Publicis Sports and Travis Kelce's TEKTA Join Forces to Reimagine the Future of NIL Marketing

Publicis Sports, the sport and culture marketing arm of Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40], and Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce today announced the launch of TEKTA, a first-of-its-kind Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) consulting and activation offering that helps brands identify, activate and measure partnerships with collegiate athletes and universities across the fragmented and growing NIL landscape. TEKTA combines Publicis Sports’ advertiser relationships, fan intelligence and measurement capabilities with Kelce's expertise across one of the most commercially sophisticated athlete portfolios in sports, alongside 3 Arts Sports’ deep relationships across universities, conferences and collegiate athletics. Through the venture, a select group of Publicis Sports clients will gain access to a broad NIL network spanning 45,000 Division I student-athletes and 68 Power Four universities, with the ability to activate talent from the national to local level based on brand objectives, audience and market.

Together, the partnership will provide brands with an end-to-end consulting and activation capability that generates 50–70% faster speed to market and one unified measurement framework. All activations are executed in coordination with institutional compliance and applicable conference and state requirements.

A limited number of Publicis Sports clients will have exclusive access and become the first to activate through TEKTA and help shape its future development. They will receive strategic guidance on investment opportunities, partnerships, and consultation on how to deliver scalable, measurable NIL programs – all within one integrated solution. Universities and student athletes will benefit from training and education opportunities, as well as overall guidance on branding and partnerships. Athletes will also gain access to vetted national brand opportunities, transparent deal terms, financial literacy training, and long-term career and brand development provided by 3 Arts Sports.

NIL is currently a $4.5 billion market opportunity. According to Opendorse, student-athletes average a 5.7% engagement rate compared with 1.9% for traditional influencers, underscoring the growing value of college athletes as a marketing channel. Despite this momentum, brands continue to face a fragmented marketplace—navigating multiple athlete representatives, universities, conferences, compliance requirements and measurement solutions—which makes it difficult to build scalable, measurable national NIL programs.

“Many of our clients are looking for ways to connect with customers at a local level, while also delivering scale and laddering up to a regional or national program. This has been challenging—if not impossible—to do from a brand standpoint, given all the pain points,” said Suzy Deering, CEO, Publicis Sports. “Through the unique combination of Publicis Sports, Travis and 3 Arts Sports, we’re able to bring our strengths together to do this seamlessly for our clients.”

“The sports industry doesn’t need more competition, it needs more connection,” said Aaron and Andre Eanes, 3 Arts Entertainment Partners and Co-Heads of 3 Arts Sports. “Publicis Sports follows the data, Travis has one of the highest value portfolios in all of sports, and our team has spent years building the athlete and university relationships that make these deals actually work. Together we’re providing what brands and athletes have been asking for in a way that’s never been done.”

“The fluid NIL and college sports landscape has everyone scrambling to keep up,” said Travis Kelce. “I am excited to leverage my lived experience and professional perspective to help close the gap for brands and athletes alike. Streamlining the process will allow everyone to fully realize the potential of engaging across the board, including the significant opportunity that lies in those untapped sports and undiscovered personalities.”

This follows Publicis’ launch of Influential Sports, an integrated offering that helps brands connect with fans at scale through creator-led marketing by leveraging Publicis Sports’ robust, industry-leading data, fan intelligence, and measurement capabilities. Similarly, this new NIL offering is another avenue for brands to take a data-informed, fan-first approach while also integrating sports and influencer strategies earlier in the planning process, ultimately helping them make the right selections and activate talent that best meets business needs and drives measurable outcomes.

Publicis Sports is a full-service sports marketing agency that leverages the scale and power of Publicis Media and Epsilon to offer a full suite of data-driven solutions to clients across the sports ecosystem, including building strategic brand platforms, sponsorships, experiential and hospitality, content, and talent. Publicis Sports manages and optimizes partnerships across the professional and collegiate level on a global, national, and local scale. The practice is uniquely positioned to help brands build authentic fan connections at the speed of culture through its industry-leading agencies 160over90, Adopt and Bespoke and close connection into Publicis Groupe’s extensive capabilities in influencer, commerce, branded content, connected media, and data/technology.

3 Arts Sports is the sports division of 3 Arts Entertainment,  a Lionsgate company, representing top athletes, creators, and cultural figures across the worlds of sport, business, and entertainment. The division combines talent representation with brand strategy, commercial partnerships and entertainment industry access, advising clients on endorsements, media and content, business ventures and long-term career development, and maintains direct relationships across Power Four universities, conferences and collegiate athletics departments. The division was formed following 3 Arts Entertainment’s acquisition of A&A Management Group, founded in Cleveland in 2011 by brothers Aaron and Andre Eanes, who lead 3 Arts Sports as Co-Heads and serve as partners of 3 Arts Entertainment. 

Travis Kelce is an eleven-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl Champ entering his fourteenth season with the Kansas City Chiefs and holding the record as the Chiefs’ all-time leading touchdown scorer. Kelce’s robust business portfolio extends over multiple sectors including sports, hospitality, and major consumer brands – while cohosting one of the top podcasts globally, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce. His philanthropic efforts range from funding his foundation 87 & Running which empowers disadvantaged youth by providing opportunities in business, STEM, and the arts, a transformational health and wellness endowment for the University of Cincinnati Athletics Department, as well as multiple major gifts to organizations important to him.

Contacts

Mary Markou 
Corporate Communications
312-881-9941
mary.markou@publicis.com