1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: This is the business of sports. Should Major League Baseball 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: shorten up the season? How do we present football to 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: the audience of the future. I don't think that most 4 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: players understand the power that they have. Michael vaugh The 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: future of IndyCar racing is looking bright. Scott Sashnik, very 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,959 Speaker 1: basic math here, more bidders means more money. Evan Nobody Williams. 7 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: The team value has essentially quadruples. And the leaders in 8 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: the sports industry time to bring in our guest, hal Stiebrunner, 9 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Betman, Atlanta Braves President Derek Schiller, 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: Patriots President Jonathan Kraft. Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. Hello, 11 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,599 Speaker 1: I'm Michael Vaughn, I'm Evan Nobie Williams, and I'm Scott Soshnik. 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: Every week at this time plus Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 13 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: we explore the big money issues in the world of sports. 14 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: On this week's show, we have the CEO of gen 15 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: Ge Sports, Chris Park. But first let's get into some 16 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: of the topics that people are talking about. Let's start 17 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: off with NBC and the Olympics. Mr Novie Williams are 18 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: all over Yeah, pretty big, pretty big partnership coming out 19 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: of the next you know, the next eight years for 20 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: for the Olympics, NBC typically the way you know, advertising 21 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: and sponsorship gets sold for the Olympics, NBC has the 22 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,279 Speaker 1: rights to the Olympics and they sell their ad sloughts 23 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: themselves and then the us O C team USA sells 24 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: it sponsorship separately. Well, they're combining their forces right now. 25 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: So for the years it's four Olympics, they are combining 26 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: those assets. We're talking billions of dollars here, right l A. 27 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: Which is the end of those of that eight year cycle. Um, 28 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: they have a goal two point five billion dollars in sponsorships. 29 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: That's a big number, um. And NBC's ad sales are 30 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: even gonna be higher, right So, so we're talking a 31 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,199 Speaker 1: lot of money here. They're hoping that by combining them 32 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: it makes it easier for brands, whether you're Nike, whether 33 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: you're Kellogg, whether you're United Airlines, easier for them to 34 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: come together. And this is how I could imagine if 35 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: it was a hot day in the summertime and there's 36 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: a lemonade stand. One place sold the lemonade powder, the 37 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: next place sold the water and the next place sold. 38 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: The cups in the ice wouldn't be a lot easier 39 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: if you could get it pre mixed with the ice 40 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: in it at one stand That's in essence what's going 41 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: on here. They're they're hoping that by streamlining the process 42 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: and making it a one stop shop, that more companies, 43 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: more brands will choose to associate with those Olympic rings. 44 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: And from the company side, you know that we're talking 45 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: a lot of money. Obviously, this is a big investment 46 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: made by companies. It's easier to go to your board 47 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: and say, listen, this is this is the number. This 48 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: is our Olympic spend right here, versus going with this 49 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: is what we want to spend to get, you know, 50 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: spots on the on TV. This is what we want 51 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: to spend so we can activate and and use the 52 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 1: Olympic Rings in our marketing. It's much easier to just 53 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: go one number. This is the spend, that single entity model. 54 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: It makes everything easier. If you want to get something 55 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: involved with a company on TV. It just makes it 56 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: easier to primeonate the entire organization. Let's move on now 57 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: to the next topic. This is very serious and Santa 58 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: Anita has got to be one of the most well 59 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: known horse racing tracks, not only here in the United 60 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,959 Speaker 1: States but around the world and people not following. Since 61 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: December twenty three horses have died racing at the track 62 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: because of injuries they had to be euthanized. And now 63 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: the prosecutors are getting involved. Yeah, and they're actually establishing 64 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: a task force to investigate the deaths at the park. 65 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: I'm surprised that the number had to get to twenty three, 66 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: ten fifty. I don't know what the right number is, 67 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: but this has been very public. This has been out there. Uh, 68 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: and now they're looking into this task force and they 69 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: we will look into what is going on at Santa Anita. 70 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: Is there something beyond just the turf as to why 71 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: these horses are died? Yeah, the turf was kind of 72 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: the first thing that was you know, tossed out there. 73 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,839 Speaker 1: You know, whether you know a lot of rain, etcetera. Um, now, yeah, 74 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: there's certainly questions about whether whether there's something else going on. 75 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: It's a really interesting you know, Santa Anita is owned 76 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: by the Stronach family. They also own uh Pimlico, where 77 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: where one of one of the major horse races is 78 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: every year. Um there's a lot going on with the 79 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: only they're the first family of racing. But this certainly 80 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: does not help UM as they're trying to trying to 81 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: figure out what they're doing with their with their money, 82 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: what they're doing with their tracks. It's when the d 83 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: A comes out and says something like, we want to 84 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: find out, you know, will determine quote whether unlawful conduct 85 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: or conditions affected the welfare and safety of the animals 86 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: conduct you know, Uh, it's not beyond a stretch of 87 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: the imagination to understand that sometimes horses are given things 88 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: to promote performance. Is that contributing to this? That's what 89 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: they're drilling down to. Worth mentioning that Santa Anita, for 90 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: for horse racing fans or people who don't know, is 91 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: one of the most famous tracks in the US. It's 92 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: it's the premier track on the West Coast from what 93 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: I understand, So you know Churchill Downs, you know, it's 94 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: on that level for for horse racing fans. Let's talk 95 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: about some hockey. Oh my goodness, the Penguins, they are 96 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: gone goodbye. I'm used to like, you know, big names 97 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: with the Penguins. We're not going to see Alex, You're 98 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: not said the kiddy. Evan just literally if you heard 99 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: something on that been just literally clunked his head on 100 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: the microft that and bar bar. Which team was it 101 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: that eliminated those Penguins? Oh? Yes, the New York Island. Hello, 102 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: Mr John Ladecki, thanks for listening. Yes, the Islanders, the 103 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: team I grew up rooting for. The uh, the Goring, 104 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: Bossy Tannelli, Potvin, Trocci Smith. Now look at this, the 105 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: New York Islands for the first time. It's like eighty 106 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: three or whatever swept this series. But nobody saw this coming. 