Revenue Above Replacement

Keith Friedenberg serves as Chief Analytics & Insights Officer of Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. which owns and operates Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), William Morris Endeavor (WME), IMG, 160over90, On Location, and OpenBet/IMG Arena. Keith is founder of Endeavor Analytics, LLC, a global knowledge and insights company that provides strategic consulting, media intelligence, valuation services, and consumer insights. Endeavor Analytics boasts a global team of 80 who leverage AI & machine learning and third-party data providers to inform decision-making across media & sports properties, talent & athletes, and Fortune 500 brands. Prior to joining Endeavor in 2008, Friedenberg spent eleven years with Warner Bros. Media Research & Insights, where he supervised consumer, media and brand research operations for divisions including domestic television distribution, gaming, consumer products and emerging technology. Keith is an alumnus of the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California.

On this episode of the Revenue Above Replacement Podcast, Adam and Brice take a break from the great guests and dive deep into Adam's newest venture, ROAR (Revenue Over and Above Replacement). Built from insights gained through his past experiences at Block Six Analytics and Excel Sports Management, Adam shares his innovative approach to breaking down industry silos across technology, advisory services, and sales within sports business. The discussion explores the critical role of fan engagement, leveraging AI and data analytics to create meaningful connections and drive revenue, and reveals strategies to maximize partnership value. Brice and Adam also discuss the realities and challenges of entrepreneurship, sharing personal stories about the excitement and anxieties of building businesses from the ground up. The episode further touches on emerging industry trends, such as sports-anchored mixed-use developments, media rights monetization amidst fragmented viewership, and the impactful integration of artificial intelligence and agents in the fan experience. Listeners will gain actionable insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of sports business, partnership valuation, and innovative strategies to navigate technological disruption effectively.

Katie Morgan is the Vice President of Business Analytics and Ticket Strategy for the Texas Rangers. Katie has held various positions beginning as an Inside Sales Representative, transitioning in the CRM & Database Manager, and now as the Vice President of Business Analytics and Ticket Strategy. Prior to her time with the Rangers, she played college basketball and spent a year coaching. Katie loves working for a baseball team and enjoys using analytics to help bring the experience of a Rangers game to fans throughout the area.

Luka Dukich is the Vice President of Content for the Chicago Bulls, where he leads the teams responsible for content strategy, creation, and distribution - including video, design, social media, international content and digital partnerships. With more than 45 million fans across social platforms, the Bulls are one of the most followed sports teams in the U.S., and Luka's team plays a central role in storytelling and building the team's brand with this global audience. Recent wins include: Sports Business Journal's “Best in Sports Social Media” Nominee (2025)- Hashtag Sports “Most Creative Partnership” Award Winner (2023)- Brand Innovators Midwest 40 under 40 (2018)- Sports Business Journal's “Best in Sports Social Media” Award Winner (2017). During his tenure with the Bulls, Luka also spent two seasons (2021-22) in a consulting role with the Chicago White Sox, helping to build out their digital content team and overall content strategy. Prior to his time at the Bulls, Luka also spent five years working in public relations and sports marketing at United Entertainment Group, a DJE Company. Luka graduated from Valparaiso University, earning a bachelor's degree in public relations & business administration. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Luka now resides in the Chicago suburbs with his wife and son. He loves reading, movies, and sports, with a particular passion for basketball, boxing, and soccer.

Back for a second time, Katie Krall is an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern in the Master's of Sports Administration Program teaching “Sports Business: Finance, Accounting, and Economics,” “Sports Organizations: Leadership Theory and Application,” and “Sports Performance and Front Office Operations” and at Medill where she teaches “Sports Marketing.” Katie was previously the Senior Product Manager of Global Baseball Strategy at Hawk-Eye Innovations, a division of Sony Sports Business where she spearheaded development of new products that leveraged biomechanics, player tracking, bat, and ball flight data. Krall spent 2022 as a Development Coach with the Boston Red Sox where she oversaw pitch design, advance scouting and integrating data into player plans. She also was part of the Global Strategy team at Google focusing on Google Workspace after two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds as a Baseball Operations Analyst, a position that combined the worlds of roster construction, analytics, and scouting. After receiving her undergraduate degree at Northwestern, Katie worked for a year and a half at Major League Baseball in the Commissioner's Office in New York City as a League Economics & Operations Coordinator. At MLB, Krall advised Clubs on 40-man roster management, MLB rules and compliance, major league administration, and salary arbitration. In addition to her academic work at Northwestern Katie received her MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.

