INFORMED SPORT NEWS
How AI is Transforming Athlete Endorsements – and Why Trust Matters More Than Ever
7 July 2026
The latest episode of the INFORMED in 10 podcast is now live, exploring how artificial intelligence is changing the way athletes and brands connect – and why trust, transparency and third-party certification are becoming increasingly important in athlete endorsement partnerships.
In this monthly series, we speak with leading voices from across the sports nutrition and supplement industry to explore the trends, innovations and collaborations shaping the future of product assurance.
This month, we're joined by Tuan Ma, Founder of Players Only.
Smarter Athlete-Brand Partnerships
As athlete marketing continues to evolve, brands are looking for more efficient ways to identify the right ambassadors, while athletes and agents are placing greater emphasis on partnering with brands they can trust.
Players Only is an AI-powered platform designed to bring athletes, agents and brands together, helping streamline the endorsement process while creating more meaningful and authentic partnerships.
In this episode, Tuan explains how AI is reducing weeks of athlete research into minutes, how the platform is helping international brands enter the US sports market, and why building long-term communities around athletes delivers far greater value than one-off sponsorship deals.
We also discuss the growing importance of trust signals such as third-party certification, and how programmes like Informed Sport can help brands demonstrate credibility, giving athletes and their representatives greater confidence when evaluating partnership opportunities.
Whether you're a sports nutrition brand looking to grow your ambassador programme, an athlete considering commercial partnerships or simply interested in how AI is reshaping sports marketing, this episode offers valuable insight into the future of athlete endorsements.
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Listen to Episode 5 on Apple Podcasts
