Sports Business Conversations

Building the Future of Sports: David Carlock, Founder & Managing Partner of Machete Group

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:30:00 -0800

The question on every stadium owner’s mind is what to with the thing when no games are scheduled. Think about it. An NFL team has about 8 regular season games, and 3 pre-season games. Other than that, a few concerts? Monster trucks? There’s a lot of days on at calendar where nothing’s happening.

That’s why a mixed use stadium district that pulls people in year round is at the top of every franchise owner’s wish list. And that’s also why David Carlock’s phone is always ringing.

David is the founder and Managing Partner of Machete Group, a leader in developing sports and entertainment districts. His career began at Disney, where he saw first hand how an obsession over the customer experience helped build a lifelong connection. After applying those lessons to his work with the Houston Rockets, Carlock launched Machete Group.

In our conversation, we dive into his thoughts on the next generation of stadium and arena development, what he sees as the essential parts of these new districts, and where the biggest development missteps lie. We cover how he still applies lessons from his days at Disney, what it’s like to build arenas in China, and how Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks reacted when a pipe burst over her dressing room right before a show.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

The 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.

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Dave 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.

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Breaking Down the Olympics' Rule 40: Dr Andrea Geurin, Professor of Sports Business, NYU's Tisch School of Global Sport

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 04:30:00 -0800

It’s February 2026, and the Winter Olympic games in Italy are in full swing. And if you think the competition on the slopes and on the ice is fierce, it’s got nothing on the sponsors and advertisers trying to get your attention while you’re looking up the latest medal counts.

Unless you’re really close to the Games, you might not realize that athletes are highly restricted in what they can do or say to promote their individual sponsors. It’s all governed by the IOC’s Rule 40, which is designed to protect the Games’ TOP sponsors.

The rise of social media, though, has forced the IOC to re-evaluate how it applies Rule 40, which has created new opportunities for Olympic athletes.

To break down these changes, I had a chance to connect with Dr Andrea Geurin, Professor of Sports Business at NYU’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport. Dr Guerin is an expert in marketing the Olympics and the application of Rule 40. In our conversation we break down the original intent behind the rule, how it’s being modified, and what athletes can do to take advantage of relaxed restrictions.

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Dave 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.

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What SportsBiz Data Is Saying: Neil Schwartz, President of SBRNet

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:30:00 -0800

How does sports gambling impact fandom? Which sports are growing the fastest? What’s happening with youth sports participation? What’s behind the explosive growth of women’s sports?

That's a lot of questions! Fortunately, we managed to get Neil Schwartz, the president of SBRNet, to sit still for 30 minutes to provide the answers to these and other burning sports business questions. Neil has been using data and analytics to inform sports business about fans, trends, and opportunities for over 30 years, so there’s no one more qualified to provide insights into what’s going on in the sports business industry.

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Dave 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.

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Formula 1 on the Water: Mike Buckley, Co-Owner, Team Principal & CEO, US SailGP Team

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 04:30:00 -0800

Imagine driving your car about 65 miles an hour down a freeway. Not that hard to imagine, right? Nothing very special about it. Chance are you might do it every day.

OK, now imagine that you’re sitting on the roof of that car while it’s speeding down an uneven road at 65 miles per hour while someone throws water in your face.

That, my friend, is SailGP, which has about as much in common with traditional sailing as a biplane has in common with a fighter jet.

That excitement it what drew this episode’s guest Mike Buckley to the sport. Already a world champion sailor, Buckley was restless to find his next challenge. After a couple unsuccessful attempts to assemble an America’s Cup syndicate, his future arrived in the form of SailGP.

Mike is now the co-owner of SailGP’s Team USA and competes in races around the world. In our conversation, we go into how the kid from small town Cape Cod fell in love with competitive sailing. We talk about the acquisition the United States team, working with his A-List of celebrity investors, and how he harnesses his competitive instincts on the water and in the boardroom.

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Dave 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.

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Inside the College Sports Hurricane: John Cunningham, AD for University of Cincinnati

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:30:00 -0800

It’s safe to say that there’s no part of sports business that’s as dynamic as college sports. That’s the polite way of saying it, anyway. There’s a bunch of other expressions that can be applied, and often are.

But think about it: conference realignment, NIL, the transfer portal, the House v NCAA decision, private equity investments… And this has all been in the last 5 years!

Sitting in the eye of this particular hurricane is this episode’s guest, John Cunningham, the Athletics Director for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Since joining the Bearcats in December, 2019, John has quite literally seen it all. COVID. The move to the Big 12. Launching NIL programs. And that’s just scratching the surface.

In our conversation, we talk about John’s journey from being Nebraska Cornhusker fan as a kid to sitting in the big chair at the University of Cincinnati’s athletic department. We also dive into his recent decision to move multimedia rights back in-house, what’s behind the success of that decision, his view of the role of private equity in college sports, the importance of mentorship, and much more.

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Dave 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.

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ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

From the Bleachers to the Owners Box: Spencer Gore, Owner of Chelmsford City FC

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 04:30:00 -0800

There’s a moment in every sports fan’s life where they entertain the idea of buying their team. Most times it’s just a fleeting idea. “Well, if I owned the team, I’d…” And that’s pretty much it. It’s just a fantasy.

But if you’re Spencer Gore, it’s an idea that sticks.

The lifetime soccer fan and founder of the European Medical Journal had spent years watching his local club, Chelmsford City FC struggle to remain solvent. Relegated to the 6th tier of English soccer (honestly, we didn’t even know there was a 6th tier…), evicted from their stadium, and suffering through a string of unfulfilled ownership promises, the Clarets were about as far from the bright lights of the Premier League as you can imagine.

But where most people saw a disaster, Gore saw opportunity. After a couple of attempts to acquire the club, he now sits in Chelmsford City FC’s owner’s box on match day. And once there, he publicly set his audacious goal for the team: securing a spot in the Premier League by 2038.

In our conversation, we talk about what it’ll take for Chelmsford City FC to achieve that monumental goal. We also go into the at times torturous path to acquiring a professional sports club, how he engages with fans to build trust and gain support, and how he prioritizes a long list of to dos all designed to return the Clarets to prominence.

A College Sports Legend Reflects: Kevin White, former Duke AD & Author of "The Good Sport"

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0800

If you’re paying attention to the business of college sports today, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by all the so called experts telling you they have the answers to what’s going to happen next. In this attention economy, loud and outrageous voices often win the day. It’s exhausting.

When you talk to Kevin White, though, it’s an opportunity to break through all that noise and hear from someone who has almost always been in “the room where it happened”.

White’s career in college sports is legendary, to put it mildly. The long time Athletic Director shaped college sports programs at stops including Tulane, Arizona State, Notre Dame, and (ultimately) Duke University, where he spent 13 years guiding the Blue Devils.

In his characteristic straightforward style, White provides insights about the state of college athletics and the lessons he’s learned along the way, many of which can be found in his recently published book, “The Good Sport”. We go into his career, his evolved opinion on NIL, the role of the NCAA in the future of college sports, and why he thinks now more than ever is the time to lean in on DEI in college sports. We’ll also find out how his thumbs are feeling after writing “The Good Sport” entirely on his iPhone.

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Dave 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.

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ADC Partners

Simplifying High Performance: Raj Thiruchelvarajah, co-Founder & CEO of Hytro

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 04:30:00 -0800

If you use the phrase “sports tech”, people tend to think of things like artificial intelligence, data analysis, and apps that are meant to improve the sports experience. They’re typically heavily focused on software, subscriptions, and more often than not, have a pretty intense learning curve. This is especially true for the 100s of start ups out there using technology to help athletes achieve peak performance.

That’s what makes Raj Thiruchelvarajah and Hytro so intriguing. Raj and his partners focused on creating a product that leverages blood flow restriction, a much studied but little applied method of improving performance. They ended up innovating a comparatively low tech wearable product that has generated compelling results for teams in the Premier League, World Rugby, and the NHL. Results that will be coming soon to pro teams and universities in the US.

In our conversation, Raj and I talk about his decision to leave a successful career in finance and consulting to begin his entrepreneurial journey with Hytro. He dives into the realities of building a start-up, how he found success selling to some of the world’s most high profile sport brands, and what to expect as the brand looks to build upon its success in Europe with an increasing US presence.

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Dave 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.

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Smart Data and Smarter Sports: Gabie Boko, CMO for NetApp

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 13:30:00 -0800

Here are some things you might not ordinarily think of when the topic of sports business comes up.

Information warehousing. Analytics. Data centers. Cybersecurity.

Typically speaking, these are NOT the topics that most fans concern themselves with when heading to a game. They just want their tickets to scan quickly, their payments to work seamlessly at concession stands, and their smack talking posts to load quickly.

And this is where Gabie Boko, the CMO of NetApp starts nodding enthusiastically.

No one knows more than Gabie about how interwoven sports and technology are. That’s why she’s been leveraging sports to help NetApp tell its story. Their partnership portfolio already includes 49ers, Sharks and Aston Martin F1, and it just got a whole lot bigger: NetApp just launched a new collaboration NFL, now serving as their official intelligent data infrastructure partner.

In our conversation, we talk about the role of sports in marketing complex enterprise technology. We also dive into how she leverages her partnerships in storytelling, how she built upon an existing business relationship with the NFL to help create the new partnership, and how she views measuring the effectiveness of her partnerships. The Alaska native also shares the story of her most frightening bear encounter, which almost assuredly will have you canceling your northern exposure trip.

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Dave 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.

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Next Gen Youth Sports Engagement: Catching Up with TeamSnap CEO Pete Frintzilas

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:45:00 -0800

When we first spoke with Peter Frintzilas, the CEO of youth sports tech pioneer TeamSnap, the company was in the process of integrating the recently acquired Mojo Sports. As with any tech integration, it wasn't easy. "It’s not going to flip a switch and all of a sudden everything works together," Frintzilas commented at the time.

Turns out it took about 1.5 years to flip that switch: TeamSnap ONE is officially here.

TeamSnap One is a completely reimagined, end-to-end solution that sets a new standard in club, league and team management. In our conversation, Frintzilas takes us through the at times arduous journey to recreate the worlds most trusted youth sports app, and how the experience will improve for millions of families, teams, leagues and sponsors.

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Dave 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.

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The New Rules of Sports Streaming: Keith Bedford, GM of EMEA for Wurl

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 04:30:00 -0800

We’re starting with a bit of a history lesson. In the dark ages of TV, people had about five channels to choose from, had to negotiate with family members over who got to control the remote, and had to make sure they were in front of the screen exactly when their favorite show started. And if that sounds like it sucked, that’s because it did. I speak from experience as someone who rarely (if ever) got to control the remote…

Fast forward to today — we live in a world where there are literally thousands of channels, entire sports leagues streaming online, and ads that are tailored just for you. The shift has been nothing short of revolutionary.

Our guest, Keith Bedford, has been on the front lines of this particular revolution since it began. Keith is currently a GM at Wurl, a company that sits right at the intersection of streaming technology, advertising, and live sports.

In our conversation, Keith explains how streaming is opening new doors for sports organizations, why advertisers are excited about targeting fans in more personal ways, and how new platforms are shaping the way audiences discover and consume content. We explore the opportunities and challenges for rights holders, what makes FAST channels so compelling, and how younger generations are changing the definition of “watching sports.”

So whether you’re in the business of sports, media, or marketing — or you just want to know what the future of watching live events looks like — you’re in the right place.

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Dave 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.

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Creating Unreasonable Hospitality: Paul Caine, President of On Location

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 04:30:00 -0800

If you were in charge of the world’s most innovative sports experiences and hospitality company, and you were responsible for major global sports events, how would you spend your time at those events? Walking the sidelines like a boss? Maybe catching the action from the comfort of your luxury suite?

Well, if you’re Paul Caine, the President of On Location, you spend it wiping down tables, making sure everyone has a drink, and almost never catching the end of a game.

On Location is the gold standard for sports hospitality. Think of a major global event, and they’re responsible for creating the out-of-this-world experiences for fans and sponsors. Olympics? Yup. FIFA World Cup. Also Yup. NFL Super Bowl? Look, we really don’t need to keep doing this, do we? If you want to go to it, they’re handling premium experiences.

Paul has been leading On Location since 2020. After some initial COVID related turbulence, the company has taken full advantage of the growing appetite for high end sports experiences. But that didn’t just happen organically. In our conversation, Paul dives deep into the strategic decisions that produced On Location’s leadership position. He also reviews his decision to leave a successful career in traditional media to take the helm at On Location, the leadership style that keeps him cleaning those tables, and what’s left to do to prepare for the upcoming 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

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Dave 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.

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Padel is Your New Racquet Sport Obsession: Pablo Carro, co-Founder of Playtomic

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 04:30:00 -0800

I don’t know if you’ve heard about this new racquet sport that’s growing like crazy. Let’s see if you can guess what it is. It’s easy to learn, super fun to play, and begins with a “P”.

Yup, you guessed it. It’s padel.

Now, if you live outside North America, you probably guessed right and were unsurprised at the answer. Padel after all has been exploding all over Europe, Latin America, South America and elsewhere. But if you live in North America, you’ll be forgiven for thinking of pickleball. Perhaps you’ve even never heard of padel.

Well, that is about to change. And Pablo Carro, the co-founder of Playtomic and a padel evangelist, is the one behind it.

A competitive tennis player, Carro fell in love with padel the first time he played it and has been on a mission to grow the sport around the world. In our conversation, we talk about the explosive growth of padel worldwide, and why the US is primed to follow. We go into the role of Playtomic in the sport’s upward trajectory, the support of tennis legend Rafael Nadal, the findings of the latest Global Padel Report and much more.

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Dave 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.

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Let Robots Do the Scheduling: John Stewart, co-Founder and CEO of Fastbreak.ai

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 04:30:00 -0800

I’m sure you’ll be excited to know that my guest is John Stewart (no, not that Jon Stewart, and yes, he gets that a lot), the co-founder and CEO of Fastbreak.ai. And in many ways, this John Stewart has had as much of an impact as the other one.

In 2019, John sold his logistics optimization start up to Salesforce. Looking for a new challenge, he harnessed his expertise and growing AI capabilities to tackle a truly daunting task: streamlining sports scheduling.

In just a couple of years, John and Fastbreak.ai are managing league wide schedules for the more than half of the world’s top pro sports leagues, including the NBA, NHL, MLS, Premiership Rugby, the Australian National Rugby League, and more.

And with the pro leagues more or less conquered, John and his team are casting their gaze toward a truly challenging, but potential lucrative, target: the $60 billion youth sports industry.

In our chat, John and I review his entrepreneurial journey and discuss what drew him to sports scheduling for his next challenge. We also dig into bringing Fastbreak.ai to market, the decision to pursue a top down strategy with the pros to open up youth sports, and his essential insights into using AI to work faster and pivot quicker.

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Dave 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.

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X-ing Out Thirst: Brian Ansah, co-Founder of X Hydration

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 04:30:00 -0800

Brian Ansah is a former University of Minnesota track athlete whose journey into entrepreneurship began not on the podium—but in recovery. After tearing his ACL, Brian suddenly found himself with time on his hands, and a lot of uncertainty about what came next. But instead of sitting still, he teamed up with his best friend, who, at the time, was recovering from an accident, to figure out their business futures. The result was X Hydration.

X Hydration isn’t your typical sports drink. In fact, it’s not a sports drink at all—it’s wellness water with aloe as its secret weapon. In this episode, Brian shares how they went from a $3,000 check from his brother to developing a product in professional labs, surviving a few taste-test disasters, and eventually landing on something that actually works—and tastes good.

We’ll also talk about the brand’s very intentional marketing strategy. Forget follower counts—Brian and his team are seeking authentic athlete partnerships and word-of-mouth from people who really believe in what they’re drinking.

Brian also delves into the mental challenge of leaving athletics behind and stepping into a whole new identity as a founder. There’s a lot of honesty, a lot of hustle—and maybe even a little talk about diamonds, believe it or not.

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Dave 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.

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Getting the Gist of Sports Media: Ellen Hyslop, Co-Founder of The Gist

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Building a High Speed Night Out: Jon Gardner, President of F1 Arcade

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Selling Sports in the Multiscreen Age: Natasha Sinagoga, SVP Market Sales for Ampersand

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 04:30:00 -0800

“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.

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Dave 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.

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Investing in College Sports: Jonathan Marks, Chief Business Officer College and Global Marketplace for Elevate

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Harnessing the USA Soccer Boom: Justin Papadakis, Deputy CEO of the United Soccer League

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Catching Up With: Dan Rascher, Lead Economist on House v NCAA

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Winning the Sports Biz Podcast Game: EJ Cutliff, Founder and Co-Host of the "Black in Sports" Podcast

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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A Former Navy Officer Navigates Sports Business: Brandon Doll, Founder of Sports and Entertainment Advisors

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Leadership Amidst College Sports Turbulence: Tamica Smith Jones, COO of Kennesaw State Athletics

Tue, 27 May 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Overcoming the Unthinkable: Robert Paylor's Journey From Paralyzed to Powerful

Tue, 13 May 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Catching Up With: Episode 34 Guest Tamzin Barroilhet is Overseeing Global Sports Marketing for Under Armor

Tue, 06 May 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Sports, Diplomacy, and the American Sports Decade: Travis Murphy, Founder and CEO of Jetr Global Sports & Entertainment

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

Unlocking the Power of Female Athletes for Brands with Leela Srinivasan, CEO of Parity

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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Sports Business on Display: ANC President & CEO Jerry Cifarelli Jr on the Dynamic Digital Signage Business

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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From Gridiron to Grow Room: NFL Legend Marvin Washington's Cannabis Advocacy

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 04:30:00 -0800

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.

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Dave 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.

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The Power of Communication: How GoRout Technology is Disrupting the Sports Industry

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 04:30:00 -0800

So a little personality quirk about me: I love to drive. On a long road trip, I’ll turn off the radio and cruise in silence. It’s one of the few times I can really just let my mind just unspool.

This episode’s guest also loves to drive. In fact, Mike Rolih, the founder and CEO of GoRout, loves driving so much, he became a limo driver after his baseball playing career wound down. He would spend hours driving thinking about what his next career step might be.

And then inspiration struck. After stopping to watch a friend coach a high school football practice, Rolih was taken aback about how a smoothly running practice descended into chaos when it came time to learn new plays. Surely, he thought, there’s a better way to do this.

And so the life long tinkerer began working on what eventually would become GoRout, a technology company that’s taking the football, baseball and softball by storm.

Our conversation is a must listen for any would be entrepreneurs, as Rolih talks about lessons learned throughout the development and go-to-market phases. He recounts some early product hurdles, how he develops his sales teams, how he’s pivoted, and where things head from here for his exploding company.

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Dave 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.

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SBC Live! Interview with Jess Smith, President of the Golden State Valkyries

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 04:30:00 -0800

On March 1, 2025, I had a chance to do a live interview with Jess Smith, President of the Golden State Valkyries, for the USF Sports Management Program.

In our conversation, Jess talks about the decision to join the Valkyries, building the team’s front office, how she’ll evaluate success in this first year of operation, and what’s left to do with a little more than 2 months before the first tip off in franchise history,

Special shout outs to USF Athletics’ Isabella Bruenner and USF Sports Management Program’s Brent von Forstmeyer for pulling together such a fun and informative evening.

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Dave 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.

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Chris Pearlman, CEO of Aggregate Sports

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 04:30:00 -0800

There’s a line from Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” that’s always stuck with me. It’s when the memory of Willy Loman’s successful older brother Ben is encouraging him to persevere when the going gets tough.

Ben says, "The jungle is dark but full of diamonds, Willy. One must go in to fetch a diamond out."

This episode’s guest, Chris Pearlman, the CEO of Aggregate Sports? Well, suffice it to say he knows a thing or two about fetching diamonds out.

Pearlman is a sports business lifer, getting his start with legendary sports agency, ProServ. After some stops along the way, including managing all business operations for the Premier League’s Swansea City FC, Chris is now out on his own with Aggregate Sports. His goal? Finding diamonds by aggregating the rights for multiple national governing bodies of Olympic Sports.

In our conversation, Chris shares insights from his diverse career journey in sports business. We go into his grounded approach to sports business, bridging cultural issues as COO of Swansea City, the decision to launch Aggregate Sports with longtime colleague Rem de Rohan, and much, much more.

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Dave 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.