Kern Egan is the founder and CEO of Multiplier, an agency that shapes culture to build brands. Multiplier manages the cultural marketing initiatives for a roster of world-class brands, including Bridgestone, Caterpillar, Chase Sapphire, Invisalign, JP Morgan Payments, On Running, PitchBook, Winnebago, and Wyndham Hotels, among others. Multiplier Ventures is a limited partner in Sapphire Sport Ventures and Elysian Park Golf Ventures and has made direct investments in Leeds United, Overtime, and TMRW Sports, among others. Kern is an advisor for Cal-Berkeley's SkyDeck technology accelerator and is the founder and chairman of Dallas Influencers in Sports and Entertainment (DISE), the area's leading industry nonprofit, granting over $1,000,000 to 46 local youth charities. He is also the former Chairman of the Heart of Dallas Bowl at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium and served on the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. Kern, a graduate of Indiana University, was named a Forty Under 40 honoree by both the SportsBusiness Journal and Dallas Business Journal.

Nick Bernabe is the Assistant General Manager with the Gwinnett Stripers, the AAA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Nick's path through baseball has been nothing short of fascinating—from his beginnings with the Arizona Fall League, described as one of baseball's best-kept secrets, through impactful experiences internationally in the Dominican Republic, and roles with prestigious organizations including Major League Baseball, the Minnesota Twins' AA affiliate in Wichita, and overseeing operations with both the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins organizations. Nick has a bachelor's degree in international business from Eckerd College and a master's of sports administration from Northwestern University.

Mark Cuban sold a 72.3% ownership stake of the Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson family in December of 2023. While a substantial amount of money, the $3.5 billion that Cuban reportedly secured from the Adelsons potentially undervalued the team. When asked why Cuban sold the team when he did and for a “discounted” price, Cuban stated, “And so you see other teams in all sports…talking about doing real estate development. That's just not me. I wasn't going to put up $2 billion to get an education on building. If we're able to build a Venetian-type casino in Dallas with an American Airlines Center in the middle of it, the valuation is $20 billion. But I own 27% of that.” What Cuban is outlining is the growing importance of sports-anchored districts (SADs). Sports venues that “anchor” surrounding commercial, residential, retail, infrastructure, and community developments have the potential to fundamentally change the sports industry generally and sports teams specifically. In a special episode Brice interviews Adam about his contribution to a paper he authored in conjunction with Klutch Sports Group and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) about The Rise of Sports Venue Builds and Sports-Anchored Districts.

Mike Walsh is the Senior Director of NIL Partnerships and Strategy at ONIT Athlete, a leading company reshaping the NIL landscape through innovative partnerships and collectible trading cards. Mike brings a wealth of experience, having spent over a decade in collegiate athletics, notably at Boise State, where he was instrumental in building one of the nation's most successful NIL programs. Mike's journey into sports began with a passion for journalism, evolving into leadership roles across sports information, media relations, and strategic communications at institutions like Washington State, University of Idaho, and Boise State. Mike has a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism from Washington State University and a master's degree in education, curriculum, and instruction from Boise State University.

Lindsay Barnett founded Playground Productions after she spent close to a decade teaching second grade in a Chicago Public School in addition to manufacturing educational products. She gained national attention, as a semi-finalist on Live with Kelly and Ryan's Top Teacher Search. Now, she has curated a slate of IP in the children's space and collaborates directly with authors and writers to ensure that Playground's content will make families proud and kids love learning. Lindsay received her Bachelor of Science in Communications: Radio, Television, and Film as well as an Interactive Arts and Entertainment Module from Northwestern University. She then earned her Master of Science in Education in Elementary Teaching at Northwestern.

Jenny Haskel is a former Division One soccer player at Northwestern University whose lifelong commitment to athletics informs her professional approach and growth mindset. Currently Jenny is the Knowledge and Insights Lead at Deloitte Sports Business group. In her role she works with investors, governing bodies, national associations, clubs and other sports organizations around the globe driving valuable and actionable insights. Prior to her role at Deloitte Jenny was at Morgan Stanley where she led marketing and communication for a Wealth Management team leading their financial planning efforts. She also drove marketing for Morgan Stanley's Global Sports and Entertainment division, leveraging her deep industry relationships. Previously, Jenny gained valuable experience at the Chicago Bulls (NBA) and Chicago Fire (MLS), managing comprehensive marketing strategies, digital content, and fan engagement initiatives. Jenny did her undergraduate work at Northwestern where she has degrees in Economics and Journalism.

