"Find the Star"...Millions of Followers Easily Bring Big Money [Paris Olympics]

German track and field athlete Alika Schmidt, known as the 'sexiest athlete in the world,' has over 7 million followers combined on Instagram and TikTok. Simone Biles, called the 'Empress of Gymnastics' from the United States, has 8 million followers on Instagram alone, and Brazilian skateboarder Haisa Reaudo has 6.5 million followers. American track athletes Sha'Carri Richardson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are also popular sports stars with 3.4 million and 1.2 million followers, respectively.

At the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, ongoing until September 8, global attention is focused on the emergence of new sports stars. As the influence of sports stars grows on corporate brands and social media, the industry's efforts to secure these athletes are also intensifying. Agents are already competing to secure 'rising stars' in preparation for the next Olympics, which will be held in 2028 in Los Angeles (LA), USA.

Alika Schmidt, a German track and field athlete known as the "sexiest athlete in the world." Photo by Alika Schmidt Instagram

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Simone Biles, the US women's national gymnastics team member known as the queen of gymnastics
[Photo by AP News]

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Recently, the American economic media outlet Business Insider reported, "The 2024 Paris Olympics could offer greater opportunities for brands and athletes than previous games," adding, "Athletes who are skilled storytellers can earn more than medalists once they become stars."

The Olympics, a global stage, serve as a gateway for new sports stars to emerge and allow fans worldwide to watch existing superstars from home. Companies are paying close attention to the birth of new sports stars at this Olympics. As interest in sports competitions continues to rise, securing a sports star can create significant brand marketing opportunities.

Harry Pool, Vice President of the U.S. marketing agency Excel Sports Management, analyzed, "This Olympics has slightly less superstar power than before," and added, "It is an opportunity for relatively lesser-known athletes to make a name for themselves."

Companies are particularly focusing on the growing online influence of sports stars. Athletes share training videos and vlogs revealing their daily lives, exerting influence comparable to famous influencers. This environment highlights athletes with excellent storytelling abilities. In fact, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, sports stars' activities on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok stood out. There is also analysis showing that athletes and teams participating in the Tokyo Olympics secured 113 million followers.

The competition to secure sports stars is already linked to the next Olympics, the 2028 LA Olympics. Although it is still four years away, agents are competitively sending love calls to athletes with high potential to become sports stars. In the past, contracts tended to be made with superstars who already attracted global attention, but now the trend has shifted to signing promising young athletes who have the potential to grow into sports stars. Contract periods are also longer than before, supporting the athletes to help create brands.

For example, one of the leading U.S. agencies, WME, recently signed 16-year-old Quincy Wilson, who set the record as the youngest American male track athlete. WME explained, "We are looking for athletes with realistic chances of winning gold at the 2028 LA Olympics who have compelling stories and strong value, and Quincy fits perfectly."

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