107 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: Batman Evan, would you have said the Islanders will sweep 108 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 1: the Penguins or with the Blue Jackets the regular season? 109 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: You know? Jeff Nnix, Tampa Bayla. Yeah, honestly, I'm I'm 110 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: surprised by both of them. We talked about the Blue 111 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: Jackets a couple a couple of weeks ago on the podcast. 112 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: I love their story. The GM Yarmo Cocoline and had 113 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: a had a decision to make a couple of months ago. 114 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: It's a great name. I had a decision to make 115 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: a couple of months ago. You know that a lot 116 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: of players are going to be free agents at the 117 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: end of the year. A lot of them may not stay. 118 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: He could have sold them for pieces, buyers or sellers. 119 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: He chose to be a buyer. Uh. They just beat 120 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: the team that had the best regular season in the 121 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: past twenty years in hockey, just swept them. And I 122 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: wouldn't want to play Columbus right, No, no no, no, no, 123 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: absolutely not a good or band for hockey. Hockey needs exposure. 124 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: You just lost your biggest name in Sydney, Crosby, and 125 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,559 Speaker 1: you just lost your top team that would probably score 126 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: like you would think, would score fifty goals a game 127 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: and make everybody like, wow, this is so exciting, this 128 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: is great. I don't know if this is good for hockey. 129 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 1: Hockey fans are gonna be there anyway. Is the casual 130 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: fan gonna link or hook up to the Columbus Blue 131 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: Jackets and the defensive minded New York Island. Probably not, 132 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:39,720 Speaker 1: But it's it's an interesting hockey is in a fun 133 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: place where there's a lot of these, you know, bizarre 134 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: market teams. You know, Carolina has has had some fun 135 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: these playoffs, you know, Columbus, certainly Nashville Vegas in the 136 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 1: past couple of years there's a lot of enthusiasm in 137 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: these smaller markets for initial teams right now. See shoot, 138 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: no red wings to talk about. That's why I'm bumming. 139 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: What may a G double hockey sticks happen? See what 140 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: I did there? You brought in the hockey sticks on 141 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: the hockey stack? Now, loc who's there? Chris Parks, CEO 142 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: of gen g E Sports, fresh off his run in 143 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: Central Park. I wish I could run? What what? What 144 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: do you mean? You wish you could run? It involves walking, 145 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: but faster. That's the point. Hold on for a second. 146 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: Tell me a little bit about Chris. Yes. Park comes 147 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: from a long career in sports business leadership and building 148 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: innovative brands, most recently from Major League Baseball, where he 149 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: served since most recently as executive vice president a product 150 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: and marketing. Chris, thanks for coming in the studio. Thank you, sir, 151 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me a pleasure to have you enjoy 152 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: your run. I did didn't know we're going to You're 153 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: not allowed to run in Central Park? Everybody does, hope. 154 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: So do you do good thinking when you're running this business? 155 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: Go through your head? Yeah? I do. I think there's 156 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: actually an interesting trade off these days we're On one hand, 157 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: you can be listening to a podcast while you run, 158 00:07:58,280 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: in which case I feel like I don't really do 159 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: a lot of free thinking. And then the on the 160 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: other hand, on the other hand, if you don't listen 161 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: to anything, you can do a lot of free thinking. 162 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: But there's a higher risk of being bored. So I 163 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: don't know what to do. Do you? What is your routine? 164 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: Thinks asking I've been everybody here knows. Weird stuff just 165 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: pops into my It just it just pops into my 166 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: head all the time. But I'm like the sports novice. 167 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: His son plays. He's into it. Evan certainly is into 168 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: it as listeners of the show. No, I only know 169 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: through my son. Sure, So I'm going to give you 170 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: the simplest question I can, and I hope other people 171 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: are out there who have kids who play. Who are 172 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: these evil geniuses that created Fortnite? And how do how 173 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: does mainstream sports replicate what they've been able to do 174 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: that my son not only just wants to keep playing, 175 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: but wants to spend money on skins that, as near 176 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: as I can tell, do not give him any advantage 177 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: in the game. He just wants to be cool. Yeah, 178 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: So those are often known as cosmetic Yeah, for sure. Well, 179 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 1: I think part of what's really interesting about today is that, 180 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: you know, E sports itself in the current generation is 181 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 1: really only about twenty years old, so it's acknowledged to 182 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: have been born in Korea back in the late nineties. 