ZIYNX launches NIL podcast opportunity for HBCU athletes

To celebrate Black History Month, ZIYNX, the innovative early career and NIL marketing app for student-athletes, launched a podcast opportunity exclusively for athletes from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 

The podcast is tentatively named “Historically Black Culture,” and it aims to provide a unique platform for HBCU student-athletes to share their stories, experiences and cultural perspectives. 

“From sports achievements and campus culture to academic pursuits and social justice initiatives, we plan to have candid conversations with fellow students, athletes, and community leaders,” ZIYNX founder Joe Carney said.

This initiative is part of ZIYNX’s commitment to rethinking traditional Name, Image, and Likeness activations and creating distinctive opportunities for storytelling.

Carney said there is no better way to empower student-athletes from HBCUs than to give them a microphone so their voices can be heard. The podcast will become a part of the ZIYNX Studios’ student-athlete podcast network, with its official launch scheduled for later this month.

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In a testament to the enthusiasm surrounding the initiative, ZIYNX received an overwhelming response during its first open application process for podcast hosts, with over 500 applications from student-athletes. 

Aaliyah Moore, a standout from the Texas women’s basketball team was selected to be the host of the inaugural podcast “Moore Access.” 

ZIYNX said it is committed to making a significant investment in the podcast series. This includes athlete payment, custom logo design, and cover art for the selected hosts. The series will consist of 10 professionally produced episodes. 

Athletes receive 50/50 rev share with ZIYNX

The “Historically Black Culture” podcast series also features a custom apparel line, with a 50/50 revenue share between the selected athlete host and ZIYNX. Carney said the innovative approach provides a source of income for the student-athlete and establishes a partnership that values their contribution to the podcast.

ZIYNX has also entered into partnerships with former executives from major brands like Under Armour and New Era to create custom athlete apparel lines connected to each podcast series. Additionally, the platform is set to launch an e-commerce site in the coming weeks, offering a platform for these unique apparel lines.

Student-athletes from HBCUs have until next Wednesday, Feb. 21 to apply for the podcast opportunity before ZIYNX announces the selected host the following week. 

In addition to the NIL deal opportunity, the school that the host is selected from will earn their entire student-athlete community a cookout this Spring powered by ZIYNX. 

Carney said this streamlined process reflects ZIYNX’s commitment to providing equal opportunities and amplifying diverse voices within the student-athlete community.

For ZIYNX, this initiative goes beyond the traditional NIL activations. 

Carney said it is about redefining the landscape of opportunities for student-athletes, allowing them to share their narratives and contribute to a broader cultural dialogue.