PLL co-founder and President Paul Rabil joins Alex Sherman to discuss the Premier Lacrosse League’s $100 million funding round, its path toward team ownership, and how the 2028 Olympics could accelerate lacrosse’s growth. The conversation covers media rights, player salaries, AI, youth development, women’s lacrosse, and what it takes to build a mainstream pro sports league.

Episode Notes

Premier Lacrosse League founder Paul Rabil sits down with Alex Sherman to break down the business strategy behind the PLL’s latest funding round and the league’s long-term plan to turn lacrosse into a larger professional sports property. Rabil explains why investors are increasingly interested in sports leagues, how the PLL’s single-entity C-corp model differs from traditional leagues, and why lacrosse’s return to the Olympics in 2028 could create a major growth window for the sport.

The conversation explores how the PLL is thinking about team sales, local ownership, sponsorship, media rights, player compensation, and the challenge of converting casual sports fans into lacrosse fans. Rabil also discusses how the league uses social media, storytelling, youth development, women’s lacrosse, and AI to scale more efficiently while building a stronger foundation for the future.

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Timestamps:

01:00 Paul Rabil explains the investor pitch behind the PLL’s new funding round

Mentions and resources:

Premier Lacrosse League: https://premierlacrosseleague.com

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Rafael Nadal reflects on his Netflix documentary, early training in Mallorca, rivalry with Roger Federer, retirement, injuries and what comes next after one of tennis’s greatest careers. He also shares why Novak Djokovic’s numbers define the GOAT debate and what Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner would need to achieve to enter that conversation.  Then, Alex speaks with CNBC’s Michael Ozanian about his upcoming Empires Valuations list.

Episode Notes

Rafael Nadal joins Alex Sherman for a wide-ranging conversation about his life, career, retirement and the new documentary chronicling his final chapter in professional tennis. The 22-time Grand Slam champion and 14-time French Open winner opens up about why he finally agreed to let cameras into his life, how his family and team adjusted to the documentary process, and why watching a film about himself is such a difficult experience.  The conversation explores Nadal’s earliest days in Manacor, Mallorca, where his uncle Toni Nadal began coaching him as a child. Nadal explains how natural ability, hard work, family support and the right environment all shaped his path, while emphasizing that he always loved tennis, even through the most physically challenging periods of his career.

Nadal also reflects on the contrast between his on-court intensity and his off-court personality, his famous routines and rituals, and the mental focus required to compete at the highest level. He discusses his legendary rivalry with Roger Federer, why their opposing styles made the matchup so special, and why he believes Novak Djokovic’s record makes him the greatest tennis player of all time by the numbers.

The episode also covers Nadal’s retirement, the hip injury that ultimately ended his playing career, and why he feels confident there was nothing left in the tank. Looking ahead, Nadal shares his focus on expanding the Rafa Nadal Academy, growing his foundation, spending time on business projects, and why full-time coaching is not currently part of his life plan.

Topics discussed:

Timestamps:

01:39 Watching a documentary about his own life and career

02:18 Nadal’s early childhood in Mallorca and first tennis memories

04:04 Why he never hated tennis, even during difficult periods

05:32 Life after fame and returning to his real life after retirement

06:57 Roger Federer, elegance and what made their rivalry unique

08:14 Nadal’s rituals, routines and focus during competition

09:42 Retirement, injuries and why his career ended the way it did

11:33 Why a comeback is not part of Nadal’s next chapter

12:03 Rafa Nadal Academy, foundation work and business projects

12:55 Whether Nadal would ever coach a player full time

13:38 Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and the GOAT debate

14:46 Nadal’s most meaningful career victories

Mentioned in this episode:

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Episode Summary

NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum joins Alex Sherman to discuss the league’s surging ratings, new media partnerships, international expansion plans, ticket accessibility, draft lottery changes, and how AI could shape officiating. The conversation offers a high-level look at where the NBA is headed across Europe, Africa, Seattle, Las Vegas, and beyond.

Episode Notes

NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum joins Alex Sherman for a wide-ranging conversation on the business, growth, and future of professional basketball. Tatum discusses why NBA ratings are climbing, how new media partners like NBC and Amazon are helping tell player stories, and why the league sees major long-term opportunities in Europe, Africa, and domestic expansion markets.  The episode also covers the economics of NBA Finals ticket prices, the league’s approach to fan accessibility, the evolving draft lottery system, and how technology and AI may assist referees with calls in the future. Plus, sports professor Rick Horrow joins the podcast to talk this week in sports.

Topics discussed:

Timestamps:

01:43 New NBA media rights partners, NBC, Amazon, ABC, and ESPN

Mentioned in this episode:

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MLS commissioner Don Garber breaks down why the 2026 World Cup is “rocket fuel” for Major League Soccer—and what metrics (attendance, media coverage, social growth, and player movement) will prove it. He also explains MLS 3.0, the league’s post-World Cup calendar shift, and what he’d change about the Apple TV model as MLS plans its next media rights chapter. Alex also speaks with Mark Trübenbacher, CEO of Stadium Growth Lighting.  They are the company in charge of preserving the grass on every World Cup pitch. 

