1 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 2: This is Bloomberg Business of Sports. Business of Sports can 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 2: be intimidating for hard for a start to break into. 4 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 3: We really appreciate when our owners are actually there, you know, 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 3: with us through the journey. 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: Teams ours especially then very intentional to diversify at all 7 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: levels of the company. 8 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 4: Maybe we're in the golden years for the NFL and 9 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 4: college football. 10 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 5: Our demographic reach has continued to expande. 11 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 6: This is going to be really unlocking the streaming platform 12 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 6: for sports fans. 13 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 2: Sports evaluations are rising. We'll see when they peak. You 14 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 2: don't have to be the best in your sports to 15 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 2: make a whole ton of money. Bloomberg Business of Sports 16 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 2: from Bloomberg Radio. This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports show. 17 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: We explored the big money issues in the world of sports. 18 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 3: I'm Michael Barr, I'm Scarlett Foo and Don Damian sas 19 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 3: hour on the lineup. 20 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 2: Today, streaming service Roku secured exclusive multi year rights for 21 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: MLB these Sunday the leadoff baseball games as part of 22 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 2: their Roku Sports Zone package. We'll get the details on 23 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 2: how this agreement came to be with the president of 24 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 2: Roku Media Charlie Collier. 25 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 4: So we've built, you know, a sports experience where if 26 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 4: you're a fan of the MBA, we not only have 27 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 4: access to every NBA game in an easy way and 28 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 4: we can help you find it no matter which service 29 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 4: it's on, but we also have an exclusive NBA Fast 30 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 4: Channel which is doing really well, and we have G 31 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 4: League games, and we have ways to super serve the 32 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 4: fan that I think are really important and really only 33 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 4: possible because you know, an open ecosystem platform like ours 34 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 4: can can make that simple. 35 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: Plus, the world's most valuable women's sports team just got 36 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: a buyer, an La Power couple TV journalist will Obey 37 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: and her husband Disney CEO Bob Iger. We'll speak with 38 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Sports reporter Vanessa Perdomo on this record breaking deal 39 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: as well as the New York Liberties long path to success. 40 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 2: That is straight ahead on the Bloomberg Business of Sports Show. 41 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 2: But first, it was Mayhem in Miami last Sunday at 42 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: the hard Rock Stadium for the COPA America Final. Video 43 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: circulating online showed scores of fans climbing over steel fences, 44 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 2: shimmying into breached ventilation ducks, and rushing stadium gates. The 45 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 2: start of the match between Argentina and Colombia was delayed 46 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: for over an hour, and for an event meant to 47 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 2: serve as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup tournament 48 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty six. It has now raised many questions 49 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: about the US's ability to maintain crowd control and security. 50 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 2: With more on this story, we're joined by Bloomberg senior 51 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 2: reporter Michael Smith. Michael, Welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports. 52 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 5: Thanks for having me. 53 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 2: Well, mayhem is a kind word because I saw the 54 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: video of that, and I'm still trying to wrap my 55 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: head around if you didn't have a ticket, why are 56 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 2: you showing up in the first place. 57 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean I was there, and it was one 58 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 5: of the most shocking things I've ever seen, and I've 59 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 5: seen a lot of shocking things in my you know, 60 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 5: it just was astounding. The chaos. I think that's really 61 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 5: the only way to describe what was going on right 62 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 5: up until game time and well into what should have 63 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 5: been game time. They actually had to delay the game 64 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 5: by more than an hour because of this, and I 65 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 5: think it was just a colossal miscalculation on how to 66 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 5: handle a crowd like this. It took place at hard 67 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 5: Rock Stadium, where you know, where the Dolphins play, where 68 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 5: you have F one, you have a lot of respectable 69 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 5: giant events. The super Bowl's been there before, but this 70 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 5: level of a soccer match is an entirely different animal, 71 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 5: and I just think the authorities weren't prepared for it. 72 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 7: So you said a lot. 73 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: Of interesting things there at this level of a soccer match. 74 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: What is it about this level of a soccer match 75 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: that authorities thought was not a big deal compared to 76 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: say a Dolphins game, or a college football game or 77 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: a tailor switch concert. 78 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 5: Well, I think because of the emotion involved and and 79 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 5: it's it's it's not These aren't two commercial franchises that 80 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 5: were playing. These were two countries that were playing. You know, 81 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 5: it's like a regional World Cup, and UH soccer or 82 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 5: football is it's known everywhere else, but America is an 83 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 5: incredibly emotional UH sport. It's part of people's national identity 84 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 5: on a massive scale. The difference also is that it 85 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 5: occurred in Miami, where there are major major populations of 86 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 5: Colombians and Argentines, which were the two teams facing off. 87 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 5: So you had a huge amount of people in Miami 88 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 5: that wanted to be there. They wanted to see their team. 89 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 5: They were this was something they've been living, living and 90 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 5: waiting for for a long time, and so they just 91 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 5: went to the stadium. And this is something that you 92 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 5: see in Latin America. People want to be there, uh 93 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 5: where the tickets are not they just want to be 94 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 5: near the game. And of course at hard Rock they 95 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 5: have a giant screen outside, so they figured, I would 96 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 5: assume they figured, well, if we can't get in, well, 97 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 5: you know, we'll just watch it outside. It'll be amazing. 