Evan Shugerman

The X League is finalizing a series of consumer product licensing partnerships ahead of its inaugural season, providing licensees unified rights across the flagship US league, all clubs, and international league play. Powered by centralized athlete NIL and the second-largest digital and social media footprint in all American Football, trailing only the National Football League (NFL). Collectively, the vertically aligned ecosystem of the worldwide leagues, all member clubs, and its vast athlete network provide an unprecedented digital reach and consumer influence which has created opportunities for commercial extensions across fitness, fashion, beauty, cosmetics, headwear, activewear, gaming, and more. #HERTurn #WomensSports #FootballHasNext #XLeague

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The shift from athlete to broadcaster is more than a career move; it's a chance to build a lasting legacy. In our latest Q&A insight, former Fox Sports EVP Larry Jones shares how athletes can turn on-field experience into on-air impact. From finding your voice to building chemistry and planning for life after sports, this guide offers a clear path to success in media. Whether you're staying close to the game or shaping your brand, this resource delivers insight, perspective, and direction. Reach out to learn more. https://lnkd.in/gmUKrDzt #WealthAndLeisure For weekly insight on legacy planning & passion. #AthleteToBroadcaster #LifeAfterSports #MediaStrategy #WealthAndLeisure

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Excited to see Chime’s first league partnership with Major League Soccer officially launch. Proud to support Chime on this milestone alongside an incredible cross-functional team, and grateful for the collaboration across MLS and the many individuals who helped bring it to life. Chime continues to lead with purpose and cultural relevance, and this partnership reflects a meaningful commitment to connecting with fans and communities. Excited for what’s ahead and the impact this partnership will deliver. Grateful for the partnership with Chad Foster Vineet Mehra Orlando Baeza Greg Millard Evan Levine John Rose Austin Ryback Ethan Tsai Brett Estrella

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Not burying the lead at all: Patrick Crakes and John WallStreet address the (unit) economics challenge stemming from the linear (bundle) to (a-la-carte) streaming transition right at the top of today’s JWS newsletter: • 📉 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲, 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗥𝗣𝗨 — compared to the single-most power (content) revenue model ever invented. • 💳 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 — and the end of sports enthusiasts being subsidized by non-sports consumers. • ☑️ 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗽𝘁-𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝘁-𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 (or from inevitability to intentionality, h/t Stratechery) — missing out of the power of defaults*. • 🤯 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝗶𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝗲 (𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿) 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — resulting in higher total consumer spend and frustration. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁: With pricing as the only variable to drive short-term revenue growth for pure-sports streamers, Patrick and Corey make the argument for #ESPN as a digital platform to re-bundle (sports) products, contents, and services to re-establish monetization levels not seen since the traditional pay-TV bundle. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: ESPN (Flagship) might only be marginal (albeit positive, like 1-2M subscribers) in terms of net additions across wholesale and direct-to-consumer subscribers for #ESPN — but engaging and retaining linear wholesale subscribers through an authenticated digital platform might be the biggest impact in the short term, managing the linear-to-streaming transition by decelerating the pay-TV bundle erosion. *Obvious follow-up question: How to drive intention? 💡

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The NBA keeps setting records for franchise sales, and it is not slowing down. Since 2020, almost a quarter of the league has changed hands. Buyers keep showing up because the model actually builds long-term enterprise value. Media money grows. Institutional capital is invited in. Teams operate like real entertainment companies rather than just sports properties. Front Office Sports noted that six members of the Buss family walked away with nearly one billion dollars each and still kept fifteen percent of the Los Angeles Lakers. That is what a mature system looks like. It is not fair to compare an NBA franchise to a motorsports sanctioning body, but the contrast is useful. Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5M in a package that included the Los Angeles Kings and The Forum. The family sold their majority stake for $10B. Plenty of factors helped drive that appreciation, but the foundation was simple. They were aligned on value creation, they played the long game, and they had a system built to reward patience. Motorsports is wired differently. Most of the industry still lives on sponsorship, not equity. Revenue resets constantly. Media rights do not flow to teams at levels that let them build real enterprise value. Private equity can only nibble at the edges. When your business model behaves like a one-year contract, it becomes almost impossible to think ten years ahead. You are trying to keep cars on the grid and meet payroll, not build a dynasty. Anyone who has sold motorsports knows how it feels. You walk into every meeting knowing you are already down on the scorecard. That is the reality of a sponsorship-driven model competing against franchise-driven leagues. This is why the short-term mentality in motorsports is catching up with the industry. For years, people joked that NASCAR does not write checks, it cashes them. That was a clever line, but it masked a bigger issue. If the ecosystem is not built to grow long-term value for the people putting cars on track, eventually the costs outrun the optimism. A few teams survive because their owners have strong outside businesses. The rest are grinding to hang on. That is not a talent problem. It is a system problem. If #motorsports wants stability, investment, and long-term value, it needs to take a hard look at the leagues that built it intentionally. Because the gap is not closing on its own. #sportsbiz

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Another solid milestone for us at planet.training. We’ve just rolled out a new 3-year partnership with a U.S. academy that’s pushing hard on structure, data, and coach development. They’ll be using our Pro App across all teams — streamlining coach collaboration, tightening session planning, and keeping player data in one place so everyone pulls in the same direction. Always great to see more academies committing to a unified, data-driven approach. If you’re building something similar and want to see what’s possible, here’s a look inside: https://lnkd.in/eiFAJcpu

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Grateful to R. J. McMahon and the team at Oak Leyden for having me on the podcast. Oak Leyden’s mission — empowering individuals with developmental disabilities to live meaningful, productive lives — is the kind of work that reminds you what real impact looks like. Purpose-driven organizations like this deserve our attention, support, and amplification. I appreciated the opportunity to share a few thoughts on sports marketing, leadership, and building brands that actually matter. Truth is, any “two cents” I have to offer is only possible because of the incredible people I’ve had the privilege to be on a team with over the years. Success in sports — and in life — is always a team sport. Thanks again, RJ, for the conversation and for shining a light on a mission that truly makes a difference. 👊 Hope everyone tunes in tonight. James Michael 444 Media LLC. Steven Simmons NILENT (NIL Enterprise Solutions) #sportsmarketing #brandsthatmatter #educationelevatestheplayingfield

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Momentous Sports's Marley Hughes latest newsletter examines the behavioral economic impact of cashless transactions at sports venues using AMB Sports and Entertainment as a case study. His primary insight is that fans "spent significantly more while reporting higher satisfaction levels" is particularly compelling for #sportsbiz leaders given there is usually an inverse correlation between increases in price and fan satisfaction. I highlighted a similar dynamic when examining the increase in Major League Baseball (MLB) attendance during the 2023 season by spotlighting cashless transactions as catalyst for league attendance growth in a JohnWallStreet column. https://lnkd.in/gVCP9akk

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