The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

Join Alex Rodriguez, a former baseball star, and Kevin Burkhardt, a leading Fox Sports play-by-play announcer, as they dive into the vibrant atmosphere of the Paris Olympics and its cultural impact. Burkhardt shares insights on his dual broadcasting role in MLB and NFL, revealing his preparation strategies and thoughts on baseball's evolving landscape. They discuss the importance of mentorship in sports media, the excitement of live sports, and the dynamic challenges faced in engaging younger fans in today's game.

On this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez shares his excitement for attending the Olympics as a fan, reminisces about historic moments of the Games and analyzes their impact on athletes’ careers and brands. The conversation then shifts to Masai Ujiri, founder of Giants of Africa and president of the Toronto Raptors. Ujiri tells Jason Kelly about his journey from scouting talent in Africa to leading social and economic development on the continent through basketball.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cal Ripken Jr.'s impact on baseball and business is front and center as he reflects on his legacy as a role model. The conversation delves into the transformative power of youth engagement in reviving baseball. Ripken shares insights on mentoring and staying true to family values while building business ventures. Advanced metrics and data science's role in modern baseball strategies are discussed, alongside the importance of trusting instincts in business decisions. The evolution of player experiences into impactful youth programs highlights the blend of sports and entrepreneurship.

In this episode of The Deal, Monarch Collective's Jasmine Robinson tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about the business case for investing in women's sports leagues. Jasmine explains how her $150 million fund decided to invest in the NWSL and how she sees future growth opportunities for women's sports. (Corrects to remove reference to the WNBA in first paragraph.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Deal, The Chernin Group's Jesse Jacobs tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about a few of his notable deals, including Barstool Sports, the Professional Lacrosse League and his recent venture in Unrivaled Sports alongside Josh Harris and David Blitzer. Jesse shares his unique approach to business, the impact of digital media on sports and his thoughts on the evolving landscape of college and youth sports markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Deal, entrepreneur Joe Pompliano tells hosts Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about his rise in the sports media landscape, potential directions for sports valuations and future trends in sports media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Gelman, CEO of Kraft Analytics Group and co-founder of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, dives into the transformative power of data analytics in sports. She discusses the integration of AI in player evaluation and the balance between analytics and intuition. Gelman also reflects on the legacy of Willie Mays and the Negro League, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and emotional factors in athlete performance. Additionally, she shares insights on enhancing fan engagement and ticket accessibility in college sports.

With all the money pouring into sports these days, big-time investor Marc Lore says he has an additional metric for success: happiness. On the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, Lore lays out his thinking on some of his deals, including a few with Rodriguez.  Lore and Rodriguez initially tried to buy the New York Mets, a race they ultimately lost to billionaire hedge fund manager Steven Cohen. Then came the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, and the pair jumped. There’s currently a lot of happiness in Minnesota about the Timberwolves’ performance, given their initial success in the NBA playoffs. The 52-year-old Lore made his fortune as an entrepreneur through a series of startups, including Diapers.com and Jet.com, which he and his partners sold to Amazon and Walmart, respectively. Those experiences pushed him toward a near-obsession with company culture and mission. He’s created a framework he dubs VCP—which stands for “vision, capital and people.” The capital in Lore’s equation has come quickly and seemingly easily. Diapers was sold to Amazon for more than $500 million and Jet.com was acquired by Walmart for about $3.3 billion. Yet, Lore insists the drive was about more than the cash, a lesson he learned with the Diapers deal. “After the money was wired to our bank account, we sort of said, ‘We should be celebrating right now,’” Lore says. “And we’re like, depressed. And it just goes to show you, it wasn’t about the money. Like the mission that we had set out was kind of crushed with the sale to Amazon.” You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Originals, YouTube or Bloomberg TV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen A. Smith says he’s always been ambitious, but nothing fueled a burning drive to succeed like being fired from ESPN. His exit from the sports network in 2009 radically changed how he felt about himself, Smith says—and how he wanted to make a living. After ESPN and Smith parted ways, he began the long road back, starting on radio and leveraging his experience as a print journalist to develop sharp points of view. He eventually built a following whose size effectively made his return to TV inevitable.  After resuming his position in front of the camera, Smith quickly helped remake the modern sports media landscape. Now 56, he’s widely credited (or derided) for the “hot take” version of sportscasting that now dominates ESPN, Fox Sports and social media. It’s literally in the name of his flagship ESPN morning show, “First Take,” which he initially popularized with Skip Bayless. It now features Smith with a rotating cast of sparring partners, as well as moderator Molly Qerim.  Yet Smith has constantly stretched himself beyond ESPN—and sports—most notably through his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, which he created and runs through his own production company. With more than 600,000 subscribers to its YouTube feed alone, Smith says he’s more convinced of his ability to flex that popularity for another record contract with ESPN (his current deal is up next year). You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Originals, YouTube or Bloomberg TV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serena Williams revolutionized tennis—that much is unquestioned. With her sister and fellow superstar Venus beside her and father Richard behind them both, Williams went on to transform the way the world looks at tennis stars. Having now put her racket down, she has moved on to the world of finance and started her own venture capital firm, Serena Ventures. But this time, she’s doing it all on her own. On the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, Williams explains just how these early financial lessons formed the basis of success in her second act. In tennis, Williams is widely regarded as the greatest of all time. In business, she exudes similar ambition for her growing business empire. Williams says she’s built a team that she trusts while staying intimately involved with every major decision. Diving into the details is something she’s known for—Williams was literally at the table for her first big shoe endorsement deal, with Puma. Serena Ventures has invested in more than 20 companies in its first fund, and that’s in addition to the dozens of angel investments Williams has made. She’s also focused much of the firm’s energy on investing in companies run by traditionally underrepresented founders, especially women and people of color. (Only 2% of venture capital goes to companies led solely by women, while just 1% goes to firms with Black founders.) You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Originals, YouTube or Bloomberg TV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.