98 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 5: So I think that's what happened. 99 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 3: But who was really to blame here? I mean, is 100 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 3: it the Miami Police Force? Is it Take County? Is 101 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 3: it Commible? I mean the organization that runs COPA America. 102 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 3: Who's to blame? 103 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 5: Well, it's hard for me to say, but I can 104 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 5: tell you there's a lot of blaming going on. Commonable, 105 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 5: for example, blamed hard Rock Stadium. They put out a statement, 106 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 5: which my colleague JP Spinetto pointed out in his column. 107 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 5: They put out a statement saying that they urged hard 108 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 5: Rock Stadium to set up perimeters outside the stadium like 109 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 5: they do in South America. In other words, check everybody's 110 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 5: ticket well before they get you know, even close to 111 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 5: the stadium and not let anybody pass. But Hard Rock 112 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 5: denied their request and said they didn't want to do it. 113 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 5: That's what commonbile says. Hard Rock blamed the unruly fans 114 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 5: that just basically overwhelmed them, and they sort of, you know, 115 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 5: basically were saying that there's nothing we could do. It 116 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 5: was impossible too. This is something impossible well to have 117 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 5: forecast or even prevented, so to speak. The Miami Dade County, 118 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 5: which has jurisdiction over the stadium and you know, had 119 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 5: hundreds of cops there to try to keep order. They 120 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 5: blamed unruly fans. They claimed that I'm talking about the 121 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 5: county mayor, which really runs Miami. She came out and 122 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 5: said that they had double the amount of security they 123 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 5: have for a Super Bowl, I think eight hundred law 124 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 5: enforcement officials, and they thought they were prepared, but they couldn't. 125 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 5: They just basically could not stop the unruly fans. So 126 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 5: you have a lot of blame going on. But the 127 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 5: bottom line is, you know, they held this event and 128 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 5: what happened is what happened. So there's a lot of 129 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 5: blame to go around. 130 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 2: But wait, there's more, And this happened after the game. 131 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 2: The president of the Colombian Football Federation and his son 132 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 2: were arrested for hitting two security officers and pushing another 133 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 2: at hard Rock Stadium. I am stunned, as like, what 134 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 2: what the hell happened? 135 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean I saw the images. I didn't. I 136 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 5: didn't witness this, so it's you know, I don't really 137 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 5: have the reporting personally to know what happened, but I've 138 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 5: seen the media reports and I've seen the you know, 139 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 5: the video on YouTube, et cetera. And what I can 140 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 5: tell you is that I witnessed a lot of yelling 141 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:32,239 Speaker 5: and screaming between people that apparently had tickets and paid 142 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 5: a lot of money for tickets and could not come 143 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 5: in and the police on the other side of the 144 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 5: of the barriers. You know, emotions were really running high, 145 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 5: and I don't think that excuses uh, you know this. 146 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 5: Those two gentlemen were charged with very serious assault crimes, 147 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 5: and the images looked like there was it was quite 148 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 5: a brawl going on. But I can only tell you 149 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 5: that I saw a lot of altercations like that, and 150 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 5: I saw, you know, people had there not been a 151 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 5: barrier between them and the police that probably would have 152 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 5: been more incidants like that. And it gets back to 153 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 5: just the emotions of a game like this and for 154 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 5: the need to find a way to you know, to 155 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 5: just you know, to keep people separated so and to 156 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 5: keep out people that they don't have tickets, and to 157 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 5: manage the crowd with everything that that entails, and that 158 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 5: didn't seem to happen. 159 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: So, Michael, what's important here to add as well is 160 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: that this was a little bit of a dress rehearsal 161 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: for the World Cup because hard Rock Stadium will actually 162 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 1: be hosting a number of World Cup games in a matter. 163 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 5: Of two years, that's correct, And it was built as 164 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 5: such as a address rehearsal sort of, and I think 165 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 5: it was a good venue for address rehearsal. I mean, 166 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 5: you know, the difference for the World Cup is you 167 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 5: have many many more nationalities involved in and venues and games, 168 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 5: et cetera, and you have a final that's going to 169 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 5: be a very emotional no matter who who who gets there. 170 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 5: So yeah, so this was considered to be the dress 171 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 5: rehearsal for the United States, and you know, there were 172 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 5: multiple issues that are probably going to need to you know, 173 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 5: to work out starting with what happened you know, at 174 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 5: the final, but there were a lot of other incidents 175 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 5: and problems that arose, as I think any major multinational 176 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 5: sports event has these these problems. But clearly, you know, 177 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 5: security is somewhere they you know, they're going to need 178 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 5: to start. You know, one of the one of the 179 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 5: really scary parts was, and I just because I happened 180 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 5: to be there, was just the really scary crush of 181 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 5: people within the confines of the entrance to the hard 182 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 5: Rock because there's not a lot of physical space between 183 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 5: the gates and you know, certain barriers like concrete barriers, 184 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 5: so that people just were jamming in there and and 185 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 5: that's what you know, according to police, they that's why 186 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 5: they actually opened the doors at one point because they 187 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 5: were afraid people were going to get crushed and have 188 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 5: the new stampedes. But what happened was thousands of people 189 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 5: rushed in and they couldn't even check their tickets much less, uh, 190 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 5: you know, have them go through the metal detectors. So 191 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 5: it was very alarming to see that all you know, 192 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,079 Speaker 5: anybody could just got in without being checked for security. 193 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 5: I mean, you can imagine the kind of things that 194 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 5: could happen. Thank god, nothing happened like that security well, 195 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 5: you know, threat wise, but you know, these are all 196 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:37,319 Speaker 5: things that I'm sure the authorities, well the county actually 197 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 5: has ordered a review of what happened, and there's all 198 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 5: kinds of soul searching going on. So, you know, we 199 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 5: hope that this is not going to be the you know, 200 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 5: what we're going to see at the World Cup, but 201 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 5: it's certainly shocked a lot of people and made a 202 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 5: lot of people question how are they going to deal 203 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,079 Speaker 5: with the World Cup if they couldn't really deal with this? 204 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 3: Well, Michael, from what I understand, FIFA is certainly a 205 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,839 Speaker 3: lot a more strict body, let's call it, than connon Ball. 206 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 3: So I mean, from that perspective, it sounds like, you know, 207 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 3: you might get a little bit of a of a 208 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 3: harsher stands here, but I mean, certainly it's local authorities 209 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:12,839 Speaker 3: right at the end of the day, that's how you're 210 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 3: asking to protect you know, the audience, viewers, players alike. 211 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 3: And you know, my question is is this something that 212 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 3: is specific to Miami, you know, like can we expect 213 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 3: similar breakouts forget about the US in places like Mexico 214 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 3: and Canada. 215 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 7: Or New York. 216 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 3: I mean, is this a Miami specific incident? Was Miami 217 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 3: more vulnerable to this occurring or do you see potential 218 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 3: for this to occur in places like Los Angeles? 219 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's hard. It's hard for me to know based 220 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 5: on my reporting, but there were you know, for example, 221 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 5: the game in Charlotte between Orgawai and Columbia. After that 222 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 5: game that were sliding in the stands, you know, right 223 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 5: a puff where the team sat in fact, Uraguaian players 224 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 5: went up and started fighting with Colombia. They say it 225 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 5: was because those fans were threatening their family relatives who 226 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 5: were sitting in that area. But the point being, it happened, 227 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 5: and those things can you know, you know, can escalate 228 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 5: quite quickly, so you know, and I don't know what 229 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 5: other instance there were in other games, but it didn't 230 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 5: seem to be just confined to Miami in terms of security, 231 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 5: at least you know, with that one other example. But 232 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 5: you know, certainly what happened in Charlotte was nothing like 233 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 5: what we saw in Miami. 234 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Senior reported Michael Smith, thank you, sir for talking 235 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 2: with us on the Bloomberg Business of Sports. We appreciate it. 236 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 5: My pleasure. Thank you. 237 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 2: Up next on the show, we speak with our friend 238 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:48,559 Speaker 2: Vanessa Berdomo on the New York Liberties Path of success 239 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 2: and Angels City FC's newest big money buyer. That's straight 240 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 2: ahead on the Bloomberg Business of Sports Bloomberg Radio around 241 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 2: the world. This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. 242 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 2: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports show, where we 243 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 2: explored the big money issues in the world of sports. 244 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 2: Michael Barr, along with Scarlett Fu and Damian Sasauer. We'll 245 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 2: Obey and her husband, Walt Disney Company Chief executive Officer 246 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 2: Bob Iger, are taking over the Los Angeles women's soccer team, 247 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 2: Angels City Football Club in a deal that values the 248 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 2: team at two hundred and fifty million dollars, the most 249 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 2: of any women's sports team worldwide. However, will this extra 250 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 2: injection of cash lead to success on the pitch? We 251 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 2: break this all down now with our friend of the show, 252 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Business of Sports reporter Vanessa Perdomo. Vanessa, welcome to 253 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 2: the show. 254 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 7: Thank you, Michael, thank you. 255 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 6: Hey. 256 00:13:57,480 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 2: You know, let's start with this first of all, I mean, 257 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 2: you got now this is the Eigers here now and 258 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 2: you know, this is some pretty big Yeah, this is 259 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 2: this is some talking here. This at least, hey, we're 260 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 2: talking about it. So it makes me wonder if everybody's 261 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 2: going to be talking about it and if it's going 262 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 2: to have an impact. 263 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean I think everyone is talking about it. 264 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 6: It's obviously a massive deal. And whenever you have the 265 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 6: biggest deal that values the team as the highest women's 266 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 6: sports property in the world, obviously people are going to 267 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 6: talk about it. 268 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 7: People aren't going to not talk about it when it's 269 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 7: you know. 270 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 6: The Disney CEO and Will Obay, who's obviously incredible, really amazing, 271 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 6: you know, the dean of the USC journalism school. 272 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 7: So you have a lot of LA power right there. 273 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 7: So I think that that's going to say a lot. 274 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 6: It's going to really bring hopefully this ownership together because 275 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 6: it has been in disarray, and I think that might 276 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 6: be one of the tools that they really need to 277 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 6: push the team to be successful. 278 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 7: In the field, like you said, because they have not 279 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 7: been at all. 280 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: Right, I mean, on the field, it's been kind of 281 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: midl They are now eleventh out of fourteen teams. But 282 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 1: in terms of just being this brand new team in 283 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: LA that everyone's excited about. You have, you know, a 284 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: star power with Natalie Portinman being one of the co founders. 