In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with Jay Williams, the co-founder and CEO of Improbable Media, about how athletes can build their brands using media. Williams tells the hosts how he made a major career pivot after an accident ended his professional basketball dreams, the lessons he's learned from his personal board of advisors (which includes Duke's legendary Coach Mike Krzyzewski), and how athletes today are taking advantage of NIL deals. Become a Bloomberg.com ...
Oct 17, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk with David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group, about his recent purchase of the Baltimore Orioles. Rubenstein tells the hosts about why he bought his hometown baseball team, how he assembled the ownership group and what the Orioles mean for the city of Baltimore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 10, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly sit with tennis champions Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss to discuss the current buzz around women’s sports. King and Kloss, the dreamer and builder (respectively) behind Billie Jean King Enterprises, King says, tell the hosts about their investments in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angel City FC, the story behind how they helped launch the Professional Women's Hockey League and the lessons they think athletes should learn about the busi...
Oct 03, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly discuss the state of Big Ten football after Rodriguez visits his daughter for a University of Michigan game. The hosts then interview Kevin Warren, president and chief executive of the Chicago Bears and the former commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, about lessons he’s learned from professional and college sports. Warren also shares the latest on a proposed new Bears stadium and the importance of relationships in business. See omnyst...
Sep 26, 2024•30 min
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly discuss the influence of Latinos in the world of sports and how the Boys and Girls Club changed Rodriguez’ life. The hosts then interview ImpactX Sports Group CEO Xavier Gutierrez about the growing business of investing in sports. Gutierrez also shares the results of a Nielson report co-produced by his organization, Latinos in Sports, and why it’s important for teams and leagues to pay attention to this important demographic. See omnyst...
Sep 19, 2024•33 min
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly start off by discussing their excitement for the pro and college football seasons. The hosts then interview New York sports radio icon Mike Francesa about his legendary career at WFAN and his partnership with Chris Russo on Mike and the Mad Dog. Francesa shares his insights on the evolution of sports media, the future of baseball and what he says are the three biggest stories in New York sports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Sep 12, 2024•32 min
In this episode of The Deal, Jason Kelly and Alex Rodriguez discuss private equity’s move into the National Football League. The hosts then interview Midge Purce, a forward for Gotham FC, about how she’s taking on the world of business while navigating a soccer career. Purce tells the hosts why she wanted to launch a new reality show that follows the lives of players in the offseason, how she sees the National Women’s Soccer League gaining ground and why her dad’s advice never failed her. See om...
Sep 05, 2024•33 min
In this episode of The Deal, Jason Kelly and Alex Rodriguez discuss the 15th anniversary of the 2009 New York Yankees World Championship and why it was an emotional day. The hosts then interview Michael Kay, a Yankees play-by-play announcer for the YES Network and host of The Michael Kay Show. Kay tells the hosts how he doubled his salary as a sports writer, how he got involved with YES and the one fellow sports broadcaster he wishes he could work with. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
Aug 29, 2024•33 min
In this episode of The Deal, Jason Kelly discusses his recent interview with the owners of the Kansas City Chiefs, Clark and Dan Hunt, as well as the burgeoning sports betting industry. Kelly and Alex Rodriguez then interview Carsten Koerl, founder and CEO of Sportradar, about how his sports betting technology company partners with leagues and wagering platforms around the world. Koerl tells the hosts about how Ted Leonsis set him up with all-star investors like Michael Jordan and Mark Cuban, an...
Aug 22, 2024•34 min
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly discuss the conclusion of the Paris Olympics and the big wins for USA basketball. They also interview Keith Dawkins, president of the Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios, about how he is reinvigorating the 98-year-old exhibition basketball icon. Dawkins also tells the hosts about how he’s pivoting from a tour-based to media-based business model, how he quickly negotiated the first-ever residency for a sports team an...
Aug 15, 2024•36 min
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez tells Jason Kelly about his experience in Paris during the Olympics. They also interview Kevin Burkhardt, Fox Sports’ National Football League play–by-play announcer and lead Major League Baseball studio host, about his journey in broadcasting and what it’s like to now work with Rodriguez. Burkhardt also tells the hosts about how he prepares for broadcasts, his approach to negotiating for himself and what he thinks about the current state of baseball. ...
Aug 08, 2024•42 min
On this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez shares his excitement for attending the Olympics as a fan, reminisces about historic moments of the Games and analyzes their impact on athletes’ careers and brands. The conversation then shifts to Masai Ujiri, founder of Giants of Africa and president of the Toronto Raptors. Ujiri tells Jason Kelly about his journey from scouting talent in Africa to leading social and economic development on the continent through basketball. See omnystudio.com/listener...
Aug 01, 2024•36 min
In this episode of The Deal, Jason Kelly and Alex Rodriguez reflect on baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. and his influence on Rodriguez and the broader baseball community. Then Ripken tells Kelly about his business partnership with Josh Harris and David Blitzer, and their effort to expand youth sports. He also discusses the effect his father had on his career and the challenges of building a business that remains true to the Ripken family’s core values. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...
