The Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast by Marcus Luer

Misha Sher, a sports marketing veteran, author, lecturer with a unique background and great stories from working with Pele to many other big sports properties and brands. We are going deep why brands engage with sports, esports/gaming, women’s sport and how to activate it, athlete marketing and unpacking his current role as Global Head of Sport, Entertainment and Culture at MediaCom (now called EssenceMediacom and part of WPP’s GroupM). 
 
Key Highlights
Born in Ukraine, immigrating to the US at the age of 13, culture shock, didn’t speak the language.  Football/Soccer was his language and helped him to integrate
Dream to be a pro Footballer cut short, first job in Banking in Boston – start making a living
Next stop Masters Degree in Football in Liverpool – back to his passion – thesis on Premier League Clubs in North America
Soccerex – Director of Business Development – helping expand to Singapore and new commercial ideas, ie cities paying host fees
Short sting as Ranger Football Club as Global Partnership Director – some lessons from it
Entering MediaCom – short intro on the company being part of WPP’s GroupM – managing billions of dollars of advertising money
Media agency investing in traditional media channels, agency starting to offer new services to take “customers” (Brands) into sport and other entertainment spaces
Sports marketing agencies and Media Agencies, from partners to rivals
Pele – amazing opportunity to represent him for several years to help build his brand and create commercial opportunities (Pele was 72 at the time).
Brazil about to host the FIFA World 2014 and Olympics 2016 – most iconic Brazilian sports star – building his brand by association with other iconic brands (Coca Cola, Emirates, Hublot, Procter & Gamble, etc)
Amazing networking by being around him and meeting Heads of States to CEO’s  - signing multi years, multi million dollar deals for him – managing and maximizing his time
Some personal stories about Pele, the Legend and the man he was
Deploying Clients Money – over USD 1 billion in his career across B2C and B2B opportunities -  value creation is the key
Transactional nature of industry vs “why” would/should the fan/customer care and what is the best vehicle to achieve the client’s objectives
“As a brand, don’t disrupt what people love, be the thing what people love” -  Eintracht Frankfurt sponsor example (Indeed), perfect alignment with club
Discussion about lack of understanding and budgets beyond the initial budget to buy into a property by many brands – ratio spending on activation
Balancing risk factors for brands between engagement in athletes, clubs/teams and leagues, different risk vs rewards
Athletes and influencers becoming “media platforms”, huge social media reach and the opportunity for brands
Gaming/Esport/Web3, where are the opportunities for brands – examples and discussion about future growth
Growth of Women’s sport, the importance and opportunities for brands
Working on new book  – (working title) “From Athlete to Enterprise” – how to build a personal brand and build sustainable future incomes     
 
About
Senior commercial & marketing executive with more than 15 years international experience developing some of the most iconic brands, rights holders and talent. Having operated at the cross section of sport, media, tech, talent and advertising, have an intrinsic understanding of how to unlock growth to drive commercial and strategic objectives.Have advised on strategic direction, negotiation and execution of more than £1B in partnerships across sport & entertainment in more than 40 markets. Strong business leader, with track record of building and managing diverse teams while operating in a multifaceted global organization. Possess a considerable global network of C-suite executives across sport, music, brands, governments, media owners and agencies.Passionate about embracing disruption and driving industry innovation, with opinions regularly featured in major media outlets (CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sport Business Intl). Co-Author of a best-selling book, ‘Art of Branded Entertainment’, exploring the future of uninterrupted marketing.Specialties: Leadership, Strategic planning, Marketing & Brand strategy, Business growth, Commercial partnerships, Revenue generation, Sport & Entertainment strategy and activation, Public speaking, Pitching, Sales & Business Development, Talent Management, Negotiation, Brand building.Clients include: Toyota, Coca-Cola, American Airlines, Dell, Shell, indeed, Skoda, Subway, Hotels.com, BAT, Allianz, GSK, Fonterra, Sony PlayStation, Beats by Dre, Richemont, Pelé, Brian Lara, Eniola Aluko, Liverpool FC, Watford FC.
 