John Brody is a Board Member, Consultant, and Advisor to various Private Equity firms, brands, agencies, and start-ups. Prior to his current role John was the Chief Revenue Officer for Learfield who is a leading media, data, and technology services company with an unparalleled footprint in college sports and live events. In his illustrious career John has held roles with the WWE, The National Football League, Wassermann Media Group, Major League Baseball, and the Boston Celtics. In this conversation Adam and John discuss his career journey, hit on the key lessons learned at each stop, and John gives his insight on what it takes to grow a career in sports. Adam and John also hit on sales and marketing strategies in sports and delve into how technology, data, and analytics are shaping sports today.

Jordan Pink is the Strategic Development Manager at Tradable Bits - a role he recently evolved into. Tradable Bits is a fan data company that provides partners with tools to acquire, analyze and activate data. Prior to his time at Tradable Bits Jordan was an account executive at Canuck Sports and Entertainment. Jordan did his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, has a certificate from the University of Houston in the math behind moneyball, and earned a masters of sports administration from Northwestern.

Jeff McDaniel is responsible for Basketball Operations at Superior Sports and also a member of the board of directors. Superior Sports is a boutique athlete representation agency. Superior provides a holistic approach to building athletes brands while supporting on-court development. They focus on college athletes and provide NIL Marketing & Collective Negotiation, Professional Contract Negotiation, Endorsement & Sponsorship Marketing, Post-Career Management, Pre-Draft Training, and On-Court Performance Development. Jeff did his undergraduate work at Chapman University in Southern California and has a masters of sports administration from Northwestern.

Mike Morris is a seasoned technology leader whose impressive career has taken him from rigorous software engineering at EDS to consulting at PwC and transformative roles in sports technology. Mike notably served as the Chief Technology Officer at Major League Baseball, where he played a critical role in driving the analytics revolution, centralizing MLB systems, and launching MLB Advanced Media and MLB Network—two game-changing initiatives that revolutionized how sports content is consumed today. He also served as CIO at Legends Hospitality, navigating rapid growth and innovation in a fast-paced environment.

John Brody is a Board Member, Consultant, and Advisor to various Private Equity firms, brands, agencies, and start-ups. Prior to his current role John was the Chief Revenue Officer for Learfield who is a leading media, data, and technology services company with an unparalleled footprint in college sports and live events. In his illustrious career John has held roles with the WWE, The National Football League, Wassermann Media Group, Major League Baseball, and the Boston Celtics. In this conversation Adam and John discuss his career journey, hit on the key lessons learned at each stop, and John gives his insight on what it takes to grow a career in sports. Adam and John also hit on sales and marketing strategies in sports and delve into how technology, data, and analytics are shaping sports today.

Jared Banner is the Assistant General Manager of the Chicago Cubs - a role he assumed in 2023 after being promoted from his role as President of Player development. Jared originally joined the Cubs in 2021 as the Vice President of Special Projects after serving as the Executive Director of Player Development with the New York Mets for two seasons. Prior to his time with the Mets, Jared spent 11 years with the Boston Red Sox, working his way up the ladder within their front office and winning 3 World Series Rings. Jared attended Amherst College in Massachusetts where he earned a degree in Psychology and was a key member of the baseball team. We are also excited to have Jared as the newest faculty member of the Northwestern MSA program.

Adam and Brice are back for another season of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast. This week the guys discuss what they have been up to during their hiatus, hit on some of the biggest sports business topics of the past few months, and look ahead to this season and the great guests that are in store. New episodes every Wednesday and those great guests start again next week.

Sam Noffs is the Vice President of Sales and Strategy at Champro. Sam has nearly 20 years of experience in sales. He began his career as an assistant buyer at The May Department Stores shortly before it was acquired and folded into Macy's, where he grew into a buying and merchandise planning role. After his time at Macy's, his career took off as he joined Nike, where he spent nearly 14 years flying through multiple roles, eventually landing as the sales director for North America, a position responsible for overseeing the sales of Nike products through the Neighborhood program in North America. Sam did his undergraduate work in business at Washington University in St. Louis where he was member of the football team and he holds an MBA from Portland State University.

This week Adam and Brice take a break for the excellent guests this season and discuss the current state of sports and sports business. In the discussion Adam and Brice focus on the pending NBA Media Rights deal and the launch of the new Chicago Sports Network along with the implications of both for fans, teams, leagues, and the content providers. The guys will be back next week with more great guests.

