Warming up

Why we're researching free gifting in amateur sports

You know the drill. A DM from a brand. A package on your doorstep. And somewhere in the back of your head: what exactly is expected of me here? Time to take a proper look at that relationship – from both sides.

Sunday Squad · redactie 24 December 2025 3 min read AthletesBrands

Why we're researching free gifting in amateur sports

The package on your doorstep

You just uploaded your Strava. 127 kilometres, 1,800 metres of climbing, that one col you'd been working towards for months. You post a photo. And a week later, there's a package.

New tyres. A bidon set. Sometimes a full kit. No contract. No invoice.
Just: a brand that saw your story and thought "they fit with us."
Nice. But also: now what? Do you post?

Can you be honest if that saddle bag actually isn't very comfortable? And what if next week you just wear your old brand again?
Product seeding – sending products for free – has become big business in 2026. But the rules of the game? Nobody really knows them.

The new reality

Meanwhile, a lot has changed behind the scenes: The tax authorities are watching. Those free shoes? Officially you have to declare them. In Belgium and in the Netherlands. Even if you never post about them. How many athletes know this? No idea. That's why we're asking.

Brands are becoming pickier. The era of "send to everyone with 10k followers" is over. Brands are now looking for the local hero, the story goes. The clubmate everyone trusts. The one whose opinion you actually want on winter gloves. But expectations stay vague. A brand sends a helmet. You post a photo. Is that enough? Too little? Too much? Nobody says it out loud.

Why we're digging into this

We want to know how this really works. Not the marketing spin, but the reality. From athletes we want to hear: How often do you get sent stuff? What do you do with it? Does it feel like a gift or like an obligation? And would you want it differently? From brands we want to know: Why do you choose product seeding? What are you hoping to get back?

And do those expectations match what athletes think you want? Because that's where it gets interesting. Brands and athletes talk about each other, but rarely with each other. Everyone assumes. Nobody checks. This research brings both sides together. For the first time. In Belgium and the Netherlands.

What we want to know

The basics: How many amateur athletes actually receive products? From which types of brands? And how often?
The expectations: What does a brand think it's getting for those free shoes? What does an athlete think they have to deliver? And where does it go wrong?
The sweet spot: When does a collaboration feel good? When does it feel like a sponsorship deal without the benefits? And what makes the difference?

We need you

This research only works if enough people take part. Athletes and brands.

Do you ride, run, climb or train? And have you ever been sent something – or never, while secretly curious about how it works? 👉 Fill in the athlete survey (5 minutes)
Do you work for a brand that sends products to athletes, or is thinking about it? 👉 Fill in the brand survey (5 minutes)

Later this year we'll share the results. So that all of us – athletes, brands, clubs – get smarter about how this game works. And how it can be done better.

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