The Profluence Pod 🌐

Tracy Deforge is building The Player’s Impact, along with being on the board of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and USA Handball. A decorated sports leader, she has seen sports transform into a massive enterprise. The Player’s Impact (TPI) is a group comprised of both active and retired professional athletes who come together as a collective to build relationships, get educated, and invest in private companies. 6 years since their inception, they’ve deployed over $17M in capital and had a huge return on their investment in DraftKings. Chapters: (01:30) The role of athlete influencers (and how players view it) (04:40) Creation of The Player’s Impact and its shift over time (07:50) NIL’s impact on female sports and youth athletics (14:25) Missteps athletes make in business (16:25) A shifting agency model in sports (20:35) What are athletes looking for in investment opportunities? (24:30) Rise in new sports leagues (and what makes them successful) (26:40) Importance of athlete investors in sports leagues (27:50) What kept Tracy in sports her whole career (29:20) Where are sports headed and what trends to watch . Tracy Deforge links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracydeforge/ Website: https://www.theplayersimpact.com/ . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

(01:05) - Feel good stories Figure skating star Yuna Kim has donated $100,000 to aid earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria. Michael Jordan has donated $10M to Make-a-Wish. (02:50) - Business of Athletes Carmelo Anthony is co-launching a $750 million sports-focused private equity fund alongside former WWE executives. Super Bowl champ, Travis Kelce, has become an investor/partner in Casa Azul Spirits alongside legendary beverage founder Lance Collins. Tom Brady is jumping right into acting post-retirement with a performance in the comedy, 80 For Brady. Penn State Quarterback Sean Clifford sold his agency, Limitless NIL, for multiple 7 figures to TEAM Group Holdings. (06:15) - Name, Image, and Likeness BrinxTV which owns the NIL House has acquired a stake in the NIL marketplace, Icon Source. Athlete brand-building firm Firestarter announced a formal partnership with Pittsburgh-based sponsorship sales and consulting agency CohnCollab. Ohio State’s two NIL collectives THE Foundation and The O Foundation are merging. Former Oklahoma football coach, Bob Stoops, compared NIL to the ‘NFL Without Any Salary Cap Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a measure that will allow colleges and universities to help athletes get endorsement deals. (10:30) - Future of Sports Bluestone Capital announced an inaugural $300 million growth equity fund focused on the sports, media, and entertainment industries. The sports tourism market is expected to grow USD $559.75 Billion between 2022 and 2027 at a CAGR of 12.88%. Blockchain-based fantasy cricket platform, Sportiqo, has launched in India allowing users to invest or trade players, just like stocks. The Premier League is close to agreeing on a six-year deal with video game giant Electronic Arts worth close to USD $603 million. Stack Sports has acquired Meridix, a streaming platform for sports. The WNBA and Athletes Unlimited are partnering to bring more women's basketball to fans. AI content creation platform, ScorePlay, has received investments from APEX Capital and 35 Ventures. German soccer player Mario Götze is an angel investor. PENN has acquired the remaining interest in Barstool Sports for approximately $388 million.

Ben DiNucci is a professional football player, playing 2.5 years for the Dallas Cowboys and now for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL. DiNucci is also a co-founder of True Brvnd, where they created the original upside-down Dallas hat.  Chapters: (02:40) Becoming an NFL quarterback (06:25) HBO Hardknocks (08:15) Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Sea Dragons (11:05) Typical day for a pro-QB (offseason vs in-season) (13:45) Business and expenses of an NFL player (17:40) Signing day bonus purchases + taxes (21:05) Founding story of True Brvnd (24:40) Expanding into new cities (26:50) Athletes as entrepreneurs (29:40) XFL back to the NFL . Ben DiNucci links: Website: https://truebrvnd.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/B_DiNucci6 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdinucci/?hl=en . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