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Ben Nichols, a veteran sports communication and public relations expert with decades of experiences across the industry from WADA, Commonwealth Games Federation, Sportsradar to many other consulting jobs around the world. Listen to Ben’s unique journey around the world and his new company – Padel 22 – a dedicated communication consultancy for the world of Padel sport.
 
Key Highlights
How his career started -  combining his love for writing with sports, travelling and working around the world
Working in Dubai on ATP/WTA Tour stop and Emirates Dubai Rugby, next stop Lotus Renault travelling the globe and F1 circuit
How to differentiate one F1 team from another and how to communicate it
WADA  – unpacking his 4 years at the World Anti-Doping Agency – heading to Montreal, Canada – media relations and communication
During his period, various scandals hit the press from Lance Armstrong to Russian Doping scandals, IAAF  – his experiences
WADA, an “independent” body although funded by the IOC – working across all departments to assure a clear message goes out
Pound and McLaren reports – big global media focus
Athletics Integrity Unit  set up by IAAF President, Sebastian Coe – the sport working on cleaning up its act
Commonwealth Games Federation – Gold Coast Games in Australia – setting new standards and targets for sports from gender equality to disabled vs abled body athletes competitions
From briefings at Buckingham Palace to writing opening speeches for the President    
Sportradar unique service– providing Anti-Doping Services to major event organizers  (intelligence investigation services, athlete performance monitoring, etc) – business development role
PADEL 22 – his new agency – https://www.padel-22.com
What is Padel – background and difference to other similar sports (ie. tennis, pickleball, squash, etc)
Dynamic, urban, cool new sports
Vision and mission of Padel 22 – why he set up a single focused agency – one sport, global focus
Padel vs Pickleball (European vs American style sports promotions) and ambitions of both sports
Final thoughts – opportunities around the world - “sports nomad”
Link: https://www.padel-22.com/
 
About
A leading Sports Communications, International Relations and Padel Industry professional who ran Media Relations for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during 'the biggest sporting crisis of the 21st century' - the Russian Doping Scandal. Ben also led Communications and Public Affairs for a revitalised Commonwealth Sport movement at Gold Coast 2018, transforming the perception of the modern Commonwealth Games.Ben brings with him with 17+ years’ experience and a proven track record of success running communications for the world’s leading sports series, leagues, events, teams, leaders, athletes, brands and media.Ben is an entrepreneurial figure with expertise in Strategic and Corporate Communications, Media Relations, Public Affairs, Issues & Crisis Management, Event Operations, Speech Writing, Executive Communications Counsel, Marketing and as a Spokesperson.By 26, Ben was overseeing Communications for the award-winning ATP and WTA Dubai Tennis Championships and leading the Middle East region's Communications for the 2010 Asian Games 'Road of Asia' campaign. At F1 team Lotus Renault GP, Ben led Media activity including for drivers Nick Heidfeld, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean and team sponsors. He oversaw Media Relations for WADA during a turbulent period for international sport. He was Communications Counsel for leadership; Editor of Play True Magazine; Speechwriter; and creator of widely-acclaimed interview series, WADA Talks. He executed Media Relations and Social Media for the high-profile WADA Investigation into Doping in Athletics, achieving a total US$4.60 Billion AVE in the process and resulting in #WADA becoming the World's No.1 trending topic on Twitter.As the Commonwealth Games Federation's first Director of Communications and Public Affairs, he developed and implemented the Marketing & Communications Strategy, positively shifting the public perception of what the Commonwealth Games meant worldwide.Ben ran his own Sports Communications Consultancy working with the likes of the International Padel Federation (FIP), Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), USA Weightlifting, USADA and the Athletics Integrity Unit, and also worked for global sports media and technology innovators, Sportradar, heading the Anti-Doping Services team for Europe.Today, he is working as a Strategic Communications and PR Consultant in the burgeoning sport of Padel – widely described as "the world's fastest growing sport".
 
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Great discussion with Professor Simon Chadwick, a highly respected academic in the world of sports, with several books and papers to his name and various successful consulting roles across the world combining academics with the real world.  We take a birds eye look at the world of sports, the hottest topics and issues out there, across Simon’s 20+ year career.
 
