Building paid subscriber communities under NIL to become easier

College athletes can seamlessly create text message-based paid subscriber communities because of a partnership early in the NIL era between conversation platform Subtext and INLFCR, a popular industry-leading NIL company.

After the partnership was announced in August, Subtext worked with INFLCR to provide student-athletes with education and best practices surrounding building their brand through the texting platform. Now, an expansion of the partnership – to be announced Monday – will enable Subtext to directly contact athletes who opt-in through INFLCR’s Global Exchange to help them build subscriber communities and monetize their fan following.

For a few dollars per month, fans can receive exclusive content that athletes (those who create subscriber communities) wish to share via text messages. It could be anything from videos and GIFs to light-hearted musings or emotional reactions after a big win. Athletes also can hold question-and-answer sessions with fans, if they choose. 

The average subscriber rate typically is between $4 and $7 per month. Rates are decided by the athlete; Subtext closely consults with athletes to help inform them about potential demand. Subtext’s other customers include various artists within the Sony Music sphere and several major media companies, such as USA Today and BuzzFeed.

“This expanded investment will bring more NCAA athletes into the Subtext community, allowing them to own their relationships with fans and build value in their brands,” Mike Donoghue, Subtext co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “Student-athletes will be able to monetize their following, create their own subscriber communities and share exclusive updates with their biggest supporters in a way that remains compliant with NCAA reporting requirements.”

Subtext is now using extended Global Exchange features that include automated payments and disclosures, direct messaging with student-athletes in bulk or individually, filtering through student-athlete profiles, and more. With access to thousands of student-athletes through INFLCR, Subtext plans to grow its network and offer any athlete the chance to build and monetize their following. 

INFLCR’s Global Exchange aims to simplify the way student-athletes interact with companies like Subtext. INFLCR’s technology seeks to close the connection, communication and payment gaps that previously existed in the collegiate NIL space.