The Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast by Marcus Luer
The Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast is an “audio biography” series with the leading Entrepreneurs and Movers & Shakers in the business of Sports & Esports of the past 40 years. Marcus drills deep into the career of his guests, what worked and what didn’t, the learning from the good, bad and ugly. Through his wide network, Marcus is able to host top guests from across the industry and from around the world. As a western Sports Entrepreneur operating in Asia for the past 25 years, it has a certain East-West flavour.
Episodes
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Andrea Radrizzani, ”From Milan to Asia to Leeds”
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Friday Nov 25, 2022
Great discussion with my old friend Andrea Radrizzani, an Italian sports entrepreneur who build MP & Silva to a billion dollar company, the journey from Milan to Asia to now Leeds as Owner & Chairman of Leeds United.
Key Highlights
How it started, Media Partners, early days of live streaming and website development (Web 1.0)
Working with strong leaders and visionaries at Media Partners
Move to Asia – first two years in Shanghai - distribution of media rights , next move to Tokyo
Dream was to distribute Serie A rights in Asia - it became much bigger
How MP & Silva got started, partnering with Riccardo Silva – set up in Singapore (50/50 partnership)
Growth of business with focus on Media rights - close to USD 1 billion in revenue at the end
Clear focus on Football rights initially, premium content, pay extra to get into market and build credibility
Focus on local market knowledge, at one point 21 offices around the world, breaking rights into smaller packages
Sell of MP & Silva to a Chinese group and the aftermath - starting the next businesses (Eleven) and buying Leeds United, making mistakes and learning from them
Proving he can build successful platforms, investors and partners joining along the way
Strategy of Eleven – focus on markets with less competition and opportunity to become a leading platform quickly (Poland, Portugal, Taiwan, etc)
Deal with DAZN and ELEVEN – future plans and roles
Leeds United story – how it all started and where it is now, boyhood dream come true
The journey from The Championship up to Premier League and staying there last season (scoring in last minute of game to stay in)
Working with High profile Investors (49ers, American Football team) and the combination of skills
Learnings from his career – how you define risk taking and the level you are comfortable with
Changing management style, lessons cost millions, listen more – building strong management teams
Play for Change – passion project and new projects coming up
About
Andrea Radrizzani is the Chairman of Leeds United and a leading entrepreneur who has been at the forefront of the global sports media industry for more than twenty years.
A self-made businessman, Andrea founded the investment platform Aser Ventures in 2015, specialising in sports, media and entertainment properties. Aser became co-owners of Leeds United in January 2017 and since May of that year, Aser has been the ultimate parent company of the club with Andrea as Chairman.
During his time with Leeds United, Andrea has overseen the return of the club to the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, following 16 years in the lower divisions. Whilst at Leeds, he has also appointed world-renowned coach Marcelo Bielsa, supported the development of one of the most successful academies in English football and bought back the Club’s iconic Elland Road stadium.
Andrea’s success in the business world dates back over two decades. Radrizzani began his career in sports media in 1999 with digital sports content distributor Media Partners and founded Media Partners’ China business.
He went on to co-found MP & Silva in 2004, launching the renowned sports media agency’s operations from its headquarters in Singapore and leading its global expansion into 20 countries as CEO and major shareholder.
Later, through Aser, Andrea launched the international sports content platform ELEVEN SPORTS in 2015. ELEVEN has since established itself as an innovative and fan-centric media platform in markets across Europe and Asia, with a rights portfolio that includes LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Premier League, UEFA Champions League and F1. ELEVEN recently secured domestic rights to the Belgian Pro League for the next five seasons.
Andrea is also the Founder and Chairman of Play for Change, an international charity that uses the power of sport to improve the lives of children in his native Italy and around the world.
Born in Milan, Andrea studied Public Relations at the city’s IULM University and graduated in 1996.
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Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tracy Benson, ”From Athlete To Entrepreneur”
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tracy Benson gives us an insight look into her amazing career with great stories, from her struggles as a Pro Volleyball player, to having a very successful Corporate career, learning all the tools and tactics of consumer marketing and digital to becoming an Entrepreneur and launching Obsesh, a new digital sports platform, just before Covid hit the world.
Key Highlights
From student athletes to Pro Volleyball player and the changes since then (NIL) (30 years ago) – dream come true and the struggles
Trying to make a living being a Pro Volleyball player, winning tournaments and prize was a case of Pepsi
Moving into the corporate world, first stop Home Depot and the learning coming in as an athlete, being a leader/captain every day
Olympic Work program, great way to bring fellow athletes into Home Depot and giving them a chance to make a living (full benefits, part time work)
Next stops, Jack Morton & Razorfish, learning advertising and experiential marketing (early days of Web 1 and moving into Web 2)
Head of Digital/Marketing at Best Buy – building a consumer digital platform, story telling was key
Best Buy buying Napster, everything shifting online, meeting with Facebook when it was a few guys around Mark
Monster and Beats by Dre story, how Best Buy helped create the brand and drive sales (Black Headphones) – learning from lots of mistakes
Joining Monster as Global Chief Marketing & Product officer, coming out to California, being around digital innovators
OBSESH – peer to peer sports marketplace for 1:1 remote access to the best athletes as coaches (go.obsesh.com)
Focused on the 99% of athletes who are struggling to make a living with their sport
Coming through Stadia Ventures Accelerator – investors include YouTube founder Chad Hurley, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels. Ranked top 5 sports tech company to watch in 2021
Helping athletes building their brand, huge opportunity after NIL ruling with College athlete now
Covid impact on the business was positive being born a “digital technology” company, also the off/on of sports during Covid, speed up space of adoption, more reasons for athletes to join the platform and seek new income streams, accelerated business across many aspects (timing is crucial starting a business)
Company working truly online around the country, no physical office space, opportunity and challenges
Business model – focus on athletes first, athletes set their own price points and keep 100% - percentage fee on top of athletes fee (mark up)
Top five things every athlete wants, great details shared by Tracy
Obsesh Athlete Academy – free support for athletes to learn about digital, social media, contracts, trademarks, etc – including access to standardized contracts from appearances to social media deals, learning rules of NIL, etc
NFT Marketplace – in partnership with Beasy Unite, peer to peer NFT marketplace for athletes, tokenizing memberships, digital merchandise
Web3 discussion - our “Before they were Pros” NFT project and how fans are also a very important part of the ecosystem
“Chief” – founding member of private network designed to empower women in leadership roles (https://chief.com)
Being a voice for women, gay community and spreading the message of inclusiveness – global ambitions in the future
How to connect with Tracy - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbdigital/, email: athletes@obsesh.com
About
Tracy Benson is the CEO and co-founder of Obsesh, the sports marketplace platform connecting consumers to top athletes, and empowering athlete entrepreneurs to manage, merchandise, market, and monetize their fans online. Previously she was Global Chief Marketing Officer at Seek Thermal, Global Chief Marketing & Product Officer at Monster Inc. (maker of Beats by Dre and Monster headphones), Head of Marketing at Best Buy, Hyper-Growth Market leader at The Home Depot (where she developed the first athlete-work program for Olympians) and Sales & Marketing Manager at AT&T. Tracy was an All-Conference NCAA volleyball athlete at Western Illinois University before becoming a professional beach volleyball player. She earned an MBA in Marketing & Finance from the University of Notre Dame.
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To get in touch, please email us at podcast@marcusluer.com
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Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Steve Patterson, ”Four Decades across US Major Sports”
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Steve Patterson, a fellow YPOer and top US Sports Executive turned Entrepreneur with an incredible four decades of experience in the business, who learned the ropes working for his dad at the age of 10. Incredible stories and insights across the US sporting landscape from NBA, NFL, NHL to major Universities and working with several US billionaire owners over the decades. Tons of great facts and figures of record breaking deals and no end in sight for him.
