Effective Date

The effective date is the date on which the contract takes legal effect. It can differ from the date of signing (a contract signed November 1 may have an effective date of January 1 of the following year) and from the term commencement date (the contract may be effective on signing but the term — and compensation — may not start for weeks). Athletes should be precise about three dates: the signing date (when both parties signed), the effective date (when obligations attach), and the term start date (when paid work begins). Misalignment here is the single most common source of payment disputes — an athlete who posts content on the effective date but before the term start may not get paid at all.