From Dugouts to Deals: Why the Savannah Bananas Are the Future of Influencer-Driven Sports
If you haven’t seen the Savannah Bananas yet, stop what you are doing and look them up. Think: Harlem Globetrotters meets baseball meets TikTok meets pure joy. What started as a quirky independent baseball team in Georgia has turned into a global content phenomenon, selling out stadiums, racking up billions of views online, and proving one thing:
We are officially in the era where sports and influencing are no longer separate worlds. They are the same game.
Welcome to the Content League
Today’s athletes are not just players, they are creators, entertainers, and brands. Whether you are a college freshman with NIL rights or a semi-pro player with a flair for viral dances, you are now part of the most exciting crossover in media: sports + content creation.
The Savannah Bananas got the memo early. Their players are mic’d up mid-game, making jokes and throwing no-look passes behind the back. They are dancing on third base. They are flipping the traditional sports model on its head and the crowd (and algorithms) are loving it.
What does this mean for young athletes and the brands who want to work with them?
Athletes Are the New Influencers (And They Need to Be Treated That Way)
As a lawyer for influencers, creators, and entrepreneurs, I am seeing a massive uptick in athletes becoming full-fledged creators. This includes:
College athletes navigating NIL deals with major brands before they’ve gone pro.
Minor leaguers and independent players building personal followings that outpace the official league accounts.
Pro athletes launching YouTube channels, merch lines, and podcast empires while still mid-season.
With that influence comes opportunity, but also risk. These players need contracts that do not just consider stats and performance, but also content rights, revenue splits, IP ownership, FTC compliance, and brand exclusivity.
Brand + Ball + Business
Here is what I tell every up-and-coming athlete or content-driven sports brand we work with:
You are a brand. Protect your name, your image, your voice, and your ideas.
Own your content. Do not assume someone else filming you is giving you the rights to use it.
Know your value. Followers and fan engagement are currency. You bring more than just a skill, you bring a story.
Get legal eyes on your deals. That “standard” brand contract? It might limit your future in ways you do not realize yet.
The Savannah Bananas have shown that sports can be fun, inclusive, and wildly marketable without being in the MLB. They are paving the way for a whole new class of athlete-influencers to emerge and eager athletes are ready to swing.
Where Kahn Media Law Fits In
We are not just helping influencers we are helping the next generation of athlete-entrepreneurs. From NIL negotiations to content licensing to building a personal media empire, we help our clients turn performance into platform, and platform into power.
The world is changing fast, and for young athletes and creators, that is a home run waiting to happen.
If you are an athlete, manager, or brand trying to figure out this new frontier, let's talk. We know how to play this game.