With extensive global sporting knowledge and relationships, Edward helped found Sports Rights Tech.  In this episode, we talk about India’s macro and microeconomics in sports. Sports Rights Tech is a specialist advisory business focused on optimizing Rights, Intellectual Property, and Technology in Sports and Entertainment. Chapters: (01:30) Eddie’s background in India (05:45) Sports Rights Tech (08:00) The bull case for India (11:15) India’s unique sports grassroots system (13:45) Cricket’s popularity (and expansion) (18:55) Other sports in India + athlete’s influence (24:05) Sports technology in India (30:20) Opportunities in the Indian Sports ecosystem (34:15) Agency model in India (& their low trust society) (38:05) Why India is the biggest opportunity in sports . Edward Fitzgibbon links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardfitzgibbon/ Website: http://www.sportsrightstech.com/ . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

After playing in the NFL for 6 years and working in sports for nearly a decade, David Anderson decided to start his own venture, BreakAway Data. BreakAway Data is a venture-backed data analytics platform with major deals across athletics including the NFLPA, UCLA, and other high-level sports properties. They were named to SBJ’s 10 most innovative companies to watch. Chapters: (01:15) What is biometric data and how is it used? (03:05) Playing in the NFL for 6 years and the rise of data analytics (06:45) How athletes monetize their data + where it’s going (11:20) Overview of BreakAway Data (14:30) CBAs and their data approaches (NFLPA vs MLBPA vs NBAPA) (17:20) How college sports and NIL tie into data (22:15) Is it possible to collect too much performance data? (25:00) Intersection of gambling and sports biometrics (28:45) Habits that both elite athletes and entrepreneurs possess (33:50) David Anderson + BreakAway Data’s future initiatives . David Anderson links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidAnderson89 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidanderson89/ Website: https://www.breakawaydata.com/ . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

After several years of building a sports agency in China, Matt Beyer decided to start the East Asia Super League (EASL). It is the top basketball league in Asia, similar to the Champions League in European soccer. The EASL combines the best Asian clubs and leagues with the goal of becoming one of the world’s top three professional basketball leagues by 2025. Prior to building the EASL, Beyer spent time working for the NBA, as an agent, and in Chinese public relations. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. Chapters: (01:30) Backstory of the EASL (05:20) Differences in Asia vs American sports culture (09:45) Raising $40M and surviving over the pandemic (13:10) What does it take to build a successful sports league? (16:40) EASL players/countries and the rise of Asian basketball (24:05) Matt’s view on media as a sports league + Steve Nash partnership (27:40) Westerner building the top Asian sports league (30:50) Misconceptions the world has about China (33:50) Fan engagement integrations with Huupe (36:10) How to engage fans as a sports league (37:40) Future of sports + EASL . Matt Beyer links: Website: https://www.easl.basketball/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-beyer-93623517/?originalSubdomain=hk . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

(00:50) - Feel good stories College athlete donates $22,000 and Make-A-Wish is hosting an awesome Super Bowl event (02:15) - Business of Athletes The NFL salary cap is increasing from $208.2M to $224.8M for 2023. Shinesty, a men's underwear company, signed a deal with Clemson basketball player Brevin Galloway after his “balls” video went viral. Former NFL players Calvin Johnson Jr. and Rob Sims have launched their newest CBD product, Primitiv Performance. Baseball star Shohei Ohtani has signed a massive endorsement deal with New Balance, other notable athletes include Kawhi Leonard, Zach Lavine, and Coco Gauff. (05:45) - Name, Image, and Likeness Boston College lacrosse midfielder Belle Smith signed a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Senné, a Boston-based real estate advisory and investment firm Nick Saban turned down two recruits asking for over $1.3M in combined NIL deals “I’m not paying a kid a bunch of NIL money before he earns it.” LSU announced “Bayou Traditions” and also named it the official collective of LSU athletics. (10:00) - Future of Sports The Premier League has acquired an equity stake in fantasy sports NFT platform Sorare as part of a new four-year deal. Venturerock, a $75 million sports tech fund that launched last fall, has made its first major investment in POGR, an esports/metaverse product. Generative AI text-to-video startup Recut has been accepted into Tennis Australia’s inaugural AO Startups incubator program. Sports For All, a multi-sport tech-driven platform, has joined Khelo India Youth Games as a sponsor for the next five years investing Rs 12.5 crore ($3.5M). Ballislife, a basketball and lifestyle media company started in 2005, has raised $2.7M in Series A funding led by London-based Oakvale Sports Investco. All In Team Sports, a sports SaaS for youth team management, has now raised $1.55 million to date.

