Sponsor Changes for the 2022 Season

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” American author John C. Maxwell once uttered these words. Who knew they would be so poignant for the 2021-2022 off-season? There were more sponsorship changes and contract extensions this off-season than ever before. Players looked to maximize their value and felt this was the right time. As more money pours into disc golf, contracts have become increasingly complicated and stressful to finalize. Most players simply want to play the game and leave all that accompanies it to a professional group designed to manage such situations. This was not a possibility in disc golf until 2018 when the first sports management company (that proved successful) entered the sport. Its name is The DGI Group (The Disc Golf Initiative) and its aim is to “Secure significant national and international endorsements, sponsors and media distribution opportunities for its clients and for the sport at large.” Since their formation, a handful of other management companies have entered the disc golf market with a similar aim.

One Such company is Feature Card Management, LLC (FCM). To gain insight into this world I interviewed Blake Iverson, Personal Manager at FCM. His insights provide a fascinating lens into the present state of disc golf economics and the professionalization of the sport.

Why So Many Changes THIS Off-Season?

Disc golf is flourishing and manufacturers have seen record profits since the beginning of the pandemic. Sponsored players are their number one advertisers as more eyes are on the sport. This past off-season a record number of players tested the sponsorship waters and were handsomely rewarded. One of the biggest reasons players had the confidence to seek out various sponsors were player management companies.

When I say player management companies think of an entire team set up to take care of players’ lives behind the scenes. They take care of things such as social media, contract negotiations, branding, legal issues, financial advising, etc. Iverson had this to say about why there were so many changes this past off-season:

“With the rise in popularity of the sport over the pandemic, it is clear to everyone that there is more money in disc golf than ever before. There had been previous efforts to provide representation to disc golfers. Those failed because it either wasn’t the right time or they weren’t the right people to do it. What we’re seeing now is a number of folks who have industry knowledge and experience AND a market which allows them to deliver value to the players.”

-Blake Iverson

Let’s be honest, players have not traditionally played disc golf to get rich. Very few players earned enough money to make a living without holding a second job. And even these players were true road warriors doing whatever it took to live that lifestyle. Iverson says we have hit a turning point and we will remember this off-season as the impetus for modern contracts in disc golf:

“This off-season has been an incredible time for an elite player to be able to negotiate a new deal. Manufacturers are relatively flush and want to be associated with the top players. Like in any NBA free-agent class, I think we’ll look back at this someday and think some players were overpaid and some continued to be underpaid, but most importantly, more MPO and FPO players than ever before were able to earn a decent living playing disc golf.”

-Blake Iverson

How Do Player Management Companies Help?

Player management companies do more than contract negotiations. In this modern era of sport, there are ever-increasing responsibilities heaped onto the shoulders of athletes including sponsorship roles, scheduling, travel planning, social media accounts, etc. Players can be overwhelmed by the scope and magnitude of managing all aspects of their careers. This is a costly equation that leads to burnout. Enter player management companies. From Iverson:

“A good team – and I mean manager, agent, financial advisor, and attorney – should be able to help a player identify their market value and career goals, and then execute a plan to get there. In 99% of cases, I think it is easier to have someone other than a player handle negotiations. It is just really difficult to advocate for yourself. Negotiations can be tense and the player needs to have a positive and cooperative relationship with their sponsors, so sometimes they are better served by having some distance from the process.”

-Blake Iverson

Drew Gibson signed the biggest deals of the off-season and quite possibly in the history of the sport. He signed a lifetime deal with Infinite Discs that has a base salary with huge incentives and growth potential. The company Disc Golf Player Management Group, LLC (DGPM) represented him and was the main reason the deal was brokered. Gibson had this to say about the deal:

“I have to thank DGPM Group for help brokering the deal, removing stress, and making both parties successful.”

-Drew Gibson

Where Is This All Going?

All of these sponsorship deals are being negotiated behind closed doors. Why does this even matter for what we experience as fans and players who are not signing these contracts? Iverson sees a new trend coming to the sport:

“As manufacturers reap the benefits from the rapid growth of the sport, I think we’ll see a shift from the model of rewarding past performance to investing more in the development of young talent.”

-Blake Iverson

This is a huge step for disc golf. Yes, there have been great young players through the years but they have been the exception. This sport has been dominated by older players since its inception many decades ago. Take a look at any tournament and you will find that junior divisions are typically slim to none. Youth has historically stuck to popular sports in our culture as disc golf remained on the fringe. These burgeoning contracts have changed the conversation. Youngsters are now involved in the sport and have infused it with excitement. Just take a look at what 16-year-old Gannon Buhr did at the first DGPT tournament of the 2022 season at the Las Vegas Challenge. This will lead to great excitement in the professional side of the sport and contribute to parody at tournaments. Many of the same names have been atop leaderboards throughout the decades and that is all changing with the infusion of youth into the sport.

Bringing It All Together

Disc golf is gonna be huge! We no longer need to pronounce this because, well, disc golf has arrived. Disc golf IS huge and continuing to grow. One of the biggest factors to growth is the legitimization of the professional side of the sport. The product that fans and the general public consume have become increasingly professional and marketable. Sports marketing companies have contributed greatly to this product. From players’ contracts to deals with TV networks these companies are sticking their necks out for the sport. Yes, players have put in the blood, sweat, and tears to deserve the pay. However, sports management companies are brokering deals across the disc golf landscape that are taking our sport to a new level. I’ll leave you with words from Iverson:

“Disc golf has historically been very DIY. The professionalization of support – be it in management, training, nutrition, or sports psychology – is going to impact the game you see on the course. It’ll be exciting to see who thrives in that environment.”

-Blake Iverson