The Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast by Marcus Luer

Drew Sheinman’s career is a 40 year smorgasbord in the world of sports, sports marketing, entertainment and now Private Equity from MLB, MSG, Coca-Cola, Breeders Cup, Endeavor to now Brand Velocity Partners.  Incredible journey from the humble days of a management trainee in the MLB in 1979 to now running his own Private Equity partnership. As always, enjoy listening and learning.
 
Key Highlights
Starting his career as one of the first Management trainees in the MLB
Baltimore Orioles stories, working with new ownership, winning the World Series in 1983
Next stop New York Mets, as a Yankees fan, creating new marketing and revenue streams.  “Let’s go Mets” rally song for 1986 World Series Champion – according to Rolling Stone Magazine, the greatest anthem in baseball. https://youtu.be/2N4VIXM1RJk
Two World Series Rings from Orioles and Mets days. Started his first own company, integrating sports and entertainment. Investor pulled the plug.  
Madison Square Garden – marketing and business development for the teams across many different genres, sports, entertainment, etc
Created the first MLB Fan Fest around the All-Star weekend.  MSG owned the concept.  Still running 20 years later.
Coca-Cola Director Sports Marketing – they wanted someone from the outside looking in
Coca- Cola Olympic City – at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, Theme Park concept, etc almost a 1,000 presentations to get it approved – great success story
From FMCG to Real Estate -  Running Malls for Simon Brand Ventures (250 Malls across the US). Turning them into entertainment complexes. 2 Billion visitors annually. Simon live media network.
Tiki Barber (NFL NY Giants player) partnership -  Tiki Ventures (replicating Magic Johnson success story, bringing athletes into business opportunities)
Breeders Cup – Chief Marketing/Revenue officer – 30-day crash course around the industry –
Endeavor (WME-IMG) – Brand Ventures – first agency for retired American Football players (22,000), talent management from athletes, Hollywood stars to supermodels (Agent 2.0) – working with Kobe Bryant
Brand Velocity Partners – Private Equity – started 2 years ago – independent sponsors model (closed several acquisitions already) – focus on middle-market companies
Barbeque Guys – brought in Manning Football family and other players as investors and brand ambassadors
Core Values:  integrity, kindness, carrying -  creating balance – do well and do good
Not a fund (independent sponsor model) – looking for deals which fits the model, Ebida threshold.  Then raise the funds to close the deal.
Looking across health, wellness, Tech, food & nutrition, etc -  other deals Original Footwear (Military Footwear),
Reflection on 2020 – was a great year despite the challenges – all funds raised virtual
Vision Works-  Rebels Spirit – agave spirit from Mexico – new category called “Avila”
 
About
If you want to launch, scale or monetize your business, you want Drew in the room. He's a self-described "white space" guy. The guy that not only looks forward but looks around to come up with fresh ideas to grow your business.Drew has a results-charged track record of guiding premier companies and iconic celebrities to differentiate their brand and optimize revenues through the development and execution of ground-breaking concepts, strategic partnerships and new business ventures. His ideas have created a billion dollars of top-line value.What makes Drew extremely valuable is his proven ability to shape his ideas for profit and take them to market to his vast and well-connected professional network. Drew particularly enjoys building new categories, the most challenging and exciting work of all. He is best known for envisioning and making markets in sports and entertainment for: Endeavor(WME-IMG), MLB, International Olympic Committee, Coca Cola, Madison Square Garden, Simon Property Group, Breeders Cup, NY Mets, and Baltimore Orioles.Drew is a Partner of Brand Velocity Partners, a disruptive lower-middle market private equity firm that focuses on consumer and data companies with $5-30 million of EBITDA. BVP is differentiated because of its focus on marketing, something its competitor’s lack. Drew takes great pride in BVP’s core values -- integrity, thoughtfulness and kindness.Drew is also a Director and Partner at Revel Spirits, a high quality importer of all agave spirits produced exclusively in the Morelos region of Mexico. All Revel spirits meet the high-quality standards of a trademarked new disruptive category now called “Avila.”Drew “lives every second of every day” and loves spending time with his family, dog and doing his part, such as mentoring kids in sports to make the world a better place to live. 
 
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Chris Smith, a true Gaming/Esports expert turned Entrepreneur based in Australia. We are going BIG into Esports & Gaming, learning from Chris’s background and then a deep analysis into the difference between Esports and traditional sports, including detailed discussions on numbers and revenues for Gamers and Influencers.
 
Key Highlights
Early days, pathway into the industry, turning his passion into a career, started as a player in a top four team in Australia (playing Battlefield, CSGO)  
Commentating on games, promoting LAN Parties – connecting into the industry through various roles, learning the different parts of the industry
Thermaltake Australia – Marketing & Esports Community Manager
CCC (Chris Creative Collective) – first taste of entrepreneurship – online marketing, events, websites and other services
EGAA (Esports Games Association Australia) – board member & PR/Communication
BIG Esports – esports, gaming and influencer business – including his own Podcast – operate like a “VC growth company”
Difference between Gaming and Esports (US$ 150 billion vs US$ 1 billion) - all about reaching GenZ  
Australian Gaming/Esports landscape – about 10% of the US market, similar games and dynamics as the US (LOL, CSGO, FIFA, etc)
Comparing Esports and Sports ecosystem
No clear career path for Esports players compared to traditional sports yet
League structures (Closed vs Open Leagues) – Overwatch World League - Franchise League (US$ 30 mil entry ticket)
Esports teams vs Pro Sports teams – 70% revenue from sponsorship, prize pool going mostly to players,  LCS/LOL player starting salary US$ 300k                                                             
Many Teams operate more like an “agency”, from content creation, events, licensing, etc
Owners and creators of content are the big winners – FaZe Clan great example  
Changing Meta (Most Effective Tactics Available), changing the rules of engagement in a game – pros and cons
Influencers & Gamers – Gaming is the interface – top Esports athletes are often influencers but also plenty of influencers who are not Pro-gamers
Monetization – gifting, donation, subscription, advertising, sponsorship dollars
All about accessibility – building a strong community big or small  & creating entertainment
Lots of examples of what influencers can generate
Revenue splits -  Apple/Google – 30% cut of every dollar – Epic/Fortnite is battling it
Platforms:  Twitch, Steam, Discord, YouTube Gaming, etc – places to find GenZ      
Examples of cross-fertilization and new forms of partnerships between Movies, Music, Sports IP and Gaming companies
 
About
With twelve years’ experience in gaming, esports & technology, Chris Smith is the founder & director of BIG Esports (www.bigesports.gg) – Servicing the industry through bringing new ideas and revenue lines through the door by partnering with traditional companies, sports and influencers.
Chris’ experience is wide-ranging, coming from his history in semi-professional play, community & national event coordination, game commentary, community management, business development, consultancy and PR & marketing across esports, gaming, influencers and enthusiast technology.
A major focus of present is sports celebrities becoming gamers, LinkedIn content and new revenue-generating business ideas for gaming. Past & present clients include: Fox Sports, Gemba, HOYTS Cinemas, JBHIFI, NVIDIA, ASUS, Intel, AMD.
 
