Marketing

&pizza partners with Playmaker for college athlete NIL partnerships

Provided

January 20, 2022

Sports media and talent management brand Playmaker has announced the launch of its college athlete NIL partnership with &pizza, according to a press release. The campaign offers college athletes the ability to earn money and receive a variety of prizes.

"The change in NIL rules is a huge game-changer for collegiate athletes. &pizza is proud to partner with Playmaker to support and champion the next generation of sports superstars representing our surrounding communities," Andy Hooper, &pizza president, said in the release.

Playmaker launched its NIL college athlete division this past summer to offer a suite of sports marketing services to over 25 signed star players. The company's college recruits have access to top-tier management, partnership activations, exclusive merchandising, premium content development, and audience growth from the Playmaker network, currently offered to its roster of high-profile NBA, NFL, and NHL talent.

"We used our social platforms to kick off the campaign as well as the 10 initial athletes to help spread the word. Some of the athletes participating include NFL players Benjamin St Juste and Darnay Holmes, along with eight collegiate athletes. The students receive pizza points, merch, and a percentage of all the sales they bring in to earn money," Polo Kerber, head of talent and partnerships at Playmaker, said in the release.

The partnership marks &pizza's largest sports collaboration to date. The pizza chain is looking to create a network of ambassadors through a partnership with collegiate athletes across a variety of sports and colleges.

&pizza has 36 locations in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Massachusetts.