Key Highlights
How it all started, through his dad, co-founder of Milwaukee Bucks, him answering the phone at 10 years old
Background of his dad (Ray Patterson), All American Player, turned Coach and early investor in Bucks when they went public in 1968/69
His dad drafting Kareem Abdul Jabbar and winning the Championship in 1971
Moving to Houston and first major role with Houston Rockets as Director of Business Operations
His Houston Rocket Days, breaking attendance records, doubling TV revenue, first NBA game in Mexico City, first Spanish Language TV show, great stories around them
Building a Championship team, including Hakeem Olajuwon, creating the team that won the NBA title in 1993-94 – how it started and the role of Def Leppard ….
Difference between a General Manager and the Coach – long term vs short term view
Next stop, President & Partner in Houston Aeros (Ice) Hockey Team in the IHL and Compaq Center deal
Helping to bring Houston Texans (NFL) to Houston in early 2000 – Chuck Watson and Bobby McNair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_McNair (later Senior VP & Chief Development Officer)
Massive numbers across the deal, including purchase price (US$ 750 million), deal terms revealed
Building a stadium, hiring staff and team from scratch
Over US$ 450 million of Contractual Obligated Income (COI) generated to create first investment grade sports franchise
Learn about the Texas “Superbowl Bill” and its legacy to help bring major events to the state ever since
From NFL to NBA – Paul Allen, owner of Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers – taking role as President/GM for Trail Blazers
Comparing numbers between Rockets and Trail Blazers 20 years later, difference in media landscape, building set up, etc
Team lost US$ 135mil the year he arrived, turned it around over four years - US$ 52 mil in “luxury tax” due on first day on the job
Starting Pro Sports Consulting in 2007, providing services to companies, US governments, universities and individuals to seek, acquire, sell major/minor league sports properties, from design, finance, building to maximizing revenues
Roles at Arizona State University – VP of Athletics and later Men’s Athletic Director at University of Texas, Austin
Differences between Pro Sports and College Sports in the US – different stake holders
UT has US$ 180 million budget, largest athletic budget in the country and how it’s spend
NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) discussion and Steve’s interesting perspective
Arizona Coyotes, NHL team, successfully positioned team for sale
Most recent venture, Legend Labs – branding and crisis consulting firm, representing athletes to Universities, and other entities – Co-Chairman & Partner
Pro Sports Consulting – working on Charlotte Hornets, new Stadium project & Executive Coaching role
About
Steve Patterson has served as an innovative and successful executive in the NFL, NBA, NHL, professional baseball, and college athletics for over 35 years. He has built championship teams and organizations, designed, financed, built, and run stadia, ballparks, and arenas with record setting revenues all over the United States. Patterson successfully led the effort to bring the Houston Texans NFL team and Super Bowl XXXVIII to Houston, Texas. As General Manager of the Houston Rockets, he built the 1994 NBA Championship team.
Patterson is currently the President of Pro Sports Consulting, which provides services to universities, companies, government entities, and individuals that operate or seek to acquire or sell sports properties, to design, finance, build and operate sports facilities and to maximize the revenue of these and related entities. He is also the Co-Chair of Legend Labs a brand and crisis communications consultancy.
Patterson is formerly the President, CEO and Alternate Governor of the Arizona Coyotes. He is also the former Director of Men’s Athletics for the University of Texas at Austin where he oversaw the largest athletic department budget in all of college sports while setting records for academic success, revenue generation, endowment growth and philanthropic giving to the athletic department.
Prior to UT, Patterson served as Managing Director of Sun Devil Sports Group, Vice President for Athletics and Athletic Director for Sun Devil Athletics at Arizona State University. In that capacity, Patterson was responsible for all ASU Athletic Department business and sports operations, acquisition, development, and operation of current and new sports facilities and assisted with the development of the 425-acre Sports Facilities District adjacent to the University in downtown Tempe.
As President of the Portland Trail Blazers, The Rose Garden and Rose City Radio. Patterson refined his skills as a turnaround specialist, while garnering national recognition for his player acquisitions when he took over the team’s General Manager duties.
As the Trail Blazers General Manager, Patterson engineered a record six draft day trades that resulted in the selection of NBA Rookie of the Year and three-time NBA All Star Brandon Roy and fellow All Rookie 1st team, seven-time NBA All Star and five time All NBA member LaMarcus Aldridge. Patterson also revamped the entire basketball operation, hiring then GM Kevin Pritchard and Head Coach Nate McMillan.
Patterson formerly served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer of the Houston Texans NFL franchise where he led Bob McNair’s successful effort to acquire a National Football League franchise and Super Bowl XXXVIII for Houston, Texas. Patterson was responsible for the establishment of the team’s business, legal, media and political operations, as well as the development, design, finance, construction and operation of NRG Stadium and related facilities.
Prior to joining the Texans, Patterson was the President, General Manager and Governor of the Houston Aeros hockey team. For his efforts he was named the 1995 winner of the Andy Mulligan Trophy as the International Hockey League’s Executive of the Year.
In addition to his roles with the Aeros, Patterson also acquired and served as President and Partner in Arena Operating Company, which managed and operated Compaq Center, Houston’s home of the Rockets, Aeros and Comets.
While overseeing all the business and basketball operations of the Houston Rockets, Patterson was the chief architect of the 1993-1994 Houston Rockets squad that captured the first NBA World Championship in franchise history signing, drafting, or trading for all the team’s players and coaches. Patterson also led the club’s successful bid to host the 1989 NBA All-Star Game in The Astrodome, which held the all-time NBA All-Star Game attendance record of 44,735 for 21 years.
Born and raised in Beaver Dam, WI. Patterson attended the University of Texas, graduating with honors earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1980. He graduated from UT’s Law School in 1984. He is married to Yasmin Michael with whom he has three grown children.
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Friday Sep 02, 2022
Gagan Palrecha, ”Sports NFT’s & More”
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Today, I am talking to Gagan Palrecha, the CEO of NFTSTAR, a new Bay Area startup in the NFT sports space. Palrecha is an engineer by training and has been fascinated by sports & music since his youth. We cover some of the stops across his career, the build-up to his current role, including time at Dapper Labs as VP of Operations. We go deep into the blockchain, crypto, NFTs, Web 2.5 to 3.0, the metaverse, digital stadium, play-to-earn, and many more current buzzwords and of course, his vision for NFTSTAR.
Key Highlights
Palrecha grew up playing sports & had a passion for music. After studying computer engineering and science, he was attracted to the startup scene in San Francisco in the early 2000s.
Palrecha joined Loudcloud, a startup backed by VC company Andreessen Horowitz, before moving to a few other startups.
As his first entrepreneurial exploits, Palrecha started First Time Records.
Palrecha helped develop a space for artists and creators at the following businesses:
Zattoo -- live streaming, the first virtual cable operator
Peekok -- a platform to help artists and labels create a direct retail relationship with fans, via social and interactive marketing (early days of NFTs)
Chirply -- fundraising for design marketplace
2013: Blockchain and Bitcoin
The concept of a distributed ledger that governs ownership without government interference fascinated him.
Palrecha’s experience at Dapper Labs:
Crypto Kitty was the first big project for Dapper, before it was called Dapper Labs.
The NBA took a risk and jointly created NBA Top Shot in 2020. By the end of 2020 and early 2021, NFTs took off and NBA Top Shot lead the way.
Over 1 billion worth of trading volume with NBA Top Shot.
What worked and didn’t work at the height of NBA Top Shot:
Dealing with backlogs and regulatory issues.
Blockchain challenges and issues with bots.
Challenges of the virtual trading card model.
NFTSTAR: Palrecha’s vision as CEO (website: https://m.nftstar.com/)
NFTSTAR is building the biggest sports stadium in the Web3 metaverse.
The company is working with athletes to build a direct relationship with fans.
