Advancing equity in sports

H&R Block’s A Fair Shot program returned in 2023 with Fabletics and Jambys to champion gender equity in NIL deals. After its debut, the program celebrated 50 athletes across 13 sports and expanded into NCAA Divisions II and III and historically Black colleges and universities.

The team’s job was a campaign site that could amplify the athletes, not bury them under a corporate landing page.

Female student-athletes face unequal NIL sponsorships, which limits both income and professional growth. The program’s outcome was equity in opportunity plus a working understanding of the taxes that follow a deal.

Interviews and market research showed many athletes lacked both the visibility to secure deals and the resources to manage them. That gap defined the product: a place to be seen, and a place to learn.

We bet that a clear digital platform could raise visibility, teach NIL and tax basics, and give the equity story somewhere durable to live.

The page had three jobs: introduce the selected athletes, tell their stories without flattening them, and send engagement out through social and the athletes’ own channels.

The solution showcased achievements, held educational resources on NIL and taxes, and used social to extend each athlete’s own brand. Feedback and engagement metrics showed higher awareness and more traffic to the site and social channels.

The lasting lesson was pace: equity work needs continuous feedback, not a single launch. More time would have gone into deeper education and a wider set of schools.