Your name, image, and likeness are your most valuable assets. Understand exactly which rights you control, how licensing works, and what a fair royalty structure looks like before you sign anything.
Also called the right of publicity, these rights give you legal control over the commercial use of your identity. Anyone who wants to profit from your identity needs your permission — in writing.
Your legal name, nickname, team name, number, and any identifier that uniquely points to you.
Photos, video, live streams, your physical appearance, uniforms, and even a realistic digital recreation of you.
Voice, signature, walk, catchphrases, stats-based personas, and any trait that identifies you to the public.
You still own the house — you're just giving someone permission to use a specific room, for a specific time, for a specific purpose. A properly written license spells out every one of those limits. If a contract doesn't limit it, you've likely given it away forever.
Which rights are being licensed
How long the license lasts
Where it can be used
Each of these can be licensed — and priced — separately. Bundling them into one lump sum is how athletes leave money on the table.
Print, digital, packaging, and ad campaigns featuring your photos.
TV spots, streaming ads, highlight licensing, and long-form brand content.
Jerseys, shirts, hats, trading cards, and any product bearing your identity.
Paid ads, whitelisting, boosted posts, and brand-owned social channels.
Video game characters, in-game items, NFTs, and digital collectibles.
Voiceovers, podcasts, audio ads, and your recognizable voice print.
Personal appearances, signings, meet & greets, and speaking engagements.
Synthetic likeness, AI-generated content, and virtual versions of you.
Watch the AI clause. Digital replica language is often buried in "general likeness" terms — demand it be listed and priced separately.
There are two ways you get paid: a flat fee for access, and a royalty for every unit sold. The strongest deals include both.
The exact list of rights being licensed — never "all rights in perpetuity."
How long the brand can use your likeness — 6 to 12 months is standard.
Local, national, or worldwide — and which channels are permitted.
Whether you're blocked from competitor brands in that industry category.
Upfront fee plus a percentage of net or gross revenue on products sold.
Your right to review content and exit if terms are broken.
What athletes should expect on merchandise and licensed products.
"15% of net" can shrink to almost nothing once the brand deducts manufacturing, shipping, marketing, and overhead. Percentage of gross revenue is almost always the better structure.
Most bad deals aren't malicious — they're just vague. Here's the line between a fair license and one that takes advantage of you.
Not sure which side of the line your contract falls on?
Use the Contract Review ChecklistGamePlan NIL builds rights management into every deal that runs through the platform — so nothing slips through the cracks.
Every agreement starts from a rights-balanced template reviewed by sports attorneys — no blank-page negotiating.
Know who is using your likeness, where, and for how long — with alerts before a license quietly expires or overreaches.
Payouts are tracked on-platform, so you can see exactly what was earned on every unit sold.
Deals are screened against NCAA, state, and school rules before anything is signed.
If a brand uses your image outside the license, we help you document it and pursue removal.
Learn what each clause means in plain English before you commit to anything.
Get a free review of your image and likeness terms — or start from a template that already protects you.
Educational information only — not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance on your specific agreement.