Sports Business Conversations

If you would, think back to the last time you got together with some friends after work to hang out for a bit. Maybe you grab some dinner, probably have a drink or two, shoot the breeze for a while. Do remember what you talked about? Was it anything, say, productive?If you’re Ellen Hyslop, co-Founder of The Gist, that dinner out with friends in 2017 led to the creation of one of the fastest growing and most intriguing sports media brands around. Ellen and her co-Founders, all life long sports fans, felt the market wasn’t serving their style of fandom. And probably no surprise there, right? Sports media was heavily male dominated, both in terms of production and consumption. So the content was clearly oriented that. With the Gist, Ellen set out to recalibrate sports media by becoming, in her own words, the equivalent of your witty, sports obsessed best friend. By balancing coverage of men’s and women’s sports, applying a digital first mindset, and relentlessly listening to their over 1 million fans and followers, the Gist is a clearly on the rise. In our conversation, we go into launching the Gist, growing a new media brand from scratch, the smart moves and missteps along the way, and thoughts on how she and the Gist team might celebrate their next million followers. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

I’m wondering what you think of when you hear that sound? What goes through your mind?I’ll bet it’s something to do with F1 racing. Cars that look more like fighter jets than automobiles. Global destinations at exquisite racetracks. Things moving at such high speed that they’re more blurs than physical objects. But what Jon Gardner hopes you’ll start thinking about is dinner and drinks. That’s because Gardner is the President of F1 Arcade, that latest in a line of highly successful sports-entertainment properties that include Top Golf, PuttShack, and Flight Club. By combining the glitz and glamor of F1, entertainment in the form of cutting edge racing simulators, and high end cocktails and cuisine, Gardner and his team are creating one memorable night out.Jon took some time out after opening his latest location in Philadelphia to talk about the growth of both the sport and F1 Arcade, working with an established global brand, and what it’s going to take to grow from 5 locations to their ultimate goal of 30. The former basketball center will also fill us in on what it’s like folding his 6’7” frame into an F1 car. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

“The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated”. It’s a quote that’s attributed to Mark Twain, who was the subject of one of the first ever celebrity death hoxes. It was basically his way of saying “Slow your roll, people. I’m still around and producing great work”. It’s a sentiment that Natasha Sinagoga, Senior Vice President Market Sales at Ampersand, can empathize with. Sinagoga and Ampersand are on a mission to dispel the exaggerated rumors about the demise of cable tv. The future of sports television, as they see it, is a multiscreen environment, with cable TV providers like Comcast, Cox, and Spectrum resting at the center. And for sports marketers, that produces a unique ability to reach fans wherever they are, no matter how they’re watching. In our conversation, we dive into Natasha’s diverse career journey that began with aspirations for sportscasting before finding her niche in advertising sales. We review her experience at Ampersand, and the company's role in simplifying media buying and targeting audiences in the dynamic landscape of sports viewership. We also touch on common misconceptions about cord cutting, and where the overall consumption of television currently sits. The baseball junkie will also fill you in on which hot dogs are the best in all of MLB. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

You may have heard that it’s the dawn of a new age in college sports. Actually, that’s underselling it. Let’s put it this way: college sports as you know it is over. Finito. Kaput.In it’s place is… well, I think we’re still figuring out what that is. But with all the conference realignment, changes to the college football playoff, NIL and direct payments to players, there’s one thing we know with 100% certainty: the need for new revenue, and lots of it, is absolutely vital to college athletic departments. And that is what Jonathan Marks, the Chief Business Officer of College and Global Marketplace for Elevate, is working on and thinking about every day.Marks brings his entrepreneurs mindset to Elevate, which acquired his start up Dynamic Pricing Partners in 2021. It’s a perspective that’s in hot demand right now, because the old way of doing things clearly isn’t going to cut it anymore. We go into that his start up’s acquisition, and his approach to this new college marketplace. We dive deeply into Elevate’s College Investment Initiative, a $500 million fund packed by private equity, which represents one of the first forays of that type of capital into college sports. And he provides some recommendations and insight into what athletic department administrators should be thinking about as they look to navigate the new financial market of college sports. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcastMentioned in this episode:ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partnerADC Partners

I don’t know if you noticed or not, but soccer is having a bit of a moment here in the US. The MLS continues to grow, Messi came to play in Miami, the US Women are literally the gold standard, and a lot of Americans became fully vested in a Welsh town called Wrexham. Few people know more about this growth than this episode’s guest, Justin Papadakis, the Deputy CEO & Chief Real Estate Officer for the United Soccer League. Papadakis has been at the epicenter of soccer’s expansion in the US. With new clubs and stadiums coming on line in a seeming weekly basis, a new women’s league, and a new Division One league on the way, the USL is growing at a rate that cant be ignored by fans or investors. In our conversation, Papadakis and I talk about the growth of the USL, the integral role of real estate in his strategy, working with new ownership groups, and the USL’s friendly competition with that other pro soccer league. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