285 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: You have Alexus o'hanian who was also the club's controlling 286 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: owner before this deal. So there's a lot of excitement. 287 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: There's a lot of star power built into everything. And 288 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: of course the team itself is valued at what now, 289 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty million dollars. 290 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 6: Yeah, two hundred and fifty million dollars, and that's up 291 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 6: just last year. 292 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 7: Sporticle had valued them at one hundred and eighty. 293 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 6: Wow, So, you know, to jump that much in just 294 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 6: this year says a lot, especially as things come out, 295 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 6: you know, as they're still reporting not to be profitable, 296 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 6: you know, so they're doing everything that they can. You know, 297 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 6: their marketing strider is incredible. Like you said, they have 298 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 6: all these stars and extra stars that are like, you know, 299 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 6: minority owners all of them. You know, like a bunch 300 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 6: of women from the nineteen ninety nine World Cup team, 301 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 6: Mia Hamm and Joy Fawcett and all these people, Jennifer Garner. 302 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 6: They really went all out with the marketing on that 303 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 6: side of it, which was really great, which obviously is 304 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 6: what got people really excited and it's worked. Do they 305 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 6: sell out their games? The stadium has packed. Have you 306 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 6: ever been there on game day? It is amazing. The 307 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 6: fans love it. Their jerseys are sick, their merchandise is sick. 308 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 6: They're doing amazing things. But one of their goals is 309 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 6: to be the first women's sports team to get to 310 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 6: a billion dollar valuation. And when I talked to will Obey, 311 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 6: you know, we kind of asked her about it and 312 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 6: she was like, well, give me. 313 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 7: Some time, you know, I just got here. 314 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 6: But it is something that they do see as a 315 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 6: real possibility in the near feature. 316 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 3: She said, Vanessa, you know, I'm curious here. You know, 317 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 3: Natalie Portman's the big name that we recognize with Angel City, 318 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 3: but you know there's also whether it's like Billy Jean King, 319 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 3: Eva Longoria, I mean, Karen Nortonan's been on the show before. 320 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 3: You know, talk to us a little bit about what 321 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 3: this means. Are they cashing out? Are they going to 322 00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 3: be involved with the team going forward. 323 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 6: There's no real clarity on who is going to be out, 324 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 6: who they're buying out, or anything like that. Alexis o'hanian 325 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 6: and Julie Erman will still sit on the board with Willow. 326 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 6: So that does give it indication that maybe Karen Norman 327 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 6: will be stepping down. 328 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 7: From her seat on the board. 329 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 6: And you know, obviously it's not been said if she 330 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 6: is giving up her shares as one of the co founders, 331 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 6: but she does have the Monarch Collection that is a 332 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 6: you know, VC that is investing into women's sports properties 333 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,440 Speaker 6: and they have also invested into the Boston NWSL team. 334 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 6: So there has always been that kind of does she 335 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 6: have to sell if she's going to be you know, 336 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 6: involved in another team. So it hasn't been said and 337 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 6: done yet, but I really trying to monitor that situation closely, 338 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 6: and so we'll see what happens there. None of the 339 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 6: celebrity ownership like Villageing King and Eva longoriaan all of 340 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 6: those long, long list of celebrity owners, none of them 341 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 6: will probably show under their shares because in reality, it's 342 00:17:57,680 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 6: I'm sure it's less than like one percentage. 343 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 2: There's something else also to talk about, and this involves 344 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:07,679 Speaker 2: the WNBA. Oh my goodness, gracious set to receive a 345 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 2: two point two billion dollar deal over eleven years in 346 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 2: new media rights deals. 347 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 6: When that's the your thoughts, I mean, I think this 348 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 6: is you know, really telling for you know, the the 349 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 6: interesting thing, as we were talking about Angel City and 350 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 6: all this stuff, the NWSL has been the story the 351 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 6: last couple of years on how they've really built it up. 352 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 6: Their media deal was two hundred and eighty million dollars, 353 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 6: which sounded at the time like an insane number, but 354 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 6: for the WNBA really took that over this year and 355 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 6: really propelled themselves into you know, a different level of stratosphere. 356 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 6: For that to happen for women's sports property is exactly 357 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 6: what people have been saying will happen, you know all 358 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 6: of year, has been talking about Okay, this isn't a 359 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 6: moment for the WNBA, it is a movement. And when 360 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 6: I spoke to the you know, the Liberty CEO Kia 361 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 6: Clark about this, she she really felt like. 362 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,920 Speaker 7: This year was the one that was going to change everything. 363 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 6: And that obviously has to do with Kitlin Clark, like 364 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 6: everybody knows, but it also has to do with the 365 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 6: fact that this time that everybody is ready for it, 366 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 6: you know, because she pointed out to me that there's 367 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 6: been players in the past that you think we're going 368 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 6: to do this, and Aleya Adela don Maya More even 369 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:21,640 Speaker 6: Sabrina Ay and Escu. All of these people were big 370 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 6: stars in college and people were excited for them to 371 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 6: go on to the next level, but they didn't transform 372 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 6: the WNBA the way that Caitlin Clark and this rookie class, 373 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 6: entire rookie class, including angel Ries, Camilia Cardoso, Cameron Briank, 374 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 6: all these people are really doing it and it's happening 375 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 6: because the public wants it to and their culture is 376 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 6: ready for it to happen. 377 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,880 Speaker 1: I think that's a really good point. And the thing 378 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 1: is it can look like or feel like it happened overnight, 379 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 1: but it didn't. You mentioned how you spoke with the 380 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: New York Liberty CEO Kia Clark. They are now the 381 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 1: first team in the WNBA to have a premium seating 382 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: wait list, as she told you in your reporting. Can 383 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:00,080 Speaker 1: you tell us a little bit about the backs st 384 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: right here, because not so long ago, the Liberty were 385 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: sold by James Dolan, then York Knicks owner, to another 386 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 1: billionaire and that kind of put the team on a 387 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 1: new path. 388 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 7: Yeah, absolutely so. 389 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,400 Speaker 6: James Dolan had obviously owned the team since the inception 390 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 6: in nineteen ninety seven, a and at the time, you know, 391 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:20,159 Speaker 6: he was really. 392 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 7: Believing in them, and they did great. 393 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 6: You know, the Liberty is one of the original teams 394 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 6: in the league, and they were selling out MSG at 395 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 6: the time, and everyone was really excited about the WA. 396 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,360 Speaker 6: The WNBA used to sell out these arenas when they 397 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:34,719 Speaker 6: first came out, and then there was this lull and 398 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:38,640 Speaker 6: then from in like the twenty tens, like a massive 399 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 6: drop off of attention, and that's when James Dolan started 400 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:45,920 Speaker 6: really being like, Okay, I need to sell this team 401 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 6: because they're losing me money whatever. He moved the team 402 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,199 Speaker 6: out of MSG to Westchester when he was deciding to 403 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 6: sell it so that he didn't have to pay for 404 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 6: them to play in what MSG anymore. They started playing 405 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 6: at Westchester in like a five thousand person arena, which 406 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 6: is you know, obviously an incredible drop off. 407 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 7: So when Joe said bought the team, they you know, started. 408 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 6: Playing in COVID and then they finally get to the 409 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 6: Barclay Center and everything changes, you know. And I spoke 410 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 6: to some fans about it and they said the same thing. 411 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 6: You know, they were like, it's not even the same 412 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 6: you know team anymore. It feels like because the ownership 413 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 6: values this team in a completely different way, and they invest. 414 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 7: In this team a completely different way. 415 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,640 Speaker 6: So Joe Sai and Clara Wusai really elevated the team 416 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 6: to the next level, bring them to the Barclay Center, 417 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,239 Speaker 6: opening up the Upper Bowl. They're now opening up their 418 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 6: Upper Bowl for every single home game for the rest 419 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 6: of the year, which is something again that most WMBA 420 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 6: teams have been able to do. The premium seat wait 421 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 6: list is that you can't really sit courtside unless you're 422 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 6: like Don Staley or Jason Steakis who comes to a. 423 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 7: Lot of games, you know. 424 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 6: So Kiya was really proud of that, and you know, 425 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 6: part of it that it's not just oh they can 426 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 6: sell out games, but now they have different price points. 427 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,120 Speaker 6: It's you can sit side and have this premium seat. 428 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,679 Speaker 6: You can also have another premium you know, they have 429 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 6: other packages that you can have. 430 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 7: They have tons of season ticket orders. 431 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 6: But they also made sure that the entry point level 432 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 6: still stayed, you know, relatively low for families and everything 433 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 6: like that. And that's the great part about everything is 434 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 6: that you can have this incredible experience and have your 435 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 6: court side and feel important and all that, and it's amazing. 436 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 6: See celebrities there, but you're as a family, you can 437 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,479 Speaker 6: still go for a family of four for under one 438 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 6: hundred dollars. 439 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 3: Vanessa, you and I are both you know, we're both 440 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 3: you know we're covering college athletes, so we can connect 441 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 3: to this and you know, I mean you obviously and 442 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 3: football myself and you cornhole. But you know, my question 443 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 3: is this in team matches, how important is it to 444 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 3: fly private? Because if I'm not mistaken, the size we 445 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 3: now own the liberty. We're fined by the WNBA for 446 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 3: you know, providing the team of charter flights between games, 447 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 3: and now that's become the norm, and it just to me, 448 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 3: it's just so evident that they were so far ahead 449 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 3: of the curve in the WNBA. It's future success extracting potential. 450 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 3: I mean, what makes the size different? What did they 451 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 3: see that James Dolan did. 452 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 6: It's exactly a daman you know, they they saw this 453 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 6: early on. And when I talked to Sabrina Unescu about 454 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 6: this as well, she was like, they saw this early 455 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 6: as an investment as a business and all this before 456 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 6: it was cool to own women's sports teams, because now 457 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 6: it's everything. You know, now everybody wants to piece. Everyone's like, 458 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 6: oh'll you know, get into it. But they saw this differently. 459 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 6: And when I spoke with her as well, she did 460 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 6: definitely mentioned the fact that they don't see them as 461 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 6: a different property than the nets. You know, they see 462 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 6: them differently, but not on a different level. She was like, 463 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 6: I've come into this organization, I've always been here and 464 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 6: from the time I have seen everything in the WNB, 465 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:49,640 Speaker 6: I've talked to other players and I'm shocked at what 466 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 6: they don't receive because everything we receive is on par 467 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 6: with the men's team, you know. 468 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 7: And Clara and Joe are very receptive to them. 469 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 6: They'll speak with them about out, hey, I think we 470 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 6: need this whatever, and they go and actually do it 471 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 6: for them because they have seen the fact that okay, 472 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 6: if you actually do this, you treat them like a business. 