183 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: So when you say you're an E sports novice, I 184 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: think the great thing about today is we're all yeah, uh, 185 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,319 Speaker 1: and I think so. So what's fascinating I think about 186 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: the space as well, is even the premise of the 187 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: question is up for debate. I'm not sure whether traditional 188 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: sports will be able to replicate exactly what is going 189 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: on it just every owner, but with a caveat which 190 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 1: is that I think as we're seeing increasingly and I 191 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: certainly saw even in the product teams that I managed 192 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 1: in my last year at MLB, there's an influence of 193 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: gaming and of E sports that's already making it itself 194 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: known throughout the way that we look at and and 195 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: experienced traditional sports that I think is going to only grow. 196 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: So the reason why you're now seeing, for instance, NFL 197 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 1: nationally televised games broadcast on Twitch is an example of this. 198 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: There's a desire to reach an audience that only e 199 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: sports fans have or the only sports companies know how 200 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: to connect with. And I think that's only going to 201 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: grow over time as frankly every you know, the children's 202 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 1: generation today to age. It was a big club over 203 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: my head when the NFL did that deal with Fortnite, 204 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: I was like, we had a little debate who needs 205 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: who more? And it isn't often where I'm like the 206 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: NFL is the tail and something else is the dog. 207 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: But in that scenario, Fortnite was the dog. Yeah, for sure, 208 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: for sure. And I think it's it's a it's a 209 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: unique time because I think, speaking from my experience also 210 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: at traditional sports leagues, there is a generation or maybe 211 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: now probably two generations worth of younger people out there 212 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: who are growing up with sports and content in a 213 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: very different way from the people who are, let's say, 214 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: owning traditional sports teams by and large. Talk us through 215 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,440 Speaker 1: the decision to leave Major League Baseball. Are you a 216 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: gamer yourself and your history kind of what made you 217 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 1: make the jump from traditional sports the world? You know 218 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: very well? The first well, if anything, it's the first 219 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:00,559 Speaker 1: actually the first League of Legends match that I watched 220 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: in person in Korea of ours, took over three hours 221 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: because of computer glitches. So I thought maybe I had 222 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: brought the wrong times of habits over into this world. Now, 223 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: So the decision for me actually took me as much 224 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: by surprise as anything. So I had, you know, personally 225 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: known found the founder of jen G, Kevin Chew for 226 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: about a couple of years, and we had had great 227 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: conversations about our shared visions of I think what the 228 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: future of sports and media are going to be. But 229 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: that was long before I certainly had any thought that 230 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: I would be working anywhere else anytime soon. I think 231 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: for me, a lot of what I did at MLB, 232 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: largely I think paved the way for me to be 233 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: able to do something like this. Can you give the 234 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 1: listener to an idea what a few of the things 235 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: that you say I did this? Yeah, So I had 236 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: the pleasure really and it was, you know, thanks so 237 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: much to the Commissioner Manfred's or letting me do a 238 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 1: lot of things and bounce around. But over three stints 239 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: at the Commissioner's office, I first started out purely in 240 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: illegal positions. I was counseled for the Labor Relations Department, 241 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: which as you probably know, is the command center of 242 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: all things player, but for nerds like me is really 243 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: not boring. Is why we got into the sport in 244 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,319 Speaker 1: the first place. I bounced out to do some consulting, 245 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: came back in and started to do sort of half legal, 246 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: half business stuff. So we launched a team that was 247 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:21,199 Speaker 1: essentially managing like the business side or the economic analysis 248 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: for collective bargaining. In my second stint, did that through 249 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: the even bargaining round and then left again, went out 250 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: to the West Coast, primarily at Facebook, and then since 251 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: I came back most recently, essentially ended up evolving the 252 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: role over time, but was managing three groups. So Product 253 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: which is basically all of our digital product development for 254 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: the fan facing content and apps. And second is all 255 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: of our league marketing, so the traditional stuff you see 256 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 1: about what the campaigns are going to be at the 257 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: All Star game, but also digital marketing. And then international 258 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: business development, so the league has for international business offices 259 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: that I'm are very near and dear to my heart 260 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: in in London, which I think you're probably hopefully going 261 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,959 Speaker 1: to see soon, Mexico, Tokyo, and Beijing. And then so 262 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 1: we we were essentially managing the entire p n L 263 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: for the league that was outside of the United States. 264 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 1: I gotta bring this up on Prince Harry threw some 265 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: let's say, some shade on Fortnite, and I was surprised 266 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: when he said it. He said that the video game 267 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: Fortnite is irresponsible and should be banned. Your thoughts about that, Yeah, 268 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 1: I think it's well one. I think it's great just 269 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: that people have such strong opinions about this stuff. I 270 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: think sometimes I take off obviously all opinions seriously, especially 271 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: when they're royally derived, I suppose, But a lot of 272 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 1: it is is a reflection of what we're seeing right now, 273 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: just in terms of timing. Um, I think every generation 274 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: is different from the one that comes after it. But 275 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: what's different about gaming in particular is that we are 276 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: at a point where the new younger generations are not 277 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 1: just into slightly different stuff from older generations, but they're 278 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: into really different stuff, and they are actually of thing 279 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: entirely off of entire traditional categories. So even E sports 280 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: itself is in