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Claude Ruibal is another true Legend in our industry, with nearly 40 years across multiple major companies and roles over his career.  It’s a bit longer than the usual podcast as it was impossible to put four decades of incredible experiences in the usual 60 min.  Hang in there, it’s worth every minute, learn from his stories, from his early days at the LA 84 Olympics to his roles at ISL, Coca-Cola, Universal Sports Network, YouTube, Infront to now consulting with start-ups.
 
Key Highlights
Early days,  out of law school, getting involved in the LA 84 Olympics with two years to go to the Games – negotiating deals as part the Olympic Families team
Learning to work as a team and overcoming the Russian pullout, was the big learning
Next stop, Democratic Presidential Campaign – Michael Dukakis
United States Football League – new American Football League – managing player relations, contracts – one of the owners was Donald Trump (and listen to what happened)
From the US to Europe/UK – Saatchi & Saatchi – big UK agency – working with major clients who were sponsors of major events, ie. the 1992 Albertville, Winter and 1992 Barcelona, Summer Olympics
Off to Switzerland, ISL Marketing – SVP, selling media and sponsorship for the IAAF properties (International Association of Athletic Federation) now World Athletics
Back to the US, leading Coca-Cola’s global Football program (over US$ 300 million investment) – Leading new campaigns, ideas and activations
Dotcom boom time, getting into Ask.com (Ask Jeeves) – selling search solution to the IOC, helping raise capital for country-specific launches, having to manage things during the dotcom crash
Universal Sports Network – after 20 years in corporate/agency roles, co-founding (with Tom Hipkins) a multi-platform cable channel for Olympics sports (outside of the Olympics) for the US market – original name WCSN (World Championship Sports Network)
Taking an idea from start to a full fledge business, bringing in PE group InterMedia Partners – heavy capital intense business, which then attracted NBC Sports
From the start-up world – next stop -  Google and YouTube – Global Head of Sports Content – cleaning up the illegal use of content on YouTube,  building trust with IP owners in the platform
Rightsholders clearly not happy with YouTube but also using them to scare traditional broadcasters that Google/YouTube might get involved in rights bidding
New business model, some upfront guarantees against advertising dollars for the bigger sports, but mostly a rev-share model of ad dollars
2012 – 2014 Olympics, first time streaming bigger live content on YouTube & live stream of Red Bull Stratos jump (2012) – biggest live concurrent stream at the time (9 mil)
Pushing YouTube to go after more sports rights at the time, looking at subscription model besides the advertising model
His views for the future in the rights space – subscription (B2C) and ad model is the key for many rightsholders
YouTubes, rev share model – quick insights
Wanda Sports Group (Infront & HBS) – continuing his learning, taking charge of Digital, Production and Sports Solutions
New technologies from digital on-field branding, ie. different branding for different regions to driving innovations in Infront X Lab
HBS, Chairman of the Board, more oversight role, strong leadership team with Francis Tellier leading the production
Latest role, Ubiquity Sports - working with start-ups in interactive digital fitness, athlete tracking, contextual advertising solutions and AI-driven solutions
 
About
Claude Ruibal is a senior, results-driven leader who has extensive experience in both the sport and digital industries. His impressive career has included many strategic and entrepreneurial roles across the US and Europe, including most recently as Chairman of HBS and SVP Infront - Digital, Production & Sports Solutions. Prior to that Claude was the Global Head of Sports Content Partnerships at GoPro, and before that as Global Head of Sports Content at Google/YouTube. Previously, he acted as Chairman & CEO of Universal Sports Television Network and Director of Global Football Management at the Coca-Cola Company.
He contributes proven abilities such as starting and managing new ventures, developing and executing integrated consumer-marketing and sales programs as well as building front and back end consumer Internet streaming and content solutions. Claude Ruibal has a Juris Doctorate from the Georgetown University School of Law and a BA in Political Science from the University of California Santa Barbara.
 
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Michael Broda originally from Cologne, Germany (my hometown) is now building an Esports Group from Prague, Czech Republic.  Insiders know that Eastern Europe is a hot bed for start-ups with smart tech entrepreneurs in the region.  Michael plays both across his native German-speaking markets and Eastern Europe and is now looking to conquer the world with ESPL, a new gaming platform for the casual gamer.  Lots of great insights into the Esports ecosystem and tech side of the business.  Enjoy.     
 
Key Highlights
Michael’s early days being a Banker in Commerzbank Cologne, at that time it was cool to be a banker
Moving from Cologne to Prague (Czech Republic), back to his parents’ roots in a CFO role for a strong midsize company (EURO 400 mil turnover) in his mid-late 20s
Start of Delta Capital,  15-20 investments, using his own money. Started with turn-around of distressed companies and then start-ups. Combining old and new economy.
Starting his first investments in Esports and Gaming -  esports.com – portal about Esports news and info
Sold esports.com to Pro7/SAT 1 Media group
Founded Esports Investment Group (EIG) -  several early stage investments
Focus on digital infrastructure, data, monetization and traffic – focus on growth of Esports industry beyond the US$ 1 billion
Vibadou – German social media platform – all about creating authentic content, started with Pro-Football teams, future Esports teams
Esportido – white label club and athletes app for unique fan and sponsor engagement
Fantasy.ai – data scientist looking at new solutions for Esports community, from matchmaking to AI solutions
Gaming to Esports, closed data to open data, knowing who is in front of the screen and then provide the best products for them
Eastern European IT startup ecosystem vs Silicon Valley, price advantage and high quality, networking is key
ESPL.gg – Esports Players League – from bedroom warrior to Pro-player
TwoG Nation (another one of his investments) helped ESPL to start its tech engine.
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (KL) connection via his partners in ESPL
Structure of Esports Ecosystem from top-level tournaments by Publishers to amateur events on 3rd party platforms – building a career path from amateur to pro-player
Mobile Esports focus – initial focus on South East Asia (SEA) because of strong mobile first and some markets even mobile only markets
Expanding globally, 12 markets now, Mexico, India, etc, currently about 100k registered users – target 1 million next year
Free for now, future Freemium model – special content, coaching, etc
Franchise Model.  ESPL provides the backend system, local team runs the local marketing and brings the customers
Last thoughts on Esports and the growth in future  
 
About
Michael Broda is a German serial entrepreneur and former investment banker. He studied both, banking and finance, MBA and strategic management, MSc. He started his career in 1998 in Commerzbank Cologne and moved into the investment banking focusing on financial markets and financial derivatives.
In 2002 he moved into his first top management position, becoming CFO of CE Wood, a medium sized cee wood processing company with USD 300 mil revenues and 5000 employees in the Czech Republic. 
In 2006 he started his own venture and founded Delta Capital, an investment holding which invested into distressed assets, later also startups. Under the roof of Delta Capital he founded several companies, and acquired and sold more than 15 companies. 
In 2016 he made his first investments in the sports industry starting with Fantasy sports and later esports.com. He was fascinated by the esports industry and took over esports.com as CEO, 2 years later the company was sold to Pro7/Sat1 Media Group, one of the biggest media houses in Europe.
For the past 4 years he is very focused on the business of Esports, especially in the area of AI, infrastructure and new solutions in this space. Michael is currently leading ESPL as Founder and CEO.
 