Current projects with:
Neymar Jr, Luis Figo, Son Heung-Min (Soccer)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Basketball)
Christian McCaffrey (American Football)
NFTSTAR is currently in its startup stage, with its first collection coming out in the fall of 2022
Beyond the usual NFT headshots, NFTSTAR will include mobile gaming elements, as well an interactive and immersive fantasy world around its athlete partners.
Prioritizing a meta stadium and virtual stadium vision, NFTSTAR rewards the fans and viewers with avatars and more.
NFTSTAR is funded through private investors, not through a token raise.
Play-to-Earn discussion:
There are many current challenges early play-to-earn games are facing—taking a look at Axie Infinity for example.
NFTSTAR is looking at the game and user experience first before focusing on play-to-earn business strategies.
NFTSTAR is not building a speculative platform. Instead, members are rewarded for participation with special privileges or items.
NFTSTAR athlete engagement:
Upcoming Neymar NFT drop, where Neymar and his team are heavily involved.
NFTSTAR is all about the athlete and how they grew up, where they come from, and what shaped them.
The company helps build a community around the athletes by prioritizing experiences.
If you’d like to reach Palrecha, contact him at nftstar@vsc.co.
About
Gagan Palrecha joined NFTSTAR as COO in September 2021, and is responsible for business development and operations, strategic partnerships, and product strategy. As the former Vice President of Dapper Labs, creators of NBA Top Shot and the Flow blockchain, Palrecha brings extensive experience and expertise in the NFT startup space. He has held several leadership positions in business development, product and operations and has done extensive work in Europe and Asia. He is also an active angel investor through his investment fund, Palrecha Capital. Palrecha is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and currently resides in the Bay Area.
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Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Damian Willoughby, ”Talking Football & Esports”
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Damian Willoughby, turned his passion for football, playing in his youth in the UK, then NCAA football to spending his career across Rangers FC, Chelsea FC, Manchester City and the City Football Group till his current and most recent role at EA (Electronic Arts) in Esports. Listen and learn from his experiences at some of the biggest Football brands and now at EA.
Key Highlights
From playing youth Football in the UK, to NCAA “soccer” and getting his MBA at University of Liverpool in Football
Leading to his first first role in Rangers FC, leading sponsorship programs
Despite the huge rivalry between Rangers and Celtic (collectively called “The Old Firm”) on the pitch, both clubs cooperated on sponsorship deals to avoid brands having to split across the fan base. Very clever
Talking numbers, front of shirt and other revenue streams for Rangers. Very competitive with the big UK clubs at the time due to passionate fan base, 50k fans in stadium, etc. The big Premier League Media income started to make the difference and swing power to English Clubs.
Next stop Chelsea, Abramovich’s early era and success started to make a difference. Talking Samsung and leveraging the power of the Premier League globally. Discussing the “not invented here syndrome” of global brand sponsorships and how to deal with it. Singha Beer deal discussion.
Moving into Player Management side with James Grant Sports Group for a couple of years to learn that part of the business, wasn’t his thing
Manchester City, new Arab owners already in place and club on major trajectory – joining in global sponsorship sales role
City Football Group (New York, Melbourne, Mumbai, Yokohama, etc) – 12 clubs now globally – (and Ferran Soriano’s role in it)
How it works from a commercial point of view and creating synergies across the different clubs, leveraging the global power of Manchester City combined with the local strength of the various partner clubs
Moving to Singapore running global business from there for six years, last few years also CEO of City Football India (Mumbai City FC), last few years during Covid
How players move around the City Football Group ecosystem
In the Middle of Covid, mid 2021, Gaming/Esports is booming, next move, VP Partnerships for EA Sports – huge company, US$ 7 billion in revenue, 13,000 people worldwide
Talking Esports & EA properties, much more than FIFA, leader of sports simulation games (Madden NFL, F1, UFC, NHL, PGA Tour, etc) and other successful non-sports games (Apex Legend, Battlefield, The Sims) – difference between sports and non-sports games
Huge player base and time spend in the game by Gamers, massive audiences and engagement levels – still lots of education to be done with brands on how to leverage it
FIFA split, what he could share – big plans for EA Sports FC , nothing changes in the game, the teams and general feel of the game
Stevenage FC and Burger King, how it went viral, creative thinking on how to leverage a game
About
A highly accomplished and respected global football executive with 20+ years experience in generating and managing over £1.3bn in revenues, motivating large (+65 staff) and globally diverse (13 offices) teams to achieve sporting and financial goals around performance, brand, revenue and fan growth for leading sports properties including City Football Group, Chelsea & Rangers FC.
Most recently CEO of City Football India following the strategic acquisition of a majority stake in Mumbai City FC, worked with CFG and Reliance as shareholders to develop the Club, Indian Super League and Indian football.
Currently VP, Partnerships at Electronic Arts, originally head hunted to develop the commercial strategy for Esports across key global EA franchises (FIFA, Madden & Apex) and now working in a small core executive team to shape the future of the company’s marquee football franchise.
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To get in touch, please email us at podcast@marcusluer.com
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Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Sandy Brown, ”American Sports Broadcasting Nomad”
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Tuesday Jun 21, 2022
Sandy Brown, another true American Sports Nomad, especially in the Media and Broadcasting space. Listen to amazing stories of Sandy’s globe trotting career around the world from ProServ, NBA, ESPN/Star Sports, Univision, ONE World Sports and more.
Key Highlights
Growing up playing tennis, made connections through his Tennis Club in Delaware
How he got started at ProServ, first meeting with Donald Dell, driving his limo around the airport
Dennis Spencer one of his early mentors (shout out to one of the nicest guys in the industry)
Pro-Serve, top roster of Tennis and NBA players, tennis tournaments – peak of company
Before Sportel Monaco days, MIP TV and MIP Com , flogging sports TV rights in Cannes
Next stop NBA, international TV rights – David Stern his next mentor, early days as Commissioner (know your business better than anyone else was his mantra)
CCTV story. Happened to me before as well
ESPN Asia, move to Hong Kong - at the age of 28 (1992)
Birth of Cable industry in Asia, Satellite distribution just started – DTH business across the region
US content as a start and Monday night Premier League matches
Creative deal making in China
Merger of ESPN Asia and Star Sports in Asia (Murdoch) (new set up in Singapore) – Managing Director of new JV
Big change in broadcast landscape and shock for Rights holders and agencies
Two different corporate cultures working together, very focused on turning a loss making entity to break even
ESPN had carriage fees, Star Sports was free for platform owners (Advertising driven)
Exploits in India, cable operators in India are another level (try to visualize it) – Chris McDonald/Manu Sawhney (wild west of India, machine guns, etc)
ARPU blend discussion – penny a sub in China, 5 cent in India to 1 dollar in SEA and Taiwan – retail rate of partners
Disney/ESPN recently shut the entire network structure down after acquiring FOX Sports globally a few years before, about 30 years later
Next stop CNBC Asia (NBC Universal) – learning the GE culture, Jack Welsh as CEO
Business News different thing
After 15 years, time to come back to the US – biggest take away, working with great people makes the difference
Univision – President of Sports – launching a domestic US cable sports channel focused on Hispanic population – bringing in new ideas and concepts, pushing Rights holders to new grounds
ONE World Sports – new platform targeting Asian diaspora in the US (Seamus O’Brien behind the venture)
From two affiliate deals, pushed up to 70
Lots of live content, Chinese Super League, KHL (Russian Ice-hockey), ECB (English Cricket), European Football Club Channels, Table Tennis, etc
Alternative to ESPN, heavy promotions and support to rights holders to market their product in the US
Eventually shareholders decided to sell the business – to ELEVEN
Commissioner of Major League Lacrosse – turn around situation, difficult set up with owners and commercial structure
League had been around for 20 years, lots of cleaning up to do
Competitive League shows up (PLL), plus Covid gets in the way
Merging with PLL now, handing it over, winding up MLL
Poshando Inc – starting his own consulting business just recently (back in Baltimore)
Final thoughts on Broadcasting/Streaming industry currently, subscription models (Netflix), investor expectations vs industry realities (ARPU blend vs Sub growth) –
quality of subscribers
cost of acquisition of subs (cost of broadcast rights
About
Alexander P. Brown joined Major League Lacrosse in February 2018. Since taking the helm, Brown has drastically improved the experience and opportunity for players, teams and fans. During his tenure, he has restructured the ownership group, rebranded the league marks and reacquired the league’s media rights, leading to exponential growth in nationally televised reach. In 2019, Brown welcomed ten new partners to the league, introduced a creative and sophisticated digital team (generating 194% growth in social traffic, 97% growth in social engagement and 393% growth in web traffic) and achieved a 16% increase in total attendance year-over-year.