many ways a younger riff off of 281 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: traditional sports, and we're going to see it happen over time. 282 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: And that's why, you know, I often refer to the 283 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 1: sports as what I believe is the first actually and 284 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: authentically user generated sport that we've ever seen. So a 285 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: good part of the coming years and months, I think 286 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: is a part a way of sort of bringing those 287 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: generations together where I think mail for uh in a 288 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: lot of ways, the younger people, you know, across the 289 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: world and across the gaming community have a chance to 290 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: kind of educate the the older generations or even people 291 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: who are just not as engaged in gaming themselves firsthand 292 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: about what's so great about this content and the best 293 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: versions of what it can be. Oh boy, it sounds 294 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: like you want kids to talk to their parents and 295 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: show them how they are, as though that's not going 296 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: to happen anyway. I hear a lot of traditional sports 297 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: folks talk about community. It brings sports, brings people together, 298 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: also tears them apart. They don't say that, but I 299 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: think the sports does it even more so for me, 300 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: as again, the novice looker, it's about community, Like my 301 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: son and his friends are all on with their headsets, 302 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: yelling at each other. The fact they can do it 303 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: all together. Yeah, I think that's right, and it's it's 304 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: really a fascinating part of the best and brightest games 305 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: now and that are even emerging in the last twelve, 306 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty four months, like Fortnite, where you know, even 307 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: for for my generation, we think of playing video games, 308 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: whereas I feel like even you know, high school kids 309 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: these days are not so much playing video games as 310 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: much as in the case of Fortnite, they're actually hanging 311 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: out in the games themselves. They should be in the 312 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: seven eleven parking lot like we used to do right 313 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: Friday night of the parking lot of the movie theater. 314 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: This is nothing new. I mean even old Geezer Bar 315 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: when Palm came out, we were glued to the set, 316 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: but you were playing by yourself. You didn't you can't play. 317 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: You ever attended a concert in a video game? My 318 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: son told me he attended. Does that count? Years from 319 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: now people ask you, what was your first concert? For fun? 320 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: What was your first concert? Oh gosh, it was actually 321 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: You're gonna You're gonna get killed. It was probably a 322 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: classical music concert in Seattle, because my my sister is 323 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: a concert violinist from Chicago Nasau colisseum um. But my son, 324 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: is the right answer. Whatever that concert was on Fortnite? 325 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: Is that the right answer? He told me he went 326 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: to some concert last night. I was like, what are 327 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: you talking about? And then I saw it in the news. 328 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh my god, he did this and I 329 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: had no clue at even was happening. Yeah, I think, 330 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: and I think that actually one of the most recent 331 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: versions of that was Marshmallow getting that's the one. That's 332 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: the one, and it was I think it was the 333 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: day before the super Bowl where then twenty four hours 334 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: later Maroon five got blasted for for their super Bowl 335 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: halftime concert. Right, So again, traditionally we think of super 336 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: Bowl halftime as at least probably the biggest concert in 337 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: the country, and the next day, on Monday morning, you 338 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: were because of that contrast, really just in the same weekend, 339 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: even USA Today writing about how the super Bowl halftime 340 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: show was now no longer a cultural institution and so 341 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: the times they are a change in and But I 342 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: think one that's that's super exciting about where we are 343 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: today and gaming. But I also think it's an inspiration 344 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 1: for those of us who are in this business now 345 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 1: to see how far can we push this, how much 346 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 1: can we make this in fact more and more of 347 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 1: an inclusive community, Like as you mentioned, there's sports I 348 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 1: think can bring people together and they can also create 349 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:31,920 Speaker 1: more divisions, and I think it's a responsibility for all 350 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: of us to see how we can push and lean 351 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: into unity. It's a big reason, for instance, why at 352 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 1: gen G, especially in the US, we're making really aggressive, 353 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: heavy investments for our brand and also for the community 354 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: into trying to empower women in gaming and to try 355 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: to accelerate the day when we're going to see real 356 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: gender parody. How do how do you go back doing 357 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:52,680 Speaker 1: that besides just hiring women? How do you go back 358 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: to it? Yeah? So I think well, for us, it 359 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:56,479 Speaker 1: is I think putting kind of our money where our 360 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: mouth is, so you know, are we are at at 361 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: our core, although I think this change over time as 362 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: we diversify an e sports team organization. So we're making 363 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: our lead leading investments in some of the titles like Fortnite, 364 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: for instance, with hiring, hiring, acquiring and training what who 365 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:16,959 Speaker 1: we believe are the best female gamers in the world, 366 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,719 Speaker 1: who with the right training and support and patients are 367 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: going to be able to compete, you know, in co 368 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: ed tournaments at the highest levels, which is I think 369 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 1: something that just doesn't happen to this point as much 370 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 1: as it should really for reasons that have nothing to 371 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: do with the actual merits. And I also think for us, 372 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: it's about creating a community and supporting the creation of 373 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:39,159 Speaker 1: content that actually serves and is a voice for a 374 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: lot of the emerging segments of the community of gamers, 375 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: so not just the kind of bros who have traditionally 376 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: dominated certainly the competitive side, but also even the headlines 377 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: on Twitch, but also other parts of the demographic world. 