We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Roles

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What does a Sports Agent do?

By D. Jeffress
Updated: Mar 02, 2024
Views: 41,579
Share

A sports agent is a professional businessperson who helps athletes manage their careers. He or she may work with a single sports player or provide services to several clients at a time. Agents handle accounting and legal duties, negotiate contracts, and provide advice about signing deals. They also market their clients to potential sponsors to increase player awareness and profits. Many are self-employed, though some work for consulting and management firms that cater to athletes in specific sports leagues.

Professional and amateur athletes are often faced with difficult career decisions that can be eased by hiring a knowledgeable agent. An agent helps his or her client get the best deals on playing contracts by meeting personally with team owners, managers, and coaches. Important details, such as proposed salary, contract length, benefits, and stipulations are negotiated by the sports agent based on the needs and wants of the client. Many actively seek out more lucrative contract deals for their clients by communicating with other team managers across a league. They market players to scouts and to the public to build hype and improve the chances of securing good deals.

These agents also set up endorsement deals with sponsors. Many shoe, clothing, and product manufacturers sign contracts with athletes to increase sales of their goods. When a company shows interest in sponsoring an athlete, the sports agent can help decide on the terms. First, he or she makes sure the client likes the product and is willing to advertise it. Then, he or she can work with product manufacturers to try to get the athlete the most compensation.

A significant part of this job involves managing finances. The agent keeps careful records of a client's playing wages, sponsorship benefits, and expenses. He or she might fill out tax forms, set up insurance plans, provide legal counsel, and give advice about making smart investments. Many travel with their athletes to away games and accompany them to social events.

Most professionals enter the field with bachelor's degrees or higher in business administration, marketing, or public relations. Expert knowledge of the business side of sports is important, and many professionals are former players themselves. Most prospective agents begin their careers with consulting firms or amateur sports organizations to start building up a small client base. Networking and successful self-promotion are essential to move forward in a sports agent career.

Share
Practical Adult Insights is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By DeniseP — On Jun 03, 2011

@colts92 - Sports agents have to pass a specific certification for each different major sports league before they can represent a player in that league. For instant, if an agent who works with the NFL wants to represent a basketball player, he would have to become certified in the NBA as well. So while I'm sure there are some who represent a variety of athletes, most major-league sports agents specialize in just one type of player.

By colts92 — On Jun 02, 2011

That's really interesting to read. You always hear about sports agents on television, but rarely many details about what they actually do. Do most agents specialize in one league, like the NFL, or represent players from a wide range of sports?

Share
https://www.practicaladultinsights.com/what-does-a-sports-agent-do.htm
Copy this link
Practical Adult Insights, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Practical Adult Insights, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.