During this holiday week we wanted to run one of our best episodes of the season with Eric Winston. Eric is a former NFL offensive tackle and current president of Winners Alliance. Eric played in college at the University of Miami and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. During his NFL career has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and Cincinnati Bengals. Eric was the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) from 2014 to 2020. As President of Winners Alliance, Eric oversees all business strategy and operations for the company. Most recently, Eric served as Chief Licensing Officer and Head of Partner Development & College for OneTeam Partners. The Wharton School alum led OneTeam's consumer products licensing, partner development, and college division. Eric did his undergraduate work in international finance and marketing at the University of Miami and received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. The guys will be back next week with new episodes and more great interviews.

JJ Stankevitz is the Indianapolis Colts' team writer and his work can be found on Colts.com and on the Colts App. He also regularly appears on the Colts Official Podcast on the Colts Audio Network, and can be heard on "Colts Pregame Huddle" on 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan. JJ joined the Colts in 2021 after spending 10 years at NBC Sports Chicago, where he covered Notre Dame football from 2011-2016 and the Chicago Bears from 2017-2020. He also contributed to NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs and White Sox coverage, including during the 2016 World Series. JJ hosted the Under Center Podcast, NBC Sports Chicago's Bears podcast, from 2017-2020 and contributed to the network's on-air Bears pregame and postgame programming as well. He was a frequent panelist on NBC Sports Chicago's "SportsTalk Live" and was a regular guest on "The Laurence Holmes Show" on 670 The Score. A native of Oak Park, Ill., JJ attended Oak Park and River Forest High School and graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in journalism in 2011.

Aji-Mallen Sanneh is the owner of Soccer Stars North Dallas along with being the co-founder of Altimate Sports Group - a boutique sports agency focusing aimed to amplify distinct talents and set athletes on a trajectory towards global acclaim. Aji has extensive work experience in global healthcare organizations. She began her career in 2009 as a Program Associate at Management Sciences for Health, where she worked on the Grant Management Solutions project. In 2012, she joined the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as an Associate Manager in Global Outreach, later taking on the role of Senior Manager for the Center for Global Health. From 2017 to 2022, Aji worked at The Global Fund, first as a Technical Specialist in HIV Partnerships & Quality, and then as a Specialist in HIV Policy, Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives. Aji has a Master's Degree in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and another Master's Degree in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Aji obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Government from York University.

Annette Corbin is a former All American soccer player at Purdue and professional soccer player turned yogi and teacher. Annette is an excellence junkie who leans on the principles of kindness, discipline, and joy to teach a well-rounded class that has space for movement, breath, and reflection. Her courses and teaching approach are a little Brené Brown, Deion Sanders, bend, but don't break, sing your favorite songs from high school, child's pose, maybe headstand, leave better than you came, take what your body gives you and ditch the ego at the door. Annette is a 500hr trained yoga teacher (moksha), as well as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University teaching two courses: Designing your life and Yoga Foundations: Living a life of service, discipline, and joy. Annette is also the founder and CEO of the Athlete Practice, a sport performance group that explores the intersection of yoga and personal development for high school and college athletes, helping them handle the physical and mental stress of playing sports at a high level. Annette did her undergraduate work at Purdue University where she was a member of the women's soccer team and has a masters degree from the Medill School of Journalism.

William Mao is Senior Vice President of Octagon's Global Media Rights Consulting division. A leading sports media rights expert, Mao leverages Octagon's proprietary data, research, and technology, to advise and provide strategic consultation to rightsholders, distribution platforms, technology companies, and the investment community. With more than a decade of global experience across the linear TV and streaming landscape, Mao has a proven track record of helping organizations achieve record-breaking goals and innovative business solutions in highly competitive markets. Mao's clients include the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, European Leagues, Tennis Australia, the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, and University of Oklahoma, amongst many other high-profile leagues, conferences, teams, and events. Prior to joining Octagon, Mao served as Vice President of Digital at MP & Silva, where he brokered foundational non-linear media distribution deals for global sports properties, and advised on new commercial opportunities for the agency and its clients. Previously, Mao was Head of College Sports for YouTube, where he established first-of-its-kind digital video partnerships with the NCAA and the Pac-12 Conference. While at YouTube, Mao also managed content partnerships with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and Turner Sports (now Warner Brothers Discovery). A recognized authority on the intersection of sports and media, Mao was named a “30 Under 30” in Sports by Forbes, and is a recipient of the Cynopsis Media Rising Star award.

