128. Drew Weatherford - Weatherford Capital

Less than 2 weeks ago, AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston broke down the news of a looming $2B deal for the Big Ten to take a massive infusion of cash from private capital.   A lot has happened since then, with the news that the conference will be closing a deal with an investment fund of the University of California pension system and establishing Big Ten Enterprises with the goal of optimizing conference-wide revenue.   What does this mean for schools, athletes, and fans? What are the low-hanging fruit assets that this new venture will look to monetize? Hear AJ's thoughts, or go back and listen to the full episode: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=53bbf14fbeabdd0f3890e0eb8b8c083f   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Drew Weatherford - Founding Partner of Weatherford Capital - discusses the role of private equity in college sports, including a less-discussed opportunity to invest in club sports.   The episode was recorded prior to the news of the Big Ten exploring a $2B private equity deal. You can hear AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston break that down in a bonus episode, here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=53bbf14fbeabdd0f3890e0eb8b8c083f   Timestamps: 2:00 - Drew’s FSU Background 19:25 - Pro sports people running athletic departments 25:00 - Private equity in college sports 31:05 - IMG Academy/Investing in Club Sports 37:00 - What is an athletic department worth?     For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

The Big Ten is exploring $2B in private funding. In this episode, AJ Maestas, Founder of Navigate, sits down with Charles Rolston, Navigate's collegiate consulting expert, to break down what this means for the conference, the schools, and the entire college sports space.   Will the deal actually close? How do Ohio State and Michigan factor in? Do 20-year plans make sense in collegiate athletics? What does ROI look like for this kind of deal?   AJ and Charles draw on their experience advising clients through private equity negotiations, realignment, and other transformational moments across college and pro sports.   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Haley Rosen – Founder & CEO of Just Women’s Sports – explains the relationship between athletes and the media. She is able to draw on her experience as an athlete and the friction she felt before ultimately launching a media platform of her own.   She sees the role of Just Women's Sports as building the fan base and ecosystem that will let women's sports continue to grow and thrive.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=008cfa2935a6703a02583dc6d3437d13   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Haley Rosen - Founder & CEO of Just Women's Sports - is no stranger to discussing trends in sports business, which is why she's such a great fit for our show. She offers an interesting perspective on the WNBA labor situation, the coverage of women's sports on traditional media platforms, and why she believes that women's sports will one day surpass men's sports in total popularity.   Timestamps: 2:00 - Origins of Just Women’s Sports 8:00 - Making content appeal to multiple generations 10:15 - Haley’s background as an athlete 25:00 - What’s next for women’s sports? 32:00 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Pat Dimon – Head of Front Office Sports Studios and Owner of A Frame Productions – shares the secret to a good sports docuseries.   Many of our clients on the property side have raised questions about how to optimize non-live content in a crowded ecosystem where everyone is trying to make the next Drive to Survive. Pat is the creator of Full Swing, and shares his tips to getting it right.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=1d7a16f12c31e434724e556fabd0b59c   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Tim Zulawski – President of AMB Sports & Entertainment – on the fan-friendly concessions strategy at Mercedez-Benz stadium and how it leads to higher fan satisfaction, increased merchandise sales, and creates "super advocates" for the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, and the stadium itself.   As they prepare to host major events like the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, and Final Four, their concession prices will not change.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=8414c1e30131e9e15dd33a38c05e3c4d   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Amber Cox – COO & GM of the Indiana Fever – on new WNBA fans buying season tickets or becoming passionate about the league after giving it a chance for the first time. Often, their first exposure comes from attending a game or tuning in to watch stars like Caitlin Clark.   She calls Caitlin Clark the "ultimate multiplier effect" for the WNBA, in amplifying the momentum that has been building for the a long time.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=390463d02dd14920ffbf164c4fb756f5   Amber's quote is very similar to Vince Kozar's POV on the WNBA easily retaining around once they give the league a chance, which he shared earlier this year on our show.   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Navigating Sports Media:   Pat Dimon - Head of Front Office Sports Studios and Owner of A Frame Productions - is one of the biggest names in the sports docuseries space. He joins Umar Hussain to discuss the the new joint venture with Front Office Sports, and why some sports docs cut through the clutter while others miss the mark.   He also gives his thoughts on where rightsholders should be investing in non-live content to help grow their brands.   Timestamps: 2:10 - Pat's background 5:35 - Why certain sports doc series work and others don't 8:45 - Full Swing 21:30 - Role Playing Exercise: Where should you invest resources in non-live content? 31:00 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

"If all progress in AI stopped tomorrow, it would still take five to 10 years for what we've got now to diffuse through the market."   Bruce Bassett - internationally renowned computer science expert & embedded AI strategist at Navigate - on the importance of building an AI-native culture within your organizations. It's not enough to chase the newest tools, or to build a custom AI agent. If the pace of improvement continues to be exponential, then you'll have to integrate AI into everything that you do.   The core question: how long do we expect AI improvement to maintain its current exponential trajectory?   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=c460dd05805825a94c1cba9a4201a65e   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.