During the 2020 COVID impacted year, Brown oversaw the most successful year in MLL’s history in terms of overall engagement, generating over 150mm digital impressions over an eight (8) day tournament. Further, the league’s impressions on ESPN and ESPN + increased by 150% and 1600%, respectively.
Brown is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of leadership experience who has spearheaded the launch and growth of multiple sports media outlets. Most recently, he was the President/CEO of One World Sports, where he launched the HD channel across both linear and digital platforms to over 50 million US subscribers through cable and satellite distributors as well as over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
In 2010, Brown became President of Univision Sports, the leading media outlet for Spanish-speaking Americans, where he created and launched Univision Deportes to over 15 million US homes. As part of this effort, Brown oversaw the rebranding of Univision Sports. Additionally, he not only supervised the production of the highest rated primetime sports broadcast in the channel’s history at the time with the Mexico vs. Honduras match in the 2011 Gold Cup, but he developed Univision’s nightly version of SportsCenter, “Univision Deportes Extra” or “UDX” as well as the network’s signature soccer pregame program, “Futbol Central”.
Brown has extensive experience in the international markets. Based in Hong Kong and Singapore, he launched ESPN’s business in Asia while serving as the Managing Director of both ESPN Asia and ESPN Star Sports. Brown’s international work in sports began in the late 1980’s when he was hired by the NBA to oversee their international television interests in over 100 countries.
Brown played lacrosse collegiately at Washington and Lee University and represented the university in the 1985 USILA North South Game.
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To get in touch, please email us at podcast@marcusluer.com
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Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Scott Levy, ”NBA Globetrotter”
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Scott Levy, a globetrotting senior US sports executive with a stellar resume and decades of achievements in the NBA. Get an inside scoop into the growth of the NBA internationally, and Scott’s role and journey over more than two decades with the organization.
Key Highlights
Passion for traveling inspired early after University, starting in the advertising world with Y&R and McCann-Erickson in New York City with a goal to combine his passion with work
Joining the NBA in 1996 working in marketing and moving in Media and international television distribution
His first decade at the NBA unpacked (1996-2006)
Massive growth of global distribution, especially country by country deals – media a big focus of then Commissioner David Stern
Over 20 deals in China alone, Shanghai Media story
Clear strategy to keep everything in house, not using agencies – Scott explains the reason behind it
David Stern, always pushing his team to get better, be the most educated guy in the room
The impact of players on growth, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki and the US superstars from MJ to Kobe Bryant
The different impacts of Yao and Dirk in their respective territories, Kobe and LeBron, social media exploits and travelling the globe
Teams travelling globally to promote the League (pre-season games), comparing to European/UK Football Clubs. Decisions are centralized and coordinated by the League
Initially teams often didn’t want to travel (Coaches preferred to train at home for pre-season) and now it’s a part of their global brand and team building
Teams been travelling since the 90s, first in Japan, up to 6-8 teams now regularly travelling each year, mostly teams playing each other
Teams now using Tours to expand fan base, bring in new sponsors, etc, also driven by more diverse group of NBA Team owners
MJ Global Sports & Media – short 2-3 year break as consultant
Back into the NBA for the second round (2009-2022)
Coming back as SVP & Managing Director for NBA Asia based in Hong Kong
His role, everything in region excluding Greater China (separate NBA China office), firstly “learn about Asia”
Philippines, highest basketball affinity in the world – mad about the game – Eric Spoelstra visiting the Philippines
India, important market and development started a decade ago
Basketball Africa League (BAL) success and model, potential for other regions?
NBA Digital platforms (NBA League Pass) – variety of feeds (Player, Refs & Mascot cams) different languages, local influencers calling a game in local language, different packages, fourth quarter pass, etc. Very customized to each region and country. As low as US$ 20 dollars (correction to US$ 10 dollars comment) per season
Rakuten, important partnership in Japan (media partner) and globally
Short form content, very important for engagement, vertical video format, finding the right mix, longer content demand growing (20-60 min)
Local partnerships, depends on country, ie. Philippines, Australia and China has strong local partnerships
Junior NBA program – healthy livestyle focus, more opportunities to grow with local partners
Scott leaving the NBA, becoming a digital nomad, spending time between Asia and US – next moves
Consulting companies in Web 3 space
NBA Top Shot, NBA an early adopter in NFT space – US$ 1 billion dollar worth of transaction
Scott sees exponential growth in the Web3 space from metaverse to Dao’s – still early days
NB2K – a form of a metaverse already, NBA Fortnite – NBA All-Star Game content (16 million visiting NBA Hub in Fortnite)
His focus is on being heavily immersed in this space in the foreseeable future on his own
Final words on the current NBA Play-offs and teams in the Conference Finals
About
SCOTT LEVY, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, NBA Asia
As Executive Vice President & Managing Director of NBA Asia, Scott Levy oversees development and expansion of the NBA’s branding and basketball initiatives in Asia-Pacific, including Australia, India, Japan, Philippines, South Korea and other countries across Southeast Asia and Oceania. Levy directs all of NBA Asia and NBA India’s business groups, including media distribution, marketing and marketing partnerships, merchandising, events, digital media, and gaming. Levy reports to NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum.
Since Levy’s arrival in 2009, the league has dramatically expanded its local partnerships in Asia-Pacific, resulting in more than 460 retail locations and e-commerce sites, multiple new media and marketing partnerships, the launch of the Jr. NBA across Southeast Asia, and amassing more than 35 million followers from Asia across the league’s social media accounts.
From 2006 to 2009, Levy ran his own consulting company, MJ Global Sports and Media Inc. Levy previously worked for the NBA for 10 years and left as Senior Vice President, International Television and Marketing Partnerships. During his tenure, Levy helped grow broadcast distribution for NBA programming to more than 200 countries and 40 languages. Under his leadership, the NBA launched many new content offerings internationally, including NBA TV, the league’s 24-hour network.
Prior to beginning his first NBA stint in 1996, Levy traveled independently and extensively throughout China, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Levy is on the board of the Global Health Society, a nonprofit organization that conducts camps and develops programs for children with bleeding disorders. He has competed in multi-sport and adventure races, including the New York Marathon, Oxfam Japan Trailwalker and many triathlons raising funds for Fred’s Team and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Levy is based in Hong Kong with his wife Ilene and sons Matthew and Joshua.
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Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Oli Slipper, ”Streaming Pioneer”
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Oliver Slipper, a true British Sports Entrepreneur, best known for his role building PERFORM (now Stats Perform) and now the Executive Chairman of Pitch International. Lots of great insights into Perform’s business model and his follow up moves as an Entrepreneur with Head Ball and PickGuru to his current role at Pitch International, a leading sports media rights agency in the UK.
Key Highlights
From playing Cricket to his first job at Accenture. Why athletes bring unique attributes to the business world and learning on the job at Accenture.
NTL, first project in sports at Accenture. Premium TV – very early days of streaming services in the UK
Lots of learning from all the mistakes being made in the business, losing money and the flawed business model at the time
After restructuring the deals with Football Clubs, getting to break even and slowly business model is taking shape
Winning UK horseracing deal, merging with Inform to launch Perform - Andrew Crocker’s role in setting up the new company
Perform business model unpacked, doubled revenue every year in next four years – leading to IPO
WTA deal, switched to buying all rights, not just betting rights anymore.
