Navigating Sports Media:

Dan Porter - CEO of Overtime - runs one of the biggest content platforms for the younger generation of sports fans. Overtime doesn't compete for sports rights, but they have added 35,000 followers per day for over nine years.

They have also made two major bets: building out their own leagues for high school basketball and high school football. Dan explains how their decision to pay young athletes accelerated the implementation of NIL at the college level.

Dan talks about the importance of giving young people a platform on social media and beyond. Prior to Overtime, he was President of Teach for America, and helped create one of the most downloaded apps of all time in Draw Something. One of the Overtime athletes launched the "six-seven" phenomenon among kids and young people.

Timestamps:

• 1:15 - Dan's background
• 7:10 - Growing with the Overtime audience
• 10:55 - What could the NFL or NBA learn from Overtime?
• 13:55 - Playing for the internet, not cities
• 16:40 - Overtime Elite kickstarted NIL
• 18:55 - Content philosophy
• 22:40 - Building a platform for young people
• 25:40 - Expanding into sports beyond basketball
• 30:20 - Dan's leadership style
• 34:30 - Rapid Fire Questions

• Terre | Pasta & Natural Wine

For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston break down the ROI metrics behind the (seemingly) crazy trend of expensive coaching buyouts in college football. They explore the economic and political factors at play that lead to these decisions for athletic directors and university presidents.

The right coaching hire can yield an incremental $20M - $35M per year for a football program, so there's a lot to lose by keeping a losing coach on staff. However, would it make more sense to take the money you'd otherwise use for a buyout and invest it in NIL?

Drawing on Navigate's work advising ADs and presidents while these factors are being weighed, AJ and Charles dissect the economics and decision-making pressures driving this high-stakes trend.

Timestamps:

• 0:45 - The ROI of firing your coach
• 5:00 - Spend on NIL or spend on a coach?
• 8:05 - Aligning AD incentives
• 16:40 - Legislation for everything ("good luck")

For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Jeb Terry - President and CEO of Cosm - explains "Shared Reality" and what their venues add to the sports fan experience.

Jeb describes Cosm as "the next best thing" to being at a live event, and gives a thorough breakdown of the business model that is in many ways similar to a traditional venue with tickets, concessions, and partnerships.

He also explains the strategy behind expansion and how they are selecting new markets both domestically and internationally.

Timestamps:

1:10 - Shared Reality

6:15 - Jeb's background as an NFL player

10:40 - Cosm partnerships

16:10 - Expansion strategy

22:45 - Key learnings

25:00 - Rapid Fire Questions

For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Navigating Sports Media: Eric Ratchman – CRO of FanDuel Sports Network – on the challenges of emerging from bankruptcy with a sustainable plan for the future, and how they were ultimately able to find success.

He highlights the three-step process that his team employed, and the many stakeholders and creditors that had to be aligned in order to make it all work.

Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=63cc119c45b777bfe7a2c3d8eff870e5

For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Donn Davis - Chairman and Founder of the Professional Fighters League - has a long history of successful investments both inside and outside of the sports industry.

He talks about the opportunity he saw in the MMA space, and why PFL has become such a valuable property as it looks to gain marketshare from UFC.

He also shares lessons from some of the most (and least) successful deals of his career.

Timestamps:

1:00 - The idea for PFL

5:20 - Donn's endgame with the PFL

6:45 - Bellator deal - what went right and what went wrong?

11:35 - Why Donn avoids esports investments

15:20 - Predictions for the future of media

21:05 - Is AI overvalued?

25:05 - UFC Media Deal

28:45 - Rapid Fire Questions

For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Drew Weatherford – Founding Partner of Weatherford Capital – has a novel idea for how private equity can get involved in college sports. Beyond varsity sports, athletic departments can also drive value by investing in club sports as an extension of the lucrative youth sports model that already exists across the country.

Would parents be willing to pay thousands of dollars for their students to utilize high-level coaching and facilities? Drew thinks the answers is yes.

He also advocates for a change in the rule that bars universities from hosting multiple teams in the same sport across division I, II, and III.

Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=db8a3e0ab8b4fca316c1c8b46a8888ff

For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Navigating Sports Media:

Eric Ratchman - CRO of FanDuel Sports Network - discussed the new era of the RSN model and how they're finding sustainable success after bankruptcy.

He argues that no other media company offers the same combination of local penetration and national scale, appealing to advertisers wishing for year-round content in a given market or those looking to make a deal across markets in one or more sports.

Timestamps:

1:40 - Eric's day-to-day

6:50 - Getting out of bankruptcy and the next 5-10 years

10:40 - DTC

13:00 - Sports betting and their relationship with FanDuel

15:10 - Integrating data with team partners

19:25 - Local reach and nationwide scale

25:45 - Media consolidation

33:45 - Rapid Fire Questions

For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Less than 2 weeks ago, AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston broke down the news of a looming $2B deal for the Big Ten to take a massive infusion of cash from private capital.

A lot has happened since then, with the news that the conference will be closing a deal with an investment fund of the University of California pension system and establishing Big Ten Enterprises with the goal of optimizing conference-wide revenue.

What does this mean for schools, athletes, and fans? What are the low-hanging fruit assets that this new venture will look to monetize? Hear AJ's thoughts, or go back and listen to the full episode: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=53bbf14fbeabdd0f3890e0eb8b8c083f

For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.