Adam Breneman is a quick riser in the sports media world. He is an entrepreneur, college football analyst, investor, speaker, and content creator. Breneman was a 5-star football recruit that played at Penn State and UMass. He coached TEs at Arizona State for two years before jumping into the sports business world. Adam Breneman is also a vice president at Mercury, an athlete-driven media company utilizing NIL across college athletics. Chapters: (00:45) Adam’s entrepreneurial drive (02:40) How NIL would have impacted his football career (05:10) What it’s like being a 5-star recruit (08:20) Youngest college football coach in FBS (12:20) VP of NIL at Mercury (15:45) Challenges of building a media business (20:35) Shift in how athletes are viewing off the field ventures (24:45) Sports trends to watch in the future (27:30) What does success for an athlete look like now? . Adam Breneman links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamBreneman81 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambreneman/ Website: https://adambreneman.xyz/ . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!

Business of Athletes: Firefly Recovery has raised $1M from a group of athlete investors including Olympic Volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings, and NFL players Shaq Thompson + Darren Waller. Lebron James’ investment in pickleball drew over 4 billion eyeballs. Former NBA star Carlos Boozer has partnered with The Campins Company to offer best-in-class real estate services to athletes, entertainers, and high-net-worth individuals. Arizona Cardinals linebacker, real estate investor, entrepreneur, and now author, Devon Kennard, announced the release of his book: It All Adds Up. Business of Sports (03:50) Dragon Seats the leading manufacturer and provider of patented heated and cooling sports benches, is proud to announce its acquisition of Athletic Recovery Zone, a Florida-based manufacturer and provider of state-of-the-art air conditioning and heating sports bench technology. Sapphire Sport, the sports investment arm of VC firm Sapphire Ventures focused on fitness, gaming, streaming and new media, has raised a second, oversubscribed $181 million fund with investments Obbi Golf, a software that supports the management of golf clubs, announced a $1.54 million investment as the company turns one year old. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and Amazon Web Services have launched SportsX, a new research and development program focused on advancing innovation in sports as it relates to team performance and fan experiences. The NFLPA has participated in a $40 million financing round raised by Miach Orthopaedics, a medical technology company whose BEAR implant can heal ACL tears as an alternative to reconstructive surgery. Oya Femtech Apparel, a black women-owned femtech apparel brand has a solution for this and has raised $1.3M in an oversubscribed pre-seed round.The Sixers Innovation Lab led the round, Twitter is planning to run content sponsorship deals with more than three dozen news outlets, media companies, and sports leagues in the first half of this year

Ishveen Jolly is building OpenSponsorship, a two-sided global marketplace for sports sponsorship. Their platform makes it easy for brands to partner with athletes, teams, and events. Ishveen Jolly has received numerous awards including Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc. Top 100 Female Founder. OpenSponsorship has several notable athlete investors including Serena Williams and Baron Davis. Chapters: (00:40) Experience as a female in the sports industry (02:55) Advice for females looking to start a sports company (04:00) Male athletes investing in female sports (07:15) Inside look at collegiate women’s sports + NIL (10:35) Her experience as a sports agent in India (12:30) India’s sports ecosystem overview (14:20) Importance of athlete investors (17:45) Will the agency model be transformed? (19:30) Overview of OpenSponsorship + new initiatives (20:40) Key takeaway’s for scaling and hiring employees (22:25) Web3’s influence (or lack of it) (23:40) Sponsorship trends to watch . Ishveen Jolly links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/IshveenAnand LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishveenjolly/ Website: https://opensponsorship.com/ . Andrew Petcash links: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com ✉️ Newsletter: https://www.petcashpost.com 🎙 Podcast: https://anchor.fm/andrewpetcash 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ 🕺 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewpetcash 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q5jhAuCVT2FZCkLW5xBiQ/ . Thanks for listening!