Netflix model and distressed media rights market inspired DAZN
Latency challenges and how to overcome it for bookmakers
His thoughts on DAZN and current owners end game
His next moves as an Entrepreneur: Masomo, building a great sports game called Head Ball - www.headball2.com, with 200 mil downloads and sold the company after a few years
Understanding the “K Factor” – key to growing online user base, learning App economy
PickGuru, how it started during Covid – sports prediction game (App only in the UK)
Executive Chairman of Pitch International – role since mid 2018 – media rights agency business, leading UK Football, Cricket, Rugby agency
Four parts to the Pitch business, from content creation to distribution, including sponsorship and Brazil National team Tours
Some of his investments over the years, from Play Sports Network to Cage Warriors
Wrapping it up with his non-executive roles, including England & Wales Cricket Board (new event “The Hundred”)
About
Oli Slipper, is the Executive Chairman of Pitch International, the leading Sports Marketing agency.
In a career spanning 25 years, Oli co-founded Perform Group, a pioneer in sports streaming and data and lead it’s IPO and ultimate privatisation.
Subsequently Oli, co-founded Masomo, a mobile studio focused on sports games which was acquired by Miniclip. More recently Oli, co-founded PickGuru, a sports prediction app. In the last 10 years Oli has been an active investor in the sports, fintech and consumer tech space including: Global Cycling Network (GCN), Grabyo, Marshmallow, Cage Warriors, Sixes amongst others.
Oli sits on the Board of the Professional Darts Corporation and Oval Invincibles.
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Wednesday Mar 23, 2022
Philipp Grothe, ”Football Focus”
Wednesday Mar 23, 2022
Wednesday Mar 23, 2022
Philipp Grothe, best known as the co-founder and driving force behind the KENTARO agency in the UK, a true pioneer and entrepreneur in the sports business over the past 20+ years. Great stories from Philipp’s career across UFA, IMG, KENTARO and what he is doing now.
Key Highlights
Early days, coming out of Law School in Hamburg, Germany, lots of side hustles, own Ad agency, a Band, running two clubs, etc
First job, UFA Sports, part of Bertelsmann Group in Germany, second largest Media group in the world at the time
Competition with Kirch Media Group in Munich – small group of young sports marketing pioneers developing industry in Europe
Interesting time, growth of Private TV networks in Europe, downfall of the Iron Curtain, new Eastern European countries opening-up
European Football at the height of the “decentralized” era, different agencies from across Europe/UK chasing after pieces of the cake
Stories on how deals were done both with the clubs and broadcasters, mostly trading with 2ndand 3rd party rights
The power of Football, closely linked to powerful people in politics, creating entire new channels with key matches
How the money of the Champions League has skewed the balance of power in the various domestic European leagues
Next stop, IMG London – or from Guetersloh to Cleveland – learning different cultures
IMG – key parts at the time, IMG Talent management and TWI Media/production at the time – company not in great shape at the final days of Mark McCormack
Looking to build the House of Football – including building a Super agency – not everything worked and why
Being very German and contradicting Bob Kain at the first meeting in Cleveland
Bundling of rights, the oldest agency trick in the world
Setting up KENTARO in a hotel in London (Kentaro meaning Lion Mother), good timing, next boom years coming
Heavy focus on Football and some Boxing (Sauerland), stay focused on core competence important
Key to early success, quick decision-making process compared to bigger agencies or institutional money and always hungry for the next deal (always as good as your last deal)
Not always dealing with the person you thought you were dealing with, some painful lessons
New concept of “two National teams playing in a third country – neutral ground”, starting with England vs Argentina in Switzerland. Brazil World Tour is born, 120 games later and the stories behind it
Kentaro by numbers, over 500 players under contract, over 150 employees, over E$ 200 mil in revenue at the peak, but also overheads of E$ 20 mil – feeding the beast
Asian Football stories, Thai FA and how this leads to helping purchase Manchester City for Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra (former Prime Minister)
Managing egos, the key skill for anyone running an agency & what happened to Kentaro at the end
Moving back to Germany, this time Berlin, new company Akani – focused on sports and entertainment, football, celebrities, MENA region, etc
Final thoughts on Covid and impact on Football, industry in review over the past 20 years, agency business never stops, similarity to Investment Banking
About
Philipp started his career after his law degree at University in Hamburg at Bertelsmann’s Ufa Sports in 1994. He was responsible for the international football division of the company dealing with federations, leagues and clubs during a time, where broadcasting rights became "golden dust“ for TV-channels across Europe and the rest of the world.
In 2000 Philipp moved to London and became the Managing Director of the football division of IMG, founded by Mark McCormack and the biggest sports rights agency in the world. In 2003 he set up togetherwith his partners his own agency Kentaro, one of the leading marketing companies in the football business in the following years. Philipp relocated in 2017 back to Germany, where he is still active in the business focussing on digital activities and revenue generation for various rights holders in Europe and the Middle East.
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Thursday Mar 17, 2022
Patrick Mouratoglou, ”The Coach - Going NFT”
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
Special Edition with Patrick Mouratoglou, the #1 Tennis Coach on his new NFT project – “The Coach”
Key Highlights
Quick check in since we last spoke on the previous Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast, new project in Malaysia, etc
“The Coach” - Patricks’ new NFT project – creating an exclusive Club of 2,000 Tennis fans and Web3.0 enthusiasts
The Concept - different levels of rarity (Warm up, The Match, The Celebration) – total only 2,000 NFTs
Wide range of benefits, special coaching sessions, one-on-one interaction with Patrick, future pro players, bringing fans, players and Web3.0 enthusiast together and access to future opportunities of projects Patrick is creating
All 2000 NFT cards will be sold at the price of $550 (estimated gas fees included)
Pre-sales start on March 17th and 500 spots are available
Public sale 26th March (unveiling of NFTs on 27th March)
Purchase on dedicated website www.thecoachnft.io, secondary market on other NFT platforms (on Ethereum blockchain)
Support team available to on-board customers who are not familiar with NFTs, purchase via credit card available
Where did the idea come from and how it started & long term view, learning by doing
Hope you enjoyed this short episode and introduction of an exciting new NFT project. Check it out and let us know what you think.
We have no direct affiliation and/or stake in the project and this is not investment advice. Please do your own research and homework before you invest in any NFTs.
About
THE COACH will see the merging of the NFT and sports worlds into an exclusive, one-of-a-kind club. Using the power of Web3.0, Patrick and his collaborators are creating a new experience, forming a powerful community, and looking to find new ways to improve engagement and interaction with fans.
This meeting of minds is set to change the landscape of both the sporting world and the NFT/crypto landscape — pushing the boundaries of possibilities for fans and players alike.
With only 2,000 NFTs in total up for purchase, across three levels of increasing rarity — Warm-up, Match, and Celebration — fans will have to act quickly to secure their spot in this elite circle. Each NFT will unlock exclusive benefits, unrivaled access, and unique experiences. For those who manage to secure a Celebration card, you could be opening a once-in-a-lifetime experience, from a 1-to-1 tennis session with The Coach himself to the chance to chat side-by-side for an exclusive podcast opportunity.
This is just the start of the NFT adventure. For those who join THE COACH on this first venture, there will be exclusive pre-sale access for future projects yet to come. The mint will be randomly selected and will take place publicly across platforms on the 26th March.
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Friday Dec 31, 2021
Ralf Reichert, ”Gaming/Esports Made in Germany”
Friday Dec 31, 2021
Friday Dec 31, 2021
Ralf Reichert, is considered a founding father of the Gaming/Esports industry, having shaped the industry for the past 20 years as an Entrepreneur. We are unpacking the early days of ESL Gaming and off course the current state of play and plans for the future. Recording from my hometown in Koeln (Cologne), Germany. Happy holidays everyone.
