Michigan NIL: Champions Circle and College Sports Co. launch 'Champ Media' network

Champions Circle, the official NIL collective partnered with Michigan Wolverines athletics, and The College Sports Company announced on Thursday a partnership that launches Champ Media, an athlete-driven media network that is “built to highlight authentic content and storytelling.”

Champ Media will produce shows, short-form video segments and social media content that it will distrubite through its digital platforms and is another vehicle not only to enhance student-athlete voices as content creators, but also work with brand sponsors and build relationships with fans.

“We believe that Michigan student-athletes possess a powerful platform to build their brands while engaging with fans before, during, and after their time in Ann Arbor. We are excited to build on our existing work within the athlete content creation and storytelling space with one of the leaders in the industry in College Sports Co.,” former Michigan tight end and Agency Director Ian Bunting said in the announcement.

The release said:

Champions Circle®, the leading fan engagement platform for Michigan athletics, has joined forces with The College Sports Company to launch Champ Media — an athlete-driven media network built to highlight authentic content and storytelling.

Champ Media provides new opportunities for student-athletes and Champions Circle® to work with brand sponsors through original content production and distribution. The collaboration represents an evolution in how Champions Circle®, its student-athlete partners, and brands collaborate to deepen their engagement with fans.

Champ Media will produce shows, short-form video, and social media content, distributing it through its digital platforms.

Champ Media has four shows with its debut, headlined by Champions Circle’s “The LAB,” which continues with host Ben Lyons and is “your weekly pulse on all things related to Michigan sports from the lens of student-athletes.”

Debuting on the network is “The Team,” which will be hosted by fifth-year quarterback Mikey Keene and feature “unfiltered conversations from the athletes themselves,” providing a behind-the-scenes look at the goings-on behind the scenes of the Michigan football program.

“Hail to Her” will be hosted by former women’s lacrosse player Haley Polk, “bringing you the latest updates, stories and insights from the women wearing Maize and Blue.” “The Social Series” will feature athlete and creator Angelnae Randelle as “a quick-hitting, fast-paced content series designed to bring fans and athletes together with snackable, entertaining content following today’s trends.”

The College Sports Company was founded by Porter Grieve, Adam Breneman and Andrew Spano, and the release states that College Sports Co. “is a leading media and production company decided to building media networks at top athletic programs nationwide.”

“Champ Media will make a massive impact on student-athletes and fans in the Ann Arbor community. This is exactly why we built College Sports Co — to help organizations like Champions Circle® unlock the full potential of athlete-driven media,” Adam Breneman, Co-Founder of College Sports Co, said.