Key Highlights 
How it all started, growing up living across his local team, Middlesborough – passion passed down by generations
Premier League paper in mid 90s got the ball rolling, leading to a PhD with his thesis focused on Football Shirt deals in English Football
How to connect a brand to the heart of the fan through shirt sponsorship discussion
Working with overseas Master & PhD students to study overseas fan behavior, how do fans in China pick a “favorite club”
Stories – Ferran Soriano early vision at Barcelona & Manchester United Tour lessons from 2005
Lessons learned from trips and work IN PLACES INCLUDING THE GULF, China, Russia, - understanding the differences and impact on sports. Teaching around the world from Brazil to Japan TO THE UNITED STATES
Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy – work with them prior to the World Cup
Our discussion on “migrant worker” issues and “Sports Washing” history lessons, politics, nation branding, etc
China – what is happening since Covid – recent Winter Olympics, dropping the AFC Asia Cup (Football) as host (Geo political issues)
Public sector entrepreneur – writing books looking at Mega trends (Managing Football, Handbook of Sports Marketing, etc.  New book “The Geopolitical economy of sports” – coming out this year (Publisher: Routledge)
Women’s sports discussion, opportunities and challenges
Esports & Gaming – how countries take advantage of investments in Esports to build new industries, ie. Korea, Saudi Arabia, China
Sports coming out of Covid – survival of the fittest, concentration of power (industrial concentration)
Recession talk vs Mega Media deals globally (how to explain it) – polarization
 
About
Professor Simon Chadwick is a researcher, writer, academic, consultant, policy advisor, and speaker with more than twenty-five years experience in the global sport industry. His work focuses on the geopolitical economy of sport.Chadwick is Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School in Paris, where he is also a member of its think tank - Publika - as well as Programme Director of Skema's Global Executive MBA in Sport.Simon previously co-founded and directed Emlyon Business School's Centre for the Eurasian Sport Industry, the University of London's Birkbeck Sports Business Centre, Coventry University's Centre for the International Business of Sport, and Salford University's Centre for Sport Business. In addition, he has worked at several of the world's most prestigious business schools, such as IESE in Spain, Otto Beisheim in Germany, Tsinghua in China, COPPEAD in Brazil and Waseda in Japan.He has written numerous articles, books and research reports for the likes of Forbes, Sloan Management Review, the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Forbes, Thunderbird International Business Review, Mastercard, Newsweek, Reuters, Time, Routledge and Financial Times Prentice Hall. Chadwick has consulted for some of the biggest names in sport, such as FC Barcelona, UEFA, Adidas, the Association of Tennis Professionals, Nielsen, the European Clubs Association, Ping, Formula E, Coca Cola, and the Asian Football Confederation. Simon tweets via @Prof_ChadwickSome examples of his writing can be found via channels including:https://www.iris-france.org/geosport/https://www.policyforum.net/authors/simon-chadwick/https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-chadwick-94601/articleshttps://www.ejinsight.com/eji/author/id/10880
 
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Leigh Steinberg, aka the real life Jerry Maguire, the US Super Agent goat sharing his illustrious career and accomplishments and the trials and tribulations across his 50 year career.  Enjoy the history lessons and learnings.
 