Key Highlights
Growing up in Oberhausen, the “honest” Coal mining part of Germany with two competitive brothers
Great learning from his apprenticeship at a BWM dealership while studying in Essen
How SK Gaming started in 1997, by his brother. 1999 connecting with Jens Hilgers (now Bitkraft Ventures), Alex Mueller (SK Gaming) to start Turtle Entertainment, later called ESL Gaming (Electronic Sports League)
SK Gaming stories, started with playing Quake World and his involved at the beginning of the team. Later sold shares due to conflict of interest with ESL
ESL Gaming, the “world’s largest independent esports company”, where everyone can be somebody – creating an ecosystem where Gamers can be stars, from amateur to pro player (From Zero to Hero)
First 10 years, hard to find sponsors and funding, had to be smart and cost efficient – fight for survival – ESL was a match making platform
The first big break, Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), 2006, longest running global pro gaming Tour in the world
Working with Twitch when it was still Justin.tv – 2010 -2014 the golden era and big break through of Esports as an industry
Bootstrapping the company the first 8-9 years, only small fund raise (US$ 1 mil), being frugal was the key.
From 2010-2016 growing from a US$ 10 mil company to US$ 100 mil company – the big growth period
The different events and Leagues 2002 ESL Pro Series, local Pro League in Germany, ESL Pro League 2013, ESL Pro Tour 2018 (local, regional and global competitions)
Focus on Counter Strike for Pro League, because of the maturity in the Game and longevity
Individual Tournaments on top of the Leagues, ie. IEM and ESL ONE - world championships type of events
Prize money and event model – own and operated (ESL branded events), hybrid events in partnership with Publishers, Esports Services (agency model, power Esports for Publishers)
Global footprint of ESL from Cologne to New York, regional HQs in LA, Singapore, Riyad, etc and production hubs in Poland and Malaysia and local offices in partnership with local partners
2000-2010 start up phase, 2010-2015 scale up phase, 2015-2021 globalization phase
Modern Times Group (MTG) transaction in 2015 (which wasn’t a sale according to Ralf), Swedish group, synergies, neutral and independent
Constant changes in industry, staying focused on ESL Brand premise (North Star) and making adjustments as industry growth
New partnership with Immutable X, first dip into NFT space – always trying and investing in new things
ESL during Covid – going back to roots, being online focused – Esports continued to grow during Pandemic
Being global is difficult and hard but the best thing the company did and ESL thrived in Covid, setting new processes
Close to 700 people now, after merger with DreamHack in 2020
Other activities, advisory roles, etc mostly connected and synergies to main role as CEO of ESL – some angel investment
About Ralf Reichert
Ralf is Managing Director / CEO of Turtle Entertainment the world’s largest eSports company leading the industry in raising eSport production and audience levels to those of mainstream sports. Alongside the creation of Turtle Entertainment, Ralf has been an integral part of the development of ESL Gaming which is now the largest global Esports league, as well as the elite pro gaming tour Intel Extreme Masters which has given out over $3.5million of prize money spanning across 8 seasons. Reichert’s passion for gaming and technology is for all to see, and with over 20 years of experience in the industry, it is no surprise that Turtle Entertainment has been such a resounding success.
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Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Ben Smith, ”Wealth Management for Athletes”
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Ben Smith, a chartered financial planner for the past 10 years, is on a mission to educate young athletes about wealth management, proper financial planning and goal setting. Very important messages for anyone dealing with young athletes and of course for athletes themselves. Listen and learn. (The Podcast was NOT sponsored by FLM)
Disclaimer: No financial advise or recommendations are given. The Podcast is purely highlighting options available.
Key Highlights
How Ben got into the industry and how childhood lessons shaped his career path and mindset about investing
Chartered Financial Planner, help clients make great decision with their money, from planning, tax, legal structures, etc
FLM (Financial Lifestyle Management Ltd) a partnership affiliated to St James’s Place Plc – a Footsie 100 company (150 billion under management), different investment solutions (highly regulated environment in the UK)
The stats behind the reason for the Podcast and why it’s so important for young athletes to be aware of it
Early 90s, salaries in Football were only around avg GBP 20k pa, now nearly GBP 2 million per year – high earning in early part of the career (young age), opposite to traditional career path
Process to engage young athletes – step by step process to educate them in an interactive way and setting goals
Passive Income and Compound Interest – key to understand it – Jill and Jack example
FLM focus on Football, Rugby and Golf
The process, value added services by FLM, fee structure and steps to take by athletes and families
Athletes as investors beyond their Money – bringing their Name into investments – Athletes are Brands - Whoop example – risk and returns
FLM’s background and history over the past 20 years (www.Flmltd.com)
About Ben Smith
I help busy, successful people make great decisions with their money. I believe that wealth is dictated by behaviours, not earnings, Everything I do is focused on creating world class money habits that help my clients achieve financial freedom. This is the ability to live life to the full without financial constraints.I believe that in any area of your life, a lack of clarity can be fatal. It can lead to anxiety and hold you back from achieving what is really important to you and your family. When I first joined the industry in 2011, I had studied business, finance and economics throughout my education, yet I knew very little about personal financial planning. From working with many families over the last 10 years, I have found that money is very poorly understood in the UK which really can hold people back in a quest for a better life.With this in mind, I am passionate about financial education and the importance of having a plan.How many of us studied money or personal finance at school? It is also rarely discussed, even between close family members. I really believe in helping my clients learn as we work together, which brings both enjoyment and greater peace of mind.Having a well thought through plan allows you to get on and enjoy life whilst striving towards the things that are important to you.Everyone has a different 'why' which ultimately gets us out of bed in the morning. Maybe you want to send your kids to private school, maybe you want to retire at 45 or maybe you want to own a second home in France. The harsh reality is that, without a clear plan, you are unlikely to achieve these goals.Over the last 10 years I have worked with busy, successful individuals in London to help them establish their ‘why’ and put in place prudent, robust financial plans to meet their goals.Life is as busy as it has ever been, and very few people find the time to put in place adequate financial plans and for those who do, even fewer continue to monitor them over time. I believe everyone has experienced some kind of financial inertia during their life – for some this will be for longer than others. It is arguably the single greatest threat to ones financial plans.
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Friday Nov 26, 2021
Chris Lencheski, “Motorsports in the Blood”
Friday Nov 26, 2021
Friday Nov 26, 2021
Chris Lencheski, also better known as “SKI” in the industry is a true serial sports Entrepreneur from his early days around the Atlanta Olympics to his very successful years across global motorsports. SKI & Company left its mark on the industry on many levels and Chris till today continues to shape the industry. Great insights and learning from his own businesses to the various groups he worked with over the decades (Comcast Spectacor, TPG Speciality Lending, MyyTake India), including an interesting opinion on what happened to MP & Silva. Listen and learn.