Lucy Montgomery is currently the Sr. Manager of Case Writing at the Kellogg School of Management where she created materials leveraged in multiple course around conflict and conflict resolution. In addition to her work at Kellogg Lucy is a Strategy Consultant for Bloom Sports Partners. The remit of Bloom Sports Partners is to help the owners of sports teams and leagues to redefine strategic intent, transform operations and establish leadership teams to build sporting legacies. Lucy did her undergraduate work at Washington University in St. Louis where she was a member of the basketball team and the university representative for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. She also received a masters of public administration from Harvard and an MBA from the Stanford graduate school of business.

Jonathan Zarrilli is a Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Development at YES Network. The YES Network is the most-watched regional sports network in the country, owns the exclusive local TV rights of the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees, the Brooklyn Nets, Major League Soccer's New York City FC and the WNBA's New York Liberty. In his role at the Yes Network Jonathan is responsible for the Yes Network app and its continued evolution. Prior to his time at the Yes Network Jonathan worked in Management Consulting for LEK Consulting in Chicago. Jonathan holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and History from Northwestern.

This week Adam and Brice take a break from the amazing guests to celebrate a milestone - the 100th episode of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast. The guys discuss the inception of the podcast and how it has evolved in the nearly three years since it began. They also dive into the typical workflow to publish the podcast each week, and end the episode with listener questions. Adam and Brice will be back next week with more interviews and both wanted to say an enormous thank you to all listeners and people that have made 100 episodes happen.

Michael Shealy is a Senior Manager of Data Science at Monumental Sports and Entertainment. Monumental is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country and owns and operates five professional sports teams: NBA's Washington Wizards, NBA G League's Capital City Go-Go, NBA 2K League's Wizards District Gaming, the Washington Capitals and the WNBA's Washington Mystics. Michal is an experienced and certified Analytics and End-to-End Predictive Modeling Specialist using Python, R, SQL, Tableau, and SAS Viya products. He has deep expertise in machine learning, data analytics, and information technology. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and in 2021 won the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Hack a Thon.

Katie Krall is a Senior Product Manager of Baseball Strategy at Hawk-Eye Innovations, a division of Sony Sports Business. She spearheads development of new products that leverage biomechanics, player tracking, bat, and ball flight data. Katie spent 2022 as a Development Coach with the Boston Red Sox where she oversaw pitch design, advance scouting and integrating data into player plans. This was her first season in uniform and coaching 1st base. Prior to her role with the Red Sox Katie was part of the Global Strategy team at Google focusing on Google Workspace after two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds as a Baseball Operations Analyst, a position that combined the worlds of roster construction, analytics, and scouting. After graduating from Northwestern University, Katie worked for a year and a half at Major League Baseball in the Commissioner's Office in New York City as a League Economics & Operations Coordinator. At MLB, Krall advised Clubs on 40-man roster management, MLB rules and compliance, major league administration, and salary arbitration. Katie holds an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and is a faculty member in Northwestern's Master's of Sports Administration Program teaching Sports Business: Finance, Accounting, and Economics.

This week Adam and Brice take a break from the incredible guests this season to replay one of the most popular episodes from last season with Bryan Blair. With the landscape of college athletics continuing to shift Adam's interview with Bryan resonates as much today as at the time of the recording. Bryan Blair is the the 14th athletic director in the history of the University of Toledo, is the first African-American to hold the post. When he arrived at Toledo in 2022, he was just 37 years old, the youngest FBS athletic director in the nation at the time. He joined the Rockets after serving as the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Washington State University from 2018-22. Bryan holds a law degree from the University of South Carolina and earned his undergraduate degree in history at Wofford College.Bryan played four seasons as a nose tackle for the Wofford football team from 2003-06. He was a team captain as a senior in 2006 and was named the team's Defensive Lineman of the Year. Adam and Brice will be back next week with a new episode and more great guests throughout the season.

As the third season of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast continues Adam and Brice take a break for their excellent guests and discuss the current sports landscape and what to expect on this season of the podcast. In that conversation Adam and Brice discuss the recent NBA All Star game, touch on the Super Bowl, hit on NBA media rights, and wonder aloud about the recently announced sports streaming service that will bring together several providers. It would not be a conversation these days without some mention of the Taylor Swift effect and its impact not only on the NFL but sports fandom more broadly. The show will be back next week with another great guest, and we hope you enjoy this conversation between Adam and Brice.

