Highlight: Nic Barlage - Cleveland Cavaliers & Rock Entertainment Group
Release Date: 06/11/2025
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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Highlight: Haley Rosen - Just Women's Sports
Navigating Sports Business
Haley Rosen – Founder & CEO of Just Women’s Sports – explains the relationship between athletes and the media. She is able to draw on her experience as an athlete and the friction she felt before ultimately launching a media platform of her own. She sees the role of Just Women's Sports as building the fan base and ecosystem that will let women's sports continue to grow and thrive. Listen to the full episode here: For more insights, visit our or learn more about Navigate at .
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126. Haley Rosen - Just Women's Sports
Navigating Sports Business
Haley Rosen - Founder & CEO of Just Women's Sports - is no stranger to discussing trends in sports business, which is why she's such a great fit for our show. She offers an interesting perspective on the WNBA labor situation, the coverage of women's sports on traditional media platforms, and why she believes that women's sports will one day surpass men's sports in total popularity. Timestamps: 2:00 - Origins of Just Women’s Sports 8:00 - Making content appeal to multiple generations 10:15 - Haley’s background as an athlete 25:00 - What’s next for women’s sports? 32:00 -...
info_outlineNic Barlage – CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group – explains his strategy of pivoting more towards single-game tickets, despite most teams focusing on season ticket packages. Capping season tickets has helped the Cavs jump into the top third of the NBA in gate revenue.
He also discusses the Cavs Reward program and what makes it more effective than other loyalty programs in sports.
Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=72489191733141b7fb29046bc253b7f3
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.