Uninterrupted is furthering its athlete empowerment platform with the acquisition of “More Than An Athlete.”
With this acquisition, the “More Than An Athlete” platform and activewear line will be integrated into the Uninterrupted brand, Uninterrupted President Devin Johnson said. “More Than An Athlete” founder DeAndra Alex will also join the Uninterrupted team as a marketing and brand strategist.
“When we learned about DeAndra and the grassroots platform they had built, we recognized an immediate alignment from a mission perspective,” Johnson said. “We reached out to learn more about the company, and as the conversations evolved, we both decided that our impact would be greater by joining forces.”
Alex started the company in 2012 and has since built a platform of marketing initiatives, community-action programs and an apparel line to help athletes change the perception of what it means to be an athlete. The community Alex built is made up of professional and student-athletes.
READ MORE: How Uninterrupted Brand Partnerships Help Showcase Athlete Stories
“Uninterrupted has defined and embodied what it means to be ‘More Than An Athlete’ and through their content, have empowered athletes to start important conversations on a host of issues,” she said. “I couldn’t be happier to be joining the team and look forward to continuing this important work.”
The joint passion of elevating athlete voices was the major draw, but Johnson said he is especially excited about the student-athlete contributions to the Uninterrupted brand the acquisition can provide.
“We were really interested in the ways in which they were working with and reaching student-athletes, especially younger student-athletes who don’t always get the media attention they deserve, but have equally important stories to tell,” he said. “At every level of sport, there is more to the athlete than the game.”
Johnson expects the two brands to be joined seamlessly as it grows beyond a media and content company. The addition will help extend Uninterrupted into areas beyond the digital content the company has founded itself on, into areas like merchandise and events. The “More Than An Athlete” portfolio includes a range of shirts and negative ion energy bracelets.
While the acquisition will help Uninterrupted expand its offerings, the “More Than An Athlete” platform will be introduced into a massive athlete network and a large media distribution.
“We are also looking forward to working with DeAndra to give an even bigger platform to the work she started in 2012,” Johnson said. “DeAndra will be a great asset to our team, especially from a marketing and branding perspective. She understands and is wholly committed to the mission, and as a savvy entrepreneur, her perspective and experiences will be invaluable to our team, network and audience.”
READ MORE: Former NFL Player Andrew Hawkins Is Building a New Career Playbook
Johnson said the deal should only make both brands stronger, but more importantly, have a greater impact in the company’s mission to empower athletes beyond the field.
“We’re excited about the future of Uninterrupted as an athlete empowerment brand that goes beyond media and content,” Johnson said. “We look forward to developing the limitless potential of ‘More Than An Athlete’ brand, exploring new content and new products, pulling from what we have both done as individual companies and also creating new content, franchises and products together.”
