133. Dan Porter - Overtime
Navigating Sports Business
Navigating Sports Media: Dan Porter - CEO of Overtime - runs one of the biggest content platforms for the younger generation of sports fans. Overtime doesn't compete for sports rights, but they have added 35,000 followers per day for over nine years. They have also made two major bets: building out their own leagues for high school basketball and high school football. Dan explains how their decision to pay young athletes accelerated the implementation of NIL at the college level. Dan talks about the importance of giving young people a platform on social media and...
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132. Coaching Buyouts: Smart Strategy or Expensive Panic?
Navigating Sports Business
AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston break down the ROI metrics behind the (seemingly) crazy trend of expensive coaching buyouts in college football. They explore the economic and political factors at play that lead to these decisions for athletic directors and university presidents. The right coaching hire can yield an incremental $20M - $35M per year for a football program, so there's a lot to lose by keeping a losing coach on staff. However, would it make more sense to take the money you'd otherwise use for a buyout and invest it in NIL? Drawing on Navigate’s work advising ADs and...
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131. Jeb Terry - Cosm
Navigating Sports Business
Jeb Terry - President and CEO of Cosm - explains "Shared Reality" and what their venues add to the sports fan experience. Jeb describes Cosm as "the next best thing" to being at a live event, and gives a thorough breakdown of the business model that is in many ways similar to a traditional venue with tickets, concessions, and partnerships. He also explains the strategy behind expansion and how they are selecting new markets both domestically and internationally. Timestamps: 1:10 - Shared Reality 6:15 - Jeb’s background as an NFL player 10:40 - Cosm partnerships 16:10 -...
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Highlight: Eric Ratchman - FanDuel Sports Network
Navigating Sports Business
Navigating Sports Media: Eric Ratchman – CRO of FanDuel Sports Network – on the challenges of emerging from bankruptcy with a sustainable plan for the future, and how they were ultimately able to find success. He highlights the three-step process that his team employed, and the many stakeholders and creditors that had to be aligned in order to make it all work. Listen to the full episode here: For more insights, visit our or learn more about Navigate at .
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130. Donn Davis - PFL
Navigating Sports Business
Donn Davis - Chairman and Founder of the Professional Fighters League - has a long history of successful investments both inside and outside of the sports industry. He talks about the opportunity he saw in the MMA space, and why PFL has become such a valuable property as it looks to gain marketshare from UFC. He also shares lessons from some of the most (and least) successful deals of his career. Timestamps: 1:00 - The idea for PFL 5:20 - Donn’s endgame with the PFL 6:45 - Bellator deal - what went right and what went wrong? 11:35 - Why Donn avoids esports...
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Highlight: Drew Weatherford - Weatherford Capital
Navigating Sports Business
Drew Weatherford – Founding Partner of Weatherford Capital – has a novel idea for how private equity can get involved in college sports. Beyond varsity sports, athletic departments can also drive value by investing in club sports as an extension of the lucrative youth sports model that already exists across the country. Would parents be willing to pay thousands of dollars for their students to utilize high-level coaching and facilities? Drew thinks the answers is yes. He also advocates for a change in the rule that bars universities from hosting multiple teams in the...
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129. Eric Ratchman - FanDuel Sports Network
Navigating Sports Business
Navigating Sports Media: Eric Ratchman - CRO of FanDuel Sports Network - discussed the new era of the RSN model and how they're finding sustainable success after bankruptcy. He argues that no other media company offers the same combination of local penetration and national scale, appealing to advertisers wishing for year-round content in a given market or those looking to make a deal across markets in one or more sports. Timestamps: 1:40 - Eric’s day-to-day 6:50 - Getting out of bankruptcy and the next 5-10 years 10:40 - DTC 13:00 - Sports betting and their relationship...
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Highlight: How Will the Big Ten Utilize $2B in Private Capital?
Navigating Sports Business
Less than 2 weeks ago, AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston broke down the news of a looming $2B deal for the Big Ten to take a massive infusion of cash from private capital. A lot has happened since then, with the news that the conference will be closing a deal with an investment fund of the University of California pension system and establishing Big Ten Enterprises with the goal of optimizing conference-wide revenue. What does this mean for schools, athletes, and fans? What are the low-hanging fruit assets that this new venture will look to monetize? Hear AJ's thoughts, or go back...
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128. Drew Weatherford - Weatherford Capital
Navigating Sports Business
Drew Weatherford - Founding Partner of Weatherford Capital - discusses the role of private equity in college sports, including a less-discussed opportunity to invest in club sports. The episode was recorded prior to the news of the Big Ten exploring a $2B private equity deal. You can hear AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston break that down in a bonus episode, here: Timestamps: 2:00 - Drew’s FSU Background 19:25 - Pro sports people running athletic departments 25:00 - Private equity in college sports 31:05 - IMG Academy/Investing in Club Sports 37:00 - What is an athletic...
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127. Big Ten Eyes $2B Private Equity Deal — What It Means for College Sports
Navigating Sports Business
The Big Ten is exploring $2B in private funding. In this episode, AJ Maestas, Founder of Navigate, sits down with Charles Rolston, Navigate's collegiate consulting expert, to break down what this means for the conference, the schools, and the entire college sports space. Will the deal actually close? How do Ohio State and Michigan factor in? Do 20-year plans make sense in collegiate athletics? What does ROI look like for this kind of deal? AJ and Charles draw on their experience advising clients through private equity negotiations, realignment, and other...
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Greg Sankey, Commissioner of the SEC, joins AJ Maestas on today's episode of Navigating Sports Business podcast. They discuss operating during COVID-19, the path to becoming commissioner, the future of collegiate athletics, and some great book recommendations.
Details:
00:00 - Commissioner Sankey's background
3:50 - Handling COVID in the SEC
17:20 - Book Recommendations
25:00 - Was playing football in 2020 the right decision?
31:10 - New SEC television deal with ABC
42:20 - The future of collegiate athletics
57:20 - Leadership and social justice
1:01:00 - Personal habits for success
Book Recommendations:
Leadership Strategy and Tactics, by Jocko Willink
The Life You Always Wanted, by John Ortberg
Be Quick But Don’t Hurry, by Andrew Hill
Book of Ecclesiastes, Old Testament
Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets, by Andy Stanley
Thinking in Bets, by Annie Duke
How Churchill Waged War, by Allen George Packwood
Philanthropic Organizations: