The Profluence Pod 🌐

By Andrew PetcashSports

The Profluence Pod 🌐 episodes

February 15, 2023 #16: Edward Fitzgibbon - Partner, Co-Founder Sports Rights Tech | India’s Sporting Ecosystem
With extensive global sporting knowledge and relationships, Edward helped found Sports Rights Tech.
In this episode, we talk about India’s macro and microeconomics in sports.
Sports Rights Tech is a specialist advisory business focused on optimizing Rights, Intellectual Property, and Technology in Sports and Entertainment.
Chapters:
(01:30) Eddie’s background in India
(05:45) Sports Rights Tech
(08:00) The bull case for India
(11:15) India’s unique sports grassroots system
(13:45) Cricket’s popularity (and expansion)
(18:55) Other sports in India + athlete’s influence
(24:05) Sports technology in India
(30:20) Opportunities in the Indian Sports ecosystem
(34:15) Agency model in India (& their low trust society)
(38:05) Why India is the biggest opportunity in sports
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Edward Fitzgibbon links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardfitzgibbon/
Website: http://www.sportsrightstech.com/
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Andrew Petcash links:
🏠 Website: https://profluence.com
✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com
🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash
🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/
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Thanks for listening!
41 min
February 07, 2023 #15: David Anderson - CEO, Co-Founder BreakAway Data | Athlete biometric data | 6 year NFL journey | How data is impacting sports | Building a sports data company | NFTs x data algorithms
After playing in the NFL for 6 years and working in sports for nearly a decade, David Anderson decided to start his own venture, BreakAway Data.
BreakAway Data is a venture-backed data analytics platform with major deals across athletics including the NFLPA, UCLA, and other high-level sports properties.
They were named to SBJ’s 10 most innovative companies to watch.
Chapters:
(01:15) What is biometric data and how is it used?
(03:05) Playing in the NFL for 6 years and the rise of data analytics
(06:45) How athletes monetize their data + where it’s going
(11:20) Overview of BreakAway Data
(14:30) CBAs and their data approaches (NFLPA vs MLBPA vs NBAPA)
(17:20) How college sports and NIL tie into data
(22:15) Is it possible to collect too much performance data?
(25:00) Intersection of gambling and sports biometrics
(28:45) Habits that both elite athletes and entrepreneurs possess
(33:50) David Anderson + BreakAway Data’s future initiatives
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David Anderson links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidAnderson89
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidanderson89/
Website: https://www.breakawaydata.com/
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Andrew Petcash links:
🏠 Website: https://profluence.com
✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com
🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash
🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/
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Thanks for listening!
41 min
February 05, 2023 #14: Matt Beyer - CEO, Co-Founder East Asia Super League (EASL) | Building a sports league from scratch | Future of basketball | Importance of media + fan engagement | Asian sports ecosystem
After several years of building a sports agency in China, Matt Beyer decided to start the East Asia Super League (EASL). It is the top basketball league in Asia, similar to the Champions League in European soccer.
The EASL combines the best Asian clubs and leagues with the goal of becoming one of the world’s top three professional basketball leagues by 2025.
Prior to building the EASL, Beyer spent time working for the NBA, as an agent, and in Chinese public relations. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.
Chapters:
(01:30) Backstory of the EASL
(05:20) Differences in Asia vs American sports culture
(09:45) Raising $40M and surviving over the pandemic
(13:10) What does it take to build a successful sports league?
(16:40) EASL players/countries and the rise of Asian basketball
(24:05) Matt’s view on media as a sports league + Steve Nash partnership
(27:40) Westerner building the top Asian sports league
(30:50) Misconceptions the world has about China
(33:50) Fan engagement integrations with Huupe
(36:10) How to engage fans as a sports league
(37:40) Future of sports + EASL
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Matt Beyer links:
Website: https://www.easl.basketball/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-beyer-93623517/?originalSubdomain=hk
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Andrew Petcash links:
🏠 Website: https://profluence.com
✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com
🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash
🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/
.
Thanks for listening!
40 min
February 05, 2023Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Jan 30 - Feb 5)
(00:50) - Feel good stories
College athlete donates $22,000 and Make-A-Wish is hosting an awesome Super Bowl event
(02:15) - Business of Athletes
The NFL salary cap is increasing from $208.2M to $224.8M for 2023.

Shinesty, a men's underwear company, signed a deal with Clemson basketball player Brevin Galloway after his “balls” video went viral.

Former NFL players Calvin Johnson Jr. and Rob Sims have launched their newest CBD product, Primitiv Performance.

Baseball star Shohei Ohtani has signed a massive endorsement deal with New Balance, other notable athletes include Kawhi Leonard, Zach Lavine, and Coco Gauff.
(05:45) - Name, Image, and Likeness
Boston College lacrosse midfielder Belle Smith signed a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Senné, a Boston-based real estate advisory and investment firm

Nick Saban turned down two recruits asking for over $1.3M in combined NIL deals “I’m not paying a kid a bunch of NIL money before he earns it.”

