Avatar Leader Genies, NFLPA to Bring NFL Players into the Digital World

Known as “Instagram’s Favorite Avatar,” Genies now has the opportunity to utilize active players and integrate their 3-D likenesses through its NFLPA group licensing agreement

LOS ANGELES – October 18, 2019 – Genies, Inc., a leading digital avatar company that recently opened the world’s first Avatar Agency and launched its product across all social media and chat platforms, today announced a groundbreaking strategic partnership with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) via its athlete-driven accelerator, OneTeam Collective.

Powered by Genies Inc.’s first group player licensing agreement, the innovation-driven partnership provides the company with the opportunity to integrate over 2,000 active NFL players’ 3-D likenesses into the new Avatar Agency as well as integrate player 3-D likenesses into the social app.

“We are thrilled to be working with the NFLPA and OneTeam Collective. Through this partnership, we’ll be able to offer players unprecedented experiences and benefits that they aren’t able to access in the real world,” stated Allison Sturges, Managing Director of the Avatar Agency. “Genies have proven to be the ultimate branding experience for celebrities across the world and our partnership is going to further that message this season.”

For fans and consumers alike, using Genies is simple. After the app is downloaded, users create a digital avatar through virtual closets called “Wheels,” which allows users to outfit their avatars with popular clothing and lifestyle brands. A user then exports their custom avatar to their favorite messaging and social platforms through a library of animations.

Highlights of the NFLPA partnership include:

1. Talent: Active players along with their representatives can work with Genies to access their digital brands and secure paid partnerships through their personalized digital Genies.
   
2. Branded Wheel: Branded apparel will be available through the app where fans can adorn their Genies in the latest digital clothing from their favorite NFL players. The Wheel offers brands an efficient way to access and work with virtually any officially licensed player likeness.

1. Actions: Football-specific actions will be available for Genies users to share across all messaging and social platforms. Whether a signature touchdown celebration, a culturally relevant sports moment, or a fun and memorable game day activity – fans can express their fandom in the digital world through their favorite NFL player Genies.

“We’re excited to team with Genies and explore even more opportunities for players and fans to express themselves through intelligent and dynamic avatars,” said Ahmad Nassar, President of NFL Players Inc. and Chairman of OneTeam Collective.

Stars such as Cardi B, Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Offset, Jared Goff, Ndamukong Suh, Richard Sherman and Russell Westbrook are among thousands of influential personalities currently using their Genies across social and other digital platforms.

Ranked No. 2 worldwide in the Social Networking category of the App Store, Genies participated in the NFLPA/OneTeam Collective Pitch Day in Atlanta in January 2019. The company is the 12th portfolio company secured through the athlete-driven accelerator, which provides innovative startup businesses the opportunity to leverage the NFLPA’s exclusive group player rights and access to active players for product inclusion, activations and endorsements.

For more information, please visit genies.com.

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ABOUT GENIES, INC.

Genies, Inc. is an avatar technology company based in Venice, Calif. Akash Nigam and Evan Rosenbaum, both 26, started Genies in 2016. Genies has raised $30 million in capital from an eclectic group of venture capital firms and angel investors and currently employees 30 people, the majority of whom are engineers, illustrators, and animators.

ABOUT ONETEAM COLLECTIVE

The sports industry’s first athlete-driven business accelerator for innovative companies seeking to incorporate sports strategies to drive growth. The initiative offers access to the NFLPA’s player membership via licensing, marketing and content rights, research and development, funding and mentorship for product development and marketing support. OneTeam Collective, which features founding partners and an Athlete Advisory Board, provides rights to sports-related intellectual property, highlighted by the NFLPA’s exclusive group licensing rights and access to more than 2,000 active NFL players. Currently, 12 partners span blockchain, wearables, voice recognition, digital media, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, health and wellness, active gaming and live video streaming. Prospective?companies can apply to participate at oneteamcollective.com.

ABOUT THE NFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through 2020.

ABOUT NFL PLAYERS INC.
NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, connects businesses to the power of NFL players. NFL Players Inc. creates customized business solutions for partners, through licensing, marketing strategy, and player activations. For more information, please visit nflpa.com/players.