Reed Duchscher

Codie A. Sanchez A. Sanchez reveals the hidden business strategies and deal-making expertise that drive the success of celebrities like #TheRock. This highlights how strategic partnerships, like his Teremana Tequila brand valued at $3.5 billion, play a crucial role behind their public images. They brought the company to this valuation very quickly by: - #Pricing: They didn’t go premium. - #Distribution: Mega partnerships. - #Billboards: Leveraged top influencers on social media. •°•°•°•°•° Dive into the full conversation to hear Codie Sanchez's valuable perspectives. #marketing #influencermarketing #businessdeals #riskmanagement #entrepreneurship https://lnkd.in/d56k-ANg

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As a young sports manager, it's essential to stay ahead of the trends affecting all levels of the industry today, from Major League Sports to Minor League, NCAA, and Independent Sports Leagues. Here are four key issues to focus on in 2024: 1. Leveraging AI: Generative AI can revolutionize how you engage fans. Embracing AI can give your team a competitive edge and enhance the fan experience. 💠 A study by Deloitte highlights that 60% of sports organizations plan to increase their AI investments in 2024 to enhance fan engagement 2. Diversifying Revenue Streams: Traditional revenue sources like ticket sales are no longer enough. Explore new opportunities such as streaming services, digital partnerships, and community events. These strategies can help stabilize finances and grow your fan base. 💠 NCAA programs have seen a 30% increase in revenue from streaming partnerships and digital media rights 3. Sustainable Events: Focus on making these events cost-effective and sustainable by adopting eco-friendly practices and engaging local communities. Successful events will attract more fans and sponsors. 💠 The 2023 MiLB playoffs adopted sustainable practices, reducing waste by 25% and attracting additional sponsorship from eco-conscious brands 4. Navigating NIL Changes in College Sports: Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations are transforming college athletics. Ensure fair compensation for athletes while maintaining academic integrity. Develop strategies to attract and retain talent in this new landscape. 💠 Colleges that effectively managed NIL opportunities saw a 15% improvement in athlete retention and recruitment Staying informed and adaptable will help you navigate these challenges effectively. #Sportsbiz #Strategy #Business #Challenges #Leadership #Technology #Licencing #Sustainability

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The future of sports is bright! Fitch Ratings projects a stronger financial outlook for the industry in 2025, fueled by global expansion, growing interest in women’s sports, and favorable economic conditions like lower U.S. interest rates. Key drivers include robust income streams from media rights, sponsorships, naming rights, and premium seating, alongside increased demand for sports content and concert tours utilizing professional facilities. “The rise of women’s sports and global engagement are unlocking exciting new revenue opportunities,” says Fitch’s Ben Munguia. The game is changing—and the opportunities are boundless! #SportsBusiness #WomenInSports #GlobalExpansion

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Dearest PROs, what are the most impactful ways a Governor (aka team owner), a CEO, a Commissioner or a player has expressed gratitude for the work you do each day to drive the team/league/union business into a healthy future? If you were in their shoes, what would you do to express gratitude to the FTE's across your org? (open thread) Join us in jumping onto Seth Cohen's #gratitude train. Who should be elevated and empowered across #prosports because of how they demonstrate gratitude? Your perspective, experiences and ideas will be helpful to leaders in different industries too! Just last month in the PRO C Suite Circle, there was a robust discussion on how to intentionally practice expressing gratitude and appreciation to teammates, top to bottom and side to side. What have you enjoyed most being on the receiving end of gratitude? Just as important, how do you practice expressing gratitude? We welcome your #PROtips! (open thread)

