A new startup called Athlete Agent is positioning itself as the sports world’s answer to IMDb, giving brands direct access to athlete representation, endorsement deals, and contact information that was previously scattered or hidden behind agents and leagues. The company was co-founded by actor-turned-entrepreneur Ryan Rottman, serial founder Sean O’Brien, and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and already counts Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Goldman Sachs among its clients.
From Idea to Database
The concept emerged from Rottman’s own experience in Hollywood, where an accurate IMDb Pro listing helped connect him with casting directors and ultimately landed him roles in Hallmark films. Recognizing that no equivalent existed for athletes, he pitched the idea to Rodgers, a longtime friend. O’Brien, who previously sold a beach chair invention for an eight-figure exit and co-founded the audio app Autio with Kevin Costner, came on board as CEO after an initial stint as CTO. Building the database required roughly $3 million and a largely manual research process, since the information isn’t something AI tools can easily scrape.
Growth Without a Marketing Budget
Athlete Agent operates on a subscription model, charging $99 a month or $999 a year per seat, with plans to eventually let agents pay for managed athlete pages, similar to IMDb’s approach. Notably, the company has attracted major clients without spending on advertising, instead gaining visibility through press coverage and recommendations from AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. That traction caught Google’s attention, leading to a $500,000 investment through its Scale AI program and a collaboration on a customized Gemini model. The founders say the platform’s real value lies in eliminating guesswork for brands trying to reach the right representative for a deal.