May 6: How NETWORK Found Its Lane in NIL Before Anyone Else
Article credit: Roland Padilla
As NIL reshapes athlete representation, NETWORK built its edge early—targeting high school talent, guiding the transition to college, and creating a pipeline that now includes some of the top football prospects in the country.
The NIL era has created opportunity.
It’s also created confusion.
For every athlete capitalizing on their value, there are others navigating a system filled with unclear guidance, short-term deals, and, in many cases, giving up significant percentages of their earnings before they fully understand the business.
That’s the environment CEO and founder Justin J. Giangrande saw forming early.
Before launching NETWORK, Giangrande helped build and operate a sports marketing business alongside Gary and AJ Vaynerchuk, overseeing operations and brand partnerships under the VaynerMedia umbrella. That experience — sitting at the intersection of athletes, culture, and distribution — gave him a different lens on what athlete marketing could become.
