PlayersTV’s Fan Raise Initiative Brings Together Superstar Athletes and Their Fans to Fuel the Growth of a Groundbreaking Media Company

The first athlete- and fan-owned media company once broke the traditional route to business success by giving ownership to its core audience. After raising $3.2 million directly from 2,200 fans of athlete partners like Chris Paul, Travis Kelce, Dwyane Wade, Chiney Ogwumike, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Natasha Cloud, A.J. Andrews, Carmelo Anthony, and more, its latest Fan Raise builds on this disruptive legacy.

DALLAS – July 18, 2025 — PlayersTV, the first global media company owned by athletes and their fans, today announced it has entered its next phase of growth as the only TV network dedicated to athlete lifestyle entertainment. After raising millions of dollars directly from thousands of fans craving personality-driven, off-field content from their favorite athletes, PlayersTV is launching a follow-up Fan Raise to accelerate its ascent in the media landscape. The campaign is now live at PlayersTV.com/invest.

“We want to see our athletes ringing stock exchange bells one day, alongside the fans who help make it happen,” said PlayersTV cofounder Deron Guidrey. “No other network can say that. We’re building something that’s never been done before, utilizing community ownership to create the first athlete and fan-owned media network. That’s the power of this Fan Raise in bringing us a step closer to achieving that goal.”

As global venture capital and private equity markets experience a dramatic slowdown, with VC fundraising experiencing a six-year low in 2024 (Venture Capital Journal), PlayersTV’s successful direct-to-fan approach to equity that bypasses traditional fundraising methods has demonstrated that successful business scaling in 2025 does not have to follow well-traveled playbooks prone to swinging market conditions.

What started in 2020 during the pandemic as a way for athletes and fans to strengthen their relationship during league shutdowns has now grown into a 24/7 channel distributed to more than 300 million households through DirecTV, Fubo, YouTube TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Philo. With more than 70 superstar athlete investors and partners spanning the NBA, NFL, WNBA, and MLB, PlayersTV has become the premier destination for athlete-led lifestyle programming and a one-stop shop for brands to activate athletes for memorable campaigns. 

From the very beginning, PlayersTV’s unique model has flipped the script on media ownership by making athletes and fans central co-owners in the network they help shape — an approach that has attracted partners like Chris Paul, Travis Kelce, Dwyane Wade, Chiney Ogwumike, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Natasha Cloud, A.J. Andrews, Carmelo Anthony, Ken Griffey, Jr., and many more. In 2023, PlayersTV broke new ground by raising $3.2 million directly from fans, creating a blueprint for community-backed media ownership at a time when audiences demand more authentic connections and influence. Now, PlayersTV is opening a second “Fan Raise” to further this vision, inviting the next generation of fans to participate in building an athlete-first media company for the modern era.

“Athletes have always moved culture — now they own the platform too. By putting athletes and fans in the same seat at the table, we’re rewriting how athletes and entertainment work together,” added Guidrey. “We’ve made fans and athletes the core of our business since day one. You need both to succeed in today’s markets, so we put them at the heart of everything we do, and that’s allowed us to accelerate to a unique position as the undisputed leader in athlete lifestyle media.”

Cofounder Collin Castellaw added that “Sports fans are the most passionate, loyal communities that exist. PlayersTV taps into that emotion and the genuine connection between athlete and fan year-round, allowing fans a route to not just be a passive audience but be an active part of the growing movement around athlete business and influence.” 

Factoring into PlayersTV’s momentum is a major shift in the advertising industry towards influencer marketing and the creator economy, which is expected to grow globally by 36% between 2024 and 2025, to $33 billion (Statista). This shift naturally bodes well for the future of athlete-led media, as athletes statistically are amongst the most powerful and effective influencers available: 

• 75% of consumers find athletes more genuine than traditional celebrities (Digital Marketing Creators)
• 78% of sports fans are more inclined to purchase a product endorsed by their favorite athlete (Nielsen Sports)
• 63% of fans aged 18-34 trust athlete endorsements (YouGov)
• Athletes on social media platforms boast an average engagement rate of 5.6%, significantly higher than the average influencer engagement rate of 2.4% (Ministry of Sport)

Partnering with brands like Meta, Walmart, UBS, P&G, and many more, PlayersTV has redefined how athletes and fans connect beyond the game through familiar show formats like cooking, comedy, business, and talk shows, which offer advertisers a straightforward, brand-safe avenue to capitalize on athlete influence.

PlayersTV’s disruptive approach has also fueled its growth into adtech and AI-powered targeting; its first Fan Raise led to the acquisition of Cloud Media Center, which strengthened the company’s ability to deliver over 1 billion monthly ad impressions with precision and scale. The acquisition marked the first time athletes and their fans have come together to acquire an AI-based technology company.

This year’s Fan Raise is PlayersTV’s next step to ensure athletes and fans shape the future of media, together, marking a turning point in entrepreneurship, media and marketing, and community-led ownership. Learn more about PlayersTV’s vision at playerstv.com/invest.

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About PlayersTV

PlayersTV is the first media network and content provider owned by athletes and their fans. As the premier athlete lifestyle content destination, PlayersTV empowers athletes to own their stories while engaging fans with authentic and meaningful connections, bridging the worlds of sports, lifestyle, and entertainment. PlayersTV’s 24/7 channel can be found on DirecTV, YouTube TV, Fubo, Amazon Fire TV, and Philo. See more at https://playerstv.com/.