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Sports teams and soft drink companies have forged enduring and profitable partnerships over the years, but I've always believed these deals could be even more beneficial for both parties. Historically, partnership potential has been constrained by limited resources on both sides. Teams typically lack sufficient personnel to develop sustainable channel promotions, while global brands like Coca-Cola often don't invest the time and budget to create unique promotions in each individual club market. I believe team-branded loyalty points could help overcome these constraints by establishing a uniform affinity currency capable of supporting DTC promotions and B2B deals. 1. Channel promotions: if a portion of Coca-Cola's club spending were allocated to Club Points, then Coke could use team points as both an activation and sales tool. Coke could pass through team points to its retail partners, enabling them to reward fans who visit stores and purchase Coca-Cola products. This approach should help Coca-Cola increase case and syrup sales while securing more retail displays. 2. Fan Engagement: Coca-Cola could offer Club Points to fans for participating in sweepstakes, online promotions, or sampling events. This would help Coca-Cola gather valuable fan data and address one of its biggest challenges: knowing its end users. 3. Per cap pending: At ballparks, fans could use accrued Club Points to purchase more Coca-Cola products or earn additional points by buying Coca-Cola during games. Beyond sports, the overlap between team corporate partners and Coca-Cola's retail network is fascinating. As a team sponsorship seller, I'd be excited to use a Club Points program to engage existing partners and pitch new ones, using points as a compelling hook. With points serving as a common currency, clubs can forge partnerships with myriad brands. And club partners could even establish bespoke points-exchange rates to conduct deals directly with each other within the team ecosystem. Branded points can even enhance Coca-Cola's MLB (league) partnership in concert with club-level deals. The possibilities for expanding team/soft drink partnerships are endless, which isn't always advantageous since teams and partners often lack the time to pursue all opportunities. But that's where Minty Sports comes in. We provide the software, services, and strategy needed to bring loyalty commerce programs and partnerships to life. The Minty Sports system could create a currency for MLB that allows each team to have its own distinct, branded points that interchangeable with league points. League / team data could also be shareable. Our cloud-based financial software mints, distributes, and manages points-based transactions, accessible at venues, stores, online, and via cellular networks. cc JohnWallStreet, Matt Gardner Eric Stisser Neil Viserto Mike Morris Hunter Lochmann James Van Stone Anuk Karunaratne Chris Lencheski Bret McCormick

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I was having breakfast with a friend this morning and he asked me one of the best questions I have ever been asked: Since you’ve been doing podcasts for the past few years, how has your perception of listening changed and what is listening to you?    I think this is one of the best questions I have ever been asked (understandably I am not asked very many questions as I am usually the one interviewing NOT the other way around)   I took him back to my first podcast with Ruben Emir Gnanalingam CEO of Westports Malaysia & Co-Owner of Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) & QPR FC   For that podcast I prepared for 100+ hrs   Then the night before I was supposed to interview him   I was sick   Maybe this was due to nervousness but nevertheless the podcast did not go ahead   Fortunately Ruben was very understanding and so we rescheduled the podcast for a week later   Again   I spent 10s of hours preparing for the podcast   I was so prepared for the interview that I knew everything about him from his favourite colour all the way to his blood type   Just kidding   But the point was I was incredibly overprepared   I did the podcast with Ruben with a list of 100+ questions   Why did you join Westports, why did you create a startup, why buy QPR   In theory these are all good questions but the problem was   If I asked Ruben a question about football and he started talking about football then transitioned to talking about how he created a basketball team   As an interviewer that is gold dust because it gives the opportunity to pivot to something that he perhaps hasn’t talked about before   However as a first time interviewer I didn’t know this   And so instead of transitioning with him I would flip to a completely different topic   This would have gone unnoticed to me   But since Personable is recorded this piece of feedback came back to me   I went from having set questions that made a forced conversation to set topics   Enabling me to be adaptive alongside my guest to have a more free flowing conversation   Have a listen to that first episode and then listen to one of the latest podcasts and see if you notice a difference   This learning in my journey through podcasting has taught me that to learn new knowledge the less I say the better   The more opportunity there is for new learnings, the more I can absorb and the more I can go about improving my life going forward   Growing up we all feel like we want to fit in   For me this was accomplished my need to fill silences and be there to adhere to what I thought the group would want to hear   But now I realise that silence can be a virtue   The less you say, the more open ended questions you ask, the more comfortable you make the other person feel and allow them to feel heard and trusted the more you will learn   So what is listening to me: Opportunity Harvey Bracken-Smith November 20th 2024