With House v NCAA now officially settled law, we took time to circle back with Dr Dan Rascher, the lead economist on the case, Director of Academic Programs of the USF Sport Management Program, and according to some, one of the most powerful people in college football. Dr Rascher played an integral role in the case by helping unravel the complex economics of college sports. In doing so, he had a front row seat to the decision-making that has forever changed college sports.We cover his role in the case, the the short and long term implications of the settlement, the potential role of the federal government and much more. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcastMentioned in this episode:ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partnerADC Partners

I’m going to level with you. Doing this whole podcasting thing isn’t exactly for the feint of heart, you know? It’s a lot of work. Scheduling guests, recording episodes, editing (ugh, the editing), posting, promoting, social media (ugh, socials…) All the while wondering if anyone is listening…So when you you get a like, or a rating, or a positive comment, it can be pretty cool. But when you get an actual AWARD? Man, that’s just next level. It’s a feeling this episode’s guest, EJ Cutliff, knows very well because His podcast, "Black in Sports", was just named a top sports business podcast by the Sports Podcast Awards. EJ took time out from his victory lap to talk about founding "Black in Sports" and what it means to receive that kind of recognition. The long time sports biz exec also provides his view on the state of the industry, the role that "Black in Sports" plays in this cultural moment, and what he hopes to achieve in both the sports business and podcasting. And if you’re planning a Vegas trip anytime soon, the long time Vegas resident has some tips for you. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

There’s an African expression that people who serve in the Navy hear a lot: “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” Basically it means that your skill isn’t developed unless you find yourself in tough situations. No one knows this better than Brandon Doll, Founder of Sports and Entertainment Advisors. After leaving the comparatively smooth seas of the US Navy, Doll found himself working for the Oakland Raiders, a team that more-or-less lived in the eye of a hurricane. Not one to shy away from choppy seas (sorry, the sea faring analogies are hard to stop once you get rolling), Doll eventually played an instrumental role in relocating the franchise to Las Vegas, a move that transformed the financially under performing team into the 5th most valuable NFL franchise. In our conversation, we talk about the skills Doll developed during his naval service that apply to his sports business career, what goes into relocating an NFL franchise, and what led him to start Sports and Entertainment Advisors, an agency that specializes in helping teams with their revenue challenges. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

Welcome to the 72nd episode of the Sports Business Conversations podcast. We wanted to mention the number of episodes to give you a little perspective of the number of people we’ve had a chance to talk to since launching this show a few years ago. Over 70 people who are leading, changing, and improving sports business in different ways. Each of the brings things to the table that have helped them find success: intelligence, foresight, experience, charisma. And so forth. Tamica Smith Jones, who up until recently was the Chief Operating Officer of Kennesaw State Athletics, brings all those qualities to the table, and then sprinkles something unique to her: sheer force of will. Smith-Jones came to KSU by way of UC Riverside, where she broke barriers as the first black female D1 athletic director in California. Returning to her hometown in Atlanta to take on that COO role, she has helped lead an athletic dept in the midst of enormous transformation, including a move from FCS to FBS for the Owls football team. In our conversation, we talk about her inspiring path to Kennesaw State and how the COO role has evolved during this particularly tumultuous period in college sports. We talk about her leadership style, which she captures in her mantra “I’m a person, not a position”, working with athletes during the NIL era, and the essential role that athletics plays at a university. She also drops some hints about leaving Kennesaw State to take on her first role in professional sports…Thanks for listening in on our conversation with Tamica Smith Jones, COO of Kennesaw State University.ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcastMentioned in this episode:ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partnerADC Partners

We all have obstacles that we face in life. Sometimes these might seem petty. Like, oh my god the wifi is so slow today. But oftentimes these obstacles may be more substantial. Things like unhappiness in a job. Loneliness. Addiction. Relationship challenges. The list, unfortunately, goes on. These things can impact us to such a degree that we become almost paralyzed by them. It’s something that this episode’s guest, Robert Paylor, is uniquely qualified to speak to. In 2017, Robert was at the true height of his physical powers. The 6’5”, 245 lb college sophomore was competing in the Collegiate Rugby National Championship game for the legendary Cal Bears squad. Just moments into the game, an illegal play by an opposing player broke Robert’s neck and left him immobile on the ground, unable to feel anything. And so begins Robert’s path to recovery, which he recounts in his just released book, “From Paralyzed to Powerful: Lessons from a Quadriplegic’s Journey.” From the dark moments that immediately follow his injury, to his remarkable path through grief and anger toward purpose and forgiveness, Robert talks about the tools he used to help him thrive today. And who knows? They might help you on your path, too. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

There haven't been a lot of quiet moments for Tamzin Barriolhet since we last spoke: big time promotions, groundbreaking partnerships, and the arrival of Sophie. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