Key topics and takeaways

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Links & resources

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RCX Sports has been building a youth sports platform around pro-league partnerships—now it’s scaling with new investment. In this conversation, host Alex Sherman sits down with Eli Manning and RCX Sports CEO/founder Izell Reese to break down the acquisition by Brand Velocity Group (BVG), how the business works, and the bigger question: can private equity and “keep it affordable” youth sports actually coexist? 

They explain RCX’s model as a services-and-licensed-gear engine supporting local organizations like Parks & Recs and YMCAs, while licensing pro league branding for uniforms and equipment—what Reese describes as “Little League baseball meets fanatics.” 

Eli frames the investment thesis in human terms: access, life lessons, and grassroots community reach—plus the built-in fandom flywheel when kids play under real NFL team logos at a young age. 

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Broadcasting from Paris during the French Open, Brad Gilbert joins Alex Sherman to unpack the business of tennis through three lenses: playing, coaching, and broadcasting—plus what’s really happening behind the scenes right now at Roland Garros.

Gilbert argues tennis is in a healthy place globally, but remains star-driven—especially in the U.S. market. From there, the conversation moves into the divergent dynamics of the men’s and women’s tours, why combined events matter, and whether tennis should eventually operate as a single unified tour.

A major theme is player power: Gilbert revisits the ATP’s modern structure, explains why independent-contractor status makes collective bargaining difficult, and lays out what unions could change—particularly for players ranked outside the top tier who are paying their own travel, coaching, and support-team expenses. The episode also connects those economics to youth development and the pressure on families to “go all in” early, with Gilbert emphasizing balance and education even for elite prospects.

Later, Sherman digs into the coaching marketplace—how coaches get hired, what contracts actually look like in tennis, and why relationships can end quickly in a results-driven environment. Gilbert also reflects on his broadcasting career, including the end of his long ESPN relationship and his current work with Tennis Channel and his podcast.

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What you’ll hear in this episode

Timestamps

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Ronda Rousey joins Alex Sherman to unpack the economics of MMA, why UFC fighter pay remains a structural issue, and how the streaming era could reshape the business of fighting. Starting from the realities faced by lower-tier athletes—minimum per-fight guarantees, coach percentages, and taxes—Rousey explains how quickly “big league” fighting can still add up to poverty-level income. She argues the core problem is leverage: without credible alternatives to the UFC, fighters are stuck with take-it-or-leave-it contracts.

Rousey outlines why she believes streaming is the inflection point. In her view, streamers can pay upfront for premium fight content in a way that reduces reliance on traditional pay-per-view mechanics—and makes it feasible to build meaningful competition. She describes her push to work with MVP and why she sees Netflix as the only platform big enough to truly challenge the UFC at scale.

The conversation also covers Rousey’s upcoming return to fighting against Gina Carano—how the matchup idea originated, why early UFC talks didn’t ultimately land, and how the modern distribution shift changed the opportunity set. Rousey contrasts the classic pay-per-view structure (earning a share per view) with the newer streaming-first deal model, noting she can’t disclose exact numbers yet but expects details to be publicized after the fight.

Beyond the money, Rousey makes the case that fight promotions win when they sell stories, not just belts or brands—pointing to how major streaming events can draw massive attention when audiences care about the fighters involved. She also reflects on the overlap between combat sports and entertainment, her path through WWE and acting, and the mindset she brings to competition—whether she likes an opponent or not.

Key topics covered

Timestamps

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Recorded live at Latinos in Sports in Miami, CNBC’s Alex Sherman sits down with New York Yankees icon Mariano Rivera for a wide-ranging conversation on the business—and evolution—of Major League Baseball, Rivera’s unlikely path from Panama to the Hall of Fame, and what he’s building after baseball.

Rivera weighs in on one of MLB’s biggest looming issues: whether the league should adopt a salary cap, and what “fair competition” should look like across big- and small-market teams. He also reacts to the sport’s recent rule and gameplay shifts—from the pitch clock to automated strike-zone technology—and shares why he believes some changes risk removing the “human factor” that makes baseball special.

The conversation then turns personal: Rivera recounts growing up without access to proper equipment, learning English after arriving in the U.S., and how a chance moment pitching in one game led to a Yankees tryout. He also tells the story of how the cutter emerged in 1997—an accidental discovery that became one of the most dominant pitches in sports history.

Finally, Rivera opens up about post-retirement life, from his early business moves to his newest venture: “Most Heat,” a hot sauce line he calls authentic, passion-driven, and built to bring “the heat” from the mound into fans’ kitchens—complete with a May 15 launch at the Major League Baseball store in New York City.

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Susie Wolff (Managing Director, F1 Academy) sits down with Alex Sherman for a candid conversation about what F1 Academy is building—and why its mission goes far beyond a single “first woman in F1” headline. Wolff breaks down the structural and financial barriers that have kept women from advancing in motorsport, how F1 Academy is designed to grow a real talent pipeline, and why visibility matters for the next generation of drivers.

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