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The U.S. sports betting market continues to grow as more Americans wager more money on live events. The AGA reported YTD commercial sports betting revenue reached $8.36bn through August (+30.4% YoY). However, the related advertising dollars are not flowing as easily as they once did with FanDuel and DraftKings Inc. entrenched as the regulated market leaders in all 30 legal mobile betting jurisdictions and the pace of states adding new OSB or online casino legislation having slowed to a crawl. Logic would suggest that reality will begin to impact sports rights owners and holders over time–if the trend doesn’t change. One “shouldn't assume that just because available ad dollars have dropped off this year, spending will stay at this level or drop off further in the future," Chris Grove (co-founding partner, Acies Investments) said. "There are numerous reasons why marketing spend could turn back upward.” But there is a new class of gaming companies –social sweepstakes casinos (think: VGW Play, Stake.us) and sportsbooks (think: Fliff Inc)– capable of helping sports properties and their media partners replace lost revenues in the interim. These entities are growing faster, operating in more states, and can be more profitable than regulated counterparts (though, none are nearly as profitable as FanDuel or DraftKings). For context, Virtual Gaming Worlds reported in September that it increased annual net profits by 30% YoY to $335mm on record revenues of $4.15bn. Sweepstakes are games of chance where no purchase is necessary to win. In a social sweepstakes sportsbook or casino players can also buy virtual coins that can be wagered and redeemed for real cash prizes. #sweepstakes #gaming #sportsbetting #sportsbiz #marketing #advertising #trends https://lnkd.in/egRbEuQp

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Part I: The NWSL and links to MCO through their investors Overview * NWSL formed 2012, began playing 2013 * Expanding to 16 teams 2026 * NWSL collective worth $1.46bn * 57% increase in franchise value 2023-24 * Collective revenues to pass $215m - 91% YoY * All teams to lose $5-10m 2024 * 4yr Broadcast Deal $240m ($4m per team per yr) * Min salary to increase $48-$82 by 2030 * Salary cap to increase $3.3M - $5.1M by 2030 * Attendance increased 42% in 24 passing 1m fans 3yrs in a row * 49 matches passed 10k fans * The Yates Report 2022 (investigation into systemic abuse and misconduct within NWSL) highlighted Thorns, North Carolina, Red Stars, Racing Louisville & Seattle Reign as all failing to protect players Seattle Reign  * Valued $78m * Franchise Fee $0  * Formed 2012 as Seattle Reign FC * 2019 renamed Reign FC due to a relocation (Tacoma) * 2020 OL Group paid $3.5m for 89.5%, name changed to OL Reign * 2024 Sold for $58m, reverted back to Seattle Reign FC * Between time of purchase and sale, OL Group changed ownership to Eagle Football Holdings *OL Groupe was financially distressed & sold OL Reign to Carlyle Group 50% & Adrian Hanauer, owner of Seattle Sounders, 2012 Alan was a past investor in Reign * Hanauer has a minority stake in NHL Seattle Kraken & previously held 15% in EFL Cambridge Utd early 00s * The Carlyle group (AuM $426bn)formed part of the financial vehicle Stephen Pagliuca consortium used to purchase Atalanta Bergamo FC  * Pagliuca acquired a 55% in the holding company that owns 86% of Atalanta for €250m in 2022 * Pagliuca is co-owner of Boston Celtics * Pagliuca in discussion to acquire Red Star FC (France) Portland Thorns  * Valued $93m * Franchise Fee $0 * Formed by Merritt Paulson (Peregrine Sports LLC) who owns Portland Timbers * As a result of the yates report sold the Thorns to RAJ Sports for $63m 2023 * RAJ Sports is led by the Bethal family * 2024 The Bhathal family was awarded WNBA's 15th franchise for Portland (Name TBC) to begin 2026 * The Bhathal family previously owned several Sacramento franchises * Other investors include Sam Garvin (Phoenix Suns) Angel City  * Valued $250m  * Franchise Fee $2m * Formed 2020  * Founding ownership group included Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, Eva Longoria * Longoria is part-owner of Club Necaxa & associated with Wrexham * 2024 Willow Bay and Bob Iger purchased 35% for $87.5m which valued the franchise at $250m * Their total investment is $137.5m providing $50m for operations  * Sept 2024 LAFC invest $50m acquiring a small stake * LAFC acquisition stems from warrants that were part of city stadium lease agreement. These warrants gave LAFC the rights to purchase shares. * Mia Hamm is a minority investor in both LAFC & Angel FC * LAFC own Grasshopper Club Zürich & Austrian club FC Wacker Innsbruck * LAFC formed a JV with FC Bayern (Red&Gold) which owns Racing Club de Montevideo (Uruguay) and Gambinos Stars (Gambia) #multiclubownership #footballbusiness #footballfinance

