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      • What is a cultural audit?
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        • Plastic Pollution
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        • Asian Representation in Media
        • Jewish Representation
        • Native Representation
        • ¡Pa’lante! Latino Representation
      • Technology
      • The Pitt
      • Weight Stigma
    • DOCUMENTARY FILM >
      • America Divided
      • Food, Inc.
      • The Social Dilemma
      • Waiting for Superman
    • INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH >
      • Africa Research
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      • MENA Research
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      • Case Studies
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      • Science Journalism
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      • Athlete-Owned Media
    • SCIENCE & EVALUATION OF MEDIA IMPACT >
      • Narrative Change Strategy
      • Pop Culture for Social Change
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ATHLETE-OWNED MEDIA

Owning the Narrative

​How Athletes Are Disrupting the Media Landscape, Reshaping Sports Culture and Transforming the Future of Sports Storytelling (But Risk Perpetuating Longstanding Inequities)
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A new era in sports storytelling
Athlete-owned media is transforming the global sports landscape—financially, culturally, and creatively. Owning the Narrative, a first-of-its-kind report, reveals how athletes are building a new media economy by creating, owning, and distributing their own content. From LeBron James’s SpringHill Company to the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, this fast-growing industry—valued in the billions—is redefining who tells the story and how.

Through a mixed-method analysis of more than 370 athlete-owned ventures, our research team found that ownership empowers athletes to shape authentic narratives, reach fans directly, and challenge legacy media power structures. Yet opportunities remain—especially for women athletes, who are underrepresented in this space. 
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Read the Report
The Norman Lear Center's Media Impact Project researches how entertainment and news influence our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and actions. We work with researchers, the film and TV industry, nonprofits, and news organizations, and share our research with the public. We are part of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.