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Last Updated on September 22, 2022
Digital brand experience company Mercury continued its expansion into the NIL space by signing 54 Kentucky student-athletes to join the company’s Kentucky-specific platform Blue Chips. The class of student-athletes includes Wildcats from the football, women’s basketball and women’s volleyball team.
“Blue Chips is now the go-to experience for any Kentucky fan who wants unmatched access to their favorite players,” Mercury CEO Porter Grieve said in a press release. “We are thrilled to add over 50 fun and dynamic athletes to our growing Mercury team, and we look forward to providing ways for fans to engage with every one of them.”
Through the Blue Chips platform, Kentucky fans with a membership pass can connect with players through question and answer sessions, interactive podcast episodes and more. The membership pass also includes opportunities for exclusive memorabilia.
This announcement builds on Mercury’s momentum this month in building its NIL roster. Last week, the company signed Kentucky star quarterback Will Levis to a year-long NIL deal to appear on Blue Chips. The partnership between Kentucky student-athletes and Mercury has its roots started with deals between Kentucky’s men’s basketball players and Mercury, and has since expanded to include a diverse array of sports.
“Ownership of my voice and image is essential, and while volleyball is my focus, there’s much more to me than my performance on the court,” Azhani Tealer, a senior and All-American Middle Blocker on the Women’s Volleyball Team, said. “This partnership is the natural choice for athletes who want to have fun with fans and showcase different sides of their personalities.”
Kentucky is one of the prominent Power Five programs to partner with Mercury. In February, Mercury partnered with the eventual national champions, Kansas men’s basketball, for an NFT platform called Rock Chalk. The company also partners with UCF, with more schools to be announced soon.
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