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Big question to the tennis community! 🎾✨ What would make your playing, organizing, or connecting experience better? 🤔 What features should the Tenni app have next? We’re building this app for YOU, and we want to hear what YOU need most! Your input matters—drop your thoughts in the comments or message me directly. 💬 #TenniApp #SportsCommunity #Tennis #SportsTech

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As I reflect on the Mensarius Oath that I signed almost a year ago, it strikes me how deeply connected my journey in basketball is to my current role at First Degree. Both worlds revolve around team structure, clear roles, and a shared vision for success. In basketball, every player knows their role—scoring points, defending, or setting up the perfect play. A successful team isn’t about individual heroics but how the pieces fit together. The same is true in a VC fund. At First Degree, we’ve built a team where every member’s strength contributes to the larger goal of empowering startups and creating value—hats off to Kaan Anit for bringing us together. 🎓 My time at the Venture Institute has shaped this perspective. Just as a basketball captain leads by example and learns from seasoned coaches, I’ve learned the art of investing and collaboration from some of the best in the VC ecosystem. This training equips me to step onto the court, ready to play the game with integrity, strategy, and focus. At First Degree Capital, our approach mirrors a well-coordinated basketball team: • The General Partners: Like the point guard, we set the strategy, enabling the team to execute efficiently. • The Investors: Like the fans and stakeholders in the stands, they believe in the team’s potential and provide the necessary support. • The Ecosystem: Similar to a coach’s playbook, the broader network shapes the plays, offering mentorship and guidance. • The Entrepreneurs: They’re the star players, driving the action forward with their vision and passion. The Mensarius Oath reminds me of the commitment we make to our team—whether on the court or in the VC world. It’s about integrity, fairness, and creating positive outcomes. Just as a basketball game demands respect for the rules and dedication to the team, venture capital thrives on trust, transparency, and collaboration. 💡 Key takeaways: • Teamwork is essential: Be it in sports or startups, success is about leveraging individual strengths toward a common goal. • Continuous learning: At First Degree, we’re constantly improving, just like athletes perfecting their craft through practice and feedback. • Ethical responsibility: The Mensarius Oath reminds us that our actions as investors have far-reaching impacts. If you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or just a fan of team dynamics, let’s connect and share ideas. The game is always more exciting when the right players come together. 🚀

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Multiple baseball teams set records for single game ticket sales revenue during the 2024 playoffs. That achievement is the byproduct of strong demand for Major League Baseball (MLB)’s postseason product and a savvy –albeit debatable– ticket sales strategy intended to recapture revenue leakage. Clubs recognize that “fans are agnostic to where they get their tickets and have started making pricing decisions for both the primary market, which they obviously control in full, and large portions of the secondary market, which is a mix of the organization and other sellers,” one BI executive said. That is why the two have moved more in concert with one another this fall than typically seen. But while the blending of ticketing markets is enabling teams to maximize gate receipts, it is also contributing to a potentially troublesome trend across sports: loyal fans are getting priced out. “The short-term gain that comes with overcharging your core fans is juxtaposed with the long-term problem that creates with fandom in general,” the club exec said. #sports #sportsbiz #ticketing #ticketsales #strategy cc: JohnWallStreet Shripal Shah Ryan Dastrup, PhD Randall Friedman Jacie Brandes https://lnkd.in/ejrBAAfu