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Catching Up With: Episode 8 Guest Ashley Chalk Is Helping Build the TGL

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 04:30:00 -0800

In this episode of "Catching Up", we reconnect with Episode 8 guest Ashley Chalk, who left Chip Ganassi Racing to become the VP of Partnerships for the Tomorrow Golf League.

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Dave 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.

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Mac Barnhardt, Partner at Rock Empire Sports

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 04:30:00 -0800

Was there ever a point where you thought you wanted to be a sports agent?

Look, most of us have. Call it the “Jerry Maguire” effect. The 1996 Tom Cruise movie was a first exposure to sports business for a lot of people. And it made the job seem pretty cool, right? Going to games with a lanyard around your neck that provides all kinds of access, rubbing elbows with athletes and owners, being down on the field, etc.

My guest, Mac Barnhardt of Rock Empire Sports, has been there and done all that. The long time golf agent has represented household names like Davis Love, Justin Leonard, and David Duval. He’s attended the events. He’s both hobbed and Nobbed with golf’s gliteratti. He’s lived the dream.

But he’s also seen the nightmare, too. He’s been fired from companies he started. He’s elevated proteges only to be betrayed by them. He was even forced to leave the industry for a couple of years.

So suffice it to say Mac Barnhardt has seen it all and learned even more. In our conversation, he shares a lot of that hard earned wisdom, goes into how he went from loading baggage for Piedmont Airlines to representing golf’s greatest players, and shares how he maintains perspective through the highs and lows of being a sports agent.

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Dave 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.

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Bobby Bramhall: Principal of Bramhall Sports Group

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 04:30:00 -0800

What a world it is when you can be considered past your prime at age 27. But that’s pro baseball for you. That talent pipeline is always filling up with new players who are looking to take a roster spot. Even veterans as talented as Bobby Bramhall, a promising lefty pitcher, who’d come back from Tommy John surgery and was pitching better than ever, wasn't safe.

But when the writing is on the wall, you can do one of 2 things: bury your head so you don’t have to read it, or start getting on with life after baseball.

Smart guy that he is, Bramhall chose the latter, and that’s what led him to be one of the leading legal voices in college sports and name image likeness.

In our conversation, Bobby and I talk about his transition from pro athlete to lawyer. He elaborates on the complex and evolving landscape of NIL in college sports, underscoring its revenue potential and the need for regulatory "guardrails." Furthermore, we talk about the ongoing legal challenges affecting college athletics, the viability of the NCAA model, and his role in launching the South Main Collective for Rice University.

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Dave 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.

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ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

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Catching Up With: Episode 32 Guest Megan Sheffield Now Running Partnerships for LinkedIn

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 04:30:00 -0800

Sports business moves pretty quickly. People change jobs, get involved with cool stuff, launch new companies. All kinds of stuff. So it makes sense, every so often, to catch up with a previous guest.

This time, we’re catching up with Episode 5 guest Megan Sheffield, now Director of Brand Partnerships of Linkedin.

Click here for our original episode (published on Sept 2023.)

Mark McCullers, Principal of the McCullers Group

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 04:30:00 -0800

People say a lot of interesting things on this podcast, but this quote from Mark McCullers, Principal of the McCullers Group, really caught my attention.

He said: "You have to make the building sweat".

Basically it means that if you’re thinking of building a sports facility, you have to make that barn work as hard as it possibly can for your organization. You have to squeeze every last drop of usage and revenue out of that thing.

Few people know more about putting a stadium through its paces than Mark, who’s basically been the Peloton instructor for sweating buildings for the last 30 years.

In our conversation, we discuss his extensive career in sports, beginning as an Assistant Stadium Manager for RFK Stadium during the transformative 1994 World Cup. We review his role in creating the first soccer-specific stadium with Columbus Crew, his views on the intersection of sports and real estate development, and his advocacy of looking at stadiums as vital infrastructure and multi-use community assets.

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Dave 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.

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Scott Doyne: Founder, Doyne Services

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 04:30:00 -0800

Let’s start by just stating the obvious. There’s a lot of people out there who want to work in sports.

My guest Scott Doyne of Doyne Services was one of those guys. And he pulled it off. Did all the things he needed to do: worked his tail off, got a job with Turner Sports to work on NASCAR and then the NBA, hooked into digital media when it was just starting to take off, and doing all the things that make working in sports pretty fun, right? Going to games. Playing golf at cool courses. You know the drill.

Pretty awesome right? Well, it was. Right up until the time that it wasn’t.

Right about the time that Scott was getting ready to turn 50, doubt started to creep in. He looked around and, despite all he’d accomplished, something just felt “off”. So he did something that scares the absolute bejeebers out of most people: he left his job to start all over again.

Scott now provides career counseling services to people who may be feeling the same way he once did. He even wrote a book about it: “The Midlife Career Crisis” which is available on [m- We talk about the book, his career in sports, and what it’s like stand on the precipice of what can only be called monumental change.

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Dave 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.

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Catching Up With: E5 Guest Charles Nieves Is Reinventing College Sports Revenue

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 04:30:00 -0800

Sports business moves pretty quickly. People change jobs, get involved with cool stuff, launch new companies. All kinds of stuff. So it makes sense, every so often, to catch up with a previous guest.

This time, we’re catching up with Episode 5 guest Charles Nieves, now of Georgia Tech Athletics.

Click here for our original episode (published on Dec 2021.)

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Dave 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.

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ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

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Yves Batoba & Parker Graham: Co-Founders of Vestible

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 04:30:00 -0800

I collected baseball cards as kid. I still remember the excitement of saving up that $1 and heading out the drugstore to get a fresh pack. Then carefully opening the wax paper, popping the worst piece of gum ever conceived into my mouth, and sorting through the trove of 15 cards and PRAYING that I’d get a player from the Boston Red Sox.

There was just something about having a picture of that player in your hand, and pouring over his stats, whether he hit righty or lefty, his nickname, and more. It somehow made me feel closer to the player and the game. Connected, even.

Yves Batoba and Parker Graham, the founders of Vestible, have taken that small idea of connectedness, and breathed fresh and compelling life into it. That’s because Vestible gives fans the ability to make investment directly into their favorite athletes in return for a share of their future earnings. At the beginning of this NFL season, Denver Broncos LB Baron Browning became Vestibles first athlete IPO, generating over $650K in the offering. Many more athletes are following.

In our conversation, Yves and Parker recall reconnecting after their playing days at Oklahoma State came to an end, how they came up with the concept that became Vestible, their advice for other sports entrepreneurs, and much more. We’ll even test their knowledge about their alma mater Oklahoma State in the lightning round. It’s…. interesting.

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Dave 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.

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Borna Nazari: Founder and CEO of Hog Media

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 04:30:00 -0800

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that if you’re listening to this podcast, you probably consider yourself to be something of a sports fan. But what degree of sports fan are you, really…? How badly do your favorite team’s losses really sting?

For example, does that 1 run loss on the 27th game of the baseball season hurt so much that it forces you to go on a two hour walk to decompress? Probably not.

But that’s what fandom is like for this episode’s guest, Borna Nazari, the President and Founder of Hog Media. When his beloved Padres hurt, he hurt with them.

The difference, though, is that Borna channeled that passion into a youtube show focused on the Padres. And people started paying attention. A LOT of attention. Sponsors followed. And pretty soon Borna was quitting his day job to concentrate on building his channel, and connecting with other sports content creators around the country.

Which brings us to today. As founder and president of Hog Media, Borna now manages a network of close to 200 creators and is playing a key role in reshaping what media is for teams and leagues. In our conversation, we talk about the founding of Hog Media, his insights into what makes compelling content, how brands can reap the benefit of working closely with sports content creators, and how authenticity isn’t just key, but is also fundamentally changing what it means to be in sports media.

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Dave 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.

Staying Nimble in College Sports: Ben Mathan, Chief Strategy Officer for Learfield

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 04:30:00 -0800

I’ve always loved the expression “Man plans, god laughs”. It’s actually an old Yiddish proverb that speaks to how hard it is to execute a plan when so many unforeseen variables can come into play. Vaunted 21st century philosopher Mike Tyson has a more contemporary version : “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

I suspect no one knows more about carefully laid plans going awry than this episode’s guest, Learfield Chief Strategy Officer, Ben Mathan.

After carefully plotting out a career in financial services, Mathan took on a role with college sports juggernaut Learfield. After carefully plotting out his role at the company, COVID exploded and emptied out stadiums, choking off Learfield’s main source of revenue.

You get the picture. Ben planned. God laughed.

But through all that change and tumult, Mathan kept his eyes fixed on what he knew: college sports would always be popular to millions of people, and that Learfield was in the perfect position to benefit from all that passion.

In our conversation, we talk about Mathan’s somewhat indirect path to working in college sports, what he believes are the key attributes for someone charged with developing corporate strategy, and how he keeps his focus in an industry where things seem to change hour by hour.

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Dave 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.

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ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Catching Up With: Episode 19 Guest Jenn Todd Won a Championship with the Boston Celtics

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 04:30:00 -0800

Sports business moves pretty quickly. People change jobs, get involved with cool stuff, launch new companies. All kinds of stuff. So it makes sense, every so often, to catch up with a previous guest.

This time, we’re catching up with Episode 19 guest, Jenn Todd of the Boston Celtics.

Click here for our original episode (published on Dec 2022.)

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Dave 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.

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Wim Sweldens: Co-Founder & CMO of Kiswe

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 04:30:00 -0800

I’ve got bad news for you. Turns out your TV is pretty dumb. Well, not the TV itself, really. But the broadcast that comes into it sure can be. In this age of personalized experiences and customization, a sports broadcast is more or less one size fits all. Here’s the game, there’s the couch, sit down, and watch.

It’s a situation that was just begging for someone to apply a little innovation and creativity. And that someone was Wim Sweldens, the co-founder and CMO of Kiswe.

Sweldens, you see, is the consummate innovator. The former Lucent technologist owns 28 US patents, which is 28 more than most people have, and saw early on how all the bandwidth being created could be filled with more customized viewing experiences. That led to the founding of Kiswe, the company helping sports teams and leagues take control of their streaming rights to offer direct-to-consumer experiences that they own, operate and (more importantly) monetize.