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Alex Dreyfus, originally from France, now living in Malta, one of the betting and Blockchain hubs of the world. Alex is a true serial “net-preneur”, having started several internet related businesses, exited some successfully and struggled with some others. We are diving deep into the world of Blockchain, Tokenization (Club Token) and his current platform Socios.com powered by ChiliZ.  Alex, is raw, open and shares it like it is (enjoy the colourful language).
 
Key Highlights
Started off as a computer geek in his hometown in France, first computer at the age of six and build his own Online Forum at the age of 14
Left school at the age of 18 without any degree & without parents approval, in 1995, created his first company Mediatis which he sold later to Publicis Group
Next act, Webcity.com – initial great success and then company went bankrupt (lesson, not as important to be first….)
Took a short term job to survive and then started working on his next move, WINAMAX , online poker and sports betting website targeting France (license from the UK)
Sold his shares due to conflict with partners and moved to Malta (2006) and started Chiligaming – Chilipoker – online betting
Sold business six years later to listed US company (Bally Technologies now called Scientific Games, listed company)
Next founded Global Poker Index, global poker ranking (ATP of Poker) – started to create a “sports like product” - Global Poker League (only lasted one year, currently on hold)
Learned the importance of monetization of fanbase and that’s how ChiliZ got started
Love hate relationship with Crypto initially – anti-Bitcoin before he started to understand the tech behind it while working on Esports and Fan engagement ideas
ChiliZ – raised US$ 66 million through private placement in first half of 2018 (at the height of ICO’s, before crypto crash).  Got timing right (compared to Sportsfix, Marcus’ ICO in later 2018)
ChiliZ is the currency of the ecosystem, the Token for activities.  Also includes an Exchange to trade the token.
Originally focused on Esports but gave up due to various reasons and focused on traditional Sports teams  
Socios.com – fintech fan engagement & monetization platforms for sports teams
Vision – 99% of fans are not in the Stadium, how can you get the 99% deeper engaged using a Fan Token (creating Superfans)
Having a share of voice – digital asset vs crypto currency  - Fan token are not a crypto currency –
Socios.com launched a year ago,  300k downloads, people buy and trade token
How to buy Token on the platforms…..transaction flow
Tiering of Clubs decides level of Token being put out into the market
Pricing of token, initially set – fluctuation based on demand once listed
What is a fan – many ways to define, Fan token purchased by Crypto enthusiasts (50%) (early adopters) and superfans (non-crypto audience) (50%)
Currently token only traded on ChiliZ platform, soon tradeable outside on other exchanges
US$ 5-6 million worth of token sold (not money raised as you will hear 😊)
Business Model – for Socios and Clubs  and discussion about other innovative Tokenization and blockchain ideas to wrap it up
 
About
Alex is a serial web entrepreneur with more than 22 years of experience in the digital space, building and developing tech businesses. In the late 1990s, he pioneered Webcity, the web-based interactive tourism guide, before completing a buyout with retail giant Carrefour, and later merging with a competitor service and selling to Yelp. After co-founding Winamax (the largest French online poker room) and Chilipoker in 2006, the underpinning technology platform was sold to Bally Technologies (now Scientific Games).
In 2013, he acquired the Global Poker Index (live Poker’s leading ranking authority) as well as The Hendon Mob (the largest live poker database in the world). Dreyfus recently raised $66 million through a private token sale for Chiliz – a digital currency for sports and entertainment platforms. The first platform that will use Chiliz Tokens is Socios.com, a turnkey solution for football and sports clubs looking to adopt blockchain technology to monetise their fan bases.
To boost blockchain innovation in Malta, Dreyfus has also established the Chiliz Blockchain Campus –an accelerator and industry hub connecting some of the industry’s largest stakeholders across Asia and Europe, together with other emerging blockchain entrepreneurs. The Campus houses world-leading exchanges, crypto-friendly European banks and is a collaborative space for small to large blockchain companies.
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Patrick Murphy's fascinating career path, took him from selling door to door Junk Mail in Dublin to working in Newscorp in Hong Kong, TEAM Marketing in Switzerland and back to Hong Kong to now managing one of the largest Sports IP in Asia, the Asian Football Confederation’s commercial rights through his new partnership (FMA).  Great stories and lots of insights into the future of Asian Football.
 
Key Highlights
Getting started by selling Junk Mail in Dublin after school (1984-85) – door to door sales
His decade in the TV world, from ITV in the UK to Star TV in Hong Kong (Newscorp) in the 90s
Murdoch’s focus on Sports – creating Sports Corp inside a broadcaster (ESPN-Star Sports) – creating IP
Journey back to Europe, joining TEAM Marketing in Switzerland (exclusive agent of UEFA Champions League)
UEFA Champions League – billion dollar property – sponsorship & media deals
UEFA taking a stake in TEAM eventually
International Champions Cup (ICC) – created in the US by a US real estate billionaire (Stephen Ross)
Top European Clubs playing against each other in the US and globally instead of the old format of playing local teams during the summer window
FMA (Football Marketing Asia, previously DDMC Fortis) – the start of a new huge venture, taking over AFC (Asian Football Confederation commercial rights)
Leveraging his TEAM (UEFA) experiences and confidence that they can pull this off
Offer to work with AFC on an exclusive basis as one key differentiator & offering top Dollars (knowing that this will win or lose it) and playing the China card right
DDMC (Listed company in China) background and their reason for entering the partnership (through Super Sports)
Let’s talk numbers, deal size in the range of US$ 2.4 billion for the next 8 years  (accept a premium was paid)
And how FMA is planning to make it back and reason FMA was willing to pay the premium
How to deal with the changes in the broadcast landscape and current climate
Key will be “go local” , develop local heroes and drive up value of local Football rights vs international rights
Media, Digital, structure of media rights, packaging and marketing it
Sponsorship, important part, closer to 50% of revenue – leveraging virtual technology
FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022,  Asia Cup in China in 2023, FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/NZ in 2023  – big opportunities to showcase Asian Football to the world  
Hand over from Lagardere Sports and building a team to get started Jan 1, 2021
 
