From Cleats to Creatives: NFL Players Explore the Music Business at Capitol and Interscope Records
A number of NFL players and legends gathered in Hollywood and Santa Monica this week for a music industry career immersion experience designed to give athletes a behind-the-scenes look at how major record labels operate and to explore potential career opportunities beyond professional sports.
The two-day program provided players with insight into how these teams collaborate to develop and promote artists, offering a firsthand look at the creative, marketing, and business strategies behind today’s music industry.
The first day took place at the historic Capitol Records Tower, where players received an inside look at how a record company operates. Steve Berman, Vice Chairman of the Interscope Capitol, and David Nieman, SVP of Sports & Gaming kicked off the day with opening remarks, welcoming the players and providing an overview of the music and entertainment landscape. The day-long program continued with remarks from Tom March, Chairman and CEO, Capitol Music Group followed by a series of department breakouts highlighting key areas of the business, including D2C/Complex Strategy, Radio & Promotions, Urban Marketing/Digital/A&R, and Film & TV Creative Licensing.
Throughout the sessions, players engaged directly with executives and asked questions about the business side of the industry, including topics such as ownership, investment opportunities, and long-term revenue streams. Cornelius Lucas noted, “I’m more interested in the business and learning how to get a return on my investment,” highlighting the group’s focus on understanding the financial and strategic aspects of the music industry. Players also showed interest in the creative and licensing side of the business. NFL legend Benjamin Cunningham, who recently retired and released a music project earlier this month, expressed particular interest in learning more about sync licensing and how music can be placed in film, television, and other media.
The day was capped off with a studio visit with record producer and songwriter bnyx®, giving players an up-close look at the creative side of the music making process. During the session, several players had the chance to record in the studio themselves and learn more about the collaboration between producers, songwriters and artists.
“This program is about giving athletes direct exposure to the business side of music and entertainment,” said David Nieman, SVP of Sports & Gaming. “By bringing players into these environments and connecting them with leaders across the industry, we hope to help them better understand the many opportunities available as they think about their long-term careers.”
Players participating in the program included Maema Njongmeta, Nick Samac, Cornelius Lucas, Ian Bunting, Darius Latham, Derrick McLendon, Pearce Slater, Drew Davis, Darrel Young, Benjamin Cunningham, DJ Chark, Dante Hall, Damarri Mathis, Tyjae Spears and Chukwuebuka Godrick.
The program continued with a second day where players joined teams at Interscope Records for a day-long session exploring the broader music and entertainment ecosystem and learning about additional roles across the industry.