Player WelfareSocial MediaInterviews

Why Athletes Are Hesitant to Go Full-Time Into Content — Lessons From Rian Johnson and Lucasfilm

UUnknown

2026-02-26

10 min read

Why athletes avoid full-time content after online negativity — lessons from Kathleen Kennedy's comments on Rian Johnson and how clubs can protect talent.

Hook: Why top talents hesitate to become full-time creators — and what clubs can do about it

Online negativity is not just a PR headache; it is a career risk and a mental-health threat that sends many athletes running from extended content projects. When Kathleen Kennedy told Deadline in early 2026 that Rian Johnson “got spooked by the online negativity” after The Last Jedi, she was describing a phenomenon athletes know all too well: sustained, targeted backlash can derail creative plans, shrink opportunity windows and cause real psychological harm. For clubs, academies and player unions, that admission is a wake-up call — the film industry’s failure and its defensive moves hold lessons for sport.

The inverted pyramid: the biggest takeaway up front

Athletes (current and retired) are increasingly reluctant to go full-time into content creation because the social web can weaponize every misstep. The result: less fan-facing storytelling, fewer long-form projects that grow brands beyond the pitch, and missed commercial revenue. Clubs that act now — by providing a layered protection program combining media governance, mental-health care, digital security and revenue-sharing — can unlock sustained, safe content output that benefits players, teams and fans.

Why this matters in 2026

By 2026 the creator economy has matured: short-form platforms dominate attention, AI tools can produce professional-level media, and global regulation has nudged platforms toward better moderation. Yet the same advances also amplify harm — AI deepfakes, micro-targeted harassment and rapid rumor propagation create a volatile environment. Kathleen Kennedy’s remark about Rian Johnson echoes across industries: even high-profile creators step back when negativity becomes existential. Athletes face the same calculus, but often with fewer institutional buffers than Hollywood franchises.

What athletes are risking — and why they pull back

When a player considers a long-form documentary series, a personal channel, or a multi-episode podcast, they weigh more than production time and money. The risks are real and immediate.

Psychological toll: Sustained harassment and vitriol lead to anxiety, burnout and performance dips. High-profile athletes like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles publicly prioritized mental health in recent years — signaling that wellbeing trumps exposure.
Privacy erosion: Long-form content invites scrutiny into personal life, relationships and failures. Once narratives are public, they are hard to retract.
Brand dilution and sponsor risk: A single misinterpreted clip or out-of-context line can trigger sponsor complaints or contract complications.
Career vulnerability: Social controversies can influence selection decisions, team dynamics and even transfer market value.
Technological abuse: Deepfakes and doctored clips spread quickly; even a debunked false clip can cause long-term reputational damage.

Rian Johnson and the film-world parallel

Rian Johnson’s pivot away from a planned Star Wars trilogy after The Last Jedi is instructive. Kathleen Kennedy’s phrasing — that Johnson “got spooked by the online negativity” — shows how backlash can deter even visionary creators. In studios, there are PR teams, legal resources and financial buffers. In football and other sports, those protections are uneven. Athletes can be more exposed than directors because they are younger on average, have less media training, and are embedded in communities that amplify criticism.

"Once he made the Netflix deal and went off to start doing the Knives Out films... that's the other thing that happens here. After the response to certain projects, the online negativity — that's the rough part," Kathleen Kennedy told Deadline in 2026.

Evidence from the pitch: players who chose caution

Across sport we’ve seen two visible responses: some athletes embrace content and build resilient models; others retreat or pilot only low-exposure projects. Examples and lessons:

Success stories: Former pros like Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville forged media careers via established broadcasters — environments with editorial oversight, legal safeguards and experienced producers. Their paths show how institutional support can enable narrative control.
Withdrawals: Several active athletes have declined long-term docu-series or subscription channels, citing concerns about constant exposure and the potential for misinterpretation. That reticence often stems from earlier public controversies that left long scars on careers and wellbeing.

Clubs' responsibility: Why sport must learn from Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm’s leadership recognized a failure to protect a creator’s appetite for risk; the studio's inability to insulate Rian Johnson from toxicity contributed to the creative withdrawal. Clubs should see the same dynamic: when talent feels exposed, they opt out.

The practical lesson: protection is proactive, not reactive. Waiting for a problem to blow up costs trust and long-term fan engagement. Clubs can — and should — create repeatable systems that make content creation a safe, beneficial career extension for players.

What a modern club protection program looks like (2026 playbook)

Below is a pragmatic, evidence-informed playbook clubs can implement immediately. These are actionable, budget-scalable steps based on trends and best practices that emerged in late 2025 and early 2026.

