The Fort

Andrew Yaffe is the CEO of Dude Perfect. Prior to joining Dude Perfect, he served as Executive Vice President, Head of Social, Digital and Original Content at the NBA, leading the department responsible for all video, editorial, and documentary content produced and distributed by the NBA.  We dive into the evolution of content strategy, how vertical video, AI-driven editing, and fan-driven content are reshaping how people consume sports and entertainment. We also talk about the massive shift toward family-friendly entertainment, why authenticity matters more than ever in building a trusted brand, and how Dude Perfect is capitalizing on a deep relationship with its audience to expand into products, experiences, and live events. We also cover: - Why YouTube dominates digital content consumption and how Dude Perfect leverages it - How user-generated and behind-the-scenes content outperforms traditional highlights - The growth of Dude Perfect’s live shows and the company's focus on family-first experiences - Building long-term brand equity without sacrificing core values - How the next wave of growth will come from new talent, products, and experiences under the Dude Perfect umbrella This conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the most iconic creator-led brands is thinking about the next decade of growth—and why the future of entertainment looks a lot more personal, community-driven, and mission-focused. We'd appreciate you filling out our audience survey, so we can continuously work on providing relevant content to our listeners.  https://www.thefortpod.com/survey Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:55) - Andrew’s career in the NBA: Starting as a Ticket Pricing Analyst and becoming the EVP of Content (00:07:54) - How “Content” has evolved in the past 5 years (00:13:50) - The NBA vs. NBA China (00:14:37) - Content distribution strategies (00:16:20) - Are professional sports audiences declining? (00:19:46) - Becoming CEO of Dude Perfect (00:23:23) - How do you filter opportunities for the brand? (00:28:37) - Battling the algorithm: Family content (00:30:39) - Cultural differences between Dude Perfect and the NBA (00:33:54) - Who’s coming up with content ideas at this stage of the brand? (00:38:21) - The Gravity of YouTube (00:41:51) - What kind of production goes into a typical Dude Perfect video? (00:44:20) - What does working with YouTube look like when you have 62 million subscribers? (00:47:05) - What types of data matter at Dude Perfect? (00:52:01) - What is the target market for Dude Perfect? (00:54:09) - Should we be encouraging our kids to be content creators? (00:57:24) - What are the primary revenue streams? (00:59:15) - Why do the live shows perform so well with audiences? (01:00:12) - Are there plans for more “Dudes”? (01:01:37) - Does the brand's growth mean taking audiences away from professional sports? (01:03:22) - Does the audience age out? (01:04:39) - Is there one metric that matters more than anything else? (01:06:04) - What does this brand look like in 5 years? Links: Dude Perfect - https://dudeperfect.com/ Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/fort BetterPitch: https://betterpitch.com/ Fort: https://bit.ly/FortCompanies Follow Fort on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fort-companies/ Chris on Social Media: The Fort Podcast on Twitter/X: https://x.com/theFORTpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/45gIkFd   Watch The Fort on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our website: https://bit.ly/43SOvys Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/45crFD0 Leave a review on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO  The FORT is produced by Johnny Podcasts

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