In our conversation, we talk about the a-ha moment that led to the founding of Kiswe, how K-Pop superstars BTS were instrumental to their growth, and how teams like the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns are using Kiswe to provide private label streaming services direct to their fans.

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Dave 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.

Mark Keaney: Chief Revenue Officer of Greenfly

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 04:30:00 -0800

The other day I was looking at all the digital photos and video I’ve stored over the years, and was a little overwhelmed. I’ll bet you know what I’m talking about, right? Things stored in different places. Lack of categorization. Frankly, it’s a total mess.

Now, imagine what that’d be like if you were doing it for hundreds of thousands of people...

But that’s what sports teams are dealing with right now. Think about all the photos, videos, and other forms of content that are generated about leagues, teams, and players on a daily basis. It’s staggering, right?

That’s where Mark Keaney and Greenfly come in. Greenfly shows teams not only how to organize all that content, but also how they can use it effectively to connect with and engage their fans.

Using media effectively is nothing new to Mark, who has a long history in the industry. In our conversation, we talk about how the changing role of media in sports, what he’s seeing in terms of best practices for using user generated content, how established teams and leagues are actually looking to the upstarts for advice on using new media and content, , and much more.

I hope you’ll also take time to listen all the way through, because I promise you’ll also be inspired by Mark’s 7AM Project.

Just one other thing. Please note that there is one moment of foul language in this episode, but that’s to be expected when two guys who grew up near Boston get together. It’s just the way it works.

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Dave 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.

Mike Nicoll: Writer and Director of "The Spoils"

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 04:30:00 -0800

The other day was movie night here at worldwide HQ, so I thought I’d check out “The Spoils”, Mike Nicoll’s monumental documentary about AAU basketball. I’d juat settled in when the film’s protagonist, Etop Udo-Ema, says the following about AAU hoops:

“It’s a street game. It’s really just one step ahead of the dope game.”

It’s kind of an astounding statement, right? Youth sports being compared to the drug trade? But that line that lands even harder when Mike shares that he used the infamous HBO show The Wire as an inspiration for structuring his movie.

So just what the hell is going on in AAU basketball?

“The Spoils” takes a hard look at the state of amateur basketball in the US, and what it reveals is pretty breathtaking. To make his movie, Mike spent 11 years essentially embedded with the Compton Magic, the preeminent AAU basketball team in the country.

And what it reveals is a system perfectly designed to, in Mike’s words, “anoint and monetize” the next superstars.

In our conversation about his movie, Mike and I talk about the fearsome impact the current state of AAU has had on the sport, how entrenched interests like sneaker companies want to avoid changing the system at all costs, how AAU and players evolved over the decade he was attached to the Compton Magic, and what the ultimate cost is to the young teenage boys who get enmeshed in a system that openly refers to them as "assets" and "commodities".

Please note that this episode contains explicit language.

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Dave 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.

Rose Lanham: Founder of Players for Good

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 04:30:00 -0800

So tell me: What’s your greatest fear? Spiders? Heights? The mushroom people monsters from that movie you watched on Channel 38’s Creature Double Feature when you stayed up way too late? Oh, right. That one’s mine….

For most people, speaking in public is their greatest fear. It’s something Rose Lanham, the founder for Players for Good, a quickly growing speaker’s bureau for athletes, knows all too well. Because even players who are accustomed to competing in front of tens of thousands of people can get sweaty palms at the idea of speaking before a bunch of Rotarians.

It’s one of the reasons Rose launched Players for Good. The players she works with have amazing stories to tell about overcoming obstacles, surviving injury and illness, and experiencing what it takes to compete and win at the highest levels. Through Players for Good, she helps athletes craft their stories into compelling narratives, and then finds opportunities for them to share those stories.

In our conversation, we talk about how working with folks like Tony Gwynn showed her how athletes can impact a community, the qualities that make for a great speech, and what event producers should consider when featuring an athlete speaker at their events.

All that and the Lightning Round, too.

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Dave 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.

Harnessing Data for Sports Business: Ben Alamar, Author of "Sports Analytics"

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 04:30:00 -0800

A quick question for you. What does studying the effect of smoking bans on bars have in common with convincing basketball coaches that shooting more threes is the key to winning?

Absolutely nothing, as it turns out. Well, nothing, unless your name is Ben Alamar. If you’re Ben Alamar, those 2 things are linked at the hip.

That’s because when Ben was managing a UCSF smoking study back in the day, he answered a help wanted ad for a fantasy sports company who was looking for someone to help manage their data. That was the first time the economist realized that there was an entire industry that might one day need his expertise in analyzing information.

Safe to say that realization has worked out pretty well for Mr Alamar. Starting with that fantasy sports company, Ben has now worked with a vast number of sports teams and organizations to help transform how they look at and use data. Those experiences serve as the foundation for his industry defining text, "Sports Analytics", which is now in its 2nd printing.

In our conversation, we talk about how integral data analytics is to sports both on the field and in the front office, how having a clear mission for using data is an essential key to success, and where the field is headed in the next few years.

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Dave 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.

Amy Gutierrez & Celeste Gehring: Hosts of the "Girl, How'd You Get That Gig?" Podcast

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:30:00 -0800

Let’s begin this episode with a few questions. First off, do you work in sports? Number 2: would you like to work in sports? Alright, one more: do you know someone who’d like to work in sports?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then this episode is absolutely for you.

My guests on the show are Amy Gutierrez and Celeste Gehring, two long time sports media executives who host the quickly growing “Girl, How’d You Get That Gig?” podcast. In it, they interview female sports business executives to review their career paths, share secrets to their success, and provide advice to others seeking to follow in their steps.

And while their show is nominally for women, the lessons and advice they tease out have value for everyone. Honestly, just the stuff we talk about in this show is enough to get anyone a leg up in their search for a sports business job, or to advance from the one they already have. It’s s really positive discussion, even taking into account some pickleball trash talk toward the end.

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Dave 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.

Lloyd Danzig: Founder & Managing Partner, Sharp Alpha Advisors

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 04:30:00 -0800

At one point in his career, Lloyd Danzig, the founder of Sharp Alpha Advisors, was pretty confident that there was money to be made in what he calls the competitive entertainment industry. The Supreme Court had just opened up sports betting for states to adopt, he had a solid investing background, had recently earned a degree in data science, and had always loved fantasy sports. So good to go, right?

Well, not exactly. Turns out there was still one thing missing. And that was permission to fail.

Now with investments in over 30 online gaming start ups, Lloyd and Sharp Alpha are light years away from failure. In our conversation, Lloyd and I talk about the process of launching his venture capital firm, and why having a mentor share that wisdom about failure was so integral to his future success. We also cover the growth of online gaming, the competitive entertainment market, and what he looks for when making investments.

He also fills us in on what the unending torture of being a NY Jets fan is like. And it’s awful.

A special shout out to Brent von Forstmeyer and the University of San Francisco Sports Management program for letting me use their downtown offices to make this recording with Lloyd.

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Dave 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.

Sivonnia DeBarros: Founder, SL DeBarros Law and "Protector of Athletes"

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:30:00 -0800

My guest on this episode, Sivonnia DeBarros, is known as the "Protector of Athletes". A former athlete herself, DeBarros is applying her legal background to help athletes avoid missteps that lead to financial and contractual challenges. And with the rise of Name Image Likeness opportunities for college athletes, she’s never been busier.

In our conversation, we go into her inspiring path to becoming a lawyer and then launching her own law firm. We also cover her burning desire to work with athletes, where she sees NIL opportunities and challenges for college students, and the ongoing legal struggles of the NCAA.

She also lets you know when it’s appropriate to yell “I object” outside of the court room.

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Dave 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.

Thanks to Scott Holmes and Hartzmann (License code: BB0CFEZTX4O77LPH) for the music!

Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Kurt Roth: Founder, 505 Sports Venture Foundation

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 13:50:00 -0800

On this show, we’ve talked a lot about the crazy state of college sports brought on by legalized name image likeness payments to athletes. We’ve interviewed athletes who are reaping the benefits, administrators who are pulling their hair out trying to stay on top of changes, lawyers specializing in related legislation, and entrepreneurs trying to get in on the gold rush.

The one place we haven’t really explored much is the concept of collectives. And that changes with this episode.

Kurt Roth is a native New Yorker who fell in love with the UNM Lobos when he arrived on campus as a Freshmen in 1972. And it’s a love that continues to this day. After a successful law career, Roth returned to the Land of Enchantment and launched the 505 Sports Venture Foundation. The 505 is a collective, a non profit organization that seeks donations from businesses and individuals, and then uses those proceeds to make payments to athletes for the NIL rights.

Now for some people, collectives are a convenient boogeyman for college sports, a twisting of the intent of NIL rights. That’s an opinion that Roth passionately refutes with what can only be called a New Yorker’s elan. You’ll hear words like “idiotic”, “hypocritical”, and “anti-American” used to describe collective opponents.

It’s a fast paced conversation that touches upon how he arrived in New Mexico, the impact that the 505 and other collectives are having, and where the concept is heading next. The Albuquerque resident will also tell you which Breaking Bad character he most identifies with, something that’s clearly worth finding out.

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Dave 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.

Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Jason Romero: Speaker, Author of "Running into the Dark"

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0800

This is a difficult intro to do for this episode. I want to tell you all about my guest Jason Romero to draw you in. But I also don’t want to provide any spoilers to our conversation. I just want you to learn about his unbelievable story on your own.

Because his story is just that: unbelievable. I promise that when you listen you’ll have a few “oh wow” moments, followed by “wait, what?” moments, followed by a “you have got to be kidding me” moments.

I’m just glad I get to share his story with you. It’s inspiring, it’s crazy, it’s motivational, it’s… well, it’ s a lot of things. But mostly it’s a story of how a man just wouldn’t let his light fade.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

The 1-on-1: 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.

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast

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YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

Kyle Christensen: CRO & CMO for Splash, Inc

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:00:00 -0800

There’s been so much change so quickly in sports business that there’s a bunch of stuff that seems normal now that I wouldn’t have even believed possible just 10 years ago. Paying college athletes. Watching games on your phone. Pro teams in Vegas.

And there’s online gaming, a market that is currently estimated at about $10B a year, and is projected to grow by 12% annually through the end of this decade.

That kind of growth is what puts a gleam in the eye of this episodes guest, Kyle Christensen, the Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer of Splash, Inc.