378 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: So that's why you know, work cited. One of the 379 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: great things I think about the sports is that for 380 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 1: an e sports team, your training facility is always going 381 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 1: to double as a kind of content production studio. So 382 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: when our players they're screaming for hours and hours at 383 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: a time, but then when they're off hours, they're out 384 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: streaming on Twitch or and we're helping them, for instance, 385 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 1: produce great content for them to to connect with their fans, 386 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: and we're doing and so that's why we are. For instance, 387 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: you know, our first very first nine content creators we've 388 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: signed up in the United States have also all been women, 389 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: because we believe that there is a message out there, 390 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 1: and then more importantly, there's a segment of the community 391 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: out there that deserves more resources and support, and we 392 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,640 Speaker 1: want to create an environment that reflects that. Were there 393 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 1: any baseball players doing that kind of stuff? And how 394 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: different is that from a you know, social media from 395 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: a content standpoint? How different is your standard gen G 396 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 1: E sports athlete relative to you know, the guys that 397 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: make you know, tens of millions of dollars and playing 398 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: and they don't have to do anything. Yeah, exactly, I'm serious. 399 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 1: I think that's true, though I disagree with Bretz. Harper 400 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: does not have to do anything on social media, doesn't 401 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: want to. Yeah, I think, well, I guess there's half 402 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: to and half to right, so important distinction there. So 403 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: there's a very lucrative market out there for the most 404 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: talented E sports players and full time gaming streamers, and uh, 405 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 1: you'd be surprised, probably on the high end of of 406 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: how much money those folks can make. And we certainly 407 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: I know about Ninja believe. I think that's a good question. 408 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: Other than which is I think to the you know, 409 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: public facing there is a huge difference obviously. So Uh, 410 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: it's a a big ongoing debate in at least some 411 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: traditional sports about how much interaction with social media is 412 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: too much. How much should the players be just focused 413 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:40,160 Speaker 1: on the next game or getting better and and sticking 414 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: on staying with the message versus not. I think it 415 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: really though, again starts to break down at the age level. 416 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 1: So I think the younger athletes coming up in even 417 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 1: the traditional sports are much more of the same DNA 418 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: of what you see in e sports and in streaming. 419 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 1: The difference is just the culture around it. How accepted 420 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: is it? How okay or even commercially attractive? Is it 421 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: for you to be out there and for the let's say, 422 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: streaming to an audience for several hours a day. How 423 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:09,679 Speaker 1: How is that a good thing or is that a 424 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: bad thing? Is that a part of what you want 425 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: in your brand? Or is it even okay to be 426 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: talking about building your own brand in the first place. 427 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: I think that's shifting obviously. I think even in you know, 428 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: in the late nineties or late eighties or nineties, that 429 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: the same debate was going on, and it was just 430 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: much harder for like Dion Sanders, for instance, to be 431 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,479 Speaker 1: accepted at all, whereas a lot of the stuff that 432 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: he did that you would think of as self promotion 433 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: is now assumed even in the prime time self promotion 434 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 1: trime time, Chris, you're talking about content. I mean, it's 435 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: the word we hear all the time now, content content, 436 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:50,440 Speaker 1: content who is doing it well out there? Give me 437 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: an athlete and then give me league that people can 438 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: sort of say, yeah, I get what they're trying to do. 439 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: When E sports can learn from them, Yeah, sure so. Well, 440 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,199 Speaker 1: when I was certainly in the traditional sports world, the 441 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: one of the examples I kept coming back to was 442 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: Lebron And he's obviously one of the highest profile folks, 443 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,439 Speaker 1: but part of why I think he was doing it 444 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: well quote unquote was that is continually pushing the boundaries 445 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:18,760 Speaker 1: and very subtly but methodically peeling back layers. So question, 446 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: let me just one, Can any athlete do that? Or 447 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:28,239 Speaker 1: is that Lebron? Because he is so good, nobody at 448 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: the league or team level can say don't do that. Yeah, 449 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: I definitely think it's it's not just because he's famous 450 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: or not just because he's world class. I think it's 451 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: what what The reason he stands out is that he's 452 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: world class and he's still able to do to do 453 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: all of those that to really be an exciting content creator. 454 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: And so that's what I think everyone is is out 455 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: there searching for obviously, and in the sports you see 456 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 1: kind of the inversion. So in traditional sports, I think 457 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: it's typically been the case that you make your brand 458 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,640 Speaker 1: based on maybe until Zion Williamson. Let's say you make 459 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 1: your brand on how good you are, and that's it, 460 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 1: and then you get to a point later in your 461 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:09,360 Speaker 1: career where then you finally have a world a worldwide following, 462 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: and if you can sprinkle on some sort of media 463 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: side to it, that's great, or you get behind the 464 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: scenes and you create your own media content production studio 465 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: like Lebron and Chris Paul and all those guys have. 466 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:22,959 Speaker 1: Any sports, it's really the opposite. Where as as these 467 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: players are getting better in their teams and into their twenties, 468 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 1: they are creating content on the side in significant amounts. 