OpenSponsorship and JMI Sports Team Up to Provide a Safe and Secure Name, Image, and Likeness Marketplace to JMI Sports’ Corporate Partners

Media Rights and Venue Development Company Will First Introduce the Platform to UK Athletics’ Corporate Partners  

Lexington, KY (July 13^th, 2021) —OpenSponsorship and JMI Sports announced today a partnership to provide a trusted and safe marketplace solution for JMI Sports’ corporate partners to use for Name, Image, and Likeness partnerships. JMI Sports will work with OpenSponsorship to ensure their corporate partners can confidently navigate the NIL uncertainty and can do so on OpenSponsorship’s best-in-class online platform.

“JMI Sports is thrilled to partner with Ishveen and the OpenSponsorship team to bring a proven NIL marketplace solution to our corporate partners,” said Erik Judson, co-founder and CEO of JMI Sports. “The OpenSponsorship platform has proven to be a safe and turn-key solution for athletes and brands, and we are confident they can provide a marketplace that serves our partners during this unprecedented and uncertain time.”

OpenSponsorship is the leading digital marketplace that connects brands with athletes. The expansion into college NIL will further enhance the company’s position as the premier choice for brands to secure athletes and teams for sponsorship deals. The company was founded six years ago, and is already the sponsorship marketplace leader having facilitated 4,500 deals among its network of 8,000 athletes and 15,000 brands including ESPN, Levi’s, Vitamin Shoppe, Walmart and more. The platform leverages technology, proprietary data, AI matching algorithms and unique functionality to be the one-stop shop for sponsorship.

“We are very excited to partner with JMI Sports as we expand into the college NIL space. Erik and his team are experts in the college sponsorship space, and their expertise and support between ourselves, student athletes and MRR partners will be key for all parties.” said Ishveen Anand, co-founder and CEO of OpenSponsorship.

JMI Sports and OpenSponsorship will first introduce the marketplace to University of Kentucky Athletics corporate partners, who can engage in Name, Image, and Likeness activity after Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order allowing student-athletes to monetize their NIL. OpenSponsorship has a partnership with INFLCR, who is also a partner of the University of Kentucky, to help student-athletes navigate the new Name, Image, and Likeness rules and opportunities.

“We are happy to see JMI Sports and OpenSponsorship partner on a safe and trusted NIL marketplace solution for our UK Athletics corporate partners, “said UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart. “There is nothing more important than ensuring that our partners and student-athletes have a safe and proven platform to engage in NIL activities”

About JMI Sports

JMI Sports is a leading media rights and venue development company providing management of collegiate multimedia rights, sponsorship sales agency representation, and highly regarded project management expertise to the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities. The company serves to maximize each client’s economic potential through customized initiatives, from marketing and branding solutions to facility design strategies that bring each client’s vision to fruition. JMI Sports manages an impressive list of signature collegiate multimedia rights partnerships including, the University of Kentucky, Clemson University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, DePaul University and joint-venture properties of the University of Georgia and Columbia University (with Learfield IMG College), and University of Notre Dame (with Legends). JMI Sports also represents several high-profile conferences including the Ivy League, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Southern Conference, the Patriot League, and the Atlantic-10 Conference. Additionally, JMI Sports serves as third- party sales representation for premier venues and events including the Breeders’ Cup, Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center and the Penn Relays. The company’s facility development team is currently collaborating with Legends on the new Aztec Stadium and Mission Valley development for San Diego State University in San Diego, CA. Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2021, JMI Sports was founded by CEO Erik Judson and technology entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres.

About OpenSponsorship

OpenSponsorship is a digital marketplace connecting brands to athletes, teams, events for marketing deals. OpenSponsorship founder Ishveen Anand was included in the Forbes 30U30 sports list, Inc magazine’s top 100 female founder. OpenSponsorship has raised $1.5M to date from notable VCs in San Francisco, New York and Hong Kong, the Oxford Angel Fund, NBA All-Star Baron Davis any other high profile angel investors. For additional information and to create a free account, visit www.opensponsorship.com.