Social Rocket
Social reach is increasingly turning into independent businesses. In American football, three well-known names deliver three different business models: Kristin Juszczyk officially sells licensed NFL fashion, Olivia Culpo develops baby products for Target, and Kylie Kelce runs her own podcast and video brand with "Not Gonna Lie". This development shows why creator success no longer depends only on sponsored posts.
Kristin Juszczyk: Virality Becomes Licensed Merchandise
Kristin Juszczyk became known for self-designed NFL fan apparel; her designs also reached Taylor Swift and Simone Biles. The decisive step came on 7 January 2025: together with entrepreneur Emma Grede, the NFL and Fanatics, she launched Off Season as an officially licensed fashion label.
The first collection included premium jackets, vests and coats for five NFL teams. Entry prices were $295 for vests, $375 for jackets and $495 for long coats. The NFL Players Association permitted the use of player names and jersey numbers.
More is behind this model than an influencer drop: recognizable designs, visible demand on social media and an established e-commerce and licensing infrastructure create a business with independent product development. The official Fanatics announcement documents the build-out.
Olivia Culpo: A Personal Story Becomes Retail Shelf Space
Olivia Culpo took a different path. On 26 July 2026 the baby collection Picolette, developed together with Target, launched. The US retailer calls it its largest special baby partnership; the first launch comprised 60 items ranging from clothing and accessories to gifts.
The brand idea draws on Culpo's own family life. That explains the imagery and product design, but only retail presence turns it into a scalable offer. Instead of relying on an own online shop alone, Picolette uses the distribution and everyday purchases of a large retailer.
In the Target newsroom, Culpo describes how she wanted to combine design, practical details and more affordable access. For retail this is an interesting principle: personal credibility gives an assortment character, distribution makes it lastingly visible.
Kylie Kelce: Media Rights Instead of a Product Collection
Kylie Kelce represents a third variant. Her weekly podcast "Not Gonna Lie" launched at the end of 2024 with Wave and covers topics including parenthood, sports and internet culture. The show is distributed as audio, video and via social clips. Wave markets such formats to sponsors.
According to a survey by Marketing Brew from July 2025, the format at times averaged over 26 million social views per week; the figure comes from Wave. The company also names advertising partners and the integration of brand activations into episodes and short videos. The ongoing podcast is documented on Apple Podcasts.
Kelce is therefore primarily selling attention and a recurring media format, not a consumer goods brand. Economically this sits closer to a small publisher than to classic influencer marketing. A similar principle is shown by the SiriusXM deal with Giggly Squad: audio, social clips and live appearances become one shared marketing space.
What German brands can learn from these three models
The common thread is not the connection to well-known athletes. What matters is that each of the three cases creates its own benefit for the target audience: distinctive fan fashion, practical family products, or a regularly consumed media format.
For marketing managers, this leads to a clear distinction. If a collaboration needs short-term reach, classic influencer sponsorship is the obvious choice. If a product business is meant to emerge, product quality, licensing rights, retail and recurring demand matter. If the goal is a regular brand presence, a long-term creator show can be more attractive than individual posts.
This fits the broader trend that Srocket has already examined in Slow Ventures' creator investment model, in Morning Brew's acquisition of Express Checkout, and in the social commerce business with K-Beauty.
The real shift is this: creators are no longer just the advertising space, but increasingly the owners and partners of a product or media brand. Brands must decide whether they want to supply, distribute, license or co-develop with these companies.
Sources: Fanatics/NFL on the founding of Off Season, 7. January 2025, Target on the Picolette collection, 20. July 2026, Marketing Brew on Wave and podcast monetisation, Adweek on creator entrepreneurship in the NFL sphere.