Founder, Bryce Root's View On What You Need To Focus On Right Now...
1. Doing “Content” just to do content is out — Build your empire with “IP, Data + Distribution”
The word “content” is becoming commoditized. Investors and execs are increasingly skeptical of “content for content’s sake.” What they want is intellectual property (IP) (original formats, docuseries, recurring shows), data (audience insights, first-party relationships), and distribution (channels you own or control).
2. Don’t Assume “Content Monetization” Means YouTube or Ad Revenue
The sports content economy is shifting away from ad-driven models (which are being squeezed by platform changes, ad blockers, and CPM compression). The real money is in direct-to-consumer (DTC) monetization: subscriptions, memberships, exclusive access, digital collectibles, and commerce.
3. The Real Opportunity: “Fan Data as a Financial Asset” Analysis
The most valuable asset in sports media is not the content itself, but the fan data it generates. Athletes/teams/leagues that can build, segment, and activate first-party data will be able to command higher sponsorships, launch new products, and even sell data-driven insights.
4. The “Creator Economy” Is Colliding with Sports
Athletes, coaches, and even superfans are now their own media brands, some have even acquired media rights to leagues internationally. Teams/leagues that try to “own” all content will lose. The future is in enabling and aggregating creator content (think NIL, athlete-driven channels, fan UGC) and building a platform/ecosystem around it.
5. Live Social Commerce and Shoppable Content Are Underexploited
Asia is years ahead in live shopping and shoppable video. US athletes, teams, venues and sports orgs are barely scratching the surface. The next wave is live commerce (merch, tickets, digital goods sold in-stream) and integrated sponsor activations.
The word “content” is becoming commoditized. Investors and execs are increasingly skeptical of “content for content’s sake.” What they want is intellectual property (IP) (original formats, docuseries, recurring shows), data (audience insights, first-party relationships), and distribution (channels you own or control).
2. Don’t Assume “Content Monetization” Means YouTube or Ad Revenue
The sports content economy is shifting away from ad-driven models (which are being squeezed by platform changes, ad blockers, and CPM compression). The real money is in direct-to-consumer (DTC) monetization: subscriptions, memberships, exclusive access, digital collectibles, and commerce.
3. The Real Opportunity: “Fan Data as a Financial Asset” Analysis
The most valuable asset in sports media is not the content itself, but the fan data it generates. Athletes/teams/leagues that can build, segment, and activate first-party data will be able to command higher sponsorships, launch new products, and even sell data-driven insights.
4. The “Creator Economy” Is Colliding with Sports
Athletes, coaches, and even superfans are now their own media brands, some have even acquired media rights to leagues internationally. Teams/leagues that try to “own” all content will lose. The future is in enabling and aggregating creator content (think NIL, athlete-driven channels, fan UGC) and building a platform/ecosystem around it.
5. Live Social Commerce and Shoppable Content Are Underexploited
Asia is years ahead in live shopping and shoppable video. US athletes, teams, venues and sports orgs are barely scratching the surface. The next wave is live commerce (merch, tickets, digital goods sold in-stream) and integrated sponsor activations.