A new recent study has predicted that the sponsor media value generated by athlete advocacy posts on social could grow to as much as $1.2 billion by 2023. Among the other headline findings in the report is that brands are increasingly looking to partner with socially conscious sports properties. Changes in the global economy are directly impacting the ways sponsorships are planned and defined, because the needs and behaviors of sport and entertainment fans drive the value of sponsorship, measuring those behaviors across channels, platforms and experiences consistently and accurately must be the main focus of sport stakeholders. The bottom line is to find your niche and something you’re truly passionate about and stand behind it – while it can seem like athlete endorsements just happen, partnerships aren’t always the one-way street that it appears. Rather than waiting for brands to come calling, athletes who proactively approach brands who fit their niche can build valuable, mutual...