Overtime to invest $1M in NIL-driven partnerships, signs USC cornerback

Front Office Sports reports that Overtime plans to invest $1 million in NIL-driven partnerships. The company will launch a creator studio to help athletes promote products, from shows to apparel. They also announced their first partner in the venture is USC freshman cornerback Ceyair Wright.

Wright will be featured in a show about his life. He was a four-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting cycle from Loyola (CA.) Wright is also an actor and has been featured in smaller roles in TV shows like “2 Broke Girls” and “Instant Mom” over the years. This summer, Wright starred in “Space Jam: A New Legacy” alongside Lebron James, in the role of James’ oldest son, Bronny James.

As a senior, Wright made 2020 PrepStar Dream Team and Southern California News Group Fab 15 first team and 2021 MaxPreps All-State first team as a cornerback and wide receiver.

Elite approach

Overtime, a Brooklyn-based sports startup, previously announced a new basketball league called Overtime Elite, an alternative path to the NBA.

Overtime Elite will begin in September 2021 and will feature 30 of the nation’s top prospects from ages 16-18. The athletes will be given a guaranteed minimum salary of $100,000 in addition to bonuses and equity in the league. If an Overtime Elite athlete chooses not to pursue an NBA career, the league will pay them up to $100,000 to go towards college tuition.

Among notable members of the league include 2023 five-star Jalen Lewis, 2023 five-star twins Matt and Ryan Bewley and 2022 four-star twins Amen and Ausar Thompson.

Per their website, Overtime has financial backing from “top VC firms, industry leaders, and athletes, including Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital, Sapphire Sport, Bezos Expeditions (the personal investment company of Jeff Bezos), Micromanagement Ventures (the family of the late David Stern), Black Capital, Morgan Stanley Counterpoint Global, Blackstone Strategic Partners, PROOF, Gaingels, Alexis Ohanian, Drake, and 30+ NBA stars including Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant.”