LSU announced “Bayou Traditions” and also named it the official collective of LSU athletics.
(10:00) - Future of Sports
The Premier League has acquired an equity stake in fantasy sports NFT platform Sorare as part of a new four-year deal.

Venturerock, a $75 million sports tech fund that launched last fall, has made its first major investment in POGR, an esports/metaverse product.

Generative AI text-to-video startup Recut has been accepted into Tennis Australia’s inaugural AO Startups incubator program.

Sports For All, a multi-sport tech-driven platform, has joined Khelo India Youth Games as a sponsor for the next five years investing Rs 12.5 crore ($3.5M).

Ballislife, a basketball and lifestyle media company started in 2005, has raised $2.7M in Series A funding led by London-based Oakvale Sports Investco.

All In Team Sports, a sports SaaS for youth team management, has now raised $1.55 million to date.
16 min
January 31, 2023 #13: Adam Breneman - Sports Media Entrepreneur | VP of NIL @ Mercury | From 5-star to coach to businessman | Challenges of building a media company | Athletes as entrepreneurs | Sports trends to watch
Adam Breneman is a quick riser in the sports media world. He is an entrepreneur, college football analyst, investor, speaker, and content creator.
Breneman was a 5-star football recruit that played at Penn State and UMass. He coached TEs at Arizona State for two years before jumping into the sports business world.
Adam Breneman is also a vice president at Mercury, an athlete-driven media company utilizing NIL across college athletics.
Chapters:
(00:45) Adam’s entrepreneurial drive
(02:40) How NIL would have impacted his football career
(05:10) What it’s like being a 5-star recruit
(08:20) Youngest college football coach in FBS
(12:20) VP of NIL at Mercury
(15:45) Challenges of building a media business
(20:35) Shift in how athletes are viewing off the field ventures
(24:45) Sports trends to watch in the future
(27:30) What does success for an athlete look like now?
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Adam Breneman links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamBreneman81
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambreneman/
Website: https://adambreneman.xyz/
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Andrew Petcash links:
🏠 Website: https://profluence.com
✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com
🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash
🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/
.
Thanks for listening!
31 min
January 29, 2023Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Jan 23-29)
Business of Athletes:
Firefly Recovery has raised $1M from a group of athlete investors including Olympic Volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings, and NFL players Shaq Thompson + Darren Waller.

Lebron James’ investment in pickleball drew over 4 billion eyeballs.

Former NBA star Carlos Boozer has partnered with The Campins Company to offer best-in-class real estate services to athletes, entertainers, and high-net-worth individuals.

Arizona Cardinals linebacker, real estate investor, entrepreneur, and now author, Devon Kennard, announced the release of his book: It All Adds Up.
Business of Sports (03:50)
Dragon Seats the leading manufacturer and provider of patented heated and cooling sports benches, is proud to announce its acquisition of Athletic Recovery Zone, a Florida-based manufacturer and provider of state-of-the-art air conditioning and heating sports bench technology.

Sapphire Sport, the sports investment arm of VC firm Sapphire Ventures focused on fitness, gaming, streaming and new media, has raised a second, oversubscribed $181 million fund with investments

Obbi Golf, a software that supports the management of golf clubs, announced a $1.54 million investment as the company turns one year old.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and Amazon Web Services have launched SportsX, a new research and development program focused on advancing innovation in sports as it relates to team performance and fan experiences.

The NFLPA has participated in a $40 million financing round raised by Miach Orthopaedics, a medical technology company whose BEAR implant can heal ACL tears as an alternative to reconstructive surgery.

Oya Femtech Apparel, a black women-owned femtech apparel brand has a solution for this and has raised $1.3M in an oversubscribed pre-seed round.The Sixers Innovation Lab led the round,