About
Over 30 years' experience working in sports media and marketing. Currently a Board Member and Chief Executive Officer at Football Marketing Asia. Patrick previously founded Catalyst Media Group (International Champions Cup) and Synergy Sports (CBF, CONMEBOL) and was formerly Managing Director, TEAM Marketing in Europe responsible for selling media and sponsorship rights for the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
About Football Marketing Asia Limited (formerly DDMC Fortis Limited)Football Marketing Asia (FMA / 亚洲足球商业开发有限公司), is the exclusive commercial partner of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the rights cycles 2021-2024 and 2025-2028. Headquartered in Hong Kong, and with offices in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and China, FMA combines unparalleled globalfootball experience with in-depth Asian know-how and expertise. Formerly known as DDMC Fortis, FMA has quickly become known as Asia’s leading football marketing agency delivering unprecedented value for fans, media partners and sponsors. The focus of the company is on one thing and one thing only: Asian football. It embraces the many obvious and subtle differences and needs in the markets in Asia and delivers tailored solutions for commercial partners and fans of AFC National Team and Club football.
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years of experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. For more information HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ

Dato Razlan Razali is living his childhood dream from running Sepang International Circuit (SIC) for over a decade, hosting F1 and MotoGP races and turning the loss-making facility into a sustainable business to turning his passion for motorcycling into being the Team Principal of the Petronas Yamaha Sepang Race Team which is taking MotoGP by storm the last two seasons and is on the verge of winning the Championship.  Listen, learn and be inspired by his stories on how to build a successful Racetrack and how those learnings helped him to create a very successful MotoGP racing team.   
 
Key Highlights
His career start, selling his first company, starting a concert company with his brother and his first job interview for the CEO role of Sepang International Circuit (SIC) which didn’t go so well. Persistency paid off and he became the CEO of SIC in 2008, few weeks before the MotoGP race.
Early days at SIC, he inherited a mess and had a culture shock,  rolled up his sleeve and started to make changes.
Starting to charge for everything in and around the track to generate new revenues.  More professionalism and commercialization was the key.
Turn SIC into a multi facet venue -  “a ballroom under the sky”.
Hosting Formula 1 at SIC stories, his first meeting with Bernie Ecclestone, again didn’t go so well……
2009 the first F1 race under his leadership, made changes, focus on what’s best for SIC and Malaysia and disregarding F1 and the arrogance of F1 teams.
Till the end, it was never a happy marriage with F1, race became jaded, nothing new and was eventually dropped.
MotoGP was the opposite, Dorna’s Carmelo Ezpeleta was open to all his ideas and wanted to do more, the growth and success of the race since then is proof.
Very vocal when F1 race was dropped,  “even given for free, Malaysia would not host F1 race”,  Reuters headline worldwide.
Revealing the fee SIC paid to F1 and the reasons why the Prime Minister of Malaysia asked him to get out.
MotoGP success stories, how it all started, creating local heroes by starting a young rider search, academy and having wild card riders in Moto3 (125cc category).
Created the first SIC Moto3 team in 2015,  challenge taking riders from “Kapcai” racing on the streets of Malaysia to a full fledge racing machine in Europe (money, motivation and mindset).
Lots of talented local riders in terms of skill but most lacking mental strength.
First Season in MotoGP in 2019 – lady luck played a role – stories of how it all started – his childhood dream came true.
Petronas played a key role in taking over a financially struggling MotoGP team.
How he found “Fabio” (Quartararo) – stroke of luck and how he came out blazing from the start and winning “Rookie of the Year” award, first podium till leading standing now.
His thoughts on winning the MotoGP Championship this year – original target was to just win the “first” race  (which they did with the first & second race of the season).
Superhumans – stories of his riders dealing with crashes.
Valentino Rossi – the Doctor is joining the team in 2021 – the story behind it (and Fabio leaving to Yamaha Factory team).
MotoGP “bubble”, how it’s working, SOPs, rules, regulations and restrictions – importance of team talks.
His prediction for the Championship with four races to go.
His final thoughts on the future of Motorsports after Covid – difference between F1 and MotoGP.
 
About
Dato Razlan Razali is a dynamic and highly successful Senior Executive with extensive high-level successes across a wide variety of industries, including world-class event management. First-class leadership skills with excellent marketing and sponsorship development experience in both national and international arenas. Consistently aims for the highest standards on a personal and corporate level. Proven ability to generate innovative growth strategies for successful and profitable companies.
Major Achievements
Sepang International Circuit receives Training Support Excellence Award 2016 at the BSI Client Appreciation Night by BSI Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
Sepang International Circuit was awarded Project Owner of the Year Award 2016 at Shell Bitumen Technical Conference & Customer Appreciation Dinner by Shell Malaysia.
Sepang International Circuit was awarded the Global Branding Award 2016 in theGlobal Brands Icon in Motorsport by Global Brands Council.
Sepang International Circuit receives Utusan Business Award 2015 in the category of Sports Entertainment Sector.
Sepang International Circuit was awarded the Best Event Management Company for Excellence at the rAWr Awards 2015 by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCeb) and the Malaysia Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS).
Sepang International Circuit received the Bronze Award in the Corporate Branding category at the Malaysia PR Awards 2014/2015.
Sepang International Circuit was awarded for its excellence in the Industry Class in Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (“MICE”) in the State of Selangor, Malaysia in 2014.
Sepang International Circuit received OHSAS 18001:2007 certification in 2013.
Sepang International Circuit received the Best Grand Prix Award in 2012 for Malaysia MotoGP by the International Road Racing Team Association (“IRTA”)
Sepang International Circuit awarded Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor 2012.
Sepang International Circuit received ISO 9001:2008 certification in 2011.
Sepang International Circuit was awarded the coveted Facilities Improvement Plan Fund in 2010 by the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (“FIA”).
Masterminded the creation and development of Pineapple Concerts (a successful Malaysian events management company); led the organisation, promotion, marketingand sponsorship of large-scale sell out events, including huge concerts by major international artistes the Black Eyed Peas, Lionel Richie, Earth, Wind & Fire and Kanye West.
Championed and led the first mobile e-tickets programme in Asia.
Successfully raised USD6 million in capital investment for WAP Portal Sdn Bhd from a listed Malaysian company and a listed company from Singapore, convincing both companies to invest based purely on a concept presentation with no physical product, which clearly demonstrates high level influencing/negotiation skills.
Consistently worked at Board Level as Director, Non-Executive Director and on the Audit and Remuneration Committees for a major mechanical and electrical service public listed company, Bintai Kinden Corporation Berhad.
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years of experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. For more information HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ

Robert Müller von Vultejus has been on the forefront of Sports Marketing for decades, as would appear in many different companies, but in reality, these groups were often an “iteration” of previous legacy businesses.  Operating for 25 years from Hamburg, Germany, Robert gives us a great inside look into all the companies and is now one of the key executives to take Sportfive 2.0 back to its glory days globally.  Listen to his fascinating career and stories across UFA Sports 1.0, Sportfive 1.0,  Lagardere, UFA Sports 2.0 to now Sportfive 2.0 again.
 