Eric Winston is a former NFL offensive tackle and current president of Winners Alliance. Eric played in college at the University of Miami and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. During his NFL career has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and Cincinnati Bengals. Eric was the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) from 2014 to 2020. As President of Winners Alliance, Eric oversees all business strategy and operations for the company. Most recently, Eric served as Chief Licensing Officer and Head of Partner Development & College for OneTeam Partners. The Wharton School alum led OneTeam's consumer products licensing, partner development, and college division. Eric did his undergraduate work in international finance and marketing at the University of Miami and received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.

Brian Kopp is the founder of Stretch 4 Advisory and provides strategic business services to a variety of sports technology, data and analytics companies. Brian is also partner at Ryan Sports Ventures. Prior to Ryan Sports Ventures, Brian served as Senior Vice President of Sports Solutions for STATS LLC. At STATS, Brian was responsible for the revolutionary SportVU player tracking technology as well as building innovative analytics solutions for NBA, NFL and NCAA teams. As a result of his work with innovative sports technology, Brian was named to the 2016 SBJ Forty Under 40 class as well as a 2013 Idea Innovator by Sports Business Journal. Prior to his career in sports business, Brian worked in investment banking and private equity before transitioning into a variety of corporate strategy and M&A roles. Brian received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and his BA in Economics from Wabash College.

Tony Ponturo is the CEO of Ponturo Management Group where he consults in marketing for business and new sports ventures. He is a regular guest on Lou Dobbs Tonight, Fox Business, Bloomberg News, CNBC, and other media outlets. Tony is also a Managing Partner in the Kirmser Ponturo Group, a company that produces and promotes projects at the crossroads of sports and entertainment. Tony spent 26 years at Anheuser-Busch serving as Vice-President of Global Media Sports and Entertainment Marketing for 17 of those years. He also served on the Anheuser-Busch Strategy Committee representing the top 15 executives of the company. Tony was recently named Director of Industry Relations for the NYU Tisch Sports Institute for Sports Management, Media and Business. He is also an NYU Adjunct Professor. Ponturo serves on the Villanova University Advisory Board for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Bryan Blair is the the 14th athletic director in the history of the University of Toledo, is the first African-American to hold the post. When he arrived at Toledo in 2022, he was just 37 years old, the youngest FBS athletic director in the nation at the time. He joined the Rockets after serving as the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Washington State University from 2018-22. Prior to his term at WSU, Bryan was the senior associate athletic director at Rice University from 2014-18, which was his second stint at that school. He also served at Rice for the first time as a compliance coordinator from 2011-12. While serving as senior associate AD at Rice, he served as a member of the athletics department's senior leadership team, while overseeing sports medicine, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, compliance, and seven of the department's 16 NCAA Division I sports programs. Bryan holds a law degree from the University of South Carolina and earned his undergraduate degree in history at Wofford College. Bryan played four seasons as a nose tackle for the Wofford football team from 2003-06. He was a team captain as a senior in 2006 and was named the team's Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Tyler Webb is the co-founder of Uncle Charlie Marketing company where he leads the creative side of the operation. Uncle Charlie focuses on go to market strategy for clients and the implementation of that go to market strategy. Tyler got his first experience with organic social media while in high school where he built a Twitter theme page that reached over 150,000 followers by the time he graduated from high school. Prior to starting Uncle Charlie Tyler had roles with Prep network, SocialWorks Digital, and The Backpocket podcast along with extensive freelance work. Tyler is a natural born creator and outside of his work with Uncle Charlie has amassed his own enormous social media following by creating content around the intersection of sports, business, culture, and society.

Greg Thompson s the Global Technology Business Leader for Amazon Web Services with a focus on the sports business space. In that leadership role with AWS Greg has strategically develop new business with, and solutions for, customers in the sports industries utilizing the AWS cloud. He leads business strategy and performance to quickly innovate at scale. Prior to his current role Greg was the AWS IoT Worldwide Business Development leader for the Power & Utilities industry vertical. In that role he was responsible for developing the global AWS IoT strategy for the Power & Utilities industry segment and executing on the vision with global sales teams and partners. Greg has over 20 years of experience developing and leading SaaS, IoT, and enterprise solutions for utilities, datacenters, smart buildings, automotive, and now the sports industry.