Pre-release governance and editorial partnerships

Establish a content-approval workflow with clear editorial sign-off. Work with trusted media partners or build an in-house production unit that understands legal and reputational risk. Limit one-person publishing authority: all episodic scripts and sensitive interviews should pass through a small, cross-disciplinary panel (legal, PR, medical).
Dedicated mental-health and performance support

Embed regular check-ins with sports psychologists during production cycles. Make counseling a default, not an opt-in. Schedule “digital detox” windows and performance monitoring to ensure content work doesn't undermine on-field performance.
Digital security and deepfake defenses

Contract with forensic media partners and AI detection vendors to monitor for manipulated media. Create rapid-response takedown and correction protocols, including pre-arranged legal letters and platform escalation relationships.
Controlled-release strategies and audience testing

Test sensitive segments with focus groups drawn from fan communities before wide release. Consider phased rollouts (exclusives for club members) to build controlled narratives and reduce shock-triggered backlash.
Comprehensive PR crisis playbook

Every content project must have an attached crisis blueprint specifying spokespeople, technical contacts, messaging templates and sponsor engagement steps. Train players and families on likely scenarios and lines to use under pressure.
Monetization and revenue-sharing safeguards

Offer revenue-sharing models that prioritize player autonomy and long-term income. When clubs or platforms profit as well, ensure transparent contracts that include reputation insurance and mental-health funds.
Union and contract clauses for digital exposure

Work with player unions to add "digital exposure" protections into collective bargaining agreements: paid leaves for mental-health recovery, limits on required content participation, and liability protections for manipulated media.
Community moderation and fan education

Invest in active moderation for club-owned channels. Shape community rules, deploy trained moderators, and publish a visible code of conduct. Educate fans about respectful engagement — fandom flourishes where conversation is constructive.

Operationalizing the playbook: a 90-day roadmap for clubs

Turning policy into practice requires tight timelines. Here’s a compact 90-day program any mid-sized club can run.

Days 1–14: Audit existing content projects and identify high-risk participants. Create the cross-functional governance panel and appoint a content protection lead.
Days 15–45: Implement mental-health baseline checks for players interested in content. Contract with a digital-forensics vendor and draft template contracts with digital exposure clauses.
Days 46–75: Pilot one controlled release (e.g., a mini-doc exclusive to club members) with full moderation, focus-group testing and the crisis playbook in place.
Days 76–90: Review pilot metrics (engagement, sentiment, performance impact), iterate governance, and scale successful models to extract commercial value safely.

Communication techniques that reduce backlash — and increase authenticity

Authenticity drives fan trust, but authenticity without structure can be dangerous. Use these techniques to preserve honest storytelling while mitigating harm.

Narrative framing: Share topics and frame with fans in advance. When people understand the lens a creator is using, reactions are less likely to be defensive or misread.
Contextualized clips: Avoid releasing raw or heavily-edited emotionally charged moments alone. Pair vulnerable segments with reflective commentary or follow-up interviews.
Fan-first exclusives: Give members early access and invite moderated Q&A sessions. That builds goodwill and creates an intermediary community that buffers wider backlash.
Public education campaigns: Explain why content matters for player income diversification and post-career transitions. Fans who understand the stakes are likelier to support creators.

Policy and platform-level ideas for the industry

Beyond club-level fixes, sport needs systemic reforms. Here are high-impact policy moves that player associations and leagues should pursue in 2026.

Standardized "digital welfare" clauses in contracts ensuring paid leave and counseling in the event of prolonged online harassment.
Industry-wide rapid takedown agreements with major platforms — analogous to existing rights-holder deals for piracy — to address manipulated media targeting athletes.
Funding for public education about the mental-health impact of online abuse, modeled on anti-abuse campaigns across other cultural sectors.

Measuring success: KPIs clubs should track

To know whether your protection program is working, track the right metrics beyond vanity numbers.

Sentiment velocity: the direction and speed of change in fan sentiment after content releases.
Player wellbeing index: regular, anonymized mental-health check scores before and after production cycles.
Incident response time: how long it takes to remove/manipulation falsehoods and restore player reputation.
Retention of talent in content programs: percentage of players willing to do follow-up projects — a direct measure of trust.

Case study: a hypothetical club that got it right

Consider a mid-table European club that wanted a multi-season docuseries showcasing its academy. Instead of rolling the cameras, the club:

Set up a governance panel including academy directors, psychologists and legal counsel.
Ran a pilot with five families, using focus groups and phased release.
Launched a members-only preview, then opened a curated version to the public with active moderation.
Monitored player mental-health metrics and paused production when needed.
Used revenue to fund a permanent player-support fund.

The result: a loyal subscriber base, safer storytelling and players who signed on for season two.

Final lessons from Kathleen Kennedy and Rian Johnson

What Kathleen Kennedy said about Rian Johnson is simple and unnerving: even the most creative talent can be deterred by relentless online hostility. In sport, the same warning signs exist. Clubs that fail to protect players will lose unique storytelling opportunities and expose people to avoidable harm.

Conversely, clubs that build resilient protection systems unlock long-form narratives that deepen fan loyalty, create sustainable revenue and help players transition after careers on the field. The promise of content creation — better branding, diversified income, direct fan relationships — is real. But it is conditional on trust. Clubs must be that trust anchor.

Actionable takeaways (do this now)

Set up a cross-functional content governance panel within 30 days.
Mandate mental-health baseline checks for every player-led content project.
Contract a digital-forensics partner for deepfake monitoring and rapid response.
Run a members-only pilot before public release to test narratives and moderation.
Negotiate union-level digital exposure protections in next bargaining cycle.

Call to action

If you run a club, academy or player agency, don’t wait for a crisis to build this capability. Subscribe to our Club Content Protection Playbook to get a customizable 90-day roadmap, sample contracts and a crisis messaging kit. If you’re a player or agent, reach out to request a free content-risk audit for your next project — because stories should grow careers, not end them.

Unknown

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.