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#BaseballActionID - INNOVATION IN PLAYER DEVELOPMENT 📢 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗟𝗕 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 As MLB front offices hustle to shape their rosters for the upcoming season, every decision contributes to the team's identity and potential success. One critical yet often overlooked factor in roster construction, particularly when assembling a bullpen, is understanding players' motor preferences. Why does this matter? Look closer at bullpen durability—an essential component of a successful season. Knowing whether your pitchers are Anterior Muscle Chain Dominant or Posterior Muscle Chain Dominant can directly impact their workload management and overall performance. 📌 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀: These are the "concentric athletes." They thrive under higher workloads, as their bodies are better equipped for frequent, repetitive performance. 📌 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀: Known as "plyometric athletes," these players excel in explosive, high-intensity moments but require more recovery time to maintain peak effectiveness. Here’s an eye-opening statistic: of the top 5 relief pitchers with the highest innings pitched from the last two seasons, 4 out of 5 were Anterior Muscle Chain Dominant. This trend isn’t a coincidence—it’s a testament to these athletes' ability to endure the rigors of a long season. For front offices, integrating motor preferences into player evaluations doesn’t just optimize bullpen usage; it prevents overuse injuries, ensures sustained performance, and contributes to team success in high-leverage situations. As teams finalize their 2025 rosters, it’s worth asking: are we leveraging insights like these to gain a competitive edge? Recognizing the motor preferences of your bullpen pitchers might just be the difference between a good season and a great one. Let’s build smarter, stronger, and more durable rosters—one decision at a time. 💢 ActionTypes #MotorPreferences #MotorPreferencesinBasebal #NPB #MLB

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Wunderfan Launch for Week 1 of the CFB Season was a roaring success 🎉 From Mercedes Benz Stadium to Jordan Hare Stadium, and all the way to Rugby matches in South Africa fans were earning rewards simply by cheering for their favorite team. However, as most of us know, not everything with an initial product launch is all sunshine & rainbows. Users had some extremely raw + insightful feedback. The goods news is that we heard it all! Going into week 2, we've made the following updates to the app: - Drastically reduced friction with the onboarding experience. Now when users download the app, they'll simply need to create a password and can start earning ASAP. No more fancy wallet creation 📈 - For those fans that maybe are, let's say "reluctantly" attending the sporting event..not to worry. We've partnered with Lululemon & Athleta adding cash vouchers to our WunderShop 🤑 - For those UX sticklers, we're changing up some of the icons & motions to better match our "brand". Apologies to our sibling app Wunderpar for the icon theft 😜 - Finally, as Mark Dantonio once said, "It's not over, it'll never be over, and we're only getting started" - So yes, battery optimization is our highest priority each and every day 🔋 That's it for now. We have some exciting features on the roadmap + media & university partnerships we'll be announcing soon - but it's back to the grindstone for me to solidify those deals. If you haven't yet downloaded the app, please do. Just search, "Wunderfan" in the App Store. Reach out to me directly with any stadium/venue you'd like added and I'll get the Ops team right on that. Ticket raffles & rewards we'll have to wait a bit 😎

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As a founder, it is imperative that you develop a compelling #vision for your company. Working on your vision like clay, consistency refining while keeping the main goal in sight. At the Elite Athletes Management Group, we have set out to take a holistic approach to athlete development. What this means is that we work with our athletes on personal development, personal branding and entrepreneurship. Many agents or agencies negotiate great contracts. How many of them focus on cultivating the best athletes both on and off the field? Human performance requires a multifaceted approach, which is why we provide mental performance development in addition to the physical performance training we provide. Although there are agents and managers out there who solely look at athletes as a financial opportunity, together we can put a dent in the universe by creating the elite. #sportsbusiness #entrepreneurship #sportsagent

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With the 2024 MLB Draft in the books, let's take a look at how I would approach the process of evaluating and acquiring amateur talent for an organization. It isn't always enough to draft the best talent; you have to draft them with the understanding of how they fit in the organization, the cadence in which they arrive on the 40-man roster, and the logistics of your operations. Watch the video for more! #mlbdraft #mlb #baseball #logistics #operations #driveline #strategy

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