Key Higlights
Robert's start into the industry, studied Sports Management in Bayreuth, while studying and DJ-ing started his first agency
UFA Sports 1.0,  in Hamburg,  his boss Bernd Hoffman, ownership by Bertelsmann Group/RTL - the old Media Rights arbitrage game, buy/sell rights
Merger of UFA Sports with Sport + (Sports marketing arm of Canal+) and  Jean Claude Darmon (French sports marketing group) – new group called Sportfive, managing the German and French culture -  lasted a few years and was sold again to Advent (US PE Group). Opportunity for management to participate in deal.
New focus on “Comprehensive Marketing” of 25 Football Clubs in Europe
Different models of upfront guarantees and other facilities to clubs and rights holders – mostly internally funded based on EBIT of Euro 90-100 mil
Next sale to Lagardere Group (French again) for EURO 860 million (US$ 1 b)  - good move from a shareholder point of view, but company culture suffered (entire senior management left)
UFA Sports 2.0, starting again with the team that left Lagardere Sports and found RTL as investors again
New way of working with rights holders, open book, more transparent way – helped to grow the new business , starting in 2008 during the global financial crisis
Sold UFA Sports 2.0 to Lagardere Sports (RTL was looking to exit, change in strategy)  - initially Lagardere was black listed until discussion with Philipp Hasenbein changed the view
Lagardere, where did it all go wrong. Multiple reasons ……. And Recently sold for a fraction of the original value to HIG Capital
Sportfive 2.0 (after the purchase by HIG Capital), reason to go back to the old name, 1,000 strong team with offices in Germany and across Europe, US, Asia
Focus on Selling, still strong portfolio across the regions from rights representation to talent business and consulting
Strong believe that the Agency business is still very important in the ecosystem but a new approach is needed  
Sportfive in Esports – RIOT Games tournaments in Europe, T1 from Korea
Career highlights and worst moments
His view on sports going forward after Covid and during the pandemic
 
About
Robert Müller von Vultejus, born in 1969, graduated in sports economics at the University of Bayreuth in 1994. He started his professional career at UFA Sports GmbH as a manager in media rights marketing in the same year. From 1997 to 2002, Müller von Vultejus was responsible for the European football business as a member of the management board. In 2001, UFA Sports was renamed Sportfive and Müller von Vultejus was appointed Managing Director with responsibility for the German business.
In December 2007, Robert Müller von Vultejus left the Sportfive Group and in 2008, together with former high-ranking Sportfive managers, he founded a startup company named UFA Sports, later renamed U!Sports GmbH. The start-up was bought by the Lagardère Sports Group in 2015 and became part of the global network of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment. In addition to his role as Managing Director of Lagardère Sports Germany, Robert Müller von Vultejus continued to be Managing Director of U!Sports and moreover was responsible for the European Business Development Unit of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment. In April 2020, Lagardère Sports and Entertainment was sold to H.I.G. Capital.
In 2020, Müller von Vultejus has been appointed Chief Growth Officer (CGO) and is one of four members of the Executive Committee of the international sports business agency SPORTFIVE. Müller von Vultejus is a family man, plays tennis and has a preference for fitness, nutrition and cooking. He is married, father of four children and lives with his family in Hamburg.
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years of experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. For more information HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ

Chris is sharing stories of his illustrious career from being a founding executive member of Major League Soccer, to working at FIFA World Cups and Olympics at the client-side with Yahoo and VISA which has led him to his current role as the Chief Commercial Officer of the LA 2028 Olympics and the US Olympic & Paralympic Properties. With eight years out, it’s a long and interesting road ahead.
 
Key Highlights
Accidental entry into sports, not the typical lawyer career path.  Doug Logan, a client and first Commissioner of Major League Soccer got him involved in the new League
Working at the MLS – with industry Tycoons from Lamar Hunt, Phil Anschutz and Bob Kraft and Alan Rothenberg.  From Team names to Venues, tickets, etc starting from scratch
Credit to founders for keeping the League alive to the big success it is now
Yahoo Days,  dot com era.  Yahoo became Partner of FIFA on 9/11 (announcement on the fatal day) and Chris’s role, FIFA World Cup in Japan/Korea
Premier Partnerships, joining Randy Bernstein who left Yahoo and started the agency
A decade at VISA, transition from Agency to Client-side. Lots of “internal selling” vs external. Olympic and Rugby sponsor at the time. Not yet with FIFA
First VISA involvement at FIFA World Cup in South Africa 2010.  Massive issues in the transition between Mastercard and VISA prior to it.
Why is VISA in Sports – growth of VISA brand is directly lined to Olympics.  Pass through rights for Banks is key.  
FIFA deal, target to reach a different consumer base than Olympics.  More Debit card focused than Credit Card.  First World Cup, huge success.
Marcus & Chris 1984 LA Olympics stories
LA 28 – The story behind the LOGO and MARKS
Eight Years out – first focus is TEAM USA and develop a long term story for brands
Elevator pitch – key is to empower brands, drive engagement, drive brands business – co-creation
Talking Numbers,  US$ 2.5 billion target in sponsorship.  US$ 7 billion overall budget  
Balancing act between IOC Global partners and local partners
Tokyo learning and how to work with partners – extension without any additional fees
Learning/Lessons from his career – don’t take yourself to seriously and don’t let the job get into your head (teamwork matters)
 
About
Chris Pepe is a seasoned sports business executive leading commercial negotiations, property and team management, market activation and business development. As the Chief Commercial Officer for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP), the joint venture between LA28 and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Pepe is responsible for marketing and selling rights for LA28 and Team USA from 2021 through 2028.
Prior to USOPP, Pepe was Head of Strategic Partnerships for Visa International’s North American Product Division. During nearly 10 years there, he held various leadership positions including Head of U.S. Sports & Entertainment Partnerships and Global Head of FIFA/Football Management in Visa’s Worldwide Sponsorships and Partnerships group. In these roles, Pepe managed many of Visa’s multi-million dollar sports investments and led many of the company’s global sports and lifestyle strategies.
In addition to his career at Visa, Pepe has developed business strategies for a variety of sports and entertainment properties, including the first-ever global sales network at Yahoo! and Premier Partnerships when in its startup phase. He began his career in sports as a founding executive member at Major League Soccer (MLS).
Pepe received his B.A. and J.D. from Villanova University and is a cited expert in trusted sport business outlets including Sports Business Daily, Sportcal and Inside the Games.
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years of experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. For more details HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ

Nigel, has been around the block for nearly 40 years in our industry, and in his typical no-nonsense British style, delivers a masterclass in Events Operations, starting with his first event in the 80s to his role as Advisor of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Bid in Qatar.  Nigel is a true entrepreneur who understands the value of working with tight budgets, putting his own money on the line and using “strategic thinking” as a key tool.  Learn about “Structured Visual Thinking” and how Nigel uses this across many new projects around the world now.
 