The next 10 years are kind of unprecedented for the United States in terms of global sporting events coming here. Let’s do a quick review: FIFA Club World Cup coming later this year.FIFA World Cup in 2026. LA Olympics in 2028.FIFA Women’s World Cup AND Rugby World Cup will both be here in 2031.Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034. That’s a lot to take in. And it’s going to require a herculean effort from both event organizers and government officials to make these monumental international events run smoothly. No one knows this better than Travis Murphy, the Founder and CEO of Jetr Global Sports and Entertainment.Travis began his career working for the State Department in embassies around the world, and saw first hand how sports could easily bridge cultural gaps. He eventually helped lead sports diplomacy initiatives for the State Department and then joined the NBA to enhance the global reach of basketball. With more leagues trying to emulate the NBA’s international success, Travis decided to carve his own path with Jetr. And almost immediately found himself playing a key role in helping negotiate the release of basketball star Brittney Griner from Russian prison. In our conversation, we talk about the events leading to Griner's release, what needs to be done leading up to all those global events, and what’s lost when the United States is no longer interested in using soft power like sports and retreats from the global stage.

With so many people interested in working in sports, it’s amazing how many successful sports biz execs I talk to didn’t start with that goal. A lot of them were caught completely off guard by the opportunity to do so. That’s definitely the case with this episode’s guest, Leela Srinivasan. The experienced tech CMO of companies like OpenTable and SurveyMonkey was just starting to wonder what might be next might be next for her. And it was at that moment when Parity, a groundbreaking sports marketing platform that features a network of professional women athletes and was looking for a new CEO, came knocking. It’s been a match made in heaven. With a passion for sports and a creative mindset, Leela has been able to leverage her previous experience in sales and marketing to help brands find the perfect partnerships with Parity's network of over 1,100 professional women athletes, including 300 Olympians and Paralympians.In our conversation, we talk about Leela’s career journey to Parity, why women athletes make such compelling brand ambassadors, the power of authentic storytelling, the successes she and her team have experienced, and the challenges that still lay ahead. All this, and you’ll also learn what wine would pair perfectly with this podcast.ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

Consider for a moment, if you will, the humble stadium sign. Yes, those ubiquitous displays that vie for your attention at every stadium and arena you’ve ever been to.I think most people in sports business have been guilty at one time or another of looking at those signs a little derisively. You know. “Spots and Dots”, as they saying goes. The things you add toward the end of a sponsorship proposal. Well, disregard the no-longer humble stadium sign at your peril. Digital displays and mammoth scoreboards are now an essential part of the live sports experience. Designers are anxiously one upping each other to produce the largest, clearest and most advanced displays for their stadiums All of which brings a smile to the face of Jerry Cifarelli’s face. Because for the President and CEO of ANC, that means business is good. In our conversation, Jerry reflects on his journey in sports business, starting with early exposure to the industry through his father, who co-founded ANC in 1997. After gaining experience at Fenway Sports Group, he returned to ANC in 2012 to build its collegiate division, which quickly became a key revenue driver for the company. We discuss ANC's acquisition by Learfield, pursuing his own entrepreneurial vision, and then the eventual reacquisition of ANC in 2023. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast

I think it’s fair to say that pain, and managing pain, is just part of a football players every day experience. It’s something a player just has to learn how to deal with. The entire culture of the sport kind of celebrates pain, right? “Play through the pain” “No pain no gain”. And my personal favorite: “Just Rub some dirt in it”. But there’s a human toll to all that pain. We’ve all seen stories of former athletes laid low by the toll of the sport. Unfortunately, many of the stories have terrible endings often brought on by addiction to pain killers.Former NFL great Marvin Washington knows these stories all too well. A Super Bowl winner in the 1990s with the Denver Broncos, Washington dealt with pain and treatment of that pain his entire career. He and his teammates tried every conceivable pain management technique: Tylenol, cold plunges, acupuncture and so on. And when those lost their effectiveness, they took opiates prescribed by team doctors. It wasn’t until his playing days were over that he discovered that former teammates who smoked cannabis were far less reliant on opiates for dealing with pain than he was. After experimenting with cannabis for pain management, Washington became an outspoken advocate for medicinal cannabis use, even going so far as to sue the Attorney General and Department of Justice to decriminalize the drug. In our conversation, Marvin shares insights on how players are introduced to powerful medications at a young age, and how that continues through college and the pros. We talk about his cannabis advocacy, the drugs neuroprotective properties that serve as an alternative to traditional painkillers, and his work with Leafwell, a telemedicine company aimed at normalizing cannabis in healthcare. ABOUT THIS PODCASTThe Sports Business Conversations podcast is a production of ADC Partners, a sports marketing agency that specializes in creating, managing, and evaluating effective partnerships between brands and sports. All rights reserved.YOUR HOSTDave Almy brings over 30 years of sports marketing and sports business experience to his role as host of the "1-on-1: Sports Business Conversations" podcast. Dave is the co-Founder of ADC Partners.FOLLOW USHere's where you can find us:LinkedIn: adc-partnersInstagram: adc_partners_podcastThreads: adc_partners_podcastYoutube: @adcpartnersHomepage: adcpartners.com/podcast