469 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 1: They are creating a brand in significant amounts. Some of 470 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: them are actually having more lucrative careers on the content 471 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: creation side than they are on the competitive side. And 472 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 1: it's really the competitive side that they're using to just 473 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 1: build up enough of a platform and an audience that 474 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 1: can then launch them into the content creation side, where 475 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: they're still in front of the webcam, so to speak. 476 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: So and The other part, though, which is why this 477 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 1: is like a really fascinating question and one that I 478 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: definitely want to actually think about a lot, is we're 479 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 1: now no longer in a world where when you ask 480 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 1: who's doing it, well, you just look at sports personalities, 481 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 1: or you just look at teams, or you just look 482 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 1: at sports media companies. You look at everything because I 483 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: look exactly yeah, well, don't look too carefully. I think 484 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: they are Sports content now lives on the exact same platforms, 485 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 1: for instance, as kids, you know, opening up boxes of toys, 486 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 1: and it's not the same then as the linear television 487 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 1: experience where you had to like actually make a gesture 488 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: to get to some other category of stuff. In this case, 489 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: in the world of of scrolling through feeds that are 490 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: algorithmically based on what most people like, as opposed to 491 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: you know, a preset understanding of how to divide the 492 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 1: universe of content. We're all in the same boat now, 493 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: we're all competing one to one with another. And I 494 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: think part of the great thing is it's now opening 495 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: up these dimensions. So what is an athlete really right? 496 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: Thirty four years ago, it was all about just how 497 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,199 Speaker 1: you were doing on the field, But I think, you know, 498 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: even this generation of athlete, even on the traditional side, 499 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:58,359 Speaker 1: is expected to bring certain bona fides to the table 500 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: in terms of content creation and being a public persona 501 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: that's certainly the prior generations didn't have to think about. 502 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: You're kind of in this. It's funny that, as you said, 503 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: a good gamer you know, might be able to make 504 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,400 Speaker 1: more money streaming than than playing competitively, which is an interesting, 505 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: you know quandary, I guess for you, because you know, 506 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: no major League baseball player like can use his baseball 507 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: talent to make more money somewhere else right he's doing 508 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 1: the thing? Is it? How how do you balance that 509 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: idea that you know, there's a there's a there's an 510 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:30,120 Speaker 1: opportunity out there that really doesn't have to be associated 511 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 1: with Genji. It can be, but it doesn't have to 512 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: be um that these people can you know, they can 513 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: leave and and and do their own thing and possibly 514 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: make more money doing it. Yeah, that's actually the thing 515 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: I'm maybe the most excited about in a weird way. 516 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: I mean, I can see why it sort of looks 517 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,439 Speaker 1: like a quandary on from the outside looking in, But 518 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: part of what's great about, you know, certainly running and 519 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 1: developing an e sports organization is that we can chase 520 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 1: those opportunities on the outside as well. So obviously a 521 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,119 Speaker 1: huge part of our business model, sure on paper, is 522 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,199 Speaker 1: that we're buying up teams and we're competing in the 523 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: top leagues, and we're going to do that. But kind 524 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: of unlike most of the traditional sports franchises, were not 525 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: landlocked to do that. So if if we have players 526 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: or we have other talent who want to go off 527 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: and create content that might be unrelated to a league, 528 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,160 Speaker 1: we can go with them, We can help them. In fact, 529 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,720 Speaker 1: our entire our facility can be the place that spawns 530 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,640 Speaker 1: that probably behooves them to actually utilize exactly. Yeah. Yeah, 531 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: that's that's another great part of what we're talking about today, 532 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,439 Speaker 1: which is, in the same way that the space is 533 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: twenty years old, the entire only twenty years old, the 534 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: entire ecosystem supporting talent is also no more than twenty 535 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: years old. So there are early players for instance, who 536 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 1: are or i should say early companies or entities who 537 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 1: are dabbing, dabbling in like what you know, for instance, 538 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 1: providing agency support to e sports players the way that 539 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 1: you see in the traditional sports world. But we can 540 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: do better for the next generation. We can start to 541 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: unpack what it means to be an agency in the 542 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 1: first place and see are there things that we as 543 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: an organization because of the resources we have, because of 544 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: them know how we have, and because the brand end 545 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: we're building, can actually you know, take the next be 546 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: the next generation of support for players that doesn't maybe 547 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 1: have some of the disparaging baggage that some of the 548 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: prior versions had. What does your McKenzie and look into 549 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,719 Speaker 1: E sports on the red flag side of things, if 550 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,880 Speaker 1: you can put that hat on, what do you see 551 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: and sort of worries red flag as in whatever worries 552 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: you about the core business? Oh sure, well yeah, I 553 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: think well, part of when I think I owe the 554 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 1: organization is to not have a mackenzie had on too 555 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: many hours of the day, because we should we deserve better. 556 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: I think than that, I think the look I think 557 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 1: the red Flag really is really just about understanding the 558 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: scope of the opportunity. So this is a really young space. 