139. Why Sponsorship Works

David Dunn – Founder of Athletes First – worked with Leigh Steinberg before separating to start his own agency. He shares the story of the legal battle that followed.   Dunn and Athletes First ultimately won on appeal, but he still faced an 18-month NFLPA suspension from negotiating contracts.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=706ad15465bd624d2f547436740fa742   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

If your sponsorship budget was about to be cut, what data would you cite to defend it?   AJ & Charles share insights & ROI data from Navigate's 20+ years of sponsorship consulting to explore why sponsorship works, how it compares to other marketing channels, and how to spend strategically to see true ROI.   Will you be at NSF in St. Louis? Make sure to say hi to Charles while you're in town. Get in touch at [email protected]   Timestamps: 3:40 - Do sponsorships work? 7:00 - Brands that should steer clear of sponsorships 11:25 - Sponsorship is not purely a marketing investment 17:25 - Trends & growth 21:00 - Using sponsorship to reach a fragmented, global audience 22:30 - Predictions for the next 12-24 months   Revisit our podcast with T-Mobile's Amy Azzi: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=c2641669c5f08ef945885ff03fea24f1   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

AJ and Charles share sympathy for athletic directors and administrators who are trying to plan for the future while being pulled in a dozen different directions by forces largely beyond their control.   They discuss this "two timeline" issue of having to tackle the short-term problems while also battling increasing uncertainty about the future. This was part of a larger conversation about the path forward for college sports amid talks of super leagues, athlete employment, and other major shakeups.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=03ae512e3bd76f81902c00ae647b4017   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/ .

There's a 100% chance we're talking about prediction markets this week.   Jeff Nelson and Charles Rolston offer advice to sports marketers on the property side wondering how aggressively to pursue prediction market partnerships, if sports betting partners maintain exclusivity, and how changing regulation will complicate the signing of these deals.   Many leagues and clubs have already established partnerships with Polymarket, Kalshi, and other players in the prediction market space.   Timestamps: 3:40 - Are prediction markets the new crypto? 9:00 - Has the money dried up from traditional sports betting platforms? 12:45 - Deals that have already been signed 19:35 - What % of teams will have a prediction market partner in the next 12 months? 26:14 - Placing trades on the Swift-Kelce wedding For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Dan Porter – CEO of Overtime – explains why Overtime Elite teams aren't tied to local markets, saying "we are playing for the internet, not cities."   Regional affiliations don't necessarily lead to loyalty for new sports franchises, so their goal is to optimize the virality of their content to build passionate fanbases from all around the world.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=246a404d135fa7e04b1e6ce67a45706a   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Our hosts explain the main factors schools should be considering when deciding if a private capital investment makes sense for their athletic department, and if so how they should prepare for it.   For schools that decide to steer clear of such deals, they will still need to prepare for how massive influxes of cash will change their conference and college athletics as a whole.   Private equity or private capital firms are looking for reliable, and predictable revenue streams such as media rights, sponsorships, especially at schools with big brands which have been under commercialized.   Areas for fast and sustainable ROI include: Increasing headcount for revenue generation staff (sales and fundraising) Modernizing ticketing and CRM technology Changing incentive structures within the athletic department   Larger projects like mixed-use real estate development take more time and capital to institute, but have the potential for massive gains of their own.   In preparing for this episode, AJ and Charles spoke with private capital firms as well as conferences and athletic departments to uncover which themes and topics are top-of-mind at the moment.   Timestamps: 0:55 - What type of athletic department is attractive to investors? 3:15 - What does it mean to be PE-ready? 10:00 - Does winning solve all problems? 12:45 - Hypothetical: Where would you deploy capital? 18:00 - Why college has lagged behind pro sports 19:25 - FOMO for the schools that don't get on board  23:45 - Changing your financial trajectory in a single season 27:05 - Commons mistakes for athletic departments   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

What's the real ROI of firing your coach and paying an expensive buyout?   AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston break down the numbers behind the high-profile coaching buyouts we're seeing in college football, and the potential economic justifications for taking big risks.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=b8c86e42a9f3d7b6f2194bb9a89877e8   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

David Dunn - Founder of Athletes First - is one of the most successful NFL agents of all time. He gives an inside look at one of the sports industry's most fascinating and misunderstood professions.   David has represented the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert, Troy Aikman, and many more. He has signed the largest deal in NFL history 8 times! He has worked with 17 Hall of Famers, seven Super Bowl MVPs, eight Heisman Trophy winners, eight Walter Payton men of the year, and seven first overall picks.   Timestamps: 2:50 - Jerry Maguire 6:25 - David's origin and legal fight with the NFLPA and Leigh Steinberg 21:00 - Relationships with clients 28:15 - NIL & recruiting young athletes 35:30 - Rapid Fire Question     For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Jeb Terry – President and CEO of Cosm – tells the story of his first time experiencing an early prototype of a Cosm venue.   He explains the transportive nature of the "shared reality" experience.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=4830009f2315f99b926e22e26021574b   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

AJ Maestas and Charles Rolston are regularly advising conference commissioners, athletic directors, and other clients shaping the future of college athletics.   They share their POV on various paths forward including revenue sharing, super leagues, athlete employment, and more.   Timestamps: 0:30- Can athletic department budgets continue to rise? 4:30 - What would a college super league look like? 8:00 - How are ADs keeping track of the changes? 12:35 - 15:35 What does college athletics look like in ten years? 16:25 - Revenue sharing with athletes   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.