Twitter is planning to run content sponsorship deals with more than three dozen news outlets, media companies, and sports leagues in the first half of this year
10 min
January 26, 2023 #12: Ishveen Jolly - CEO, Founder OpenSponsorship | Women’s sports ecosystem | Overview of India | Tips for scaling a company | Role of athlete investors + agencies | Sponsorships trends to watch
Ishveen Jolly is building OpenSponsorship, a two-sided global marketplace for sports sponsorship. Their platform makes it easy for brands to partner with athletes, teams, and events.
Ishveen Jolly has received numerous awards including Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc. Top 100 Female Founder.
OpenSponsorship has several notable athlete investors including Serena Williams and Baron Davis.
Chapters:
(00:40) Experience as a female in the sports industry
(02:55) Advice for females looking to start a sports company
(04:00) Male athletes investing in female sports
(07:15) Inside look at collegiate women’s sports + NIL
(10:35) Her experience as a sports agent in India
(12:30) India’s sports ecosystem overview
(14:20) Importance of athlete investors
(17:45) Will the agency model be transformed?
(19:30) Overview of OpenSponsorship + new initiatives
(20:40) Key takeaway’s for scaling and hiring employees
(22:25) Web3’s influence (or lack of it)
(23:40) Sponsorship trends to watch
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Ishveen Jolly links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IshveenAnand
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishveenjolly/
Website: https://opensponsorship.com/
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Andrew Petcash links:
🏠 Website: https://profluence.com
✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com
🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash
🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/
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Thanks for listening!
25 min
January 24, 2023 #11: Brian Fagan - Founder Oncoor Sports | Creator economy overview | Deep dive on NIL collectives | Advice for entrepreneurs | Mental health with athletes | Major sports trends to watch
Brian Fagan is the founder of Oncoor Sports, a marketing agency for athletes, collectives, and brands. In 2021, it was acquired by a Utah-based group to help integrate NIL.
Oncoor currently has over 100 athletes, 50 brands, and 42 universities in its portfolio.
Brian Fagan also serves as the Head of Sales at the Playbook app, a creator platform for athletes, coaches, and fitness influencers.
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:45) State of the creator economy
(06:05) Oncoor Sports and the Playbook App
(08:30) Advice for founders, entrepreneurs, and salesmen
(10:40) Explanation of NIL collectives
(18:20) Mental health and athletes
(20:40) Power of the BYU community
(23:15) Taysom Hill as a football player and businessman
(25:05) Rise of athlete entrepreneurs
(28:00) Operating model in college sports
(30:10) Where sports are headed
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Brian Fagan links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bdfagan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandfagan/
Website: https://www.oncoormarketing.com/
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Andrew Petcash links:
🏠 Website: https://profluence.com
✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com
🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash
🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/
.
Thanks for listening!
33 min
January 22, 2023Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Jan 16-22)
(00:30) Feel good stories
Sport Clips Haircuts held an event where they also donated $1.5M toward veterans' scholarships.

NBA forward Kyle Kuzma is donating $1 million to the YMCA in his hometown of Flint, Michigan.

The Green Bay Packers are donating $100,000 to provide 80 Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) to schools in Wisconsin.
(02:05) - Business of Athletes/Sports
Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Usain Bolt is missing more than $12.7 million from an account with a Jamaican private investment firm.

Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment announced that it has purchased a major stake in Ripken Baseball.

Deal Box is launching a $125M venture arm, where they will look at “FunTech”, which includes action sports.

LIV Golf has finally found a home on American TV after striking a deal with the CW Network.

The Tennis Channel has deepened its partnership with Major League Pickleball and will now air the league's semifinal and finals.

Sports-focused NFT company Candy Digital announced a Series A extension funding round following reports Fanatics was selling of its 60% stake in Candy Digital.

EP Golf Ventures has invested in Sensible Weather, a climate risk technology company that has a partnership with the PGA.

Courtside Ventures has completed a $100M sports fund, their 3rd which includes athletes investors such as Larry Fitzgerald and Shaquille O’Neal.
(07:15) - Name, Image, and Likeness
Curastory is partnering with Tempus Ex Machina to allow Pac-12 players to post content on their social media platforms and earn 50% of the ad revenue they generate.

Penn State’s NIL collective, Success With Honor, has secured contracts with at least 1 athlete from all 31 varsity sports teams.

The College Athlete Protection Act was presented in California, which would require the state's college sports programs to share revenue with their athletes.
12 min
January 19, 2023 #10: Cole Peterson - DFO UAB Football | Business of college football | NIL’s impact on coaching | What director of football operations do | His quick rise in the coaching world | NFL vs FBS football
Cole Peterson is one of the youngest coaches/directors in all of Division 1 FBS football. At only 24 years old, he recently got hired by Trent Dilfer at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB).
In this conversation, we talk about the business of college football, the rise of athlete entrepreneurs, the difficulties coaches are facing with NIL, and what life is like as a college football coach.
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:00) Rise of UAB football over the last 10 years
(05:30) Importance of facilities in college sports
(07:00) NIL’s impact on college coaching
(11:10) Trent Dilfer the coach, player, and media personality
(15:00) Gaining extra media attention in college sports
(17:05) Importance of Operations in football
(20:15) Business of college football (budgets, etc)
(23:55) Minnesota Vikings Brian O’Neill story
(28:30) Difference between college and NFL coaching
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Cole Peterson links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cole1Peterson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-peterson-0817141a6/
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Andrew Petcash links:
🏠 Website: https://profluence.com
✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com
🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash
🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/
🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/
.
Thanks for listening!
31 min