Why Do Famous Athletes Start Their Own YouTube Channels?

Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry say a young athlete already gets distribution from the matches, games, and races, and still wants a channel of his own. Lando Norris gets distribution in Formula One. The personal channel is how he controls that distribution.

Owning it opens the door to new businesses, more sponsorship, and more surface area with fans. A Monster Energy hat in a thumbnail is one way the channel increases the opportunity. Norris is one of the most recognizable drivers in Formula One, the channel has worked, and he genuinely likes creators. He was posting Lando logs as a Formula Two driver, before he was famous, which is why the room calls him the most internet-native celebrity on the list.

The one note against the personal channel is pace: four videos in the last year. He still shows up on Quadrant, the motorsport brand he started, about four times a year. Frequency on the personal channel is judged on its own. Collaborations across the rest of YouTube do not count as a substitute for it.