With a rapidly growing user base that recently surpassed 2 million, Splash is turning heads in the online gaming industry with a social approach to their contests. It’s a strategy that falls right in the wheelhouse for Christensen, a veteran of the entertainment and social media industries.

In our conversation, we talk about how his experiences at companies like Warner Brothers, Meta and Netflix prepared him for taking the reins at Splash. We also go into how Splash is differentiating themselves from the industry’s biggest players, what draws him to companies that like to throw bricks through the windows of the status quo, and why maybe breaking down that firewall between personal and business is a good idea.

And if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to incur the wrath of hard core comic book fans, he’ll let you know what that’s like, too.

Just a heads up, there’s some explicit language in this episode.

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Website: adcpartners.com/podcast

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YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

Travis Apple: Chief Revenue Officer, Logitix

Tue, 21 May 2024 12:00:00 -0800

From the outside looking in, working in sports can seem a little glamourous, I suppose. You know what I mean. Multi-billion dollar media rights deals. Major events located in sparkling new stadiums in global capitals around the world. New companies focused on delivering sports in totally different ways mushrooming up all over the place. Yeah, seems pretty sexy.

But the success of everything I just described rests on the back of the two things that are absolutely indispensable in sports business: the humble event ticket and the ability to sell that humble event ticket.

And few people know more about the importance of those t

wo things than my guest in this episode, Travis Apple, the Chief Revenue Officer of digital ticketing platform Logitix.

Travis has spent his working life honing the craft of ticket sales for teams in the NBA, MLB, NHL and more. Now with Logitix, he’s taking that knowledge and combining it with new tools that make sure teams are getting the absolute most revenue from their ticketing programs.

In our conversation, Travis talks about his career arc, and drops some legendary industry names that have mentored him along the way. He touches on the transition from working FOR sports to working WITH sports at Logitix, and how that company is altering the ticketing market. He also takes time to drop more essential sales wisdom than any 35 minute podcast should have.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast

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YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

Ryan Neiswender: Team USA Gold Medalist in Wheelchair Basketball

Tue, 07 May 2024 12:00:00 -0800

As we get started on this episode, I want you to take a second and think about the qualities that define you. What are the different things that make you… you? Do you love those qualities? Or are they something you feel like you need to battle?

For my guest Ryan Neiswender, it took time for him to learn to love the quality he hated most about himself. But when he did, he reached the loftiest heights an athlete can reach.

Ryan was born with Arthrogryposis, a rare condition that impacted the development of his legs. By the age of 8, he would need to use a wheelchair to get around. But rather than feel constrained by his chair, Ryan felt he could move effortlessly.

Then one day his parents took the sports obsessed Ryan to a nearby wheel chair basketball clinic, and the rest is history. Actual literal history, because Ryan went on to not only excel at the sport, he ended up winning a gold medal for Team USA at the 2020 Paralympic games in Tokyo.

In our conversation we talk at length about Ryan’s journey and what he’s learned about himself along the way. We go into the highs of winning a gold medal, and more recent lows associated with the sport. But most importantly, we talk about the mindset and strategies he’s developed that prepare him to deal with those emotional peaks and valleys.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast

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Youtube: @adcpartners

YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

Sabrina Oostburg: Division 1 Athlete & Athlete Creator

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0800

If you’re in this industry, you know that Sports business is a really dynamic industry. Change is happening all the time. New trends emerge, different technologies are adopted, audience tastes change on what seems like a minute-by-minute basis… it can be a lot.

And nowhere is this more true than in college sports, particularly in terms of name-image-likeness, or NIL. In the last couple of years, the ability of college athletes to make money promoting products and services has fundamentally and (to the consternation of some) irreversible reshaped college sports. Everyone seems to have an opinion about it. And, let’s be clear: lots of those opinions are from people who aren’t, or never were, college athletes.

So let’s change that up and hear from my guest, Sabrina Oostburg. Sabrina is currently enrolled at Belmont College in Nashville Tennessee, a small school you probably never heard of. She competes in track and field throwing events like the hammer toss, and event you’ve most likely never seen.

Yet somehow Sabrina, competing in an esoteric sport for a little-known school, is an incredibly successful NIL athlete. She’s currently managing a stable of over 20 NIL deals, many of which she pitched, negotiated and developed herself.

In our chat, we talk about her NIL journey, and the advice she gives other athletes wanting to replicate her success. She reveals what brands should consider to make their NIL campaigns more successful, her perspective on what makes an athlete Creator different from an Influencer, and what concerns her about the future of NIL.

She’ll also reveal the name of the YouTube video that fundamentally and forever changed her life.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast

Instagram: adc_partners_podcast

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Youtube: @adcpartners

YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Bonnie-Jill Laflin: Author of "In a League of Her Own"

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:59:00 -0800

This episode’s guest is probably going to make you feel like a slacker. In fairness though? Bonnie-Jill Laflin can make just about everyone feel that way. Santa Claus on Christmas Eve looks like a lay-a-bout compared to Bonnie Jill.

We’ll get into her many MANY roles during our chat, but I will say that the first (and still only ) female NBA scout recently added another experience to her already poly-hyphenated career: author.

Bonnie Jill’s new book, “In a League of Her Own” is a testament to the many female “firsts” in sports and sports business. In it she features insights and interviews with iconic figures like Billie Jean King, Danica Patrick, and Jackie Joyner Kersee.

In our conversation, we talk about Bonnie Jill’s remarkable sports journey, the common threads she saw in the women she interviewed for the book, and even what she learned about herself while writing it. We’ll also find out if she’s a ninja. Her answer probably won’t surprise you…

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Dave 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.

Leading the Youth Sports Revolution: Peter Frintzilas, CEO of TeamSnap

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0800

If you have kids who play sports, you know all too well the special kind of crazy that brings to the household. When my 3 kids were younger they tried just about everything: lacrosse, tennis, golf, baseball, ice hockey, basketball, irish dance, football, volleyball…. I think I got everything…. Anyway, suffice it to say it could get a little chaotic.

And like a lot of sports parents, an app named TeamSnap was part of our every day lives. I suspect a lot of you listening have it on your phones, too, because it helps bring some order to that chaos.

And that right there brings a smile to the face of this episodes guest, Peter Frintzilas, the CEO of TeamSnap.

Frintzilas joined TeamSnap in 2020, when we were in the midst of a pandemic and youth sports effectively ground to a halt. For most people, that would have made joining the company a kind of a non-starter, right? Oh, our entire audience has more or less evaporated? Yeaaaaah, no.

But not Frintzilas. He saw the opportunity to put TeamSnap at the center of a youth sports industry that by some measures might be worth $60 billion annually in the near future.

In our conversation, Pete and I talk about the growth of youth sports, how he first encountered TeamSnap, how recent acquisitions are performing, how he sees the youth sports market evolving, and most importantly how he sees his company taking advantage of it. He also reveals how he got his start in movies (turns out being able to remember your lines is pretty key…)

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast

Instagram: adc_partners_podcast

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Youtube: @adcpartners

YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

Ruby George & Mather Wiswall: Founders of the United Grid League

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0800

Imagine, for a moment, what goes into launching a new business. Think about it. All the excitement, stress, time, details, ideas, and millions of other unknown hurdles that can’t be planned for or strategized about. And when you think about all that, who would you turn to for help?

Does your sibling spring to mind?

For Mather Wiswall and Ruby George, the sibling founders of the United Grid League, that’s exactly what happened.

I had chance speak with Mather and Ruby about the UGL and the rapidly growing sport of Grid. We go into the twists and turns involved with running your own sports league, what keeps them up at night, and what gets them most excited about where the sport is headed.

And yes, we go into what it’s like to run a business with a sibling, and what they’ve learned about each other (and themselves) along the way.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Website: adcpartners.com/podcast

Instagram: adc_partners_podcast

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Youtube: @adcpartners

YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

Sports Ownership an Investment Holy Grail?: Christopher Zook, Chairman of CAZ Investments

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:43:00 -0800

Back in the day, if you wanted to call yourself a sports team owner, one of 2 things had to happen. You either had to be born into a crazy rich family that already owned a team, or you had to make a fortune somewhere else and buy the team from one of those previously mentioned crazy rich families.

But my guest in this episode, Christopher Zook, wants you to know that’s not necessarily the case anymore.

Here’s the deal.

Christopher is the Founder and CIO of CAZ Investments, one of the largest private equity firms in the world. He’s also just written a book with legendary leadership guru Tony Robbins called "The Holy Grail of Investing".

The book feature interviews with some of the world's most prolific and successful investors, and reveals the secrets behind their successes, their challenges, and (perhaps most interestingly) where they’re looking for their next wins. And, as it turns out, one of those places in professional sports ownership.

In our conversation, Christopher and I talk about how professional sports first got on his radar as an investment opportunity. He also goes into what he’s anticipating for the growth of sports businesses, and how smart investors can position themselves to take advantage of pro sports.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

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Dave 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.

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Brianna Salvatore Dueck: Head of Strategy, 17 Sport

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:00:00 -0800

Let’s get one thing out of the way, right off the bat: sports and “purpose” have always been intertwined. For all the moaning from the “shut up and dribble” crowd, athletes and sports have ALWAYS provided a platform to shine a light on the issues of the day.

Think about it. Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics. Jackie Robinson joining the Dodgers. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in Mexico City. Billie Jean King’s match with Bobby Riggs. Yes, of course, these were sporting events. But in the end, they were So. Much More. And the images and memories of those events are indelible because of it.

That intersection of sports and purpose is where this episode’s guest Brianna Salvatore Dueck lives. As Head of Strategy for 17 Sport, she’s helping brands and sports properties realize the true potential of their partnerships by ensuring that “purpose” is front and center.

In this episode, Brianna and I talk about her work at 17 Sport, and the path she took to get there. We touch on what goes into crafting effective, purpose driven campaigns, why they’re no longer a luxury, and even how they can be measured. The former D1 hoops player even shares her go to shot for beating her 6’ 8” husband in HORSE.

Brian Mirakian: Senior Principal, Populous

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0800

Do me a favor: close your eyes and picture the most famous sports and entertainment venues that have been built over, say, the last 40 years. I bet some of the places that come to mind are stadiums like Camden Yards in Baltimore, Oracle Park in SF, Tottenham Hot Spur Stadium in London or even the Sphere in Las Vegas.

