proposed deal, the Big Ten would spin off assets into a new entity.
Sep 20, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks onto the field before the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium.

Big Ten Teams Grapple With Long Flights, Time-Zone Hurdles

Coaches across the country are noticing some impact.
Oct 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys outside linebacker Poasa Ute (35) and Wendell Gregory (4) celebrate during the third quarter of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium.
exclusive

New Bill Aims to Prohibit Athletic Department, Conference Private-Equity Deals

The bill would bar schools from selling ownership stakes.

Featured Today

Paul Cartier

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave Terrible Towels against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium
September 26, 2025

Steelers’ Irish Roots Are Deeper Than NFL Dublin Game

The Steelers have history and the foundation for a future in Ireland.
Bucks

Bucks Reportedly Discussed Giannis Deal With Knicks This Summer

Antetokounmpo’s future will be a major NBA storyline this year.
Caitlin Clark
October 3, 2025

Cathy Engelbert Denies Saying Caitlin Clark Should Be ‘Grateful’ For WNBA

“Obviously I did not make those comments.”
Napheesa Collier
October 5, 2025

WNBA Tensions Heat Up With Canceled Collier–Engelbert Meeting

The commissioner denied Collier’s version of events at a press conference Friday.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Caitlin Clark
exclusive
October 2, 2025

Caitlin Clark Will Not Join Second Season of Unrivaled

The Fever star struggled with several injuries in her second WNBA season.
Caitlin Clark
October 2, 2025

Caitlin Clark Backs Napheesa Collier in Fight With WNBA

Clark had her exit interview on Thursday after an injury-riddled season. 
Kuminga
October 1, 2025

With Kuminga Deal, Steve Kerr Now Warriors’ Biggest Looming Free Agent

Kuminga finally agreed to a new deal with the Warriors on Tuesday. 
LeBron James
September 30, 2025

LeBron, Giannis, Jokić All Weigh In on Contract Situations

James is on an expiring contract with the Lakers.