Michael Neuman is the co-head Playfly Sports Consulting - a sports media, marketing and technology business centered around the team, league, brand, and network. Before this newest venture Michael was the Managing Partner of Scout Sports and Entertainment, a Division of Horizon Media. Prior to joining Horizon, he was co-founder and president of Amplify Sports and Entertainment, a marketing consulting agency created to help brands harness the power of strategic sponsorship and maximize the impact of athlete and celebrity driven campaigns. Prior to launching Amplify, Michael was Senior Vice President, Group Account Director with STRATEGIC, where he provided strategic consulting services for sports and entertainment partnerships. Michael previously held senior positions with Paragon Marketing Group, Arnold Communications, and Global Television Sports. Michael has contributed to publications including Adweek, Brandweek, Sports Business Journal, and The Sports Business Daily, and his work has been recognized by major awards programs, including the PROMO 100, PROMO Top Shops, the Bill Veeck Sports Sponsorship Awards, and the Big Apple PR Awards. Michael is adjunct professor at Columbia University where he leads courses in sports sponsorship and sales. He was previously an adjunct professor of sports marketing and corporate sponsorship in the undergraduate sports management program at the Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University.

Kate Popovec is the head coach of the women's basketball team at Bradley University, a role she starting in 2022. Kate began her collegiate coaching career as Director of Women's Basketball Operations at La Salle University for the 2013-14 season. She returned to Northwestern the following season for a 2-year stint as Director of Player Development for the Wildcats. Northwestern received an at-large selection to the 2015 NCAA Tournament, its first appearance in the Big Dance since 1997. Kate earned her first on-court coaching position at Colgate for the 2016-17 season, before joining the Northwestern bench in 2017. As a Northwestern student-athlete, Kate earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in each of her two seasons with the Wildcats after starting her career at Pittsburg. She was chosen as Northwestern's female recipient of the 2013 Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award and she was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar following the 2012-13 season. Kate is a native of Canfield, Ohio, and she earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern.

Matt Repchak is the Chief Marketing Officer of Florida Citrus Sports. Matt joined Florida Citrus Sports in 2005 and is now in his 18th season. Matt previously served as Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, a role he began in 2013. In his role Matt leads the Integrated Marketing & communications department, including the nonprofit's public relations, advertising, creative production, digital and social media. Matt is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, and he began his career with Florida Citrus Sports as a seasonal Communications Assistant and advanced through the organization with various roles in the Communications and Marketing departments before stepping into a leadership position at their intersection.

Jacob Pavilack is the Associate Director of Athletic Communications at Northwestern University. The West Virginia native is the communications contact for Men's Basketball and Women's Lacrosse at Northwestern, working with both programs during historic seasons in 2023. He was previously the Assistant Athletic Communications Director at the University of Arkansas, where he worked with Razorback Football and Softball. Jacob has also stepped into the booth for SEC Network+ and the Kent State Sports Network, broadcasting the Golden Flashes as one of the youngest full-time network announcers in the country. Jacob is a two-time graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor of science in aviation management (2017) and a master of arts in sport and recreation management (2019).

This week we take a break from the great guests with a conversation between Adam and Brice. The two discuss current events in the sports landscape along with some of the great work that Adam and team have been doing at Excel Sports Management.

Alexander Kane is the founder and CEO of Sporttrade. Sporttrade is a Philadelphia-based sports betting and trading company that has disrupted the sports betting industry with the first legal sports betting exchange. This exchange approach is like a financial exchange, enabling customers to trade on sports outcomes by buying and selling contracts, just like trading stocks. Alex has been featured in top industry publications including EGR and Business of Betting, and has written about the US legal landscape in Bloomberg. In 2019, Alex secured seed and Series A funding for Sporttrade and led the Company through the 2019 Comcast NBCU Accelerator Powered by Techstars. Prior to his work with Sporttrade, Alex founded a golf consultancy group that was innovative in its use of advanced analytics and interactive visualizations to allow golfers to assess their performance. Alex graduated from Drexel University in 2016 where he received a degree in business administration and was a member of the Drexel golf team.

Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models have been top of mind in recent months so this week we revisit and episode from this season that drives into both of those topics. Adam Goldberg is the head of Azure OpenAI Enablement and Go To Market team and was previously an Account Director for the Go To Market team at OpenAI. Prior to his work with OpenAI Adam was the Director of Data and AI solutions at Microsoft and spent the early part of his career in multiple roles with Cisco.

