From Fan to Founder: Why Amia French Is Taking MY CHANNEL Into Sports

Amia French didn't build MY CHANNEL because she was a content creator. She built it because she was a fan.

The idea started with a frustration familiar to anyone who follows people online. Supporting the people she cared about meant jumping between platforms for content, subscriptions, products, messages, livestreams and other ways to connect. French saw an opportunity to bring those experiences together and spent the next two and a half years building MY CHANNEL and its direct-to-fan technology.

MY CHANNEL originally launched with a broader creator focus. Today, French is putting that foundation behind a much clearer vision: MY CHANNEL | ATHLETES.

Rather than treating athletes as one category among many, the company's marketing, partnerships and business development are now centered on athletes and the broader sports ecosystem.

For French, the move into sports connects directly back to the idea that started the company. MY CHANNEL was built from the perspective of a fan, and athletes have some of the most passionate and loyal fanbases in the world.

“Athletes spend years building more than a career in sports. They build a name, a fanbase and a community around themselves,” French said. “That has value beyond the game.”

Why Athletes

Fans follow athletes through wins and losses, transfers and trades, championships and injuries. They buy jerseys and memorabilia, attend events and follow athletes across social media.

Yet much of the business surrounding that fanbase still happens indirectly.

Social media gives athletes reach. Sponsorships, endorsements and NIL partnerships create valuable commercial opportunities. Teams, schools, leagues, agents and managers all play important roles in an athlete's career.

MY CHANNEL | ATHLETES isn't designed to replace any of them.

Instead, it adds another opportunity: direct fan revenue.

MY CHANNEL gives athletes a dedicated place to build direct relationships and revenue with their fans while continuing to use social media, work with sponsors and maintain their existing representation.

You Don't Have to Become a Content Creator

“We're not trying to turn athletes into content creators,” French said. “We're giving them tools to monetize being athletes.”

Content can be part of that business, but it doesn't have to be the business.

An athlete might offer subscriptions or exclusive access, create personalized videos, communicate directly with fans, host livestreams or one-on-one calls, sell merchandise, auction memorabilia, create ticketed experiences or crowdfund a project.

The platform brings those tools together so athletes can decide what makes sense for their sport, personality, fanbase and career.

Athletes choose how they use MY CHANNEL and keep 85% of their earnings.

Brand-Safe. Sponsor-Friendly. Stigma-Free.

For French, giving athletes more ways to earn directly from fans is only part of the equation. Where they do it matters.

An athlete's name is part of their business. The way they monetize can affect relationships with sponsors, teams, schools, leagues, agents and future business partners.

That is why MY CHANNEL | ATHLETES is positioned as a brand-safe, sponsor-friendly and stigma-free environment for direct fan revenue.

“An athlete shouldn't have to choose between monetizing their fanbase and protecting their reputation,” French said. “Those things should be able to work together.”

Building a Business Beyond the Game

The athlete-first direction isn't only about helping athletes earn during their competitive careers.

Teams change. College athletes transfer or graduate. Professional athletes move between organizations and leagues. Sponsorships and contracts begin and end. Eventually, every competitive career changes.

The athlete's name and fanbase can continue.

That idea is at the heart of MY CHANNEL's Beyond the Game philosophy.

A fanbase built through sports can become the foundation for what comes next, whether that means coaching, media, entrepreneurship, products, events or an entirely new business.

MY CHANNEL is designed to move with athletes through those transitions, giving them a direct-to-fan home that isn't tied to a particular team, school, league or social platform.

For French, that is the larger opportunity behind MY CHANNEL | ATHLETES: helping athletes recognize that what they build through sports can become something they continue building long after competition ends.

You built the fanbase. Now build the business.

Explore MY CHANNEL | ATHLETES

Learn more about MY CHANNEL | ATHLETES at mychannel.co and follow the company on Instagram, X and TikTok.