Key Highlights
His start in early 80s at a major Athletics Events in the UK and working on the America’s Cup Victory Challenge (Media & PR)
1991 Rugby World Cup, first major gig (Media & Accreditation Services).  Alan Callan negotiated a deal for all commercial rights to the Rugby World Cup in perpetuity story (CPMA & Rushmans partnership) and the growth of the rights
Moto GP story and how important it is to build relationships across the board
Asian Games in Doha, Qatar 2006 – first big gig in the Middle East – scale and size of the Asian Games is huge (bigger than Olympics) and significant event for the region
Qatar - “Expect Amazing” at the FIFA World Cup 2022, helping Qatar winning the bid – structured thinking process
Never saw any wrong doings by the Bid Committee, playing Devil’s Advocate and initially sceptical about the air cooling system concept
Many venues are temporary and will be sold to other countries afterwards
Volunteer programs from South Africa to Qatar
London Olympics 2012, Non-accredited Media center for the City of London
Nigel’s view on overblown budgets by large event organizers, staffing vs volunteers
Rushmans new focus on “Structured Vision Thinking” (optimization, planning and strategies)
Biggest learning from 40 years (never react in haste)
Biggest success (Rugby World Cup 1991 and winning the Qatar bid) and failure (online accreditation platform)
Final tip “stay fluid with event dates in current climate”  
 
About
Nigel Rushman has spent 25 years working with governments and enterprises on wide ranging programs all over the world.
“Nigel is a continuous learner, working with enterprises to create ‘clarity of purpose’, ‘get stuff done’, “making it real”  and using “uncommon thinking to deliver common sense”.
He continues to study psychology, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, negotiation and strategy as these are becoming foundational to the vital changes businesses need to make.
After founding, building and selling marketing and PR companies, he has established and advised numerous businesses, governments and organisations across a broad range of industries including technology, data, broadcast, sports, medtech, catering, construction, manufacturing and others. He has directed and project managed over 500 political, sports and commercial programmes in more than 30 countries over the last 25 years.
Working with John Caswell, Nigel travels the world helping governments and enterprises large and small solve their challenges and master their opportunities.
A Co-founder of Venica with the mission of ‘Making Good Science Good Business’. Nigel is active in numerous businesses and initiatives worldwide.
You can find out more about Nigel through his blog www.nigelrushman.com.
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years of experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. For more details HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ

From aspiring Music DJ, turned Music Executives working with some of the biggest labels and artist to Chief Digital Officer at the PFL (Professional Fighters League).  Learning from the music industry and how platforms evolved and disrupted the industry and how that relates to sports now and how the PFL is leveraging the new trends to its advantage by launching its own OTT.    
 
Key Highlights
From Liquid Audio, to Napster to EMI Music – the first decade in the music industry operations
Early learning, the power of data, if it’s not collected and recorded properly, no revenue from it
EMI Music – growth of ring-tones for Mobile devices globally – platforms starting to emerge
Katy Perry story,  Last Friday Night release on Facebook through a “fake” profile
Calvin Harris, how he became a big EDM star, new way of promoting an artist
Beyonce, launch of Lemonade Album (Parkwood Entertainment), from Super Bowl Half time show to other creative “drops”, giving fans access to content before it goes out officially
Complex Networks,  learning creative content creation and distribution there
Professional Fighters League (PFL) – the difference to other Fight sports Leagues (League format)
How to become a clear #2 in the space behind the UFC
PFL’s OTT play and the reason why – best place for fans to consume the content
Key learning from his career, be flexible and solutions oriented, turn challenges into new opportunities
Cancelling the 2020 season for health and safety reasons first
International Qualifiers, starting overseas early next year and then the US season 
Future of digital,  anytime, anywhere, any device.  NBA leading with innovations
Final thoughts on piracy   
 
About
Dan Ghosh-Roy joined the PFL from Complex Networks, where he served as SVP, Marketing and Audience Development. During his tenure, he created and curated engaging content, reaching millions of fans with varied passion points, developed customer acquisition campaigns and oversaw year-over-year growth across Complex’s social and web properties.
Prior to Complex, he served as Head of Digital for Parkwood Entertainment, responsible for the strategy and execution of Beyoncé's digital business. Dan previously held senior leadership roles at Ultra Music and EMI Music, working with the likes of Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg, Coldplay, Calvin Harris, Steve Aoki and others.
 
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years of experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. Check out for more details HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ

Seven Volpone is a true artist turned entrepreneur, from singer, songwriter to starting several businesses and now leading the Big Block Family Office and Sub-Nation to new heights across various “sub-cultures” from Esports, Gaming, Music, entertainment, Sports, etc.
 
Key Highlights
Early days as music artist from Pop Rock to Country Harmony
We3Kings, the first business, created Music IP for TV shows, Sports teams Theme songs, brands, etc
From Hit TV Sitcoms to Green Bay Packers – G-Force – helping win the Super Bowl
Secret Futurist,  looking at leading technology, and tech for the future , focused on Digital ecosystems
Push Point Management & Media Group – lead him to work with ESL and getting into Esports
Adidas story, in the early days of Esports
Realizing the power of Esports to connect with younger generations through the “lifestyle and culture” part
Connecting with Bruce Bendell and setting up the Family Office, Big Block Capital Group
The start of Sub-nation and building the team
Project with E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) on creative concepts
Big Vision, to be the Disney of “E-Gaming” – creating IP and partnering with venues, cities and IP owners
Enhancing the experience for the Gamers – content creation, new concepts   
Atari Hotel concept coming to your city soon  
Big Block Capital Family office – 5Cs – Culture, Content, Conversation, Commerce,
Investments in Israel tech start-ups, via Surround Ventures, from entertainment, sports to media
Focus on Millennials and Gen Z, guide brands to connect with this audience
Tips to young executives or entrepreneurs.  Check out the “Great Fail” Podcast by
Final look into the future as a Futurist
 