Over the past 30 years, Chris Bevilacqua has established himself as a leader in the sports and media business, including being at the forefront of two transformative eras in sports media history. He is the co-founder of Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures (BHV) which represents a continuation and expansion of the business he previously conducted as founder and CEO of Bevilacqua Media Company (BMC). At Bevilacqua Media Company, the company had mission to be a principal investor and strategic advisor for media and entertainment assets. Based in New York, BMC works with professional sports leagues and teams, collegiate conferences, as well as, marketing and media companies. Prior to his work with BMC, Chris served as chairman and CEO of Creative Artist Agency Sports Media Ventures, an affiliate of CAA and Evolution Media Capital. He also served as media rights advisor for several prominent sports and entertainment entities. In 2003, Chris co-founded College Sports Television, the first-ever 24-hour cable TV network dedicated to college and amateur sports. His vision and efforts for CSTV led to the acquisition of digital media company—Official College Sports Network—which eventually became the industry-leading CSTV.com portal. From 1994 through 1999, Chris was the Global Director of Negotiations for Nike sports media, licensing and marketing rights. At Nike, Chris worked closely with top teams, coaches, athletic directors and broadcast executives in the NBA, NFL, NHL, and NCAA. And, in 1995, he was responsible for striking a landmark deal between Nike and the Dallas Cowboys. Chris graduated from Penn State with honors from the Smeal College of Business. While at Penn State Chris was a two-time All-American wrestler, placing eighth at 150 pounds in 1984 and fourth in the same weight class in 1985. In 2012 Chris was elected to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Marcus Attles is the Associate AD for Facilities and Capital Projects at the University of Miami - a role he started in May 2022. At Miami, he oversees the Facilities & Operations work unit and is responsible for all capital projects and the day-to-day management of athletic facilities. Marcus came to Miami after four years as Associate AD for Facilities & Operations at Northwestern University. During his time with the Wildcats, he provided leadership, management, and direction for all athletic facilities. In addition, he helped complete over $400 million in capital projects and facility enhancements. In 2018, Attles was nominated for the Collegiate Event and Facility Management Association's ‘Facility Manager of the Year' award. In 2021, he became the sport administrator for NU's men's soccer program. Prior to his time in Evanston, Marcus spent four years at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), where he supervised the Facilities & Event Management staff. Marcus also spent time at Radford University, where he oversaw all facilities and game management for each of Radford's 19 NCAA Division I programs. Other previous stops for Marcus include the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Maryland, and Towson University.

Ella Brockway is a multi-platform editor on the sports desk for the Washington Post. She is a former sports editing intern at The Post, and has previously written for Sports Illustrated, U.S. Lacrosse Magazine and the Asbury Park Press. In her time covering sports she has interviewed World Cup winners, Big Ten coaches and athletic directors, and NFL players while reporting live from numerous sporting events, from NWSL games up and down the East Coast, to the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament in Chicago, to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Ella graduated from Northwestern University in 2021 with a degree in journalism and international studies. During her time at Northwestern, she served as the sports editor of The Daily Northwestern and the president of Northwestern's student chapter of the Association for Women in Sports Media.

This week the Revenue Above Replacement podcast takes a break for the typical guests and features a conversation between Adam and Brice. They discuss this season of the podcast and the slate of upcoming guests. Adam also discusses his new weekly newsletter, Revenue Above Replacement, for John WallStreet.

Zach Wingrove is the Director of Public Relations and Digital Media for Northwestern Athletics. In his role Zach has served as the media relations contact for a multiple Northwestern athletic programs – including football, men's and women's basketball, softball, field hockey, wrestling, and volleyball. Prior to his current role, Zach spent four years working with Northwestern Athletics in both the communications and broadcast operations departments. Zach also worked as a media relations associate for the Chicago Cubs throughout the 2018 season, a training camp communications intern for the Houston Texans in 2019 and two years on the digital content team for West Michigan's NBC affiliate, WOOD TV8. Zach is a native of Grand Rapids Michigan and graduated from Northwestern with a Bachelor's of Science in journalism in 2019 and a master's degree in sport administration 2021.

Brooke Riley is the Assistant Women's Golf Coach at Stanford and was a standout golfer at Northwestern. Prior to joining the staff at Stanford Brooke was the assistant golf professional at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco Texas. In her playing days Brooke was a member of the Wildcats program that finished in the Top 10 at NCAA Championships in four straight seasons. She twice earned All-Big Ten honors and was an honorable mention All-American in 2019. Brooke found herself inside the Top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings with three amateur wins during her collegiate career and made the cut to play at Augusta National during the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2021. Brooke did both her undergraduate and graduate work at Northwestern where she has a bachelor's in communication studies and a Masters in Sports Administration.