The Profluence Pod 🌐

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!

Brian Fagan is the founder of Oncoor Sports, a marketing agency for athletes, collectives, and brands. In 2021, it was acquired by a Utah-based group to help integrate NIL. Oncoor currently has over 100 athletes, 50 brands, and 42 universities in its portfolio. Brian Fagan also serves as the Head of Sales at the Playbook app, a creator platform for athletes, coaches, and fitness influencers. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:45) State of the creator economy (06:05) Oncoor Sports and the Playbook App (08:30) Advice for founders, entrepreneurs, and salesmen (10:40) Explanation of NIL collectives (18:20) Mental health and athletes (20:40) Power of the BYU community (23:15) Taysom Hill as a football player and businessman (25:05) Rise of athlete entrepreneurs (28:00) Operating model in college sports (30:10) Where sports are headed . Brian Fagan links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bdfagan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandfagan/ Website: https://www.oncoormarketing.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!

(00:30) Feel good stories Sport Clips Haircuts held an event where they also donated $1.5M toward veterans' scholarships. NBA forward Kyle Kuzma is donating $1 million to the YMCA in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. The Green Bay Packers are donating $100,000 to provide 80 Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) to schools in Wisconsin. (02:05) - Business of Athletes/Sports Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Usain Bolt is missing more than $12.7 million from an account with a Jamaican private investment firm. Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment announced that it has purchased a major stake in Ripken Baseball. Deal Box is launching a $125M venture arm, where they will look at “FunTech”, which includes action sports. LIV Golf has finally found a home on American TV after striking a deal with the CW Network. The Tennis Channel has deepened its partnership with Major League Pickleball and will now air the league's semifinal and finals. Sports-focused NFT company Candy Digital announced a Series A extension funding round following reports Fanatics was selling of its 60% stake in Candy Digital. EP Golf Ventures has invested in Sensible Weather, a climate risk technology company that has a partnership with the PGA. Courtside Ventures has completed a $100M sports fund, their 3rd which includes athletes investors such as Larry Fitzgerald and Shaquille O’Neal. (07:15) - Name, Image, and Likeness Curastory is partnering with Tempus Ex Machina to allow Pac-12 players to post content on their social media platforms and earn 50% of the ad revenue they generate. Penn State’s NIL collective, Success With Honor, has secured contracts with at least 1 athlete from all 31 varsity sports teams. The College Athlete Protection Act was presented in California, which would require the state's college sports programs to share revenue with their athletes.

Cole Peterson is one of the youngest coaches/directors in all of Division 1 FBS football. At only 24 years old, he recently got hired by Trent Dilfer at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB). In this conversation, we talk about the business of college football, the rise of athlete entrepreneurs, the difficulties coaches are facing with NIL, and what life is like as a college football coach. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (03:00) Rise of UAB football over the last 10 years (05:30) Importance of facilities in college sports (07:00) NIL’s impact on college coaching (11:10) Trent Dilfer the coach, player, and media personality (15:00) Gaining extra media attention in college sports (17:05) Importance of Operations in football (20:15) Business of college football (budgets, etc) (23:55) Minnesota Vikings Brian O’Neill story (28:30) Difference between college and NFL coaching . Cole Peterson links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cole1Peterson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-peterson-0817141a6/ . 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!

Paul Anton is building Huupe, the world’s first smart basketball hoop - merging technology, gaming, and sports training. Prior to Huupe, Anton built two companies (1 of which was acquired). Huupe recently raised $5M including investments from several NBA players such as Trevor Booker and Thaddeus Young. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:17) Paul Anton’s entrepreneur journey (03:50) Why a smart basketball hoop? (06:10) $3B basketball backboard market (08:25) Creating a buzz with $0 in marketing (11:05) China’s growing suburbs and basketball market (13:58) Getting investors (including NBA players) (15:30) Future of basketball (17:10) What it takes to make a smart basketball hoop (18:50) AI x sports (21:10) Recruiting + NIL using Huupe . Paul Anton links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/manyyearstime LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-anton-384b0799/ Website: https://huupe.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!

(0:40) - Feel good stories Florida State offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons has raised over $500,000 through NIL for his charity "Big Man, Big Heart." Damar Hamlin’s charity hits $8.8M in donations. (2:10) - Business of Athletes Michael Phelps, Odell Beckham Jr, Jeremy Lin, & more invest in Major League Pickleball (MLP). Alex Rodriguez has exercised his option alongside Marc Lore to buy a second 20% stake in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx. Blake Griffin, Joe Burrow, Khris Middleton, Kemba Walker, Anders Lee, and 20+ pro athletes are buying $5M in Iowa farmland. Patrick Mahomes has acquired an ownership stake in the women’s soccer team, Kansas City Current. WNBA star Lisa Leslie has joined the ownership team at Jelenew, a women’s cycling brand. (5:45) - Name, Image, and Likeness Tiger Woods's son, Charlie Woods, will not be eligible for NIL money under Florida law should he attend high school there (currently in 8th grade). NIL Collectives, such as at Michigan, are raising funds to help pay athletes to return to their schools. NC State cornerback, Shyheim Battle, became the first athlete to ever sign an equity deal with Obsesh, an all-in-one athlete engagement platform. Florida’s $13 million NIL deal with 5-star football recruit Jaden Rashada may head to the courtroom. (09:35) - Future of Sports 32 Equity, the NFL’s venture fund, invested in upstart apparel and footwear brand NOBULL. The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has completed a $30 million Series B funding round led by Divergent Investments. Runna, a coaching app for runners, has raised $2.3M in funding. East Asia Super League (EASL) has secured US$40 million in its Series C fundraising round. Clive Mayhew has invested $1.2 million to launch Play Today, a web3 golf company. Teamworks, a sports management SaaS, has acquired 4 new companies: Smartabase, Retain, Grafted, and NextPlay.

Steven Farag is building Campus Ink, a merch platform at the center of NIL and college athletics. In 2022, Campus Ink raised several million dollars (including an investment from Mark Cuban) and scaled to over 30 employees and 13 Universities. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) From creating merch to building Campus Ink (02:35) How Steven got Mark Cuban to invest (04:40) Experience being on the show “My First Million” (06:30) Hardest thing about the apparel business (09:20) NIL and his experience with making athletes money (14:50) How Universities are handling NIL (18:25) Myths in NIL and college sports (20:00) Entrepreneurship through NIL (24:45) Collectives and paying college athletes (27:25) Initiatives for Campus Ink over the next year (29:00) Where is the sports market headed in 2023 . Steven Farag links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenfarag LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faragsteven/ Website: https://campus.ink/ . 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!

Porter Grieve is building Mercury, a collegiate fan experience platform built on the bedrock of blockchain technology that uses athlete-driven media as its main marketing tool.  Prior to Mercury, Grieve spent several years at the soccer club, AS Roma. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (03:20) Creating fan experiences and Mercury’s agenda (07:10) Merging the worlds of Web2 and Web3 (09:30) Where is blockchain technology headed? (13:10) Communicating innovative tech to athletic departments (15:00) Building a media company first, paid products second (17:25) The power of owned media and AS Roma’s tricks (22:30) Where is NIL headed over the next 5 years? (25:30) How Porter raised $7.5M in a bad market (28:35) Sports Tech trends over the next year Porter Grieve links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/portergrieve LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/porter-g-9a4b8374/ Website: https://teammercury.io/ . 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!