Another big drop in the Name, Image and Likeness bucket has fallen in Provo, with address verification company SmartyStreets entering into a deal with all female student-athletes at BYU on Tuesday.
The deal was first reported by Garrett McClintock on Twitter and confirmed by BYU Athletics. The deal includes all walk-ons and the Cougarettes and will provide each athlete $6,000 annually. In return for the monetary compensation, the athletes will be required to make periodic social media posts, attend various company events (including the company's annual Sub-4-Santa activity), appear as talent in company marketing materials and wear “SmartyStreets swag.”
With more than 300 female athletes at BYU, the total compensation from SmartyStreets could surpass $2 million.
The Provo-based company held a meeting with all the female athletes at BYU on Tuesday morning at the Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center on Center Street. This is the second massive NIL deal to be announced at BYU, following the Built Bar deal with the football team in August.
BYU Athletics Associate Athletic Director Jon McBride confirmed the announcement as reported by McClintock and said the company initially planned to push the news out on Wednesday along with interviews recorded with several of the female athletes.
BYU alumnus Jonathan Oliver founded SmartyStreets and currently works as its CEO and chief technology officer. He is also a fan of BYU Athletics and frequently attends games in Provo.
“The dedication, commitment and hard work of these strong female athletes is often not as visible,“ Oliver said in a press release. “We are excited to provide an additional spotlight on these athletes to create opportunities for them to build their personal and professional brands.”
In addition to the NIL agreements with student-athletes, SmartyStreets is also donating facility and equipment upgrades to BYU female athletes.