559 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 1: I mean, even when I say it's twenty years old, 560 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: it's the professionalized league infrastructure around the sport is probably 561 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: only like eighteen to twenty four months old, if anything 562 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 1: like that. And so this is a young community literally 563 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 1: an age, but also as a unit. So the culture 564 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,679 Speaker 1: around it is really new. The customs that we just 565 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: take for granted in a lot of the other space 566 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: is about how to talk with one another, um what 567 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: different vernacular means is also really new. And then also 568 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: just with every passing day, this stuff is growing so 569 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: fast that every week, every month you're seeing more and 570 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:13,959 Speaker 1: more people from more and more parts of the world 571 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 1: and more cultures coming in and and interacting with one another. 572 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 1: I think that's awesome. It really is kind of turned 573 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:23,439 Speaker 1: on its head my prior experience, where in traditional brands 574 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 1: you're scratching your head trying to figure out how to 575 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: get people's attention in places where your brand isn't already there. 576 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,200 Speaker 1: In gaming, we don't have the problem. We have the 577 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: probably opposite problem where you presume that if there is 578 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 1: a habitable continent in the world, there's going to be 579 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,920 Speaker 1: a lot of people playing games. But the culture of 580 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 1: how we're going to get along and how we're gonna 581 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: serve one another and how we're going to support one another, 582 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: that part, I think is potentially a red flag. If 583 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 1: people in the industry don't take it seriously, and that's 584 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: why you know, we're you know, certainly in our company, 585 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 1: we're trying really hard to invest in that and to 586 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,239 Speaker 1: take a leadership role in making sure that we are 587 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: an open platform for not just gamers, but also for 588 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 1: connecting the gaming community to to the outside world. One 589 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: thing I consistently hear from folks in the sports is that, 590 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: you know, a lot of people are having trouble monetizing 591 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: their community, right it's the numbers are certainly gaudy. Um, 592 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 1: But to use Major League Baseball as an example, I 593 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 1: think baseball, as you know, you know, does a very 594 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: good job. It knows how to monetize its audience. Um, 595 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: the it's a little harder, correct me if I'm wrong. 596 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 1: I think it's a little harder in the sports. How 597 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: is how are you finding you know, the ability to 598 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: you know, building community is one thing. Building community that 599 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: also build your business is Isn't is a different step? Right? Yeah, 600 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: it's It's a great question. And it reminds me when 601 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 1: I was, you know, running our international business at MLB, 602 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: when we were working in markets where people didn't really 603 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: care about baseball that much, or if they did, it 604 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: was for reasons other than who was leading in the 605 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: American League Central that it's only in those situations that 606 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: you come to realize how established and just just powerful 607 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: the marketing infrastructure of aditional sports in this country. Is 608 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,480 Speaker 1: the fact that you have generations of families in St. Louis, 609 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: for instance, who just know everything about the sport. I 610 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: can only speak from our personal experience, So you know, 611 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: we're two years old old, you know, less than two 612 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: years into the life of the company, and we're trekking 613 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: along really well compared to the metrics and the goals 614 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 1: that we've set for us for ourselves, both in terms 615 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 1: of engagement and monetization. I think there is a fine 616 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:25,880 Speaker 1: line there between you know what, people having trouble monetizing 617 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 1: and its just being really early stages, so the numbers 618 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 1: are not there. But I think, you know, that's part 619 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 1: of what's frankly exciting all of us at this point 620 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 1: that there's so few times, even in a hundred year period, 621 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: when you're going to see a sports entertainment vertical emerge 622 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: where you can get in really early. You know, we've 623 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: often thought about this as kind of the closest thing 624 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: you could have to a time machine to go back 625 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: fifty or sixty years and have a chance to participate 626 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: in developing a traditional NBA franchise or an NFL franchise, 627 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: things that are where most of us are kind of 628 00:30:57,640 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: land locked out of already, where we're priced out, and 629 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: where really you can't make much of a dent in 630 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,400 Speaker 1: the brand, meaning we're in the early stages of that 631 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: right now. The fact that these leagues are only eighteen 632 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 1: months old and that we are startup teams working alongside 633 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: startup commissioners and startup leagues is a really fascinating time 634 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: but it speaks to how much growth potential there is 635 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 1: out there. But that's why we have jobs. You know, 636 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: it's not going to happen overnight. It's not turnkey. It's 637 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: supposed to be hard, or it's at least supposed to 638 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: be non trivial and non obvious. All that's what we're doing. 