NIL: Instagram and Facebook parent Meta has inked deals

The GIST: A key ingredient to name, image and likeness (NIL) execution is stepping up its game. Instagram and Facebook parent Meta inked deals with 30 female athletes across nine conferences on Wednesday for its NIL Empower program, which will match athletes with brands and mentors.

The details: In addition to working with sponsors and mentors, athletes — including basketball players Flau’jae Johnson from LSU and Penn State’s Anna Camden — will attend educational classes on increasing their NIL value and will take part in a career development workshop with WNBA All-Star Alana Beard.

• Meta is still in the process of lining up companies, but five student athletes have already partnered with meal planning brand Eat to Perform.

The context: The NIL Empower program isn’t Meta’s only education-centered move in the NCAA space. The technology giant signed an agreement with college sports content platform INFLCR in February to provide in-person social media workshops.

Zooming out: It makes sense for Instagram and Facebook, the two most popular platforms for marketers, to increase their involvement — better usage from athletes translates into improved platform engagement.

• Partnering with female athletes also makes sense. Women typically have the ability to reach multiple demographics on social media, making them very appealing to marketers. Who run the world?