For Brands
Your customers don’t trust advertising.
Build something better.
The ESS Performance Database is the independent evaluation layer athletes, coaches, and agents use to make purchase decisions. When they search for a recovery device, a supplement stack, or a financial platform — they end up here.
ESS partners with performance brands — Momentous-level supplement quality, Hyperice-level recovery hardware, WHOOP-level performance tech — that can stand behind their product when put through a real evaluation. Three tiers. No back doors.
One
Verdict per product
Moves the Needle · Situational · Skip It — athletes know exactly where a product stands.
Six
Evaluation categories
Performance Tech, Recovery, Nutrition, NIL, Finance, Agent Tools — we cover the full athlete ecosystem.
Zero
Paid verdicts. Ever.
The evaluation is the product. A sponsor cannot buy a better one.
Who You Reach
The ESS Audience
High-intent, research-mode buyers. These are athletes and professionals who read an evaluation before they spend — not scrollers who impulse-buy from a story ad.
D1 & Pro Athletes
High earners, high spenders. Actively buying performance tech, recovery tools, and financial products. Influence purchase decisions for teammates and family.
College Athletes (NIL Era)
Brand-conscious, high digital engagement. Evaluating supplement stacks, NIL platforms, and creator tools with real money now on the line.
Sports Parents
Primary purchase decision-makers for youth and college athletes. Actively researching recovery products, nutrition, and finance tools with HSA/FSA dollars.
NFL Agents & Advisors
High-trust recommendation sources for professional athletes. An agent who trusts ESS recommends ESS-vetted products to their clients by name.
College Coaches
Influence player performance investments at the program level. Recruiting tech, film platforms, and player development tools.
Athletes Building Brands
Creators and competitors building audiences while competing. Evaluating every tool decision with ROI in mind.
Why ESS
How This Compares
Performance brands spend on channels that reach athletes. Most of those channels reach everyone — and are trusted by no one in particular.
| Channel | Reach | Intent | Shelf Life | Reality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored Instagram post | Broad but low-trust | Low | 24–48 hours | Gone when the algorithm moves on |
| Podcast ad slot | Show audience | Passive | Episode length | No attribution, no recurrence |
| Generic review site | SEO traffic | Medium | Until outranked | Interchangeable with 50 competitors |
| ESS Database Evaluation | Performance-specific audience | High — research mode | Permanent listing | One Verdict. Searchable. No refresh required. |
| ESS Insider Sponsorship | Subscriber inbox, weekly | High — already reading performance content | Issue-by-issue recurrence | Native context. Direct reach. One sponsor. |
Partnership Tiers
Three Ways to Work Together
Every partnership is scoped to what actually fits the brand. Start a conversation and we’ll tell you which tier makes sense — or if it doesn’t.
Database Evaluation
[$X,XXX]
One-time · Evaluation fee covers research time, not the result
Your product goes through the same four-criteria ESS evaluation — Evidence Strength, Professional Adoption, Value for Serious Amateurs, Honest Limitations — that governs every tool in the database. If it earns a place, it earns a Verdict, a Jack's Take, and a permanent listing. If it doesn't, you get the honest feedback and no public listing.
What’s included
Full ESS four-criteria evaluation
Official Verdict (🟢 / 🟡 / 🔴) assigned
Performance Database listing if earned
Jack's Take write-up (approx. 150 words)
Optional: dedicated product review page at /reviews/[your-product]
Optional: Insider promotion on publish
Best for: supplement, recovery, and performance tech brands targeting athletes who research before they buy.
Placement is editorial, not paid. A brand that submits an evaluation fee and receives a 🔴 Skip It has paid for honest feedback — that's what they get. We don't publish evaluations we aren't prepared to stand behind.
Insider Sponsorship
[$X,XXX / issue]
Per-issue or quarterly package · One sponsor per issue
A sponsored placement in The ESS Insider — the weekly brief covering performance tech, NIL, athlete finance, and agent tools. Placements are clearly labeled, written natively in Jack's voice, and positioned directly alongside the kind of content your target customer is already reading. No templated ad copy, no banner slots — contextual reach in a subscriber's inbox, weekly.
What’s included
Sponsored section in one weekly issue
Native copy written by Jack in ESS voice (not templated)
Disclosed as a sponsored placement
Full subscriber list reach
Category exclusivity available on request
Optional: paired with Database Evaluation for credibility layer
Best for: subscription-model and high-LTV brands (recovery devices, financial platforms, NIL tools) building recurring awareness with a performance-focused audience.
One sponsor per issue, maximum. We don't run brands whose products we would otherwise recommend against. Sponsorship does not affect, improve, or accelerate a brand's position in the Performance Database.
Content Partnership
[$X,XXX+]
Scope-dependent · Custom brief required
A longer-form partnership: a buyer guide, category breakdown, or in-depth comparison that lives in the ESS content hub, gets indexed for search, and is promoted through The Insider on publish. This is for brands playing a longer game than a single newsletter slot — and who want to be part of how athletes, coaches, and agents understand their product category, not just their specific SKU.
What’s included
Original long-form content piece (1,200–2,500 words)
Disclosed as a content partnership
Linked from relevant Performance Database entries
Promoted via The ESS Insider on publish
Indexed and SEO-structured
Content brief collaboration before writing begins
Best for: emerging brands entering a crowded category, or established brands who want to own the conversation around how athletes should think about their product type.
Content must meet ESS editorial standards — we write to inform, not to sell. We won't publish category breakdowns that wouldn't hold up if our name weren't on them. If the goal is an unbranded sales brochure, this isn't the right fit.
Pricing shown is a placeholder — current rates provided on inquiry. Rates vary based on scope, category exclusivity, and package structure.
Non-Negotiables
What ESS Won’t Do
These aren’t legal disclaimers. They’re what makes the platform worth something to you. A recommendation layer athletes don’t trust isn’t a platform — it’s an ad network with a logo.
Sell a Verdict.
A 🔴 brand cannot buy a 🟢. Full stop. No matter the spend.
Run undisclosed arrangements.
Every affiliate link, sponsorship, and content partnership is labeled. No buried disclaimers.
Evaluate supplements without third-party testing.
NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport is a hard requirement for any supplement earning a 🟢 on this platform.
Accelerate a listing based on budget.
Evaluation queue is editorial, not financial. Spending more doesn't move you up.
Trade long-term credibility for a short-term deal.
The platform is worth something to you because athletes trust it. We won't compromise that for a single contract.
If Your Product Can Stand Up to the Evaluation, Let’s Talk.
Send a note with your brand name, product category, and which partnership tier fits what you’re trying to do. We respond within 48 hours with a straight answer on whether it makes sense.
Not ready to pitch yet? Browse the database to see the evaluation standard first.
For editorial questions (not partnership), use the same address with subject line “Editorial.” The two conversations are kept separate.