The CUSP Show

Social media personality and sports fanatic JR Jackson joins hosts Joe and Tom this week to explain how he built an online audience in the hundreds of thousands for his sports video blog the JRSportbrief.

With online video the current flavor of the month in the media, JR explains how he set up his one-man media organisation, and how he gained the industry credibility required to book interviews with sports stars including Kobe Bryant, Manny Pacquiao, Usain Bolt and Pele.

And he also gives his view on the current trends and future direction of digital broadcasting, including how live performances, from makeup artists to musicians on subway trains, could find a whole new monetisable audience online.

See JR's work at the JRSportbrief Youtube channel or on JRSportbrief.com

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

In April 2015 the Dodgers Accelerator launched, a partnership between the LA Dodgers and R/GA, with the aim of cultivating a raft of young tech companies to "usher in a new era for sports teams and their fans".

Twelve months on, Partner of R/GA Ventures and Executive Director of the Dodgers Accelerator Jonathan Bradley gives his verdict on Year One of the project, explains how the idea came about, and how things are shaping up for the new intake of companies in 2016.

Follow Jonathan on Twitter @jonathan8radley

For more on the Accelerator visit dodgersaccelerator.com

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

We’re just a few weeks on from March Madness, but college sports isn’t only about the high-profile Division 1 men's basketball tournament. In Divisions 2 and 3, in a host of sports from men's football to women's lacrosse, there are tens of thousands of students and millions of alumni to mobilize and entertain.

That’s the rationale behind Collegiate Sports Management Group, a company set up by Mike Schreck and his business partner Ray Katz to help D2 and D3 schools market and monetize their sports teams and programs.

Ray and Mike explain why D2 and D3 colleges are prime targets for consumer brands to reach a new generation of customers.

And they argue that in the fight to attract the best college applicants, academic institutions need more than ever before to put their sports teams in the spotlight.

Follow Collegiate Sports Managment Group on Twitter @collegiatesmg

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Joining hosts Tom and Joe this week is Jeremy Goldberg, President of LeagueApps, to give the lowdown on the rapid growth of his company, which provides software to help manage local and youth sports leagues.

Jeremy explains how LeagueApps set about trying to conquer a hugely fragmented marketplace - and why early on the team realised that they might have to do it the hard way, by making hundreds of thousands of phone calls.

He also lifts the lid on 'The Combine', a unique hiring process which LeagueApps has instituted to make sure they hire the best candidates, and speaks from personal experience about why starting your own company can be as daunting as trying to establish peace in the Middle East…

Follow Jeremy on Twitter @jeremygoldberg

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Spencer Brown, CEO of audio company DGital Media, visits The CUSP Show this week to talk about the business fundamentals behind the boom in sports podcasting.

As someone who himself made the transition from analog radio to digital broadcasting, Spencer explains why the shift towards podcasting has been one of the great commercial success stories in sports in recent years.

And with DGital Media partnered with famous sporting names in the podcasting world, including Chad Ochocinco and Adrian "Woj" Wojnarowski, Spencer also shares his insight into what makes a good host, and why advertisers love them so much.

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

As baseball season kicks off this week hosts Tom and Joe speak to former Tampa Bay Ray and Columbia graduate Fernando Perez, who opens up about his path to the Major League and his fears for the future of the sport.

Fernando explains in the second half of the show (from 31:15) why he has no problem with bat-flipping, and why those who do are contributing to a "tired" baseball culture which threatens the sport's long-term relevance.

He offers his solution as to how the sport can secure its future, by being more inclusive towards minorities and confronting baseball's language barrier.

Fernando also talks in the first half of the show about why the Columbia badminton team proved a tricky obstacle along his path to being drafted, and why cutting up a teammate’s chicken and bringing them beer can be a good way to go up on the world of Minor League baseball.

Follow Fernando on Twitter @ifernandoperez3

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Excelle Sports launched in February as a new media platform dedicated to covering women's sports, and founder Kim Donaldson joins Tom and Joe this week to talk about the niche her company is aiming to fill.

In a week when the gender gap in sports has hit the headlines again, Kim explains why Excelle matters, and how the company plans to compete in the ever-changing and always-competitive landscape of sports media.

And she tells the story of how a series of happy coincidences landed Excelle an exclusive interview with golfer Michelle Wie.

Check out Excelle Sports and follow @ExcelleSports on Twitter

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Sports anchor and journalist Tina Cervasio steps into our studio this week to tell hosts Joe and Tom about her career in television. From High School and Arena Football to the Boston Red Sox, New York Knicks and currently the New York Red Bulls, Tina shares her stories of covering sports in front of the camera.

She explains how a high school TV interview planted the seeds of a career ambition, and lifts the lid on some of the secrets of the industry - including who’s reading from the teleprompter and who’s ad-libbing on-air.

Tina also tells us why she wasn't too disappointed when she was once turned down for a job for being "Too New York" , and why in today's television industry freelancing is the new normal.

Follow Tina on Twitter @tinacervasio

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

March doesn't just signal the start of Madness in basketball - it's also the fevered peak of industry conference season. Fresh from attending two of the major events of the year, MIT Sloan Conference and SXSW, former Bloomberg Sports President Bill Squadron and CUSP Show co-host Tom Richardson give their take on the value of the big 2016 get-togethers.

Bill explains why 'Badass Female Cyclists' and Professional Bull Riding caught the eye at SXSW and Austin, Texas, and also why misogyny in esports was another hot topic of discussion.

Meanwhile Tom lifts the lid on Facebook’s entry into the sports industry, a major development at MIT Sloan.

Tom and Bill also give their take on conference discussions around privacy related to player data, and a growing consensus around the subject of sports betting.

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Twitch has been one of the great technology success stories in recent years, and Nathan Lindberg, the company's Director of eSports sales, drops into our studio this week to give us the latest on Twitch's role in the eSports boom.

Nathan tells us why Knights and Jesters are central to the massive growth in online audiences for eSports, explains how and why gamers earn tips, and why you shouldn’t necessarily listen when your parents say that you can’t make a living from video games.

He tells us why strategy games and shooters are more popular than FIFA, Madden and NBA Live among Twitch users - and why that might be about to change.

And he tells us why companies like Geico and Coca Cola, companies we usually see in more traditional sporting arenas, are rapidly moving their sponsorship dollars into eSports.

Follow Nathan on Twitter @TheRealNate and check out his channel on Twitch.

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com