A player’s name, face, voice, social media presence and personal story can carry real commercial value. That makes it important to distinguish ordinary team promotion from an individual endorsement of a third party brand.
Team promotion and personal endorsement are different
A professional employment agreement may allow a club to use the player’s name and likeness for ordinary team, match, ticketing, editorial, historical or collective sponsor activity, subject to the applicable rules. That does not automatically mean the player personally endorses every product or service connected to the club.
Personal commercial use should be clear
- Which uses are included in the employment contract?
- Does a separate individual campaign require the player’s written approval?
- Who owns or controls personal sponsorship and endorsement rights?
- Are existing personal sponsor conflicts disclosed before signing?
- How long may content continue to be used after the contract or campaign ends?
- What approval is required for a minor player’s name, image, story or social content?
Do not disguise salary or another payment
Separate image rights, endorsement or commercial arrangements should have genuine substance and be documented for what they really are. They should not be used simply to disguise salary, football agent remuneration, transfer compensation or prohibited third party economic rights.
NEXTGEN does not receive image rights automatically
A club partnership, donation, Foundation support arrangement or football pathway does not automatically give NEXTGEN a commercial right over a player’s name or image. Public use of a player’s story or likeness requires the appropriate consent and rights for the intended use.
Players and families should understand these terms before content is filmed, published or sponsored. The exact position depends on the contract, image rights arrangements, data protection rules, age of the player and applicable law.