473 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:14,479 Speaker 6: You really listen to the players, they're going to go 474 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 6: to bat for you and there and the team actually 475 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 6: can become really successful. I mean, when Sabrina Esca was 476 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 6: drafted number one overall, they had won two games, you know, 477 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 6: this season before, so it's going from two games to 478 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 6: now the top of the league. The you know, number 479 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 6: one in the WNBA last year they were in the finals. 480 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 6: You know, hopefully they get there again this year. As 481 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,120 Speaker 6: a New Yorker and I'm a big you know, Liberty fan, 482 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,400 Speaker 6: but you know, I just think that Clara and Joe 483 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 6: saw this early on because they felt, Okay, well, if 484 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,719 Speaker 6: you're going to buy a team, buy a team and 485 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 6: invest in them, not as a charity or as a 486 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 6: second thought. If you think the men's team is a property, 487 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 6: you should think the women's team is an equal property. 488 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 7: Because why not, you know. 489 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 6: So, you know, Sabrina also told me that they had 490 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 6: gone through her wedding, which is a fun to admit. 491 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 6: So they really care about their pla and I think 492 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,199 Speaker 6: that that was something that's very different, you know, for 493 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 6: they're at the games, they're really engaged, and they really 494 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:09,679 Speaker 6: want to make this successful. 495 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Sports reporter Vanessa Perdomo, Oh buddy, Opal, oh chump, 496 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,439 Speaker 2: thank you so much for joining us again on the 497 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,600 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Business of Sports. We appreciate it. Vanessa, still ahead 498 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 2: on the Bloomberg Business of sports. From Amazon Prime to 499 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 2: Apple TV plus, MLB is now expanding its viewership to Roku. 500 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 2: We talked with the president of Roku Media on how 501 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 2: his company landed the rights for its Sunday to leadoff 502 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 2: games and is presenting them to fans for free. I 503 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 2: said free. I'm Michael Barr with Scarlett Pouh and Damian Sasaur. 504 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 2: You're listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports. This is Bloomberg. 505 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 2: This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. Thanks 506 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 2: for joining us on the Bloomberg Business of Sports show. 507 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 2: We are here to explore the big money issues in 508 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 2: the world of sports. I'm Michael Barr along with Scarletfu 509 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:09,120 Speaker 2: and Damian Sasaur. Back in May, Roku announced it will 510 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 2: offer Sunday leadoff MLB games for free to all fans 511 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 2: on the Roku channel as part of its Roku Sports 512 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 2: Zone package, something Roku describes as an all in one 513 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 2: destination to help you stream live sports on your Roku. 514 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 1: Device and in addition to leveraging his third party partner content, 515 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: Roku Sports Zone works with sports leagues directly to bring 516 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: games from the NFL, NHL, NB and MLB directly to 517 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 1: its customers for free. 518 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 2: So now with the MLB season at the halfway point, 519 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 2: it's a good time to check on the early returns 520 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 2: and viewership impact of the deal as well as the 521 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 2: growing market for live sports content among streamers. So for 522 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 2: his take on the streaming deal, we spoke with the 523 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 2: president of Roku Media, Charlie Curler. 524 00:26:55,960 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 4: Roku is a platform that delivers streaming to approaching half 525 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:03,399 Speaker 4: the broadband households in the country, so it's massive scale. 526 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,199 Speaker 4: You know, you've got nearly one hundred and twenty million people, 527 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 4: you know, walking through our front door every day, and 528 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 4: the front door is access to television. Actually, I listen 529 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:14,640 Speaker 4: to your show. I listened to your covers last week 530 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,680 Speaker 4: of the NBA's new deal, and you think about how 531 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,200 Speaker 4: easily you say, oh, it's on Peacock, it's on Amazon, 532 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 4: it's on you know, the Disney Network still, and you 533 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 4: think we're in the business. But for the fan, that's complicated, right, 534 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 4: So so you say we are all that you said about, 535 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 4: you know, the hosts of television in this open ecosystem. 536 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 4: But we're really from a sports perspective, we're making it 537 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 4: easier for the fan to find the sports that they love. 538 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,160 Speaker 4: And so if you look at the baseball deal, yeah, 539 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 4: we are in many ways. We say at Roku that 540 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 4: we're the lead in to all of television, and I'll 541 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,880 Speaker 4: explain what that means in a second. So it's very 542 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 4: natural for us to have the first games every Sunday 543 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 4: that lead into what is obviously Sunday is a huge 544 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 4: sporting day. So those games are important to us. But 545 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,679 Speaker 4: also important is that we, you know, give the fans 546 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 4: everything you'd want. I'm an enormous baseball fan. I a 547 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 4: long time and don't judge me. I'm a longtime Mets 548 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 4: fan and I want Yeah, I love it. But you 549 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:24,719 Speaker 4: want the games. You want, you know, to track your 550 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 4: team throughout the week. You want to be able to 551 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 4: find which service your game is on easily, and Roku 552 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 4: makes all of that possible, and we do it with 553 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 4: you know, simplicity in the fan in mind. 554 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 3: Charlie, you mentioned the eleven year, seventy six billion dollar 555 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 3: media rights deal signed by the NBA. I want to 556 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,239 Speaker 3: ask you about James Dolan and his response to that 557 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 3: deal and his accusation that that deal is similar to 558 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,719 Speaker 3: NFL revenue sharing and marks the end of the RSN model. 559 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:53,600 Speaker 3: How do you respond to that? How does Roku respond 560 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 3: to that? 561 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 4: Well, you know what Roku has the great pleasure of 562 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 4: doing is and it's unlike any other job I've ever had. 563 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 4: You know, I've run cable networks, I've run a broadcast network. 