Today's podcast is an interview with Fanatics Founder & CEO Michael Rubin. Michael and I discuss multiple topics related to the business of Fanatics, including Fanatics Fest, how the company is integrating sports betting and collectibles into its wider e-commerce business, how Fanatics plans to grow its sports betting business overall, and who Michael thinks is the biggest needle mover of selling merchandise in sports. Enjoy!

Today’s podcast is an interview with Ben Johnson, the Chief Revenue Officer of SailGP, a high-speed, international sailing championship founded by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Olympic yachtsman Sir Russell Coutts that is currently in its fifth season. I talk to Ben about SailGP’s competition format, the business model of SailGP, how the league has grown so quickly, and so much more. Enjoy!

Today’s podcast breaks down how Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand helped Paris Saint-German become a $4.5 billion football club. I look at how PSG went from an unknown European club to one of the most popular teams in the world on the back of an Air Jordan partnership that began in 2018. Enjoy!

Today’s podcast breaks down the resurgence of the Williams F1 team under team principal James Vowles, the former right-hand man of Toto Wolff at Mercedes. I look at the changes Vowles has made since 2023 to rebuild one of F1’s most historic teams from the ground up, taking Williams Racing from a bottom dweller in the standings to a top 5 team this season. Enjoy!

Today’s podcast breaks down the unique and controversial training methods of 24-time tennis Grand Slam winner, Novak Djokovic. Djokovic turned 38 earlier this week, so I look at how the Serbian has evolved his training methods over the past decade to stay elite well into his late 30s. I analyze his diet, the team of health specialists he relies on, the data and technology he uses to improve his performance, and more. Enjoy!

Today's podcast looks at the sales process of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers were recently put up for sale by Jody Allen, the controlling owner of the franchise and the sister of Paul Allen, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder who passed away in 2018. Paul Allen left the Trail Blazers and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks to Jody in his will, which included a stipulation that both teams needed to be sold with all proceeds going to charity. And now that the Trail Blazers are officially available for purchase, I break down why the sale could have a massive domino effect on the eventual sale of the Seahawks. Enjoy!

Today’s podcast looks at the founding of the WNBA’s newest expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, the owners of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, paid a $50 million expansion fee in 2023 to bring the Valkyries to the Bay Area and the franchise tips off its inaugural WNBA season this year. So I break down how Lacob and Guber are using the Warriors’ $9.4 billion infrastructure to set up the Valkyries for success, including facilities, sponsorships, sales, marketing, and more. Enjoy!

On today’s podcast, I challenge the narrative that ESPN is dying. I look at why ESPN’s massive bet on their new streaming service coming out this fall could pay off in a big way and break down why ESPN is actually set up to thrive in the digital age. Enjoy!

Today’s podcast covers how Ivy League-educated general managers are changing the NFL with analytics. I look at how NFL teams have gone from trusting scouts and gut instincts to hiring financial traders, data scientists and Ivy League graduates to lead their football operations. And, I break down how analytics have changed the NFL forever. Enjoy!

Today's podcast assesses whether Formula 1 has already peaked or not in the United States. I analyze if F1's popularity is fading in the U.S. or just entering a new phase by looking at TV viewership, F1's next media rights deal for the U.S., and breaking down why the next broadcast deal for the motorsport could define its American future. Enjoy!