The Mountain West Conference has introduced a new distribution structure that allows college athletes to livestream full games directly to their audiences through their own social channels.

The initiative, called an Athlete Rights Window, was created in collaboration with Creator Sports Network. It compensates athletes through NIL for streaming games live on Instagram and TikTok, effectively positioning them as authorized distributors.

The first athletes to activate the model were Colorado State University women’s basketball players Brooke Carlson, Kloe Froebe, and Hannah Ronsiek. The structure was later adopted by five University of Nevada-Las Vegas men’s basketball players.

The focus of this move, however, should be its cultural relevance; arriving amid broader shifts in media consumption:

The friction in sports media today stems from fragmentation and subscription fatigue. Under this model, a Mountain West athlete with a meaningful social following can allow fans to access a game without requiring them to determine which platform holds broadcast rights or leave the platforms they are already scrolling on. The content lives where the audience already is.

For decades, distribution authority has largely rested with conferences, broadcasters, and streaming platforms through traditional structures built on fixed windows, centralized control, and institutional gatekeeping.

NIL opened the door to athlete monetization. This model begins to address access and distribution. In effect, NIL deals like these make athletes the audience owner, rights participant, and now the distributor, displaying what vertical integration at the individual level looks like.

The A&A Take

A standard NIL activation tied to a sponsored post or a product endorsement does not have the same impact as a structure like this; it introduces a potential change in how live sports content can reach audiences.

Three elements are worth monitoring:

Conference participation: This was enabled at the conference level, not executed independently by athletes and NIL agencies. That coordination suggests institutional buy-in rather than a workaround.

Platform alignment: The decision to stream through Instagram and TikTok aligns with where younger sports audiences already engage.

Scalability: The critical question is whether this remains a contained pilot within the Mountain West or becomes a blueprint for larger conferences.

The phrase “the athlete is a media company” has been widely used over the past several years. This Mountain West experiment tests what happens when that “media company” participates directly in distribution.

If the model proves commercially and operationally viable, it could influence future media rights negotiations, particularly as conferences seek to balance traditional broadcast value with direct-to-audience engagement.

The next phase to watch:

The venture startup world can feel like a black box, especially as an athlete who just started investing or wants to learn.

That is why I went back and looked through Carta’s State of Startups 2025 to pull a few takeaways.

Here’s a line that made me laugh and also hints at something deeper:

“Round names are abstractions we have collectively agreed upon in order to distance ourselves from the impending heat death of the universe.”

At least I am not the only one who can get confused.

Here are a few things that stood out to me, specifically for athletes thinking about investing or equity deals.

1. AI Is Everywhere

AI is ubiquitous, even across athlete-adjacent sectors. Sports tech. Health. Media. Consumer.

If you are investing in those categories, there’s a good chance you are investing in AI.

Get comfortable with doing diligence on AI-enabled businesses.

Here’s a question to start: “What proprietary data does the company own?”

2. Understand the Structure: SAFEs and Convertible Notes

SAFEs dominate early-stage investing, but convertible notes still show up frequently in biotech and medtech.

Why does this matter? Athlete-adjacent industries such as health and medical devices often use different structures because of regulatory timelines and capital needs.

Ownership converts differently depending on the instrument.

It’s a little more complicated than wiring money and hoping for the best. It is worth spending time understanding the different structures and how their conversions work.

3. This Is a Different Time Horizon

Seed to Series A and Series A to Series B timelines are lengthening.

Athletes are used to immediate feedback. On the field, on film, in the weight room, even in public markets.

The data shows the importance of patience and getting comfortable with waiting.

4. The Rise of the Solo Founder

There is an increase in solo founders.

Athletes can relate here. You are part of a team, but you are also the solo founder of your own career.

Both have to be self-sufficient and durable, but they still need the support of a strong team around them.

5. Valuations Are Elevated

Seed-stage and Series A valuations are at record highs, and every time a company raises more capital, ownership percentages shift.

Writing small checks at high valuations may not create meaningful ownership over time.

While I may be beating a dead horse, there still feels like a gap for earned equity through value creation.

Overall

It is actually fun digging into the data before you invest and arming yourself with knowledge, especially as things get murkier and more expensive.

In the next five years, the majority of athletes and agents are going to make more money from their phones than on the court. That’s because we’ve officially launched SMS text notifications that notify you guys whenever a new partnership is available.

I mean, we couldn’t make this any easier. If you want to take care of your career off the court, start by signing up here and then opting into SMS notifications.

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To learn more or chat with Drew and the team, please feel free to reach out.