The new documentary series on Prime Video called The Money Game explores the world of NCAA athletes making money off of their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), a rule that has completely changed collegiate athletics.
The six-episode series, which centres on players from Louisiana State University (LSU), including Olivia Dunne, Angel Reese, Jayden Daniels, and others, seeks to highlight the financial advantages and difficulties that come with being a student-athlete in the modern era. Let’s see if this docu-series is worth a watch or not!
A Double-Edged Sword: The Benefits and Pitfalls of NIL Shown in The Money Game
The series has an interesting premise. NIL now enables athletes to make money directly from their personal brands, after years of them using their media deals and ticket sales to fund educational institutions. One of the first colleges to adopt NIL, LSU, was at the centre of this change, with the documentary following its athletes through the 2023–24 academic year, a year filled with significant events.
The docu-series The Money Game depicts the rollercoaster of sporting and financial achievement that these athletes go through, from Dunne’s elevation as a member of LSU’s gymnastics team that won a national title to Daniels’ ascent as a contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Fundamentally, The Money Game highlights the new generation of student-athletes who use social media to their advantage in addition to their trophy chase. The show constantly shows numbers regarding their income and social media following, highlighting the fact that modern sportsmen need to be both competitors and influencers.
For example, Dunne, Reese, and Daniels are seen demanding thousands for a single Instagram post, highlighting the fact that on-field success now has a genuine financial worth off-field.
The documentary does a great job of showing the positives and negatives of this brand-new environment. It honours the chance for athletes, particularly women, to have stable financial prospects on the one hand.
Beyond the Field: The Business of Being a Student-Athlete
Not only are Reese’s spirited basketball game and Dunne’s flawless gymnastics routines physically stunning, but they also serve as reminders of the brilliance that propels their success. However, the show doesn’t sugarcoat the darker aspects of social media, discussing topics like online harassment, lewd remarks, and the intense pressure these athletes endure.
The Money Game is poorly executed, even with its fascinating subject matter. The documentary’s tone is sadly cliched; rather than delving deeply into the subtleties of NIL, it plays more like a polished advertising film.
The show consists primarily of cliched montages of interviews and sports clips pieced together carelessly. There’s hardly much energy, and the editing frequently seems monotonous. The show falls short of providing the depth or intensity that one might anticipate for a subject as significant as NIL.
A fascinating segment of the documentary The Money Game is when Dunne briefly discusses the tension she feels between modelling her figure and flaunting it as an athlete. However, rather than being given the chance for an in-depth investigation, this topic is handled as a casual remark. It’s a wasted opportunity to explore the broader implications of the NIL era, especially for female athletes who have to balance the advantages and disadvantages of monetizing their image.
The Money Game excels at giving viewers an open peek at these superstars’ families. A lot of them, like Flau’jae Johnson and Alia Armstrong, have family members who help them deal with the emotional and financial difficulties that come with being a young athlete in the spotlight.
These familial ties give the story a human element while firmly establishing the emotional significance of these athletes’ choices to amass fortune over successive generations.
Conclusion
The Money Game offers a superficial exploration of the NIL era in collegiate athletics. While it showcases the financial opportunities and challenges faced by student-athletes, the documentary falls short in providing in-depth analysis and emotional resonance.
The focus on social media and financial gains overtakes the exploration of the athletes’ personal journeys and the broader implications of NIL. Despite its potential, The Money Game fails to deliver a compelling and thought-provoking narrative, leaving viewers wanting more.