Skyrocketing Talents: Moving from Foden's Private Messages to Nike Endorsements and Billion-Dollar Income Streams
Three friends turned their shared passion for football into a lucrative content business through the Rising Ballers Instagram account. Jamie Pollitt, Eni Shabani, and Brendon Shabani saw an opportunity to showcase promising young footballers and seized it, despite the risks they each took to make it a reality.
Pollitt, a university student at the time, felt compelled to focus on his hobby—the Rising Ballers account—and, consequently, decided to leave his studies. He reached out to Shabani, who was working in London's finance industry, and the two embarked on their entrepreneurial journey together.
"I said, 'Listen, I'm thinking about doing something crazy,'" Pollitt, 28, recounted to City AM. "I think I'm going to drop out of university and go all in on this. And he was like, 'Well, I can't let you do that alone. If you're doing it, I'm doing it too.'"
Eni Shabani, 31, a fellow economics graduate, initially worried about his family's concerns, having left a notable career and stable income to pursue his love for football and business. However, the potential for success was too enticing to pass up.
The brothers started Rising Ballers around a year prior, and their vision was to shine a spotlight on the football stars of the future who had not yet broken through. They achieved this by creating homemade highlights reels featuring young players and showcasing their talent on the platform.
This unsolicited content drew the attention of aspiring footballers, such as future England internationals Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, and Mason Mount, who eagerly sent in their highlights. The platform's credibility grew as more and more players sought to be featured, thus validating its authenticity.
Brands soon began taking notice, as evident by Nike's request for Rising Ballers to create content for a new football boot launch. The team also received support from Jamal Edwards, the late founder of SBTV—an influential YouTube channel for emerging music artists.
Rising Ballers has since experienced remarkable growth, boasting 10 million followers on social media, various channels (including She's A Baller—focused on women's football—and a minority stake in Footballer Fits), and having worked with 24 different client brands last year. Revenue increased by 70% in 2021 and is projected to surpass seven figures in 2025.
While client work constitutes the majority of their income, Rising Ballers maintains a balance of 80% editorial and 20% client content to stay authentic. They are also repositioning their brand to better speak to Gen Z and connect directly with the platforms they use.
"We take growth on socials so seriously, and that's our offering," says Pollitt. "Anyone can create a football marketing campaign for you. We're specialists in it, but ultimately, we reach over 100 million people monthly on social media by our own brands. So if you work with us, we can pump it out to the market like no one else can."
Rising Ballers also owns a non-league team, Rising Ballers FC, primarily to showcase unsigned talent. They have showcased several promising players, including Everton's current star Iliman Ndiaye, who progressed from them to Sheffield United and then represented Senegal at the World Cup within just three years.
The trio owns the business outright, turning down offers for funding early on and every subsequent approach. Even Eni's father, initially upset by his son's decision, has since warmed to the idea.
"Once the investment and acquisition offers started coming in, we just looked at ourselves and thought, 'the offer is that much? Then keep going. It can be bigger'," says Eni. "And even then, we'd need to ascertain, 'have we stopped having fun?' Only then would we consider it."
- The friends' shared passion for football evolved into a business, focusing on football content through the Rising Ballers Instagram account.
- Despite the risks, they transformed their hobby into a reality, with Jamie Pollitt leaving university and Eni Shabani leaving his job in London's finance industry.
- Pollitt aimed to invest fully in the Rising Ballers account and sought Shabani's support, who agreed to join the entrepreneurial journey.
- Eni Shabani, initially concerned about family concerns and leaving a stable career, was attracted by the potential for success.
- The brothers initiated Rising Ballers a year earlier, with a mission to highlight the future stars of football who had yet to rise.
- Aspiring footballers, such as Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, and Mason Mount, sent in their highlights, contributing to the platform's credibility.
- Brands like Nike and Jamal Edwards' SBTV noticed the platform and requested content collaborations.
- Rising Ballers has grown significantly, boasting 10 million followers on social media, various channels, multiple client brand collaborations, and projected seven-figure revenue in 2025.
- The team maintains a balance between editorial and client content to stay authentic and is repositioning the brand to connect with Gen Z.
- Rising Ballers owns a non-league team, Rising Ballers FC, which showcases unsigned talent, including Everton's current star Iliman Ndiaye.
- The trio, now owning the business outright, rejected funding offers and have the support of Eni's father, who initially disapproved of his son's decision.
