Athlete influencers compete for likes as well as medals in Paris

NEW YORK – Athletes on the hunt for Olympic gold will also be chasing likes and follows on social media in Paris, as a battle for a coveted piece of viral fame kicks off at the Games.

A social media side hustle will play out across a frantic 17 days beginning on July 26, with Olympians looking to exploit a narrow window to connect with fans from the Games on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

American rugby player Ilona Maher went viral at the Tokyo Olympics – her videos were a witty and engaging peek at the behind-the-scenes action at a Covid-restricted Games – and now boasts more than a million followers on TikTok.

Her teammate Ariana Ramsey wants to follow a similar path in Paris, hoping the four videos she will be producing each day will build her online persona and help with her ambition to one day start her own athletic apparel brand.

Like many other Olympians who work second or even third jobs, she has used social media to supplement her income, earning one-off deals with brands and charging about US$100 (S$135) for an Instagram reel or US$50 for an Instagram story post.

“This is a whole second job,” Ramsey said.

Like Maher, athletes do not have to be among the top echelons of fame to gain traction online, according to Kate Johnson, Google's global marketing director of sports, entertainment, and content partnerships.

“You (need to) have something unique to tell and to share that brands want access to,” she said.

Johnson sees extraordinary new opportunities for athletes rapidly unfolding. YouTube, which is owned by Google's Alphabet Inc, counted 1 billion unique monthly visitors in 2013. That number roughly doubled by 2022.

“I feel like I have to do a public service announcement for Olympic athletes who have been competing, focusing, training and haven’t been paying attention to how to monetise this moment in time for themselves,” she added.

For some, a deep-pocketed sponsor can help in many ways to boost their social media platforms, while the sponsors themselves can also gain in return if their athletes become famous.

Visa offered its more than 100 “Team Visa” athletes a masterclass in digital storytelling and engagement ahead of the Paris Games, led by social media creators.

The course, offered for the first time, also included practical instructions on how to use platforms like TikTok.

“Helping in how they are going to engage with their fans and be better and more comfortable in this creative space was something that was of value,” said Andrea Fairchild, the senior vice-president of global sponsorship strategy at Visa. REUTERS