CNBC Sport YouTube Sports Creator Jesser 2/19/26
Feb 19, 2026
Zach Miller, president of Bucket Squad and media exec who scaled creator businesses. Jesse Riedel (Jesser), YouTube sports creator who built a massive basketball-focused audience. They chat growth from viral videos to a full media brand. They discuss creator-led broadcasts, balancing live rights with reach, building team and infrastructure, and plans for a huge new studio.
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Early Viral Breakthrough
- Jesse started making videos inspired by his brother and a creator who said YouTube could be a career when Jesse was about 13.
- A viral 2014 NBA 2K in Real Life video jumpstarted his channel and led to rapid subscriber growth in 2015.
Leaving School For Content Creation
- Jesse left high school early after making substantial money from YouTube, estimating $100–200K that year.
- He moved into a YouTube house with other creators and later scaled the team into a formal organization.
Build Company Infrastructure Early
- Zach prioritized building infrastructure, hiring experienced leadership, and adding operations like healthcare to scale Bucket Squad.
- He recommends formalizing systems and roles when a creator business reaches scale to enable sustainable growth.