Key Highlights
Starting at The Easton Events Company (spun out from United Media) – involved in the Atlanta Olympic Games and developing the protection of the marks, oversight of licensing rights, building activation plans, a great way to learn the ropes
Delos Associates – first Entrepreneurial venture
exclusive event marketing and management company for 1996 US Olympic Team Trials for Cycling; developed Official Corporate Marketing Partners Program
first look at motorsports
Next stop, CMDC (Chesapeake Motorsports Development Corporation),
oversaw advertising, marketing, sponsorship, licensing, real estate, development, co-partnership, sanction, and television deals
involved in big Pepsi deal for new Venue (NASCAR track)
MFP Agency (Marketing for Fun & Profits) – first time CEO working for someone else (Legendary Rod Campbell)
Rod Campbell, founder of Campbell & Company (exclusive agent of Ford Motor Company’s racing efforts globally)
MFP, was separate entity involved in other motorsports ventures Indycar, F1 (lots of new learning experiences from Rod Campbell)
Next up, TSI Agency for a few years
Strategized commercial aspects as COO for organization that fielded teams in NASCAR Busch Series and Winston Cup competitions for Christian Fittipaldi and Kenny Wallace
Created the "The Cadillac Grand Prix" with George Debidart and the late Don Panoz (founder of ALMS), the first racing event in Washington, DC – comparing with the KL City Grand Prix in Malaysia where TSA was involved
SKI & Company – back being an Entrepreneur
General Motors (GM) had a problem and Chris had the answer – great story on how the company got started by helping to fix a problem for the largest automobile company in the world
GM’s mishap in Golf – bidding against itself for a major sponsorship
How a white paper turned into the assignment as “Global Agency of record for GM Racing”, developing strategies country by country, brand by brand (from Vauxhall, Opel, Holden, to Chevy - fingers in any and all with blessing from GM)
GM’s large interests in motorsports around the world, including NASCAR, F1, Le Mans, etc
Growth comes at a cost – selling the business to principals of former CSS Stellar
Phoenicia Sports & Entertainment (live after SKI&Company) – transferring the learning and philosophy
Involved across Motorsports and Football/Soccer (Bologna)
Next stop, President of Front Row Marketing & Analytics (a Comcast Spectacor company)
Operated the stadia, sports media commercial rights and entertainment agency inside the greater Comcast ecosystem
Being part of a huge group and the pros and cons of it - picked up big clients Americas Cup, EPL Teams, French Football Championship Trophee Game (NYC), etc.
IRG Sports & Entertainment – A TPG Specialty Lending Group company , involved in change management
From Drag Racing to race tracks around the world & bringing ESPN back and growing Australia business rapidly.
MP & Silva – Senior Advisor to the Board – Chris’ observation as an Advisor to what happened?
Everbright Securities & Beijing Baofong investment (at the time of China’s big push into Football/Sports globally)
Lots of senior leadership was let go and/or advice was being ignored by the Chinese leadership which had different ideas
Story not finished yet
Current role at Winning Streak Sports (a Granite Bridge Partners company – linked to Wafra - Sovereign Fund of Kuwait)
Number One premium licensing company in the world. From Board Member to CEO at request of Board
From Live streaming, social commerce, media support to premium licensing for major sports franchises globally
Last thoughts, success is not easy, never linear and not a ladder (more like a spray paint can) & when juggling businesses, especially going through Change Management, the rubber balls are the businesses, clients, etc.,(these balls will bounce) but don’t drop the glass balls (which are the people you work with and the most important part of any pivot - especially in commercial rights)
About Chris Lencheski
Chairman, Phoenicia Sport and Entertainment January 2009-present
Chief Executive Officer, Winning Streak Sports March 2019-present
Board of Directors, MyyTake (India) March 2021-present
Board of Directors, Electronic Gaming Federation January 2019-present
Chris Lencheski has worked in the global sports and entertainment sector for more than two decades.
As founder and chairman of Phoenicia Sport and Entertainment, a sports and media consultancy firm he launched in 2009, he advised purchasers of Italian top-tier (Serie A) football teams, developed and executed commercial rights programming for Newman/Haas Racing, the IndyCar racing team of Paul Newman and Carl Haas, developed sports television programming for the Sportsman Channel, and has represented a host of traditional sponsorship/media clients, including managing the U.S. sports marketing debut of Chinese solar company, Trina Solar (SHA:688599). From 2009-2010, through Phoenicia, Mr. Lencheski was owner of International Hockey League franchise the Quad City Mallards, an affiliate of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. The team was IHL Franchise of the Year during Mr. Lencheski’s tenure.
In March 2019, while a director of Winning Streak Sports, a portfolio company of Granite Bridge Partners, Mr. Lencheski was asked to assume the role of chief executive officer, where he currently oversees all business affairs of both Winning Streak Sports and affiliate Prinstant Replays, which, together deliver the number #1 premium licensed goods and collectibles product line in professional sports by both sales and quality.
Prior to Winning Streak, from 2015 to 2019, Mr. Lencheski was the Senior Advisor to the chairman and board of managers of, MP & Silva, the Italy-based global sports media company. From 2015 to 2017, Mr. Lencheski also served as co-chairman, chief executive officer and a director of IRG Sports + Entertainment, a TPG portfolio company and leading promoter of sports and live entertainment experiences. IRGSE is the parent company of the International Hot Rod Association and the International Drag Bike League and owns and operates Palm Beach International Raceway, Palm Beach Driving Club, Memphis International Raceway, Cordova International Raceway, and Maryland International Raceway. IRGSE promoted more than 1,150 global motorsports, live entertainment, and corporate events annually at its venues and within its series.
From 2011 to 2014, Mr. Lencheski was president of Comcast-Spectacor's (now Spectra) wholly owned subsidiary Front Row Marketing and Analytics (“FRMS”), which managed commercial rights, sponsorship, and analytics for the entirety of the Comcast ecosystem of stadiums, arenas, teams, and Comcast properties. FRMS was acquired by Learfield Sports in 2015. While at FRMS, his work included collaborations with the Americas’ Cup, English Premier League Football, the Olympics, Formula One Racing, and FIFA World Cup projects, as well as a host of international and national properties, including every major sports league in the United States and international sport governing bodies.
In 2002, Mr. Lencheski founded SKI & Company. With offices in New York, London, Dubai, Charlotte, NC, and Bethelem, PA, SKI was the first global agency for General Motors Racing and the recipient of BrandWeek Magazine’s Gold Award in the National Sales Promotion Campaign category for Mr. Lencheski’s work on behalf of client Turner Broadcasting and developing their program with Target Corporation. At SKI, Mr. Lencheski authored industry-setting standards and practice guidelines followed by major entities from network and cable television providers to Fortune 500 companies. From 2005-2008, SKI was majority owner and operational manager of its NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series racing Teams. In 2009, Mr. Lencheski sold SKI to a UK-based company, the terms of which cannot be disclosed.
Mr. Lencheski has extensive experience and connectivity in motorsports. He held operational and ownership positions in teams competing in NASCAR. Through SKI & Company, from 2005-2008, Mr. Lencheski was the majority owner and chief executive officer of his NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity team. Through his role as minority owner and chief operating officer of The Source International, a sports and entertainment agency, and their racing team, Innovative Motorsports, for the 2001 and 2002 seasons, Mr. Lencheski was responsible for fielding a NASCAR Busch/Winston/Xfinity Series teams. During his time in NASCAR, Mr. Lencheski developed many sponsorship relationships with global brands including General Motors, Goulds Pumps/ITT, Stacker 2, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, NOS Energy Drink, Pure Fishing, and Smith & Wesson. Operating on limited budgets, Mr. Lencheski’s teams competed both full and part time, amassing one race win, five pole positions, 23 top-five finishes, and 58 top ten finishes with two top-ten year-end point standing finishes in 2001 and 2002.
From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Lencheski was chief executive officer of the MFP Agency, an automotive-focused sports marketing agency founded by automotive marketing legend Rod Campbell of Campbell & Company. From 1997-1999, he was the executive vice-president and coo of Chesapeake Motorsports Development Corporation. From 1995 to 1997, he made his first run at launching his own sports marketing firm, Delos Associates Corporation, selling the portfolio to Joe Mattioli (whose family are the longtime owners of NASCAR Cup Series Pocono Raceway). Mr. Lencheski began his career as a vice president of event marketing, Olympics marketing, and director of sponsorship at The Easton Events Company, the official event management company of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Mr. Lencheski has been an adjunct professor at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies’ Sports Management Master’s Degree program since 2015. He is a member of the board of directors of Winning Streak Sports, MyyTake India, Electronic Gaming Federation and a Founding Member of the Board of Advisors for Syracuse University’s Falk College. Mr. Lencheski is a graduate of Syracuse University and an alumnus of Harvard Business School, having completed the Advanced Management Program. He is married with four daughters.