564 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 4: What we get to do is both be really important 565 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 4: business for the fan, but we also get to support 566 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 4: all the networks that are and services that are bidding 567 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 4: on these rights. So if you think about it, you know, 568 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 4: if you're gonna watch something on Peacock, which was you know, 569 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 4: as you mentioned, one of the partners that got part 570 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 4: of the NBA deal, we send more people to Peacock 571 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 4: than anyone else in the country, and the same is 572 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 4: pretty much true for every partner. So if you look 573 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 4: at it, yeah, the RSN model has changed dramatically, but 574 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 4: the opportunity for fans to have an easy way to 575 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 4: get to their sports that's what I'm focused on. So 576 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 4: we've built, you know, a sports experience where if you're 577 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 4: a fan of the MBA, we not only have access 578 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 4: to every NBA game in an easy way and we 579 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:53,959 Speaker 4: can help you find it no matter which service it's on, 580 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 4: but we also have an exclusive MBA Fast Channel which 581 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 4: is doing really well, and we have g League games 582 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 4: and we ways to super serve the fan that I 583 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 4: think are really important and really only possible because you know, 584 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 4: an open ecosystem platform like ours can make that simple. 585 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:14,680 Speaker 3: Charlie, I think James Dolan is talking his book a 586 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 3: little bit here. I mean, MSG network has seen a 587 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 3: forty five percent decline and in viewership, right, and I 588 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 3: think in his email he mentioned that some forty two 589 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 3: million homes have already cut the cable. You know, talk 590 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 3: to us about how Roku is going to build inside 591 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 3: some of these local communities, right, I mean, you know, 592 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 3: is it just I mean, talk to us about what 593 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 3: you're doing to kind of rectify the ship, right, to 594 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 3: make sure that some of these local communities, the local 595 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 3: ecosystem is involved with these sports franchises. 596 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 4: Well, I think that's a really nice way to put it. 597 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 4: We very much focus on that. So so for instance, 598 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 4: when I say half the broadband households in the country 599 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 4: and we pretty much are there are getting their television 600 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 4: through a Roku device, well, that's local, right, that's in 601 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 4: their home, and then we make it easy for them 602 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 4: to find the sports they love. And by the way, 603 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 4: not just local sports, because you know, there are many 604 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 4: Knicks fans. I'm sure Jim would tell you there are 605 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 4: many Knicks fans who live all over the country and 606 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 4: so for us, we want to help super serve the 607 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 4: local sports and we also want to make sports, you know, 608 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 4: outside your local region easy to find. I think what's 609 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 4: so fascinating about the fragmentation of these deals. And by 610 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 4: the way, it's not just sports, of course, right, it's 611 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 4: fragmentation of audience attention. It's fragmentation of fandom into all 612 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 4: sorts of different interests. And what we can do is 613 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 4: make it really simple for you to find the television 614 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 4: and the sports that you're passionate about, and make it 615 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 4: easier not just to find it, but to go deeper 616 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 4: and have a really unique experience. You can tell what 617 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 4: a network valued in terms of its next hopeful hit 618 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 4: because they put it behind the biggest lead ins in television. Well, 619 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 4: with fragmentation, those lead ins are all but gone, and 620 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 4: I believe what's replacing it is the largest you know, 621 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,760 Speaker 4: television operating system in the country, which is which is Roku. 622 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 4: So I very much take seriously the challenge for you know, 623 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 4: folks who have been on these rights. We want to 624 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 4: provide the lead in for fans to all the television 625 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 4: they care about. 626 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 2: Charlie old Man alert here see now the suits here 627 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 2: have already told me. It's like, if you want to 628 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 2: expand and get a younger audience, Michael Barr, you cannot 629 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 2: keep talking about an old man reference. So I won't 630 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 2: mention that I saw the sixty nine Mets win the 631 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 2: World Series. Their suit I haven't said anything else. So 632 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 2: my question is, and my sons, bless their hearts, they're 633 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 2: bringing me up today. My youngest is eighteen, and I 634 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 2: was talking about this about Roku, and I said, well, 635 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 2: you know, how do I get this? And you know, 636 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,239 Speaker 2: now I'm not even Papa anymore. I'm like, come on, 637 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 2: pop skit with the program. So how does an old 638 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 2: man like me finally say, look, I got to get 639 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 2: with the program and forget all this old school stuff. 640 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 2: It's time to get with the. 641 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 4: The answer is it's so simple, right. First of all, Roku, 642 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:07,720 Speaker 4: you know you mentioned the Major League Baseball deal we did. 643 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 4: Those are free. You know, you can get that everywhere, 644 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 4: including on roku dot com. But but to get Roku 645 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 4: as simple, it's in. It's the operating system in more 646 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 4: televisions than anyone else. And you can also buy a 647 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 4: Roku device and then all of the services. You know, 648 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 4: we provide are free. We believe in free television. We 649 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 4: have I don't know if you know what Fast channels are, 650 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 4: but we are a leader in free ad supported television, 651 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 4: which is what Fast stands for. But what I think 652 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,320 Speaker 4: is really easy in the context of you saying an 653 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 4: old man alert, is that if you, if you get 654 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 4: a Roku device, we suddenly are an easy host of 655 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,240 Speaker 4: television for you. Again, I find it so interesting, especially 656 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 4: on a Bloomberg podcast. You know, we speak