Inside Athlete Agent, the Database Connecting Brands to Pro Sports Stars

The concept emerged from Rottman’s own experience in Hollywood, where IMDb served as the definitive professional directory for actors. After observing the inefficiency in how brands reached athletes, he approached Rodgers with the idea of creating a similar centralized resource. The platform functions as a subscription service, charging companies $99 per month to access verified contact information, endorsement histories, and business portfolios. Unlike public-facing databases, Athlete Agent focuses on providing internal team details—such as theatrical agents and contract values—that allow brands to bypass gatekeepers and reach decision-makers directly.

To ensure accuracy, the company utilizes a dedicated research team to manually update rosters and endorsement deals, a process that proved too complex for existing AI scrapers. This commitment to data integrity caught the attention of Google, which is currently collaborating with the startup through its Scale AI program to integrate the platform’s proprietary datasets into Gemini. By providing granular information—such as identifying which WNBA players lack energy drink sponsorships—the company has secured major corporate clients through organic growth rather than advertising spend. As the platform expands toward its goal of covering 280 global leagues, the founders emphasize that their primary value lies in democratizing access, allowing businesses of any size to secure professional partnerships that were previously locked behind exclusive agency networks.