639 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: Chris Park, CEO gen g E Sports, thanks for joining us. 640 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 1: Thank you time now for takeaways, And it's something that 641 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 1: I wanted to talk about earlier. You mentioned it during 642 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 1: the show about how the NFL jumped in with Fortnite 643 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: and how it was a great partnership and I'm wondering 644 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: why many of the other leagues, why the NBA, why 645 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 1: the NHL y MLB have not joined in, like well 646 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: the NFL did and uh help make some coin for both. Yeah, 647 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: I mean they're they're all those leagues are are kind 648 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: of finding their own way through East Sports, right, And 649 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: and NBA has NBA two K league partnership with Take 650 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,479 Speaker 1: two Interactive. NBA maybe doing the best in terms of 651 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: really diving into trying to you know, merge its gaming 652 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 1: audience with its NBA audience. One thing I thought Chris 653 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: did really well. A lot of people have a tendency 654 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: and I think I fall victim to it too, to 655 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: try to think about the sports within the framework of 656 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 1: traditional sports, right, where revenue comes from ticket sales, comes 657 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: from your your meteor rights, comes from your sponsorship. I 658 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 1: thought he did a really good job articulating, you know, 659 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: the business opportunity that is totally different for an e 660 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 1: sports franchise, right, And a lot of that comes down 661 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: to social media, a lot of it comes down to content, 662 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: It comes down to the way their fans interact with 663 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: their teams. But but a totally different kind of model 664 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: than what we're used to seeing in traditional bar and 665 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: mcdini ready for my takeaway. And this doesn't happen often. 666 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: I say something nice about Underscore over here, but I 667 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: thank god when it comes to this that I sit 668 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: next to Evan Nolvie Williams, that he's here, because it's 669 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: an education for me. This is not your demo, it's 670 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: not my demo. Even Noovie might be a little bit 671 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: out of the demo, but he's closer to it than us. 672 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 1: And I appreciate the act that he brings people like 673 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 1: Chris into the studio talk because this would not be 674 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 1: somebody I would talk to on a regular basis. But 675 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: Evan said, you know what, this guy is gonna be 676 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: a great guest. He's gonna be good, a good conversation. 677 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 1: People will like it. And by darn it, he was right. 678 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: You'll learn something from folks like this, and to see 679 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: go from traditional sports. The more people you see going 680 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:22,200 Speaker 1: from traditional sports to E sports at smart people at 681 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: that you get to see what the goal is and 682 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 1: how this is trying to grow. Tondros. We don't want 683 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 1: to because it feels better to be number one than 684 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: number five, a number. Because of Mike, we have a 685 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 1: chance to go for three in a row, good numbers 686 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 1: in a good time. When I first started wearing the number, 687 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: I would just have the Bloomberg business of sports. The 688 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: number of the week. Time Now for the number of 689 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: the week. I promise I'm not gonna mess it up 690 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: like I did the last time I did the number 691 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: of the week, best number of the week ever. Last 692 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 1: time I said number of the week, gentlemen, smiley face. 693 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:58,400 Speaker 1: And that's when it went downhill after that. This number 694 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 1: of the week. And yet we still trust you to 695 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 1: do it. And you're a year older too. Told me 696 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 1: exactly it is one point two million. Did you do 697 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:14,320 Speaker 1: the math twice? I did it twice? One point two million? 698 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:19,839 Speaker 1: Is that a dollar? Or is that a number? Million dollars? Okay, 699 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 1: a number, just any the number works. That's the amount 700 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: of money Chris Davis made between strikeouts last week? What 701 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: one point to what you were in Detroit? What can 702 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,279 Speaker 1: be one point two million in Detroit? Uh? Somebody who's 703 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: on a new contract, like I don't know, we don't know. 704 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:44,800 Speaker 1: I'll give you another hand another number. Eighty five thousand. 705 00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:49,360 Speaker 1: It went from eighty five thousand to one point two million. 706 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:52,399 Speaker 1: It went from eighty five thousand. I think I think 707 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: we're million. I think we're giving up here. I don't know. 708 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:56,719 Speaker 1: I think you starting websites. We didn't hit No, you 709 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:58,840 Speaker 1: know this, this goes back to Tiger Woods. This is 710 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 1: the guy who bet. We did know that. We did 711 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 1: know that. But a lot more has come out about 712 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: that guy. If you if you saw well he said 713 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,520 Speaker 1: that this is the first time he ever placed a bet. Well, 714 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 1: there was a lot to his story. But I mean 715 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: not that his background that he had some legal trouble 716 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:19,279 Speaker 1: really matters in terms of the bet, but that you're 717 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: just people are now looking to unearth more about the winner. Yeah, 718 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:25,799 Speaker 1: I think more may come out about this. He's not 719 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: a model better right, if if your p s A, 720 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,760 Speaker 1: if you're dollars in debt, don't take out eight dollars 721 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,759 Speaker 1: and betted on a fourteen to one golfing, don't sell 722 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: your Amazon. That's not your epiphany bet. And I'm honestly, 723 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 1: I'm a little surprised that William Hill chose to, you know, 724 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:47,399 Speaker 1: make up getting a quick thing about presenting the check 725 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,280 Speaker 1: to him. But but yeah, so much was made about 726 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,960 Speaker 1: that bet. It was the biggest single golf liability. William 727 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: Hill has ever taken in the US UM. But you 728 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 1: know behind the story, which is could be a feel 729 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,160 Speaker 1: good story, is the fact that you know he he 730 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: got supremely lucky UM and should not be a model 731 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,640 Speaker 1: for sports bettors in the future. You have been listening 732 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 1: to Bloomberg Business of Sports. We are here each and 733 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 1: every week at the same time, plus online as an 734 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:14,759 Speaker 1: Apple podcast, and you can catch that Monday's, Wednesdays and Thursdays. 735 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 1: I'm Michael bar on Twitter at Big Bar Sports, I'm 736 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: Eben Novie, Williams at NOVI Underscore Williams, and I'm Scott Sashnik. 737 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:23,680 Speaker 1: You can follow me on Twitter at sash Nick. Thank 738 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: you very much for joining us. Please tune in next 739 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:27,799 Speaker 1: week when we speak with the biggest and brightest in 740 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 1: the sports business industry. You're listening to Bloomberg Business of 741 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 1: Sports Bloomberg Radio around the world.