On3.com
{{Short description|Sports website}}
{{Infobox website
| name = On3.com
| logo =
| url = {{URL|http://www.on3.com/}}
| commercial =
| type = College sports news and data
| language = English
| registration = Depending on individual usage
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2021|8|15}}
| headquarters = Nashville, Tennessee
| founder = Shannon Terry
| current_status = Online
}}
On3.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball, particularly recruiting, transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (NIL)-related news. The network was founded in 2021 by Shannon Terry, former co-founder of Rivals.com and founder of 247Sports, and includes over 30 fan sites.{{cite web|url=https://www.on3.com/about/|title=About On3|publisher=On3.com|access-date=January 11, 2025}}
Aside from articles, podcasts, and video content, On3.com includes a broad-based college sports database.{{cite news|url=https://www.sportbusiness.com/2021/08/digital-media-pioneer-terry-looks-for-culminating-third-career-act-with-on3/|title=Digital media pioneer Terry looks for culminating third career act with On3|work=SportBusiness|first=Eric|last=Fisher|date=August 5, 2021|access-date=January 12, 2025}} {{registration required}} The platform quickly developed into the leading source for NIL data and information in college athletics.{{cite news|url=https://www.newschannel5.com/video/sports/on3-guides-top-recruits-in-new-nil-world|title=On3 guides top recruits in new NIL world|publisher=WTVF|first=Steve|last=Layman|date=May 29, 2024|access-date=January 11, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://awfulannouncing.com/online-outlets/steve-wiltfong-leaves-247sports-on3.html|title=Recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong leaves 247Sports for On3|work=Awful Announcing|first=Ben|last=Axelrod|date=April 1, 2024|access-date=January 12, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/opinion/2023/09/10/nil-changes-the-game-for-college-football-programs/70789788007/|title=NIL changes the game for college football programs|work=Columbia Daily Tribune|first=Jonathon|last=Moberly|date=September 10, 2023|access-date=January 12, 2025|quote=Shannon Terry is the founder and CEO of On3, the leader in NIL market and athlete valuation.}}
History
On3.com was founded by Shannon Terry.{{cite news|url=https://www.nashvillepost.com/sports/sports-recruiting-website-on3-com-latest-venture-for-shannon-terry/article_f203bfe8-c351-11eb-8632-571311f9af42.html|title=Sports recruiting website On3.com latest venture for Shannon Terry|work=The Tennessean|first=Michael|last=Gallagher|date=June 2, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2025}} Along with a business partner, he sold his first company, college recruiting site Alliance Sports, to Rivals.com for $3 million, which he re-purchased for $500,000 when it fell into bankruptcy.{{cite news|url=https://www.outkick.com/analysis/college-football-recruitings-22-million-dollar-man|title=College Football Recruiting's $22 Million Dollar Man|work=Outkick|first=Clay|last=Travis|author-link=Clay Travis|date=March 6, 2012|access-date=January 11, 2025}} Terry kept the Rivals.com branding and rapidly turned a profit using a subscription-based model, growing to 230,000 subscribers before it was sold to Yahoo! in 2007 for a reported $98 million. In 2010, he founded 247Sports, which was acquired by CBS in 2015 for an undisclosed amount,{{cite news|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2015/12/16/shannon-terry-sales-247sports/77429818/|title=CBS acquires 247Sports, Shannon Terry's Nashville-based site|work=The Tennessean|first=Mike|last=Organ|date=December 16, 2015|access-date=January 11, 2025}} though he continued to serve as CEO until resigning in 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2020/08/11/People-and-Pop-Culture/Execs.aspx|title=Executive Transactions|work=Sports Business Journal|date=August 11, 2020|access-date=January 11, 2025}} Terry announced his new venture, On3.com, in 2021, in an effort to combine his expertise in recruiting and college sports media with the "untapped space around NIL opportunities", referring to name, image, and likeness.
On3.com's first hire was former ESPN college football writer Ivan Maisel, who was named senior writer and vice president of editorial in June 2021. The following month, the company acquired a pair of independent team sites, Kentucky Sports Radio and Lettermen Row, to start building their national network.{{cite news|url=https://www.nashvillepost.com/sports/people/on3-com-acquires-team-sites-kentucky-sports-radio-lettermen-row/article_7d6458ec-f154-11eb-b50b-c7a779354840.html|title=On3.com acquires team sites Kentucky Sports Radio, Lettermen Row|work=The Tennessean|first=Michael|last=Gallagher|date=July 30, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2025}} The site officially launched on August 15, 2021. Like Terry's previous sites, On3.com quickly established itself as a reliable source for recruiting information, and was especially noted for "being ahead of the curve" on news related to the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals. On3.com added female athletes to its player database in October 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.on3.com/nil/news/on3-launches-womens-athlete-profiles-nil-valuations/|title=On3 Launches Women's Athlete Profiles, NIL Valuations|publisher=On3.com|date=October 4, 2022|access-date=January 11, 2025}}
In December 2022, On3.com launched an interactive platform called On3 Athlete Network to allow athletes to access their NIL valuations and seek revenue opportunities.{{cite press release|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221206005315/en/On3-Launches-Interactive-Athlete-Network-Platform-for-NIL-Revenue-Opportunities|title=On3 Launches Interactive Athlete Network Platform for NIL Revenue Opportunities|publisher=Business Wire|date=December 6, 2022|access-date=January 12, 2025}} This was followed a month later by the formation of On3 OS, its business-to-business division to help college athletes and athletic programs alike manage their NIL activities.{{cite news|url=https://www.sportspro.com/sponsorship-marketing/personal-endorsement/on3-college-sports-media-nil-rights-division/|title=College sports platform On3 launches B2B division for the NIL era|work=SportsPro|first=Rory|last=Jones|date=February 1, 2023|access-date=January 11, 2025}}{{cite press release|url=https://www.nilnewsstand.com/updates/on3-launches-on3-os-appoints-jeff-cravens-as-president|title=On3 Launches On3 OS, a Business Unit Focused on Products and Services for Athletes, Schools, and Brands|work=NILNewsstand|date=January 31, 2023|access-date=January 8, 2025}} Later that year, On3 hosted the inaugural On3 Elite Series, a two-day conference aimed to help guide consensus five-star football recruits to navigate through the emerging NIL landscape. At its second annual event, speakers included NFL players DeAndre Hopkins and Will Levis.
In 2024, On3 hired Steve Wiltfong, ex-recruiting director for 247Sports. Later that year, On3 Media raised over $36 million in equity from 27 investors.{{cite news|url=https://www.venturenashville.com/sportsmedia-lifestyle-player-shannon-terrys-on3-media-raises-36-m--cms-2392|title=SportsMedia, Lifestyle player Shannon Terry's On3 Media raises $36.M+|work=Venture Nashville Connections|first=Milt|last=Capps|date=November 21, 2024|access-date=January 12, 2025}} The following year, it was reported that On3's ownership group would acquire Rivals.com.{{cite web|url=https://frontofficesports.com/yahoo-sports-selling-rivals-to-on3-ownership-group/ |title=Yahoo Sports Selling Rivals to On3 Ownership Group }}