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This Aint No Bull

Advertisers and sponsors are always looking to align with a new trend on its way up in order to establish a long term agreement at a margin of the price that they may have to pay if they wait for the trend to peak. In the past few years, sports advertisers and sponsors have made a bet that extreme sports like Ultimate Fighting and X-Games type sports (skateboarding, snowboarding, etc) would become popular among mainstream America and have focused a lot of advertising dollars into that realm. Enter a new type of extreme sport that a lot of companies are betting will be the next big thing in the American marketplace: Bull riding.

In fact, the Professional Bull Riders association has already secured 20 sponsors, which include Ford and Jack Daniel’s [An 8-Second Ride Lures Sponsors Beyond the Rodeo]. The number of yearly events, spectators, and TV coverage has been rising steadily, which will make advertisers happy with their purchase. A couple years ago, the sport was looked over by advertisers and marketers, but now that data shows a strong, active audience, many companies are taking advantage of the low cost advertising that is offered. Maybe we will see a similar trend in the sport of bowling, which has its final event televised live every Sunday on ESPN and has a large, captive audience. Advertisers have largely hesitated from entering the bowling world, much like their unwillingness to sponsor bull racing a couple years ago.

When a sport is earning nice profits, its athletes should be fairly compensated. Companies like Express Sports Agency represent professional bull riders much like any other sports agency represents its clients. Its client list features 19 professional bull riders, all donning their cowboy hats; most are not smiling. Deep inside, I am sure that most of them are happy, however. Express’ sponsor sheet displays a myriad of corporate connections.

This post should show you that you do not necessarily need to be a baseball, basketball, or football agent in order to be successful in the agent side of the business of sports. Quite possibly, you have connections to bull riders or want to get into a non-traditional American sport. Bull riding is on the rise and companies like Express are taking advantage of its growth. Will you follow the trend of getting involved in one of the big four American sports, or will you buck the trend?

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

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