How athlete sponsorship works on ralli — what you see, sign and get paid

Most athletes never get a sponsorship because the process is invisible: you do not know which brands are looking, you have no way to price yourself, and if an offer does arrive it usually lands as a vague DM. On ralli it works the other way around. Brands come to your profile, the offer arrives in your dashboard in plain English, and the money is held by ralli and released to your wallet as you complete each part. Here is exactly what you will see, screen by screen.

Who can get sponsored

Any approved athlete on ralli, at any level. You do not need a huge following. Brands sponsoring emerging athletes are usually buying authenticity and a specific niche — a sport, a region, an age group — not raw follower counts. Local businesses, kit and nutrition brands and equipment companies are the most common. Under-18s are fully supported; every step goes to your parent or guardian instead of you.

Step 1 — A brand finds you and sends a request

Your public ralli profile has a Sponsor button in the header and a sponsorship panel further down. When a brand uses it they choose a package, a duration and a budget, and tell us what they want out of it. That request comes to the ralli team first — not to you. We qualify it, check the brand is legitimate and sensible for your sport and age, and only then pass it on. You will never be cold-pitched through ralli.

Step 2 — The offer appears in your dashboard

When a request clears, it appears on your Sponsorships page (in your menu, with a shortcut on your dashboard) and we email you. It shows the brand, the package, how long it runs, what the brand is asking for, and — in the largest number on the card — what you actually receive.

Choose Interested, Ask a question or Not for me. Being interested does not commit you to a deal; ralli prepares the proposal for review.

Step 3 — The full offer and terms

Your full offer shows the brand, package, duration, agreed athlete fee and deliverables. For new sponsorships, you receive the full agreed athlete fee. The brand pays a separately itemised brokerage fee on top (15%, $250 minimum) — ralli does not deduct brokerage from your agreed fee. This covers matching and vetting the brand, shaping and negotiating terms, preparing the agreement, coordinating payment and supporting delivery. Existing agreements keep their original terms.

For example, a $6,000 athlete fee plus $900 brokerage means a $6,900 brand total, with the full $6,000 allocated to the athlete.

Step 4 — Signing

The ralli team reviews the proposal before it goes to the brand. Once the brand has signed, you countersign from your dashboard by typing your full name. A guardian countersigns for under-18s. The brand pays before you countersign, so the money is already held by ralli when you add your signature — and if you forget, we'll send one friendly reminder after three days.

Step 5 — How you get paid

The brand pays up front and funds are held by ralli. Each approved deliverable releases its agreed percentage of your athlete fee to your wallet. The example below uses four equal 25% releases of a $6,000 athlete fee: $1,500 each.

For each deliverable, tap Mark as done on your Sponsorships page and add a link to the post or photo. ralli checks it, the brand is told it's complete, and your share is added to your ralli wallet straight away — we email you each time. If a planned date passes, you'll get a soft heads-up, never a penalty.

From your wallet, request a withdrawal using your available payout method. Withdrawals are reviewed and paid manually; allow 2–4 business days after approval.

You will need payout setup and identity verification completed before you can withdraw, and PayPal has a $25 minimum; manual bank transfers have a USD $200 minimum. ralli does not cover bank-deducted transfer fees, which may reduce the amount received. Do that early, not on the day the money arrives.

The whole deal, from all three sides

Here's an illustrative example with a fictional athlete and brand: Summit Outdoor Co. sponsors distance runner Sofia Marlow for six months. Athlete fee $6,000, brand-paid brokerage $900, brand total $6,900.

1. Request. Summit Outdoor Co. sends a request from Sofia's profile. ralli checks the brand before Sofia hears anything.
2. Athlete says yes. Sofia sees the full $6,000 fee and deliverables and accepts. (No reply in 48 hours? A gentle reminder.)
3. Proposal. ralli approves the proposal, then the brand receives it with the $6,000 + $900 itemised. Not signed after five days? One friendly nudge.
4. Sign and pay. The brand signs and pays $6,900. Sofia countersigns and ralli confirms the agreement is live.
5. Deliver. Sofia marks each piece of work done with a link. The brand follows along on a private progress page — no login — and gets an email each time ralli approves something.
6. Paid and wrapped up. Each approved deliverable adds $1,200 to Sofia's wallet. When the last one is paid, both sides get a recap of everything delivered.

At every point, Admin shows the ralli team who the deal is waiting on — the brand, the athlete or ralli — and for how long, so nothing stalls quietly.

If something goes wrong

Either side can raise an issue with ralli at any point and we mediate before any funds move. If a brand disappears, the money is already held. If a deliverable is disputed, nothing is released until it is settled. Your content stays yours; the brand is licensed to reuse it for the agreed term only.

If you're injured or can't complete something, we agree a new date or a replacement first; anything that can't be delivered is refunded to the brand. If a brand cancels before work starts, they get the athlete fee back in full. Once work has started, everything you've completed is still paid to you.

How to make yourself worth sponsoring

• Keep your profile alive. About five minutes a fortnight — a result, a photo, a short update — is the difference between a profile a brand backs and one they scroll past.
• Log every milestone. Verified progress is the evidence a brand uses to justify the spend internally.
• Connect your socials. Your profile shows an estimated monthly reach based on your channels. It is an estimate, not a guarantee, but it is what a brand prices against.
• Be specific about your goals. A named target like Nationals in March, then World Cup trials, gives a brand a story to attach to. Training hard does not.
• Answer quickly. Offers lapse after seven days with a reminder at 48 hours. Brands notice who replies.

Common questions

Does sponsorship affect my backers or rewards?

No. Sponsorship money is separate from your backer funding and from ralli rewards points. Both sit in the same wallet, but they are earned and released independently.

Can I say no without hurting my chances later?

Yes. Declining one offer has no effect on future ones, and the brand is simply told the athlete is not available.

What if I am under 18?

Every offer, question and signature goes to your registered parent or guardian, and payouts are held in their name. You still see what is happening — you just do not sign it.

What does ralli take?

For new deals, ralli charges the brand a separately itemised brokerage fee on top of your agreed athlete fee — 15% with a $250 minimum. If your fee is $1,000, the brand pays $1,250 and your full agreed $1,000 is released as approved deliverables are completed. Existing agreements retain their original terms. Ordinary backing remains separate: 85% athlete / 15% ralli.

Not on ralli yet? Apply as an athlete — approved athletes get a public profile, backers, milestones and access to brand sponsorship in one place.