About
Seven Volpone is an Executive, Fund Manager and Entrepreneur who for over a decade served as President, Co-Founder and architect behind the music, marketing and branding company We3Kings. He has been recognized through out the gaming, Music, Television, & Marketing communities for not only his award winning IP but his forward thinking business development initiatives and integration campaigns that included the likes of AAMCO transmissions, Whiskey Falls & Dale Earnhardt Jr., Whiskey Falls and NAPSTER, The American Labors Union, The Atlanta Braves, and television shows for FOX, NBC, Mark Burnett, and many more. Seven’s drive, entrepreneurial spirit and ability to understand the delicate art of branding, integration and advertising was what led him to conceptualize and develop the celebrity integration and social influencing platform Radio Connect/TwitYap which he sold to the Publicly traded entity Xhibit Corp (XBTC). Seven later became a consultant for Xhibit Corp and its wholly owned entities SkyMall and SkyMall Ventures, (a leader in the loyalty space). Seven is a leader in the ever-changing media and digital space and he brings over a decade of executive experience from all facets of the entertainment industry as well as key relationships, with top tier, developers, celebrities, athletes, managers, agents, TV networks, producers and corporations that aid in his ability to help develop companies and brands. In addition to Seven’s music and content development initiatives, he advises & consults 3rd party companies and individuals through his company AFDKAM on strategic business development opportunities and the leveraging of content, technology, brand integration, online product sales and social influence in new media. 
 
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years of experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. Check out for more details HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ

Ravi Krishnan is a true pioneer in Indian sports, from Australia with Indian origin, he was part of the team which set up IMG India 25 years ago and later on lead the organization.  We take a good look into what has happened over those 25 years in Indian sports and where it is heading in the future, including his own venture Stepathlon.  Enjoy the history lessons.
 
Key Highlights
From being an inspiring youth tennis player in Australia to getting even more inspired reading an article about Mark McCormack and his route to get into IMG
Part of the team to set up IMG India in the mid 90s, getting the basic right
Hospitality of Cricket World in India in 1996 opened the doors to all the corporates, building relationships which lasted till today
Sahara Cup in 1997, India vs Pakistan in Toronto, another game changer (it’s war minus the shooting)
First ATP tournament in India in 1996, still around till today, not an easy start and not a huge initial success
Inside look into the IPL and how it started, why it worked and the ingredients which made it work
Franchise Model, the “Indian way” – and how other sports are now copying it in India with mixed success
Banter on Media rights model
Football in India & IPTL model dissected
Stepathlon –  virtual racing, his vision, being a health & wellness company which brings a new form of “fan engagement” and activation to brands and stake holders (data driven)  
Final advise for young execs – network, move and be prepared to fail
And look into the future
 
About
Ravi Krishnan is a key and prominent name in the business of Sports, Entertainment and Media in India. According to BusinessWorld he has been a pioneer in India's sports management business, helping global sports and media group IMG find a foothold in the country back in 1995.
As Managing Director of IMG he was instrumental in creating properties such as the Sahara Cup, The Aircel Chennai Open, Lakme India Fashion Week and many more noteworthy events in India. He has played a notable role in developing potential new business opportunities in the field of Sports, Entertainment and Media. Ravi continues to explore and develop business in the Industry and helped secure Mahindra & Mahindra as the title sponsor of the inaugural Mahindra Sri Lanka Premier League.
As Vice Chairman, Ravi also played an important strategic role with Rajasthan Royals, champions of IPL 2008.
Ravi was featured among the 50 Most Influential People in Indian Sport by Sports Illustrated (2010) and India's Top 25 Executives under age 40 by Business Today (2004).
Currently, he is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Stepathlon Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. (SLPL), a global wellness company that aims to create an ecosystem promoting corporate health, fitness and productivity by increasing daily activity, through a unique Mass Participation initiative called Stepathlon - A race around the virtual world. In the last two years, Stepathlon has contributed towards gaining participation from more than 500,000 employees from 722 companies across 75 Countries and 1040 cities/locations.
 
-----------------------------------------------
If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years of experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. Check out for more details HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ-----------------------------------------------

Jeff Marks is a true Sports Entrepreneur, having started several agencies from an early age and now leading a “best in class” COI (Contractual Obligated Income) Agency which is breaking grounds around the world, including a recent huge deal with FC Barcelona to manage the branding of the Nou Camp Stadium and new facilities.  Tons of learning and insights into the world of COI.  
 
Key Highlights
Early start during MBA days, Managing Director of a 2 Man Consulting business with his Professor. Stubhub story, the one that got away.
Started Sports Business Ventures, Venture Capital Pledged Fund dedicated to Sports, partnered with Alan Rosenberg and other big hitters
Premier Partnerships, premier Naming rights agency. Generating massive COI, for large US teams and franchises.
Premier Ventures, advisory agency, another run at Venture Capital
Innovate Partnership Group (IPG360), starting of a new business development group to help sports IP owners generate long term commercial revenue
Two words you are not allowed to say “Sales” or “Sponsorship” in IPG
Four Main Areas of Focus:
Consultative business development
Valuation analytics
IP Asset creation
Creative agency
Proprietary Software – Partnership intelligence platform (a brand new Valuation System)
Direct and Indirect Revenue measurements
R&D, Technology, other non-traditional areas to measure returns
Projects:  US Triathlon,  Circuit of Americas (US F1 Track), MLS teams, Canadian Premier League
FC Barcelona story -  Goldman & Sachs intro leads to working on re-development of Camp Nou
Not just about Naming rights of a Venue but way beyond …. Naming a part of the city
B2B elements in sports partnership deals
New NTT Japan Partnership, re-imagine marketplace
Allianz and other examples of brands leveraging the power of Naming partnerships and Venue deals (Verizon 5G)
Sponsorship Hierarchy of Needs (based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)
Social Responsibility getting more important
Advise - Give and don’t sell – figure out how you can add value first
Also working with Non-for-profit, municipalities and Health Care Groups on Marketing partnerships
Final Learning, sales people always get recognized the most, important to also celebrate the team behind it and reward them
 
