What is athlete AI likeness licensing? A plain-English guide
AI likeness licensing lets brands, apps and clubs use an athlete's face and voice in AI-generated content, legally, with the athlete's approval and payment. Here is how it works.
Anyone with a laptop can now generate a convincing video of a famous athlete. Almost nobody can do it legally. AI likeness licensing closes that gap.
The definition
AI likeness licensing is a contract that gives a company permission to use a specific person's face, voice, name or other identifying traits in AI-generated content, for a defined purpose, time period and territory, in exchange for payment. For athletes, it sits alongside traditional image rights and NIL (name, image and likeness) deals.
What gets licensed
- Face and body: a digital likeness used in images or video.
- Voice: a voice model that can read approved scripts.
- Name and marks: name, nickname, number and signature where the athlete controls them.
- Persona: style, catchphrases and personality, where the law protects them.
How a licensed use works
- A brand, app or club submits a brief: what it wants to make, where it will run and for how long.
- The athlete (or their agency, club or federation) approves or rejects it.
- Generation runs only on approved inputs, and every output is labelled as AI-generated.
- The athlete is paid, and every use is logged so it can be audited.
Why it matters now
Generative video and voice tools have made unauthorised fakes cheap. Laws are catching up: Tennessee's ELVIS Act protects voice against AI cloning, US lawmakers have proposed the federal NO FAKES Act, and the EU AI Act requires deepfakes to be disclosed. A licence is the clean way for a brand to say yes to AI without the legal risk.
Where Valaritas fits
Valaritas Sports runs the rights and licensing layer for sport. Through the Superstar.io app, athletes set what they will and will not allow, approve every request, and get paid first.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to make an AI video of a famous athlete?
Using a real athlete's likeness commercially without permission can breach right-of-publicity laws in the US, passing-off and image-rights protections in the UK, and platform rules. A licence from the athlete removes that risk.
Who owns an athlete's AI likeness?
The athlete, subject to any rights they have already granted to a club, league, union or agency. A good licence checks those existing agreements first.
How much do athletes earn from AI likeness licensing?
It depends on the athlete, the use and the reach. On Valaritas the athlete takes the majority of every licence fee.