Jul 25, 2024•35 min
In this episode of The Deal, Monarch Collective's Jasmine Robinson tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about the business case for investing in women's sports leagues. Jasmine explains how her $150 million fund decided to invest in the NWSL and how she sees future growth opportunities for women's sports. (Corrects to remove reference to the WNBA in first paragraph.) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 18, 2024•33 min
In this episode of The Deal, The Chernin Group's Jesse Jacobs tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about a few of his notable deals, including Barstool Sports, the Professional Lacrosse League and his recent venture in Unrivaled Sports alongside Josh Harris and David Blitzer. Jesse shares his unique approach to business, the impact of digital media on sports and his thoughts on the evolving landscape of college and youth sports markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 11, 2024•32 min
In this episode of The Deal, entrepreneur Joe Pompliano tells hosts Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about his rise in the sports media landscape, potential directions for sports valuations and future trends in sports media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 04, 2024•31 min
In this episode of The Deal, Jessica Gelman, chief executive of Kraft Analytics Group, tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly how she navigates the intersection of business and sports with a special focus on the transformative impact of data analytics. Alex and Jason also discuss Willie Mays' legacy and the lessons they learned from Reggie Jackson at a celebration of the Negro League. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 27, 2024•33 min
With all the money pouring into sports these days, big-time investor Marc Lore says he has an additional metric for success: happiness. On the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly , Lore lays out his thinking on some of his deals, including a few with Rodriguez. Lore and Rodriguez initially tried to buy the New York Mets, a race they ultimately lost to billionaire hedge fund manager Steven Cohen. Then came the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, and the pair jumped. There’...
May 16, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Stephen A. Smith says he’s always been ambitious, but nothing fueled a burning drive to succeed like being fired from ESPN. His exit from the sports network in 2009 radically changed how he felt about himself, Smith says—and how he wanted to make a living. After ESPN and Smith parted ways, he began the long road back, starting on radio and leveraging his experience as a print journalist to develop sharp points of view. He eventually built a following whose size effectively made his return to TV ...
May 09, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Serena Williams revolutionized tennis—that much is unquestioned. With her sister and fellow superstar Venus beside her and father Richard behind them both, Williams went on to transform the way the world looks at tennis stars. Having now put her racket down, she has moved on to the world of finance and started her own venture capital firm, Serena Ventures. But this time, she’s doing it all on her own. On the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly , Williams explains just ...
May 02, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Mark Shapiro has a habit of making the unlikely happen. From marrying Ultimate Fighting Championship with World Wrestling Entertainment to making the call to hire Stephen A. Smith at ESPN, Shapiro finds a way to get deals done. Now, as president and COO of Endeavor and TKO—the publicly traded combination of WWE and UFC—he and Ari Emanuel are reshaping sports, media and entertainment. On the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly , Shapiro reveals their guiding principle: ...
Apr 25, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said he always expected to be coached. Just not by a Wall Street banker. So when Frank Bisignano—then a senior JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive and now CEO of Fiserv—pushed a twentysomething Fitzgerald to think about life beyond the National Football League, it changed his trajectory. That led to a series of internships between football seasons, touching on everything from venture capital to real estate and mezzanine financing. Fitzgerald play...
Apr 18, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Twenty-five years later than expected and following several false starts, women’s professional soccer looks to finally be planting long-term roots. And at the center of it all is one of the icons of a US championship team. Brandi Chastain, whose electrifying penalty kick in front of more than 90,000 screaming fans at the Rose Bowl sealed the 1999 Women’s World Cup, is a co-owner of Bay FC, the latest franchise to join the fast-growing National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). So what’s the differen...
Apr 11, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 7
From George Steinbrenner to Jerry Jones, Gerry Cardinale has done deals with some of the biggest names in sports. These days, the Goldman Sachs alum is making moves under the auspices of RedBird Capital, the firm he created in 2014. His purchase of the AC Milan soccer franchise and the resurrection of American football’s XFL stem from two decades spent at the intersection of sports, finance and media. At Goldman, Cardinale got a chance to give advice to none other than Steinbrenner, aka “The Bos...
Apr 04, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Hannah Storm’s analysis of how pro basketball got so big is pretty simple: That guy from North Carolina. “What happened was Michael Jordan,” Storm said on the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly . She should know, since the pioneering television broadcaster and ESPN anchor was there from before the beginning. She had a front-row seat—literally—to basketball’s popular explosion in the 1980s, when Jordan electrified not just the sport but the broader culture. Storm witne...
Mar 28, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 5
The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 26, 2024•1 min
George Steinbrenner’s decision back in 2004 to pair Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez—two generationally talented baseball players—turned out to be one of the biggest and arguably most successful deals in New York Yankees history. Or all of sports history for that matter. The results that sprang from the Boss’s machinations became clear: a perennially contending team, a 2009 World Series championship and yes—a lot of headlines. For Jeter, all of that on-field success—and his ability to manage it so...
Mar 21, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Back in the day, a professional athlete played, maybe made some money and then hung it up. When they retired, there was sometimes a chance to work for a local company to leverage whatever fame they had accrued. But a few players have realized there was much more to be done both before and after that final whistle blew. They also recognized it would be a good idea to get some help. That’s where Constance Schwartz-Morini comes in. On the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kel...
Mar 13, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Was Michael Strahan always going to be a ubiquitous presence—from Good Morning America host to NFL commentator to having his own line of clothing at Men’s Wearhouse? Maybe—but if you ask him, he would tell you it wouldn’t have happened were it not for his move from Texas to New York. There was also another thing: winning a Super Bowl. On this episode of The Deal , the ex-football Giant says trial by fire in the most unforgiving of sports towns set him on the path to success in everything else. S...
Mar 07, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Maria Sharapova, the global tennis icon who spent her career defeating the sport’s best, is looking for some losers. On the premiere episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly , she tells us exactly what she means. For many, Sharapova is a figure frozen in time. It was 2004 when she stunned Serena Williams on Centre Court to win her first Wimbledon and first Grand Slam. Sharapova would go on to become (like Williams) one of the most recognized tennis players of her generation. These...
Feb 29, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 1