One thing they all have in common? They were all designed by Populous, the most legendary sports and entertainment architecture firm in the world.

Populous is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary, and my guest, Populous Sr Principal Brian Mirakian, is celebrating his 20th year with the iconic firm.

In our wide ranging conversation, Brian and I talk about the evolution of stadium design, and how it changes to address the wants and needs of the modern fan. We also talk about the importance of physical spaces in an increasingly virtual world, balancing design for different types of fans, and the rise of eSports specific design. The Kansas City resident also has thoughts on how much credit Taylor Swift should get for the Chiefs’ latest NFL playoff run.

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Dave 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.

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Brittany Gilman: President & Founder of BG Sports Enterprises and BPOP List

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 12:00:00 -0800

I’ve had a lot of discussions lately about the meaning of the term “grit”. Like what it means, what its qualities are, and its relative level of importance. You know, things like that. Generally, most people seem to agree that grit is the thing that gives you the ability to respond when life throws you a curveball. The grittier you are, the quicker you bounce back.

And let me tell you: this episode’s guest, Brittany Gilman of BG Sports Enterprises and BPOP List, has grit to spare.

When her pro snowboarding career was derailed due to injury, she quickly pivoted to become a strength and conditioning coach for major college athletics programs. When she found that work unfulfilling after a couple of years, she joined a sports marketing agency as an intern. After 3 underwhelming months of that, she decided to open up her own agency.

Like I said: gritty.

In our discussion, we talk about how her competitive background prepared her for those numerous career pivots. We also go into how she continues to grow her business, the advice she has for athletes seeking to build their brands, her recommendations for other would be entrepreneurs , and much more. And, because this was recorded right before NYE, she even provides a NY resolution that EVERYONE should consider.

Chase Griffin: UCLA Bruin QB & 2x NIL Male Athlete of the Year

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0800

Chip Kelly, the Head Coach of the UCLA Bruins football team, once remarked that he wouldn’t be surprised if this episode’s guest Chase Griffin wound up as President of the United States one day. And after getting to spend some time with Chase, I think Coach Kelly’s expectations might actually be a little on the low side.

Chase is currently a UCLA QB, and that on its own would be a pretty remarkable accomplishment. But it really just scratches the surface. You see, Chase is among the most successful college athletes in terms of name-image-likeness, the new ability of college athletes to make money marketing products and services. And with over 30 brand and charitable partnerships, Chase is VERY successful. So successful in fact, that he’s TWICE been named NIL Male Athlete of the Year.

In our conversation, we talk in depth about both his football and NIL experiences, and what he believes contributes to his remarkable accomplishments in each. We also discuss the advice he shares with other athletes seeking to emulate his success, what he believes the role of universities should be in supporting athletes in NIL, his feelings on sharing media revenue directly with athletes, and much, more more.

And in a bit of breaking news, we even talk about possible running mates choices should he ever decide to make that run for President.

Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Alisha Pope: Head of Sponsorship Strategy for MGM Resorts

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:00:00 -0800

When Alisha Pope was playing AAU basketball, her teammates would often share dreams about playing in the NBA and WNBA. But not Alisha. She dreamed about being commissioner. And let me tell you, after my conversation with her, I’m thinking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver better watch himself.

Alisha kind of represents a perfect storm of how to succeed in sports business. She combined her innate competitiveness, familial support, and insatiable curiosity to examine every nuance and corner of the industry. And after stops at NASCAR, the NBA, WBNA and NCAA, Alisha is now Head of Sports & Sponsorship Strategy at MGM Resorts.

In our conversation, we talk about her rise through the sports business ranks and the skills she believes that have been instrumental to her. We also go into her role at MGM, how changes in sports marketing have impacted her priorities, and what she’s most looking forward to when it comes to the future of her industry.

Dr Peter Belafsky: Professor of Otolaryngology and Co-Founder of Reflux Gourmet

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0800

I know, I know, I know. This is supposed to be a sports business podcast. The focus has always been on talking to people in the industry who are doing cool and interesting things.

My challenge, though, is that I meet a lot of people from outside the sports business world who are ALSO up to cool and interesting things. And then my curiosity gets the better of me.

Doctor Peter Belafsky is a perfect example of this. The renowned surgeon, inventor and physician is widely recognized as a leader in his specialty of …. Making sure I’m getting this right… Oto-laryngology. I’m told that’s science speak for the ear, nose, and throat. He’s treated kings, famous hip hop artists, athletes, and currently heads up the Voice and Swallowing Center at UC Davis.

In our conversation, we’ll get into his origin story to discuss how he became a doctor, how he pursues ideas and innovations that lead to new devices and treatments, the launch of his new product Reflux Gourmet, and advice he has for people suffering from his area of focus, acid reflux.

I’ll give you a hint: there’s GREAT news for coffee drinkers. So you’re welcome.

Tamzin Barriolhet: Global Sports Marketing for Basketball, Under Armor

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0800

At any given time, there are something like 120 categories of business engaged in sports partnerships. And of all those categories of business, I don’t think there’s any as competitive as sports apparel and footwear. It is NOT for the faint of heart. Books have been written and movies have been made about how intense it is.

That’s why Tamzin Barriolhet, Under Armor’s Senior Lead for Global Sports Marketing, is so perfect for that industry.

Tamzin is a fearsome competitor, a skill she honed on the basketball courts of her native France. After competing at the D1 level in the US and a brief pro career in France, Tamzin turned her eyes to the business side of sports. If you’re guessing that her competitive nature has served her well, you’d be correct.

In our conversation, Tamzin and I talk about her early days as a basketball prodigy in France, the transition from playing sports to working in it, her current role at Under Armor, the evolution of the brand’s partnership with global superstar Steph Curry, and how she stays on top of an industry that changes by the minute.

Our conversation takes off quicker than a Steph Curry crossover, so brace yourself. And enjoy.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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 US

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Solly Fulp: Executive VP, LEARFIELD

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 17:22:00 -0800

A couple of years ago, the NCAA did something CRAZY. After some legal defeats and legislative challenges, the NCAA finally threw up their hands and started allowing college athletes to make some money by using their name, image, or likeness in different marketing activity.

What happened next was a veritable explosion of new companies, brands, brokers, collectives and athletes all trying to gain a toehold and this new and potentially lucrative marketplace. It was, many said, the new Wild West of college sports.

Well, if there’s a sheriff in town trying to bring some order to the chaos of NIL, it might just be Learfield’s Executive Vice President Solly Fulp.

It’s safe to say college sports is woven deeply into Solly’s DNA. Before landing at Learfield, he was a D1 wrestler at Oregon and later a Deputy Athletic Director at Cal. And it’s those experiences that position him so well to work on both the opportunities and challenges associated with NIL.

In this episode, we talk all about those opportunities and challenges, how Learfield is approaching the quickly evolving NIL market, how Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders fits in, and much much more.

And, if you stick around long enough, you’ll even learn how depriving yourself of water affects your teeth. You wouldn’t want to miss that, right? Right…?

Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Megan Sheffield: Director of Brand Partnerships, Zappos

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:00:00 -0800

Let’s take a second and define the meaning of the word “bananas”. Yes, it’s a yellow fruit you need to take care not to slip on. But that’s not the definition I’m thinking of right now. I’m thinking of the bananas that means “crazy”. “wacky”. “Bonkers”.

And so, with that definition in mind, you know what’s truly bananas? Pitching an extensive partnership with the Savanah Bananas, a sports property that didn’t even do sponsorship, to a brand you don’t even work for.

But that’s exactly what Megan Sheffield, now Director of Brand Partnerships for Zappos, did. And the result is Zappos incredible partnership with the social media darling Savannah Bananas and their World Tour.

If you’re not familiar with either Zappos or the Bananas, my conversation with Megan will get you up to speed. It’s hard to imagine a better fit between two organizations, and Megan was the first to see it. We talk about that moment of “aha!” when she first encountered the world’s most irreverent sports team, what the Bananas understand about the future of sports and entertainment, and what lessons teams and leagues can learn from their partnership.

So settle in, listen up, and let’s go bananas. And Zappos.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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 US

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Yao Williams: VP of Global Partnerships, ESL FACEIT Group

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:00:00 -0800

You may think you’ll do anything to close a sports marketing partnership, but how about eating bullfrog soup?

That’s what this episode’s guest Yao Williams did once. (Yes, just the once).

Currently the VP of Global Partnerships for eSports juggernaut ESL FACEIT Group, Yao’s path through the sports business world has been a remarkable one. He started out like so many of us do in this industry: in ticket sales. But his unique blend of grit, competitiveness, and thoughtfulness is what has put him at the center of one of the most dynamic parts of this industry today.

In this episode, Yao and I talk about his origin story in sports business, and the skill sets he employed to aid his rise. We discuss how those same skill sets helped him succeed in China, a country he’d never visited or had any language skills. We also review the state of the ever shifting eSports business, and where he sees that industry headed.

Oh, and he provides some tips on what to do if ever served that steaming helping of bullfrog soup. So bon appetit.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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 US

Here's where you can find us:

Joe De Sena: Founder and CEO, The Spartan Race

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:00:00 -0800

Let’s get one thing out of the way. Joe De Sena thinks you’re soft. And he wants you to suffer.

In fairness, the founder and CEO of the obstacle competition empire Spartan Race thinks just about everyone is soft and can benefit from some suffering. Because he believes it’s in those moments, when you’re exhausted and at what you think are your limits? That’s where real personal transformation occurs, and the tightest possible bonds are formed.

It's for those reasons, that Joe and Spartan Race are on a mission to change 100 million lives.

In our conversation, we talk about his own personal transformation, the twists and turns of making Spartan Race the global brand it is today, the challenges of running and events based business coming out of a pandemic, and where things head from here.

And why that may or may not include bears.

Dr Darin White: Exec Director, Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 11:00:00 -0800

Lets start with a tortured analogy: using data and analytics is a little like going to the gym. You know it’s important and good for you, but MAN can it be hard to get started.

No one knows this better than Dr Darin White, the Executive Director of the Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University in Birmingham AL.

In his role, Dr White has created THE leading sports analytics program in the nation. But it’s not your typical ivory tower stuff. Far from it. Dr White and his students are working with sports teams and big sports marketing brands to make the best use of the oceans of data that surround them. The result has produced measurable results for everyone involved in these partnerships.

