Football Greats Alliance will focus on brand extensions for former NFL players.

IMG has unveiled the Football Greats Alliance, a new agency to manage the collective marketing and licensing rights of retired National Football League players.

Operated by IMG, FGA will create, develop and manage the strategic execution of rights for more than 22,000 retired NFL players including 160 Hall of Famers, 50-plus Heisman winners, over 225 broadcasters and 25 NLF MVPs. FGA will also provide marketing rights, approvals, contracting and financing.

FGA will be led by a board of directors that includes Jim Brown (chairman), Ron Mix (vice chair), Dave Robinson, Jack Youngblood, Irv Cross, Billy Joe Dupree and Darrell Thompson.

“The FGA will provide opportunities for retired players to band together for a wide variety of partnerships,” says Jim Brown, pro football Hall of Famer and chairman of the board, FGA. “These deals will have direct financial benefits to the players involved, and more importantly, will provide revenue for the Greater Good Fund, which will benefit the health and welfare of retired players.”

The NFL will play an integral role in supporting FGA by providing access to NFL sponsors, club marketing personnel and hospitality space for events including the 2017 Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. The NFL is also currently underway on projects to sell retired players’ jerseys online in partnership with NFLShop.com licensees and to cross-promote the FGA on NFL digital platforms.

“We are so proud to be working with the NFL on an offering that will fundamentally change the opportunities available to retired players,” says Drew Sheinman, senior vice president, brand development, IMG. “We’ve already seen an incredible amount of interest across licensing, sponsorship and endorsements, content, fan experiences, premium hospitality, media rights, education and employment for this incredible group of individuals, and we’re just getting started. Our proprietary research shows an overwhelming goodwill toward retired players, and we’re honored to have been entrusted with this opportunity.”