About
Jeff Marks is a sports business executive with over twenty years of experience working with C-level executives at Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, leagues, venues, governments, universities, franchise owners and investors. Marks currently serves as Founder and Chief Executive of IPG360 (Innovative Partnerships Group) which is a leading business development company that drives long-term revenue for prestige properties with a focus on sports and entertainment.
Marks has been credited with negotiating the largest naming rights agreement of 2016, the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village, which turned out to be one of the most recognized sports deals of the year and a catalyst for changing how naming rights and commercial partnership deals are executed in the sports industry and beyond.
Marks has worked on over a hundred plus business partnerships over his career and a few notable partnerships include: Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Globe Life Park in Arlington, TD Place in Ottawa, Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium and O.co Coliseum and Tim Horton’s Field. Marks also executed one of the largest jersey naming rights deal in MLS history with the Atlanta United and American Family Insurance.
Jeff Marks is also credited for developing the sports industry’s leading valuation tool which is an analytical sales model for identifying, creating and valuing sponsorships and naming rights.
Marks is a frequent industry speaker on revenue related topics in the Sports Industry including NFL league meetings, Sports Business Journal and other industry organizations. Marks is an adjunct faculty member at University of San Francisco’s Sports Management Program and teaches “New Business Models in the Sports Industry.” He frequently provides sports business insight to leading national media outlets, and has also published industry studies on sports business trends and best practices.
Prior to IPG360, Jeff served as president of Premier Ventures which specializes in sports investment and advisory for owners seeking to build shareholder value around sports franchises, emerging properties and related businesses. Jeff was concurrently Managing Director of Premier Partnerships where he executed some of the top sports commercial business transactions in the country over the last decade. Marks was also Founding Partner and Managing Director of Sports Business Ventures (SBV), a sports investment and advisory firm.
Marks currently serves on the LA Sports Council Board as well as the Cedars Sinai Medical Center Sports Spectacular Committee. Jeff is also involved with his alma mater, the University of California Berkeley on the Revenue Generating Board and the Berkeley Athletics Southern California Committee. Jeff is a member of YPO and former chairman of the Golden West Chapter. Marks is also a past chair of the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Marks earned a bachelor’s degree in International Economics with a minor in Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He is married with two children and considers Los Angeles, California his home.
 
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If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Virtual Sports Entrepreneurs University (SEU) too.
The Sports Entrepreneurs University is a natural extension of the Podcast series. It's a deep dive into the world of Sports & Esports. Marcus will be sharing his 25 years experience and learning as a Sports Entrepreneur and connecting the dots. It's a 6 weeks course with an opportunity to join an Affiliate Partnership program after. Check out for more details HERE-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/university-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ-----------------------------------------------

Greg has had an incredible journey and with it great stories to tell from his Pro-Basketball playing days at Greek’s Olympiakos to launching his first Agency and selling it to SFX, working with David Stern at the NBA, joining Madison Square Garden, Guggenheim Media, Ticketmaster in senior roles to now bringing his passion for sports to Hollywood with game1.  Listen, learn and get inspired.
 
Key Highlights
From playing basketball at the University of Connecticut to going back to his roots with Olympiakos in Athens, Greek
SME Branding story, after re-branding “The Patriots” (no not those Patriots), over 1,500 re-branding assignments across sports from Colleges to athletes
Acquisition of SME by SFX Sports in late Nineties
BrandThink, his new baby, taking branding to a strategic level
Call from David Stern, after re-branding Detroit Pistons successfully, re-positioning of the League globally
Early days of the Charlotte Hornets franchise – tough job in tough environment, small market team
Back to the Big Apple, Madison Square Garden, focused on bringing in new Revenue
Guggenheim Media – Dick Clark Production – exposure to entertainment and branded content
Missing his Sports Tribe, swing back into Sports retooling Ticketmaster Sports Division
Game1 -  Sports, Culture and Stories -  combining his passion for sports with his Hollywood partners Basil Iwanyk (John Wick franchise) and Michael Smith (ESPN Sports Center)
Becoming a “storyteller” from short form, documentary, feature films to Podcasts in Sports
Back to being an Entrepreneur
The meaning of “Elevated Content”
Forty projects in pipeline from Feature films, scripted, unscripted to podcast
The Last Dance, amazing storytelling and perfect timing
Danica Patrick, former Race driver, new show about Equality – Oprah Winfrey watch out
Content distribution & Funding/Financing strategies
Covid’s challenges and opportunities   
 
About
Greg Economou is a Co-Founder and Partner of game1, the cutting-edge content incubator that sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and culture, producing an array of sports-related content in conjunction with the world’s greatest athletes, teams, leagues, and their counterparts in the entertainment industry. This content includes feature films, scripted and unscripted television and digital programming, as well as audio programming. In his role at game1, he helps oversee the day-to-day operations of the company, while leading all revenue generation and white label studio efforts.
Economou also manages his own advisory and investment practice formed in 2016 that focuses on helping a variety of businesses succeed in and around the sports and entertainment industries through strategic counsel and at times financial support and investment. In this capacity, he and his team oversee a series of advisory assignments that range from strategy development, branding, marketing, and digital to client acquisition, business development and sales as well.
Prior to launching game1 and his advisory practice, Economou served as Chief Commercial Officer & Head of Sports at Ticketmaster. In this role, he directed the company’s extensive sports division, overseeing all Ticketmaster products and services delivered to clients throughout professional sports and college athletics, while also leading all new business development efforts as well. Economou also had responsibility over all of the company’s industry sales and marketing operations, including sales operations, brand marketing, enterprise marketing, sponsorship and partnership marketing, event marketing, as well as all premium product sales and services included in the Ticketmaster Agency offering.
Economou previously served as the Executive Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer at Guggenheim Media/Dick Clark Productions where he built a thriving branded content practice with over $250M worth of deals in four years. Prior to that, he served as Executive Vice President of Revenue Performance for The Madison Square Garden Company (CRO) where he oversaw multiple billion-dollar revenue portfolios. Economou has also held senior positions as the EVP of Business Operations & Chief Marketing Officer of the Charlotte Hornets (COO) and SVP of Marketing & Communications of the NBA (CMO). In addition to the above-mentioned roles, he also co-founded and sold two successful sports industry-centric consulting firms, BRANDTHINK and SME Branding. He began his career in sports as a professional basketball player in Europe, playing for Olympiakos in Athens, Greece – following a successful collegiate basketball career at the University of Connecticut.Economou also serves on several advisory boards, including Journey One, LAFC, Merchant Advocate, OpenNode, ReachTV, and Sportsdigita, while formerly serving on the advisory boards of The Player’s Tribune and the American Film Institute.  He lives in Santa Monica with his fiancé, Juliette de Campos, and his three sons, Rip 20, Luke 17, and AJ 15.
 
-----------------------------------------------If you are enjoying the Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast (SEP) series, check out our Sports Entrepreneurs Mastermind (SEM) sessions too.
-----------------------------------------------The SEM sessions are an extension of the SEP series, where we bring experts from around the world together for 1.5-2 hours of brainstorming, learning, discussion and connecting.  It’s a live online round table format, moderated by Marcus Luer which includes a short presentation by him to set up the topic of the session and then the members will discuss, share their thoughts, ask questions and debate the topic.  The direction of the discussion is truly influenced by the participants of the given session.  It’s a fascinating learning experience for everyone involved. Come join us for future sessions by getting on our mailing list.  Please register HERE
-----------------------------------------------Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://lnkd.in/ferKA6NFacebook: https://lnkd.in/fw7Z_9hLinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/fVQzNj5Website: https://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.comhttps://marcusluer.com/mastermind-----------------------------------------------Feel Good by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_feel-goodMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/bvgIqqRStcQ-----------------------------------------------