In our conversation, we talk about the evolution of sports marketing from being a CEO’s plaything to an integral part of the marketing mix, how that evolution has placed new demands on teams and brands, and why the effective use of data and analytics is now critical to sports marketing partnerships.

You can also calm down because he explains why Artificial Intelligence isn’t coming for your job. Yet.

Adam Lippard: Chief Partnership Officer, GMR Marketing

Tue, 09 May 2023 11:00:00 -0800

“I’m a capitalist, but I also have a conscience.”

That was written by this episode’s guest, Adam Lippard, after he returned from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and they really cut to the heart of the internal conflict he experienced during that event.

Adam is the Chief Partnership Officer for GMR Marketing, one of the biggest and most consequential experiential marketing companies in the world. And in that role, he manages sponsorships for companies at the biggest global events imaginable, including FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games.

Those high-profile events also dredged up a number of challenging issues like host nation human rights abuses and persecution of different communities. Issues that run head on into Adam’s values and identity.

In our thoughtful and insightful conversation, Adam shares what it it’s like walking that capitalist – conscience tight rope, and how he advises both clients and employees to do the same. We also go into his extensive agency experience, how sports business has changed during his tenure, and more.

The former budding sports broadcaster also shares the sport he’d LEAST like to announce.

Dan Schilling: Author of "The Power of Awareness"

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:00:00 -0800

Note: This episode contains some salty language.

This is a sports business podcast. Says so right there in the logo. So you’re probably expecting something related to sports business.

Well, sorry to disappoint. My guest in this episode has never worked in sports. Frankly he’s not really even that much of a fan. So why on earth should you continue to listen?

Because this episode might LITERALLY one day save your life.

I met my guest Dan Schilling on a chairlift at Alta ski resort in Utah. Dan, it turns out, is one of our nation’s most accomplished warriors. In his 30 year military career, Dan was part of one of the least know but most demanding special forces communities. He’s been around the world to fight in our nation’s fiercest of battles, including the infamous Battle of Mogadishu, a conflict made famous by the book and movie Black Hawk Down.

Now an accomplished author, Dan’s most recent book is the Power of Awareness. In it, Dan distills essential parts of his and other’s training to help you gain insight into and better control of your surroundings.

In this wide ranging conversation, we talk about Dan’s military career, including the Battle of Mogadishu, how personality and intelligence are keys to success in the Special Forces communities, his transition to writing, and the one extreme sport that even HE won’t try.

You can learn more about Dan and his writing at DanSchillingBooks.com.

Marc Reeves: Head of Global Partnerships, Fever

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 10:00:26 -0800

When I ask you what the most dominant sports league in the US is, I suspect you’d probably say the NFL. And if I asked what sports agency more or less created sports marketing, you’d probably say IMG. How about the world’s biggest sportswear brand? Nike, right? And what do all these blue chip sports businesses have in common? They all hired this episode’s guest, Marc Reeves at one point or another. Throughout his career, Marc has been almost unerringly “in the room where it happened’. Whether it’s at the start of the NFL’s International strategy to place a team in London by the middle of this decade, or Nike’s decision to make Colin Kaepernick the iconic face of the 30th anniversary “Just do it” campaign, Marc has both been there and done that. In this episode, we talk about these and other standout moments of Marc’s fascinating sports business experiences. We’ll also dive into his latest ventures, including his new role as Head of Global Partnerships for live event discovery platform. Fever. And if you hear Marc’s family in the background of this episode, it’s only because it was 6a in Australia, and everyone was getting ready for school. What can I say: The man is busy!

Ari Mark: SVP of Partnerships, Drone Racing League

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 10:00:10 -0800

The Drone Racing League’s current season wraps up on NBC with the Algorand World Championships Semi Finals on March 26th and the finals on April 8th, so it’s kind of a miracle I managed to get the League’s SVP of Partnerships Ari Mark to sit still long enough for an interview. These are heady days for the DRL, so Ari, who oversees the League’s partnership portfolio, is zinging around faster than one of his competitors 90 mph drones. And for good reason. The self styled “Sport from the Future” is holding live events again, so the energy around the League is absolutely crackling. Sponsors like the Algorand, Air Force, T-Mobile and any others have taken notice. In our conversation, Ari and I talk about his introduction to the DRL after working for blue chip sports properties like the NBA and NFL’s Miami Dolphins and what it’s like to create partnerships for a property where the sky is quite literally the limit. He’ll also reveal the origin story behind his preferred drone racing handle, "DaddyIceFire", so you sure aren’t going to want to miss that.

Lyle Adams: CEO of Spry

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 13:00:20 -0800

Trying to stay on top of the Name-Image-Likeness market for college athletes is just brutal. That marketplace is more complex than reading Shakespeare in ancient Greek while juggling on 1 foot. I suppose it takes someone like Lyle Adams, the CEO of Spry, to not only make sense of it all, but to build a product that can help others make sense of it all, too. A former D1 college soccer player, Adams knows first hand the hurdles that NIL and it’s ever changing rules and regulations present to athletes and administrators. As a problem solver who was an early Uber employee, he also saw how technology can help remove these same obstacles. In our conversation, Lyle and I talk about the creation of his company Spry, his soccer career, his transition from being an athlete to working for technology start ups, and where he sees both the opportunities and challenges for name image likeness. He’ll also reveal why your most interesting Uber ride will probably never match his.

Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Rudy Klancnik: VP of Sales and Marketing, Sports in Action

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 12:00:25 -0800

Here's a little secret: high school football is a really big deal in Texas. OK, maybe that’s not that much of a secret, what with the whole Friday Night Lights thing. But still: it’s a really REALLY big deal. And no one knows that more that Rudy Klancnick, the VP of Sales for Sports in Action. In his role, Rudy creates partnerships for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, a brand that may be more Texas than the Dallas Cowboys, Dr Pepper and What A Burger all rolled up into one. We talk about the unique opportunities and challenges associated with developing partnerships at the HS level, the essential role that authenticity plays in that, and the amazing legacy of Dave Campbell, a true Texas legend.

Margie Pedder: Sr Director of Global Partnerships, Visa

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 14:42:43 -0800

How do athletes feel when their time as a competitor seems over? When the last fan leaves the stadium and the lights go out for the what might be the final time? For British Olympian Margie Pedder, the period that followed competing in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney Australia was a bit uncertain. After training so hard for that singular goal, she found that what came next presented it’s own, somewhat unexpected challenges. Fortunately, the resiliency she’d honed in years of intense competition paid off in other ways. She moved the US, swam competitively for USC, got her degree, and ultimately landed in the role she occupies today: leading Visa’s partnership efforts with the NFL. In this episode, Margie and I talk about her path the to the Olympics, the challenges associated with making the transition from the sports world to the Business world, and what makes Visa so effective with their sports marketing efforts.

Jason Oberlander: Chief Commercial Officer, ASM Global

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 14:00:00 -0800

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. " That little pearl of Aristotelian wisdom is probably one of the most frequently used (or overused) phrases in the business world. But the meaning can be a little opaque at times. Well, unless you’re Jason Oberlander, the Chief Commercial Officer for ASM Global. He knows exactly what it means. You see, Jason is charged with generating commercial activity for ASM’s network of over 350 stadiums, arenas, convention centers and other facilities located around the world. Driving revenue is increasingly tied to constructing a single platform for his partners from all those different parts. In our conversation, Jason and I talk about how ASM plans to accomplish that lofty goal, lessons learned from the COVID era, what goes into developing a great partnership, and much more. You’ll even get a little French lesson.

Dave Raymond, the Original Phillie Phanatic & Author of "The Power of Fun!"

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 13:41:00 -0800

For 16 years, Dave Raymond was the Phillie Phanatic, one of the most famous mascots in all of sports.

In his time inside the costume, he more or less invented the concept of the modern mascot and made characters an indispensable part of a sports team’s operation.

In our conversation, we review the Phanatic’s origins, how Raymond developed the mascot’s personality, and discuss some memorable run ins with players and managers.

It’s a hilarious conversation at times, but it’s also an incredibly poignant one, as Dave also recalls how the Phanatic helped rescue him from some of the lowest points of his life. The lessons he learned in those moments continue to shape his approach to spreading the value of happiness today.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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 US

Here's where you can find us:

Jennifer Todd, Co-Founder, The Basketball Tournament

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:00:00 -0800

The theme of this episode is all about taking chances, something Jennifer Todd, the co-founder of The Basketball Tournament, knows all about. Consider some of her rolls of the dice:

As a freshman in college, she joined in a lawsuit that would become a landmark case involving Title 9.

After she landed a dream job in sports, she left it to travel the world for a year-and-a half.

Looking to re-start her career, she took another gamble and helped launch The Basketball Tournament, the first of its kind million dollar, winner take all tournament.

In our conversation, we’ll touch on each of these chapters of Jenn’s wild ride, and dive into some of the things she sees as absolutely essential to her success, including finding her voice, trusting her instincts, and belief in the projects she works on.

2022 World Cup Special Episode with Kenneth Cortsen

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 14:00:00 -0800

Suffice it to way that, at least from a marketing perspective, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is off to an interesting start.

In this special World Cup edition Danish sports business professional and soccer expert Kenneth Corsten breaks down the MANY stories that have already emerged, including the Budweiser fiasco, Danish equipment maker Hummels strategy for the tournament, and the potential long term damage to the FIFA brand and their many partnerships.

Kenneth also reveals which Danish specialties he avoids at all costs and how many mermaids he’s seen, so there’s a little something for everyone.

Mark Foxton, Head of Global Partnerships and Collaboration, Levi Strauss

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 13:23:00 -0800

Is there a more iconic brand than Levi’s? Think about it: you only have to hear the numbers “501” and you know exactly what they mean.

That’s both the opportunity and the challenge for Mark Foxton, Levi’s point person for Global Partnerships and Collaboration. Mark is charged with figuring out how sports can help Levi’s maintain its status as a uniquely American (and now global) brand. And that involves being on the constant search for athletes, teams and leagues that can elevate Levi’s into, as he puts it, the “Center of Cultural Moments”

In our discussion, we talk about Mark’s remarkably extensive sports marketing background, the importance and difficulty of measuring good partnerships, and the best piece of fashion advice he ever received while working at Levi’s.

