H&R Block Campaign Provides Female Athletes "A Fair Shot" at Brand NIL Deals

Last July, the NCAA redefined college athletes’ ability to profit from their sports careers, unveiling a revamped “name, image and likeness” (NIL) policy allowing them to enter into paid brand sponsorships. Since then, a majority of deals have been with male stars. 

H&R Block in a new campaign called “A Fair Shot” is trying to level the playing field. The tax preparation company announced that it is committing $1 million to sponsor female athletes from a range of college sports, including basketball, softball and gymnastics. H&R Block will also provide free tax preparation services to help these women—as well as other female athletes—adjust to managing sponsorships and associated taxes.

When the NCAA announced its NIL policy, H&R Block agency of record Carmichael Lynch and its PR arm, Carmichael Lynch Relate, began to consider how the new regulations would impact college athletes and their finances, said Julie Batliner, Camichael Lynch president. 

 Read the entire AdAge article here.