Inside look at the big business of becoming a mascot

Donning a furry costume as a mascot has proven lucrative with top earners making $500,000 annually. "Nightline" goes inside a mascot bootcamp, held by the original Phillie Phanatic, Dave Raymond.
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[@gardensofthegods]

Philly Phanatic was the best ! They should have shown who the person was that did the Philly Phanatic originally .

[@scotchrobbins]

Wasn't that Dave Raymond? He spoke pretty extensively in the video.

[@anthonylucero6650]

@@scotchrobbinsYou’re a mook😒

[@gardensofthegods]

I would like to see more of an explanation of what it means to become a mascot I mean if you create your own but it's for a team ... do you own it ? Do you own the image and the licensing and make money for example if you wanted to make little keychains with your mascot on them ? I'm guessing you would have to at least share some of that money with the team ? So many questions about being a mascot

[@scotchrobbins]

Almost invariably, a team mascot will be the property of the team itself. You can (and are often encouraged to) help develop the mascot's mannerisms, bits, personality, even social media presence. However, the image, name, and marketing rights surrounding said mascot are held pretty strictly by the team considering how visible of a symbol the character is for the relevant franchise. If you're talking about the process of developing a new mascot for a team, usually that's separate from the performers altogether. Marketing will come up with some ideas in-house about approximate appearence and how they plan to utilize it. The costume manufacturers usually employ artists who are commissioned to design what the character itself will look like.

[@anthonylucero6650]

@@scotchrobbins You’re a mook😒

[@glamrockfoxy6667]

I like Florida Panthers

[@JaySmith-mz7vg]

What the hell?! They make THAT much?!

[@OuterTapes]

Best of the best? Yep, they do. But not everyone, obviously. These were hand picked examples. Definitely do not except that Disney Cast Members do earn that much. Remember, you got to be your own manager, clown, athlete, acrobat and logistics guy all at once. Also - behind some mascots there are multiple performers and people working on stunts, etc. - this salary may as well be divided. :)

[@gardensofthegods]

How in the world do they deal with when it's really hot out ? I heard somebody mention ice but I would really like a detailed explanation what they do when they're wearing a horribly hot outfit and can't breathe and it's really really hot out , like Texas when it goes up to well over 100° f ... My God ... how do they do it ?!

[@scotchrobbins]

I perform for a minor league baseball team in the American southwest and have had to go out in direct sunshine and 100°F days. Ice packs help on days with extreme heat like that, but that's far from the only step. Some costumes are designed with ventilation or even small fans to help keep cool. The most important steps by far though are to hydrate adequately (some salt and electrolytes go a long way), take very frequent breaks (mascots aren't supposed to be out for more than 30 minutes in average conditions but in high heat, it can be as low as 5 minutes), and keep in good physical shape to be able to tolerate high exercise in challenging conditions.

[@anthonylucero6650]

@@scotchrobbinsyou’re a liar, ya mook😒

[@anthonylucero6650]

@@scotchrobbinsYou suck at being a mascot, ya mook😒

[@anthonylucero6650]

@@scotchrobbinsYou’re a mook😒

[@reginaldlane5677]

Former mascot for Texas Tech here. Inside the suit it is typically 30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. So for August and September football games in West Texas we could be doing events where internal temp of the mascot is 130 degrees. They make ice vests and interiors fans, but those are only effective for about 20 minutes before they just become a burden. Best thing is hydrating prior, during and after the event and making sure to get plenty of electrolytes. Also, we had multiple performers so we switched every football quarter. For the most part, it was hot but never so bad that it became a safety concern. However, I did do a football game at NRG stadium in Houston TX that was brutal. We met the team outside at the bus but the team ran late and I was outside in the Houston heat/humidity for 45 minutes. Had to take halftime and the third quarter off because I got so dehydrated my legs cramped and I couldn't get out of the break room lol.

[@Super_Bowl_Ads_2024]

First 🎉😊