Tom Fletcher, SVP of Marketing Partnerships, Phoenix Suns

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 13:43:00 -0800

“Control what you can control.”

That’s the mantra that Phoenix Suns SVP of Marketing Partnerships Tom Fletcher spoke to himself as his playing days in the NFL came to an end. It was his vow to never let his future be left to the capricious whims of some unknown team executive.

With that, Tom began his sports business career by focusing on what he could control: building solid relationships, saying yes to opportunities, working with great teams of people, and so much more. That focus has seen him through some ups and downs throughout his career.

In our conversation, we touch upon some of his unique challenge, what the transition away from being a professional athlete was like, and lessons he picked up hanging around Coach Nick Saban an the U Alabama football team.

Video clip: https://youtu.be/y2L3pC6hQHY

Alan Ledford, President, MountainStar Sports Group

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 11:00:09 -0800

I guess you could call this episode’s guest Alan Ledford “a baseball guy.” He’s been working in the game for over 30 years, beginning as an intern for the Oakland A’s in 1983 and rising top the the club’s VP of Operations. Since then, Ledford has helped launch multiple minor league baseball teams, most notably the Sacramento River Cats and the El Paso Chihuahuas. So, a baseball guy, right? Not exactly. You see, Ledford is currently president of Mountain star Sports Group, the owner of the Chihuahuas, but also the USL’s El Paso Locomotives and FC Juarez of Liga MX. So the baseball guy is also a soccer guy? What Ledford really is one of the sharpest minds in sports business. Success follows the former minor League baseball executive of the year, and in our discussion he details some of the things that have helped him and the teams he works for find that success. We also talk about the challenges in launching a new franchise, why he believes baseball will endure, and what it’s like to lose a seemingly impossible number of foosball games to yours truly.

Jason Smith, Founder and CEO of SponsorCX

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:00:16 -0800

Have your ever had an idea for a business that just took up residency inside your head? Something that you’d think about and go ‘that might just work’? Jason Smith, the Founder and CEO of SponsorCX sure did. For years Jason thought about using technology to bring order to the chaos that can sometimes be sponsor and property relationships. And for years he thought “there’s just no way I can do this.” Until one day he did. SponsorCX is now quickly becoming the gold standard for sports marketing and sponsorship CRM solutions. In this episode, Jason talks about his history in sports marketing, his journey as an entrepreneur, and offers some advice to anyone who ever thought about starting their own business. And, if you listen to the whole episode, he’ll also dispense some essential tech support advice. In Spanish. Sort of.

Andy Dolich, Fan Controlled Sports and Entertainment

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:46:27 -0800

When Andy Dolich shoots you a note and says, “Hey, lets do a podcast episode together.” the only possible response is “When do we record, and how long do you have?” It’s fair to say that Dolich is a legend in the sports business world. He’s sat in the big chair for teams in 3 of the 4 major pro sports leagues. He’s overseen both championship seasons and epic losing ones. He’s worked for some of the greatest owners in sports, and, well, other owners, too... In short, he’s one of the guys who helped transform sports business from an almost quaint operation and into the multi-billion dollar economic behemoth that dominates the cultural landscape. Best of all? Andy has opinions, and he’s not afraid to share them. In this episode, he lays into Oakland A’s ownership, laments the impending demise of the Pac 12, gets fired up about the Fan Controlled Football League, and much MUCH more. So buckle up, Buttercup. Here comes Andy Dolich.

Jen Rottenberg, Head of Partnerships, Athleta

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 13:00:00 -0800

It’s safe to say that we’ve arrived at something of an inflection point for women’s sports. NWSL games are selling out. The WNBA just turned 25. US women’s soccer recently secured pay equity with the men. The KC Current are building the first women’s soccer-specific venue. And on and on.

Women’s sports are generating more attention (and more revenue) than ever before.

And no brand is perhaps better positioned to take advantage of this momentum that women’s sportswear brand Athleta.

In this episode, we connect with Jen Rottenberg, Athleta’s Head of Partnerships, to discuss the brand’s approach to sports marketing.

We dive into their partnerships with Simone Biles and Alison Felix and what makes them so impactful, why partnership depth is better than breadth, and what she’s looking for in new opportunities.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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 US

Here's where you can find us:

Sina Nader, Head of Partnerships, FTX.US

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:00:17 -0800

In this episode we’re talking cryptocurrencies. But I guess who isn’t talking about crypto these days, right? Crypto is the future! Crypto is over! What the heck even is crypto...?!? While we might debate what’s in store for crypto currencies, one thing that’s undeniable is the impact that they’ve had on sports marketing. Crypto firms have been everywhere in sports, running super bowl ads, renaming arenas, partnering with athletes… seems like every time you went to watch a game, there was another crypto company. And then the bottom appeared to fall out of the market. So what’s next for crypto companies and sports? How are their sports marketing strategies changing? Are they even looking for new opportunities? To help us answer these questions and more, we’re talking with Sina Nader, Head of Partnerships for FTX US. FTX has been one of the most active and visible crypto businesses in sports, partnering with leagues, athletes, facilities, and colleges. We’ll dive into his history with crypto and where he sees things headed, both in terms of the industry, and their partnerships in sports. Sina also shares one of the greatest walk on stories since Rudy Ruettiger donned a golden helmet for Notre Dame.

Jason Pearl, SVP & Chief Business Development Officer, SF Giants

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 04:23:42 -0800

This episode is momentous for a couple of reasons. First, it features an in depth conversation with Jason Pearl, the Chief Business Development Officer of the San Francisco Giants. Jason has been involved with developing partnerships for the team for 30 years. Suffice it say he’s forgotten more about creating successful partnerships than most people will learn in their lifetimes. We discuss the evolution of corporate partnerships, why they are more important than ever, the importance of curiosity in his job, and so so much more. This episode Is also momentous because it’s the first one I’ve recorded live since the beginning of the pandemic. Can’t even begin to tell you how nice it was to head into SF on a gorgeous summer day, walk through the doors of one of baseball’s most beautiful ballparks, and talk with my friend Jason.

Mike Ziegler, SVP and General Manager of Churchill Downs

Mon, 16 May 2022 22:08:00 -0800

It’s been just a little over a week since Rich Strike shocked the world by winning the Kentucky Derby as an 80 to 1 long shot.

In this episode, we talk with Churchill Downs General Manager Mike Ziegler about that stunning upset and what it means to both the track and horse racing in general. We’ll also talk about the impact of legalized sports betting on horse racing, and what you just cannot miss when you go the Derby,

But this episode is really all about taking advantage of opportunities when they arise. Whether you’re a 80-to-1 long shot in the biggest race of them all, or an unemployed CA native with absolutely zero background with horses who managed to climbed to one of the sports most high profile roles.

Ashley Chalk, VP Business Development, Chip Ganassi Racing

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 14:50:00 -0800

Ashley Chalk has been developing corporate partnerships for all kinds of organizations over her 20 year career. You name it, she’s sold it: Minor League Baseball, Legoland, Disney on Ice, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, and now 14 time champion Chip Ganassi Racing.

We talk about Ashley’s development as a sales professional, what she sees as her essential skills, and why a quick no is better than a 1000 maybes.

We also cover the impact of the Netflix series Drive to Survive not just on F1, but on all of motorsports, and why she’s bullish about the growing opportunities for women in racing.

Megan Eisenhard, Senior Vice President, LEARFIELD

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 19:07:00 -0800

Megan Eisenhard began her sports business career working at the bottom of football stadium stairwell.

From those humble beginnings, Megan's rise through the college sports ranks has been remarkable. Now a Senior Vice President at LEAFIELD, the largest media and technology company serving college sports, Megan now oversees an ever expanding portfolio of products, services, and partnerships.

In our conversation, we talk about her career journey, her outlook on college sports, women in sports she admires, and what continues to energize her about the industry she's been working in for over 20 years.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

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Phil Grieco, Sr Director of Brand Strategy, Monster Energy

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 22:23:00 -0800

Phil Grieco, Senior Director of Brand Strategy for Monster Beverage, has a uniquely valuable perspective in sports marketing, because he’s seen the industry play out from all possible angles. He’s worked for properties like the NBA, agencies like Wasserman, and for brands like M/M Mars, GoPro, and (now) Monster Beverage.

As you can imagine, with a background like that, our conversation covers a lot of ground. We discuss Monster’s incredible growth and the role sports played in it, the advantage challenger brands have over their legacy counterparts, the role that data plays in a company that’s accustomed to making gut decisions, and so much more.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

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Charles Nieves, VP Marketing of GameDay Vodka

Sat, 11 Dec 2021 19:19:00 -0800

If you’re not familiar with GameDay Vodka, that might be because you haven’t attended a football game this year. GameDay has been EVERYWHERE this football season, building their fast growing brand by connecting with fans at the grass roots level through partnerships and smart use of intellectual property. We’ll talk about what goes into launching a challenger brand into such a competitive category.

But that’s not all.

Charles is also one of the rarest of breeds in sports marketing: he’s someone who successfully made the transition from selling sports partnerships to now sitting on the brand side and making decisions about where to invest in sports. That change in perspective has produced some useful observations about the sales process, many of which he shares here.

And as if that wasn’t enough, he’s even got some tips on how to fully enjoy GameDay Vodka, so you’ll want to be sure to listen all the way until the end.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

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Mentioned in this episode:

ADC Partners: Your trusted college sports business partner

ADC Partners

Jeff Yocom, Partner at SRI

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 22:54:00 -0800

Jeff Yocom has been involved in executive recruiting for sports businesses for over 20 years, so if you've ever thought about getting a job in sports, or needed to hire someone for an industry job, you really need to listen. We also discuss how he started Marquee Search, what led to its acquisition by SRI, and whether or not meteorologists are purposefully trying to terrify us.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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.

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David Perry, SVP of Integrated Partnerships @ Pac-12 Networks

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 21:01:00 -0800

It’s been a crazy few months for college sports: Name-Image-Likeness, more conference re-alignment, football stadiums are full again. From his perch as the SVP of Integrated Partnerships at the Pac-12 Network, David Perry has a unique look into what’s going on and how corporate partners are responding.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

YOUR HOST

Dave 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 US

Here's where you can find us: