Jerry Hairston, Jr., along with family and partners, has launched a new athlete and entertainment representation agency called Sports + Image (S+I). Expanding beyond his MLB agency Culture XXXIX (Culture39), this new venture will represent athletes in NFL, NBA, entertainment, and sports executive sectors, with a strong focus on Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) opportunities. Built on the same client-first principles as Culture39, S+I aims to provide expert representation, career development resources, and strategic advice. Hairston describes the expansion as a "natural step" and a chance to apply Culture39's successful MLB representation model to a wider array of sports. With a family-focused, strategic approach, S+I will offer services including NIL negotiations, social media management, campaign management, and NCAA guidance. Partner Charles Hairston sees NIL as transformative, positioning S+I as a leader in this emerging space. Despite its recent launch, S+I has already added key personnel and is set for further growth, aiming to create unique and essential services in sports and entertainment.
ATLANTA, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Jerry Hairston, Jr., family and partners have launched a new athlete and entertainment representation group named Sports + Image (S+I). The new agency expands the established footprint that Hairston, Jr. has already with his MLB agency Culture XXXIX (Culture39, Culture). While Culture currently represents an impressive portfolio of MLB's future baseball stars, the newly formed Sports + Image group will include the addition of divisions targeting NFL, NBA, Entertainment & Sports Executives, as well as a major investment into its division focused on Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL). The new offerings are built on the same values and principles embraced by Culture to provide clients and their families with expert representation, a variety of sports career resources, and the unbiased advice they need to succeed throughout their careers.
Hairston, Jr. stated "We are taking our proven approach in the MLB market and our professional sports connections to make a significant impact in the massive sports arena and media marketplace. Culture has a keen focus on expanding its premiere representation experience that it has become known for in the baseball industry to all sports areas. It is a very logical and achievable goal. We have made a financial commitment to do that, and will continue to do so, in identifying the right resources to help develop our athletes' stories and ensure their successes. And, when we seamlessly integrate our approach in new markets, with our network of industry experts and partners, it will create a unique portfolio that the sports and entertainment industries need."
Hairston's first agency business, Culture XXXIX, has taken many in the baseball industry by a storm with the success of its mission of "Quality over Quantity"; investing heavily in its clients with a best-in-class off-season player development program. Being backed by the largest family name in Major League baseball history has allowed for a more than amicable entry into the MLB market, along with their rolodex of connections within MLB front offices. With nearly a decade of service in the industry, the
agency now boasts a portfolio consisting of more than 50% of their MLB clients listed amongst their team's top prospects. Although our client list is small when compared to the size of long, tenured operations such as The Boras Corporation, Culture39 and S+I possess an impactful presence both on the field and off the field in terms of social media followers.
Sports + Image is pursuing significant growth and revenue opportunities in the verticals in both the NFL and NBA, and it will be a new challenge. However, through the NIL market, S+I already possess multiple, elite talents in both sports enrolled in Power 5 schools. Charles Hairston, cousin and business partner of Jerry emphasized just that, "NIL is a real game changer for us. In MLB, we were already actively involved in the high school recruitment space. With the growth of two-sport athletes, coupled with the power of collectives and NIL programs, we find ourselves uniquely positioned to be a NIL market leader. When Jerry mentioned his desire to take our family first approach and our founding principles to all sports, the vision and opportunity to carve out our market share, it seemed serendipitous".
Today, S+I is being newly launched, but is well positioned to make a powerful impact in the market. S+I will support all talents across all sports, in a range of roles within the business of sports. S+I key service differentiators will be NIL negotiations, Social Media Development, Amateur Advisement, Campaign Management, and NCAA Portal Guidance. While NIL is still in its infancy, there has yet to be an agency that has made NIL a core focus, as intended by Hairston, Jr.'s newest project. Already the agency has added some key personnel and has several acquisitions planned for FY'25. Whatever the immediate net effect, Sports + Image appears to be a game changing agency that the market sorely needs.
About Culture XXXIX:
Culture XXXIX is an industry-leading MLB agency representing top-tier baseball talent around the globe. Recognized as one of the fastest growing, independent Agencies in baseball, it is built upon the Hairston Baseball Family brand and owned by Jerry Hairston, Jr. and business partners. Culture was founded in 2014 after Jerry Hairston Jr. retired from the LA Dodgers.
For more information, visit www.culture39.com
About Sports + Image:
Sports + Image is a new, sports & entertainment group with service divisions segmented by NFL, NBA, Entertainment & Sports Executive, and Name, Image, Likeness (NIL). A cross-sport platform, S+I is committed to building new brands and businesses driven by our clients' ideas, interests, and opportunities.
For additional information, visit the S+I website at www.sportsandimage.com
Media Contact
Kevin Berry, Sports and Image, 1 2407258761, [email protected], www.sportsandimage.com
SOURCE Culture XXXIX
Share this article