Key Highlights
Going way back to the 1960, height of Vietnam war and dealing with then California Governor Ronald Reagan (later US President)
The start of “Agents” in American Football – first deal with Steve Bartkowski in 1975 at the age of 25 straight out of Berkely Law School  
His passion to give back to the community and how that has driven his selection of clients
Growth of the company – focus on NFL Quarterbacks, expanding into other Sports – first book, adding agents
Helping the city of San Francisco to keep SF Giants in the city, instead of being sold to investor group.
Becoming a steward of sports  (being the bridge between owners vs athletes – billionaires vs millionaires – avoid strikes, etc)
Start of the company, key partners Jeff Moorad and later David Dunn joining and some of the challenges
Discussion about the pioneers of the industry, from Mark McCormack to David Falk
Explosion of content to drive industry – sports becoming the most popular form of television programming
Selling the company and what happened after and how plans changed
Early days of athletes content online during the dot.com boom
Personal struggles taking a toll and his personal crash in 2010 – recently celebrity 12 years of sobriety – starting all over
Lessons from that time and how others can learn from it
The new beginning – Steinberg Sports & Entertainment
Story behind Jerry Maguire and how the movie came about and a bit about “Any Given Sunday”
Current biggest stars on his roster,  superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes II – comparing contract numbers across sports and agent commissions
Endorsement deals for sports stars – big difference in sports – the billionaire sports superstars of our era
NIL and the impact for High School and College players – managing expectations – social media as currency
Athletes taking equity in businesses they promote – new form of wealth creation – agency helps to cut those deals
Content creation by athletes, production and social media
What makes a great athletes a Superstar – certain qualities required
His view on the future of sports and Esports and new focus on health and wellness
Other things that keep him busy, new book, podcast, charity to agent academy -  www.steinbergspeaks.com
 
About
Leigh Steinberg, premier sports agent, entrepreneur, Chairman and founder of Steinberg Sports and Entertainment, is best known for his work building athletes into stand-alone brands. He is often credited as the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire. Leigh has represented many of the most successful athletes and coaches in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing, golf, etc., including the number one overall pick in the NFL draft for an unprecedented eight times in conjunction with 64 total first round picks. Furthermore, Leigh has represented other notable athletes, including Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis, as well as multiple Olympians and professional teams. With an unrivaled history of record-setting contracts, Leigh has secured over $4 billion for his 300+ pro athlete clients and directed more than $800 million to various charities around the world.
 
Before making a name for himself in the sports industry, Leigh was born and raised in Los Angeles by his parents, a teacher and librarian. He obtained both his B.A. in political science and his J.D. from UC Berkeley, where he was student body president during each tenure. Passionate about giving back and making it his unrelenting personal goal to make the world a better place, Leigh has also distinguished himself by his dedication to philanthropy. He has received commendations from Congress, State Senate, State Legislature, the Los Angeles City Council, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, President Reagan, President Bush, and President Clinton. Leigh has been named “Man of the Year” over a dozen times by a variety of groups, including the March of Dimes, Cedars-Sinai, the Southern California Boy Scouts, the Orange County and Los Angeles Human Relations Commissions, the Orange County and Los Angeles divisions of the Anti-Defamation League, and several other professional and charitable organizations. He has also been awarded the “Keys to the City” in San Francisco, CA, Memphis, TN, Jacksonville, FL and Concord, CA and has even been honored with the declaration of “Leigh Steinberg Day” in San Francisco after his efforts to save the Giants. In 2017, Leigh was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame.
 
Over the course of his career, Leigh has been featured on numerous national television programs, including 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, The Today Show, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Frontline, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and many more. He has been profiled in a host of magazines, including Business Week, Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, People, Forbes, Playboy, GQ, and FHM. Leigh has also served as a consultant on several feature films and television series, including Jerry Maguire, Any Given Sunday, For Love of the Game, and Arli$$. Additionally, he has supplied his expertise on the business of sports and athletes for The Dan Patrick Show, The Jim Rome Show, and The Herd with Colin Cowherd, and multiple other radio and TV outlets. Leigh contributes a weekly column to Forbes, HuffPost, and the Daily Pilot and is a guest columnist at The New York Times, Sporting News, and Yahoo Sports. In addition, Leigh has penned notable articles such as “The Future of Sports” for the Sports Business Journal, “Around the NFL in 80 Million Dollars” for Inside Sports Magazine, and “The Future of Sport” for the Smithsonian Magazine.
 
In addition to his work in the industry, Leigh is also a best-selling author. His first book, Winning with Integrity, provides insight on how to improve life through non-confrontational negotiation, and his most recent book, The Agent: My 40-Year Career of Making Deals and Changing the Game, details his decades of dominance in the sports industry and sheds light on overcoming his personal struggles to launch his comeback. Leigh has been named one of the most powerful people in the NFL by Football Digest and one of the most powerful people in sports by Sporting News. He currently resides in Newport Beach and has three children.
 
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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