about these 657 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 4: rights deals as if it's not affecting the fans, and 658 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 4: of course it is. If you now you go from 659 00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 4: all right, here's an old man alert. You go from 660 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 4: you know, twib notes and the game of the week 661 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 4: way back when, and today you have accessed every game 662 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 4: played every day across some service. Well, isn't it terrific 663 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,239 Speaker 4: that we spend our time trying to make the streamer's 664 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 4: journey or your path from the on button on Roku 665 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 4: to the game itself. We want to make that journey 666 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 4: really easy and provide you all sorts of options that 667 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 4: make your fandom better. And so as we do that, 668 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,839 Speaker 4: Really the answer to your question is, if you get 669 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 4: a Roku device, will make your streaming experience simple and 670 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 4: more and more. What you're going to see is that 671 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 4: we we know the sports fan needs help finding their game. 672 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,480 Speaker 7: And Charlie simple, you had us at free. 673 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, you didn't have to say anything else. 674 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,799 Speaker 1: You had Michael Barrett free. He was already excited after that. 675 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: I mean, ease of use, access, all of that certainly 676 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 1: is kind of the gravy on top. So free MLB 677 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: games on Roku. What other partnerships are you looking to 678 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: strike with other leagues to provide free games for Roco users. 679 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 4: It's a great question. So if you step back, we 680 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 4: have access to everything everyone has purchased because we're one 681 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:12,800 Speaker 4: of the largest, you know, distributors of their services in 682 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:16,719 Speaker 4: the country, usually the largest. And so you know when 683 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 4: you read that, I think recently, you know, Netflix picked 684 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 4: up the WWE. It'll be a few years from now, 685 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:25,400 Speaker 4: but they'll have it. So that Netflix is on our platform, 686 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 4: as is every other service. So we have that. But 687 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 4: what we also have if you look in terms of 688 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 4: the way we've curated sports, we have thirty five sports 689 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 4: focused Fast channels, so you can imagine that again, Fast 690 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:40,319 Speaker 4: being free ad supported television, so you can find a 691 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 4: ton of what you want, and we as you, as 692 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:46,319 Speaker 4: you search, we will put in front of you the 693 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 4: things that you're you know, most passionate about, because very 694 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,160 Speaker 4: much today and this is in the context of your 695 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 4: old man alert. Your TV used to be a TV, 696 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:57,040 Speaker 4: but now you're smart, TV is a computer. So we 697 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 4: really can learn what you like and put more of 698 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 4: it in front of you and again make that streamers 699 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:04,000 Speaker 4: journey useful. And what I love about Roku And this 700 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 4: is not just for sports. We do it with food. 701 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:07,920 Speaker 4: We do you know, so if you're a foodie, we 702 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 4: have all the food programming in a destination called all 703 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:14,120 Speaker 4: Things Food. 704 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 2: I love it. 705 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 4: I got you covered important all right, So you know, 706 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:24,440 Speaker 4: within in a really short period of time, we deliberately 707 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 4: have transformed into a major player in sports streaming. And 708 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 4: so your question about what will acquire more of I 709 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,840 Speaker 4: think the super ordinate objective is to make the sports 710 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:37,640 Speaker 4: fans life easier and everything that has been invested in 711 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:40,359 Speaker 4: should be in front of them easily. And you'll see 712 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 4: us get better and better and learn your habits better 713 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 4: and better so that we can super serve you. In 714 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:49,800 Speaker 4: terms of opportunity. The baseball opportunity was so on brand 715 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 4: for us again to be the lead into television and 716 00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:55,320 Speaker 4: then have the Sunday leadoff game made a ton of sense. 717 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,839 Speaker 4: But we also are happy to send you to your 718 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 4: Major League Baseball game on ESPN or ESPN Plus because 719 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 4: that happens on Sunday night and you should be able 720 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,760 Speaker 4: to find it easily through Roku. So the good news 721 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:09,359 Speaker 4: is we get to, you know, super serve the fan 722 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 4: of every sport, whether inevitably they're watching on our you know, 723 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 4: Roku channel, which is you know, the number three app 724 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,400 Speaker 4: and growing on Roku, or if they're watching it elsewhere. 725 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:23,239 Speaker 4: That's what's great about being the platform. You know, by definition, 726 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:25,920 Speaker 4: the platform is going to have all the pieces on it, 727 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:28,360 Speaker 4: and the platform will be bigger than the pieces, so 728 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 4: will help send people uh to the places they want 729 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 4: to watch great television and great sports. 730 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:38,720 Speaker 2: Well, Charlie, big Bar sports didn't become Big Bar Sports 731 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:44,720 Speaker 2: eating lettuce. So man, you got me, buddy, Charley Callier, 732 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 2: the president of Roku Media, I did. Thank you so much. 733 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 2: You're so kind to come on the show and talk 734 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:52,560 Speaker 2: with us. 735 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 4: Thank you again, Jeremy, thank thank you, and keep up 736 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 4: the good work. It's a fun listener. 737 00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 2: That was Charlie Kllier, the president of Roku Media, and 738 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:03,080 Speaker 2: that does it for the Bloomberg Business of Sports special. 739 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 2: Thanks again to Bloomberg Senior reporter Michael Smith and to 740 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:10,680 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Business of Sports reporter Vanessa Perdomo for their insights 741 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:14,040 Speaker 2: and reporting this week, and thank you for joining us. 742 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:16,640 Speaker 2: Tune in again next week for the latest on the 743 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,759 Speaker 2: stories moving big money in the world of sports. For 744 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 2: my colleagues Scarlett Fu and Damien Sasawer, I'm Michael Barr. 745 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 2: You've been listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports from 746 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Radio around the world.