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Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Michel Masquelier, ”From Intern to Chairman - 35 years at IMG”
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Michel Masquelier had an incredible career with IMG over 35 years starting as an Intern and finishing as the Chairman of IMG Media and SNTV. Over that time he had the privilege to work with and learn from the charismatic owners from Mark McCormack, Ted Forstmann to Ari Emanuel at the end. Pioneering a variety of new innovations and setting up new business units over his tenure. Fascinating stories of an amazing career. Also check out Michel’s new book “This is not a Dress Rehearsal” for more.
Link to the book: http://getbook.at/NotADressRehearsalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/m_masquelier/
Key Highlights
Taking a plunge and heading over the channel from Belgium to the UK to seeking new challenges in London
Reading Mark McCormack’s book and being inspired to seek employment with the company (1985), working for free at the beginning
First role in sponsorship activation, with Yves St Laurent and later focusing on sales in Benelux countries
Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France – advising the Organizing Committee
Mark McCormack, first interaction – “you the guy who plays golf before coming to the office in the morning” story
A man of amazing innovation, vision and anticipation
Setting up the Office in Brussel, at the start of the European Union
After 10 years, took a six months break and toured the world – NY Office story
Next stop, Media Division, selling Media rights, involvement in pioneering projects (China Football story)
Intrapreneur within the company, building teams, leadership style (Love & Respect)
Head of Sales Europe, Head of Sales Worldwide to President IMG Media
European Tour Production deal and Mark’s vision and foresight examples
The shock and worry when Mark suddenly passes away across the organization
Ted Forstmann era starts – US$ 750 mil purchase – leader in Private Equity
New focus on “ownership” in sports, becoming a small shareholder in the business
Ted initially wanting to replace him due to clashes in strategy before new found respect
Frustrating moments with Ted when it came to Minimum Guarantees for Media Rights
Next Super-agent Ari Emanuel backed by PE money takes over (US$ 2.4 billion deal) and his drive and vision for the company (WME -IMG leading to Endeavor)
Moving from President of IMG Media to Chairman of Events/Media, slowly winding down
Huge growth from UFC deal to recent IPO at US$ 10 billion valuation under Ari’s leadership and future of industry thoughts (data the new gold)
“This is not a dress rehearsal”, his book about his experiences and journey – coming out in December 2021
Reminiscing about the parallels of our careers and philosophy in life
About Michel Masquelier
Michel Masquelier is an Entrepreneur that has spent over 3 decades at the heart of the sports industry. Making his way up the ladder from intern to Chairman, he has become a respected leader in his field, and recognized as peoples manager.He now takes on the role of advisor to governing bodies, media organizations and private equity firms. He is also an active investor, board member and consultant for small enterprise, with a focus on the media industry. Michel is still a compulsive networker, but his passion has shift to stimulating education, especially amongst future generations. In the same spirit of innovation and disruption, he is involved in philanthropic projects, motivational speaking and development of educational programs for young executives.More recently he has been working on a book - This is not a Dress Rehearsal.In this part-memoir, part-manifesto and career guide, all inspiration-from-the-heart book, he shares stories from his early life in Belgium to his unique experiences rubbing shoulders with sports stars, business moguls and media pioneers. With open and honest examples of his triumphs, failures, and everything in between, there is something for everyone – the sports fans, the misfits, the motivated and the intrepid.
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Thursday Oct 28, 2021
Hide Arai, ”Japanese Influence in Sports”
Thursday Oct 28, 2021
Thursday Oct 28, 2021
From his two decades with DENTSU Sports to now 17 years with FIFA, Hide Arai has been at the heart of the Japanese presence in sports marketing globally for decades. Great stories and insights into the Japanese Advertising Giant’s influence in global sports for the last 40 years, driven by the emergence of Japanese super brands. And a short discussion about FIFA’s state of play, with several sensitive topics appropriately edited.
Key Highlights
How it all started in the mid 80s, producing Japanese TV commercials at Dentsu Advertising
Dentsu’s first foray into sports marketing started in 1982 at the FIFA World Cup in Spain and 1984 LA Olympics – two Japanese Dentsu executives (Hartori & Takahashi) started to build a close bond with Horst Dassler, the powerful German businessman who controlled adidas and had launched ISL Marketing.
Coinciding with the growth of Japanese brands globally. Dentsu taking on calculated risk to acquire the rights to certain packages and then selling it to one of it’s 3,000 clients.
Dentsu’s investment in ISL Marketing (49%) in 1984 and playing a significant role for decades
ISL Marketing taking the FIFA rights away from Coca-Cola which were managed by West Nally at that time. Host Dassler cutting a deal with FIFA’s President Joao Havelange
First role at Dentsu Sports Division in 1990, sponsorship sales and rights activations
World Championship of Track and Field in 1993, Stuttgart, Germany – we were both there. Mike Powell story and Panasonic package size
1992, Barcelona Olympics – strong Japanese sponsor presence
Fuji & Kodak rivalry (FIFA vs IOC sponsorships) , Sony (Playstation, FIFA ) and Panasonic (Olympic TOP program) stories
His ISL Marketing years as “Dentsu Rep” (or Spy as his colleagues jokingly called it)” and some Papa Diack stories
His perspective on how the ISL powerhouse crumbled – loss of key management, wrong investments and missed IPO (Heinz Schurtenberger)
Loss of CEO may put on brakes at ISL (sportsbusinessjournal.com)
Back into Dentsu for the World Cup 1998 in France and then back to Japan to set up a new Media Rights trading division
Buying FIFA World Cup, Italian League (Canal+), Bundesliga (UFA Sports) buying rights for Japan territory
Growth of MLB rights in Japan due to Japanese players playing in the League since the 90s (NHK largest MLB broadcaster in the world)
Dentsu’s stake in World Sports Group (AFC Marketing agency for two decades) (Seamus O’Brien & Jack Sakazaki, JSM)
FIFA role from 2004 till now – Deputy Director, Business Development, sales & distribution of Media rights (partnering again with Jerome Valcke)
Difference between Agency life and life at a Federation. Different type of stakeholders and their needs
ISL and Kirch Media Bankruptcies endangering FIFA – on the back FIFA Marketing AG was created, FIFA taking commercial rights in-house, massive growth of fees (driven by Jerome)
Mastercard vs VISA drama
Growth of FIFA from 30-40 staff in the 90s to now 1,000 staff globally, all brought in-house, from ticketing, security to other areas
About Hide Arai
An avid baseball fan has turned into a sports business marketeer, Hide Arai’s association with the sports business has started in the early 80s when he joined Dentsu, the advertising giant in Japan and was subsequently assigned to ISL Worldwide in Switzerland during early 90s. As VP at ISL, his activities had entailed sponsorship sales to Japanese global brands including Canon, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Toyota, as well as sponsors activations surrounding FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games, and IAAF (now World Athletics) World Athletic Championships.
Back at Dentsu’s Sports Division from the late 90s to early 2000s, Hide Arai had driven scores of major sports rights deals as GM of the Division, including FIFA World Cups 2002-2006, Major League Baseball, English Premier League, Serie A, The Open (Golf).
After 22 years of tenure at Dentsu, he switched his career and geographical base to a sport governing body, FIFA at Zurich, Switzerland in 2004. Hide has been involved in sales and distribution of FIFA’s media rights, covering the entire Asian and African regions, as well as host broadcast production for the last 17 years.
Hide Arai holds a BA (1981) in Political Science from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan and an MBA (1987) from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, US.
His current personal pursuits are scuba-diving in South Pacific and occasional golfing.
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The Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast
The Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast is an “audio biography” series with the leading Entrepreneurs and Movers & Shakers in the business of Sports & Esports of the past 40 years.
Marcus drills deep into the career of his guests, what worked and what didn’t, the learning from the good, bad and ugly. Through his wide network, Marcus is able to host top guests from across the industry and from around the world. As a western Sports Entrepreneur operating in Asia for the past 25 years, it has a certain East-West flavour.