Overtime’s college athlete creator studio aims to help student-athletes make the most of their name, image, and likeness rights.
Overtime is diving into the name, image, and likeness era, and the company just added a rising star in sports and entertainment to its growing ranks.
On Tuesday, Overtime announced a headline deal with USC Trojans football player and Space Jam : A New Legacy star Ceyair Wright. He becomes the first athlete to sign with its all-new college athlete creator studio, a million-dollar venture that aims to help student-athletes maximize their NIL rights by growing their individual brands.
Additionally, he’ll star in the next season of Overtime’s “Dual Threat” video series, which will follow him during his transition from high school to college as he navigates both athletics and acting. The first season of the series featured Jalen Suggs, who went on to become an All-American at Gonzaga and the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
A cornerback out of Loyola High School in Los Angeles in the class of 2021, Wright was rated as a 4-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite. He ranked No. 6 among all players nationally at his position and No. 8 among all players out of California.
Barely six months after committing to USC in January, Space Jam: A New Legacy premiered in theaters and on HBO Max. He portrays Darius James in the film, a fictionalized version of LeBron’s oldest son, Bronny.
“I grew up as a huge fan and follower of Overtime, and it is surreal to now have my own show on the platform,” Wright said in an official release. “I’m honored to be the first NCAA athlete to have the opportunity to be a part of Overtime’s new content studio and look forward to seeing the stories from my fellow athletes.”
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The company will work with male and female athletes across sports on short- and long-form video, podcasts, apparel, and brand sponsorship opportunities, offering a path to monetizing their reach and influence across multiple platforms.
“We have long wanted to follow athletes on their high school journey into college and now we can, sharing their unique stories, passions, and inspiration with the next generation sports fans,” Overtime CEO Dan Porter said. “There will be many opportunities for athletes to promote local and national products. Overtime is the first to support athletes by offering a chance to monetize from being a creator.”
“This new endeavor opens the doors for so many talented athletes across all college sports to express
themselves through original content creation,” added Overtime Chief Content Officer Marc Kohn. “Our
audience is already familiar with Overtime athletes from high school, and we’re thrilled to be able to
continue following their journey, as well introducing our audience to the new faces of Overtime.”
Overtime announced that it is currently in talks with over a dozen other high-profile college athletes regarding potential content-creation partnerships permitted under the NCAA’s new NIL rules.
But only one fleet-footed thespian from LA can claim that he was the first to come on board.
