Ontheside Launches New Sports Platform to Redefine Athlete Sponsorship 

Hermosa Beach, CA — September 17, 2025 — Ontheside, a new digital sports-only platform has officially launched with a mission to redefine how athletes get sponsored. Ontheside makes it simple for athletes to get paid for the content they create. Athletes showcase their stories, connect directly with fans, and benefit from partnerships with brands eager to amplify authentic voices in sports.

Athlete sponsorships have historically been dominated by a select few at the top of their game. Most brand sponsorships only last throughout an athlete’s competitive years, and are often tied to brand requirements difficult for most athletes to meet. Athletes outside the spotlight—whether rising professionals, collegiate competitors, or dedicated amateurs—struggle for funding or brand attention, despite their efforts to build loyal followings and create high-value content. Ontheside is here to change all that.

“We built Ontheside to level the sponsorship playing field,” said Richard Lee, CEO and Founder of Ontheside. “Ontheside, athletes of all ages, at all levels, and in all sports, have a stage where their ongoing stories matter as much as their performance. From up-and-coming newcomers, to pros actively competing, and coaches who want to mentor the next generation in their sport, we help athletes connect with brands and fans to earn and learn in new ways.”

An Athlete-First Platform 

At its core, Ontheside was built for athletes who want to share the raw realities of their athlete life. From unfiltered training sessions, behind-the-scenes, and lessons learned, to the breakthroughs and successes, athletes show what it takes to be their best.

With Ontheside, athletes can:

• Tell Their Whole Story: Share content that reflects their full journey and the topics they care about.
• Bring Fans Along for the Ride: Find support and direct sponsorship from fans who want insider access and credible sources to learn from.
• Get Brand Sponsorship: Earn income from brands of all sizes that sponsor athlete content for more targeted reach, social impact and value to athletes beyond payment in products.

Unlike many conventional social channels, connection Ontheside is based on shared interests, passions, and goals. It’s about letting athletes be athletes first and fully themselves—and giving fans and brands the chance to rally behind that authenticity. No popularity algorithms. No ads in feeds. No conventional social media noise and distractions. The best part is that athletes receive 80% of all sponsorship proceeds.

“Derby is not a secret and neither is training for it. I joined this platform to share my knowledge and help roller derby become a professional sport.” - Thrasher, Roller Derby Coach 

A Win for Fans and Brands, Too

For fans, Ontheside provides windows into athletes’ worlds. Beyond the highlight reels, fans see the dedication athletes put into their sport. Fans can choose to support athletes directly by sponsoring their exclusive content to either grow their own skills or help athletes reach milestone goals.

For brands, Ontheside offers access to an expanded universe of athlete micro-influencers and their content. With the brand sponsorship program, Ontheside matches a brand’s ads to a portfolio of athlete content within and across sports categories. Ads are then shown to segmented and highly engaged target audiences to achieve the brand's goals. As with fan sponsorships, 80% of brand sponsorship proceeds goes directly to athletes, so brands impact athletes’ success beyond free product and gear. From local businesses looking to support hometown athletes to global companies seeking niche audiences, the platform unlocks new opportunities to grow loyal, lifelong customers.

Early Momentum and Future Vision

An early group of athletes from committed weekend warriors to pro circuit racers across running, cycling, climbing, roller derby, rallycross, and other niche sports are already Ontheside to showcase their journeys and connect with sponsors. Ontheside recently started outreach to a select group of brands to pilot and develop the brand content sponsorship program.

“Our goal is to democratize athlete sponsorship,” added Mr. Lee. “We believe that sports sponsorship shouldn’t be limited to the mega-stars, but should be open to the tens of thousands of hard-working athletes who have unique and powerful stories to tell. Ontheside is meant to bridge the connection gaps between athletes, fans, and brands to make sponsorship possible for all athletes.”

About Ontheside

Ontheside is a sports content and sponsorship platform that redefines how athletes share their stories, connect with fans and brands, and get sponsored. By putting the power of storytelling and sponsorship into the hands of athletes, Ontheside makes it possible for all athletes—from rising talent to seasoned competitors—to fund their athletic goals and inspire through sport.

Launched in July 2025 and headquartered in Hermosa Beach, CA, Ontheside is committed to building a future where no athlete has to give up their sport because they can’t afford it. If you're an athlete interested in fan and brand sponsorship, start your journey with Ontheside here.

If you're interested in exploring how we can partner to get more athletes sponsored, reach out to partnerships@onthesideworld.com.