How Jennifer Epstein Leveraged Celtics into Soccer, Plus a Miami GP Preview - podcast episode cover

How Jennifer Epstein Leveraged Celtics into Soccer, Plus a Miami GP Preview

May 01, 202535 min
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Episode description

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly talk about the new Washington Commanders stadium deal and the upcoming Miami Grand Prix. Then, they speak with Jennifer Epstein about what it’s like to build a team from scratch with the NWSL’s latest expansion team: Boston Legacy FC. Epstein tells the hosts what she learned from her family’s ownership of the Boston Celtics, how she’s inspired by the passion of Boston sports fans, and why it’s too early to take a victory lap celebrating her investment in the NWSL.

You can also watch this interview on the Bloomberg Podcasts YouTube page

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Speaker 1

Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News.

Speaker 2

Welcome back to the Deal.

Speaker 3

I'm your host, Jason Kelly alongside my partner Alex Rodriguez. All right, Alex, you are in Los Angeles. We're recording this on Tuesday. You've got a massive game coming up, so by the time people hear this, you will either be onto the next round or you're gonna have another big game coming up. But I have to do a beat with you about this game. Over the weekend, I watched every minute of it on TV. You were obviously there in Minnesota. I gotta say I was watching a

lot of basketball this weekend. I don't think there was an arena that had anything like the.

Speaker 2

Energy that the Target Center did.

Speaker 4

It was a wild weekend in Minnesota, I gotta tell you. And our fan base just showed up in the biggest way for the biggest games. I mean, back to back. It was so fun Friday and Sunday. And I'm not saying that just because we won. I mean both games honestly could have gone either way. We could be down three to one, just like we're up three to one. So exciting and a lot of interests in Minnesota.

Speaker 3

Yeah, and so tell me about that interest, because obviously, you know, a lot of it is about the matchups. People are tuning in in a really meaningful way.

Speaker 2

It sounds like they are.

Speaker 4

And Jason, the thing that jumped off the page for me is I had a friend who flew in from New York and he needed tickets and there was no floor tickets available. He ended up buying one ticket for seventeen thousand, five hundred, and then he cut a deal with a broker and he got thirty thousand for two games, so he paid fifteen for each. And I said, my goodness, that's insane.

Speaker 2

In Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Speaker 4

In Minneapolis, yes, they love their basketball and they're hungry. And we have a team that's now been together. You know, the thing that I've learned in sports is one of the most powerful arbitrages is youth and experience with talent. And we have three guys that were drafted five years ago together in nas reed Jada McDaniels and Anthony Edwards. And Anthony Edwards is growing up right in front of America.

I mean, we've known this in Minneapolis. I think the world is getting to see how special this young man is.

Speaker 3

Yeah, it's a big moment for the NBA. I feel like these playoffs are just electric if you look across everything. I know, we talk about it every week on the show, but it continues to be true. All right, So you're going to be there. Then you and I are going to link up in Miami. We've got a huge week coming up for the deal. We are tying it very directly to I mean, you live there. I mean you're there some of the time. I feel like you're everywhere these days. But I spent a lot of time in

Miami too. But I'm coming down F one weekend. This has become something that people just pin on their calendars. We're going to catch up with Susie Wolf. She is the managing director of F one Academy. She's a force to be reckoned with. This is the all female racing circuit within F one. Miami is one of the places where they run the F one Academy races. There's a lot of excitement around that they're premiering a new Netflix

series all about F one Academy. So I'm just I'm so psyched to talk to her.

Speaker 2

And she's really exciting.

Speaker 4

I mean, she's got an incredible story her father was in the auto business as well. She recently told me, and I know you spent some time with her as well, that the first time she got behind the wheel, she was two years old.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and at ten she was starting to.

Speaker 4

Kind of drive the gold carts around and she was always the only female. And I think you'll hear from her like, what are those numbers back then when she was ten versus now when she's forty two.

Speaker 3

Yeah, So really excited for that conversation that'll come up in a few weeks on your feed, So stay tuned for that. The other person we're catching up with down to Miami, he lives down there now, Josh Harris.

Speaker 2

What a time to catch up with this.

Speaker 3

Guy, because probably one of the biggest single deals in the sports world that's happened in a long time, a much anticipated deal for a new stadium in Washington, DC announced this week. Josh Harris. I read someone said, Josh Harris got done in a very short amount of time. What it took in twenty four months, basically what in Snyder couldn't get done in twenty four years, which is a new stadium for the Washington Commanders.

Speaker 2

This is a massive deal it's a massive deal.

Speaker 4

And that's why these owners are so important, right because Josh Harris, who has over three and a half decades in private equity with Apollo. You know, the way he bought the Sixers deal was a corporate carve out, just like his LBO days, and he bought it from Comcast at Snyder, who's you know, the legendary at Snyder. And you've seen what he's done, such a great job with the Sixers and how he's transformed that you know, trust the process or it has worked. And now with the Commanders.

I mean you know this, you went to school right down the street, and the political landscape that you have to navigate, it takes someone like Josh Harris and his ownership group to do such great work in such a short period of time.

Speaker 3

Yeah, it's amazing too, and we're going to talk to him about this again. That's an episode that'll come up in the next few weeks, talk about the fact that DC has done two massive deals for stadiums, one with Josh Harrison, one with a previous guest on the show, Ted Leonsis. So that's what we've got going on this week.

Coming out today, another really interesting deal maker a new team and altogether new team coming onto the scene, Boston Legacy, that of course is one of the newest teams coming onto the pitch next year for the National Women Soccer League. We catch up with the controlling owner there, Jennifer Epstein, her family, of course, part of the group that just sold the Boston Celtics for a record six point one

billion dollars. We talked to her about that and about what the Legacy is going to mean for one of the biggest sports cities in the world.

Speaker 2

That's coming up.

Speaker 3

Hi, everyone, welcome back to the Deal. I'm your host, Jason Kelly, alongside my co host and partner Alex Rodriguez. So excited to be here today with Jennifer Epstein, the controlling owner of the Boston Legacy football Club. She's got a long history in sports and we're so excited to get into all of it.

Speaker 2

Jennifer, great to be with you.

Speaker 1

Thanks so much for having me. Jason, great to be here, Thank you, Alex.

Speaker 2

So we have a lot to talk about.

Speaker 3

We want to talk a little lot about soccer, but let's first talk about that banner that is right behind you. Twenty twenty four World champion Boston Celtics. It's a moment

we all remember. Your family was part of the ownership group of the Boston Celtics, going back to that two thousand and two purchase for what seemed like a crazy amount of money at the time three hundred and sixty million dollars and obviously the more recent transaction sold for six point one billion dollars, a record across the board.

Tell us about that journey, like what was it like to be sort of in it two championships over the course of ownership, Like what do you take away from that experience.

Speaker 1

I just feel like it was such an honor and privilege to be involved with that organization.

Speaker 5

I mean, it starts out.

Speaker 1

I'm a diehard Boston sports fan, grew up in Boston, had a real intergenerational connection with my father around sports.

Speaker 5

He's a huge.

Speaker 1

Lover of the game, but is only five foot eight, so a career as a player.

Speaker 5

Was not going to happen.

Speaker 1

But in two thousand and two he filled a lifelong dream and became a managing partner of the Celtics. And Wick Grossbeck, who has led that team, has really just built an extraordinary organization.

Speaker 5

You mentioned two championships.

Speaker 1

They've made an incredible impact on and off the court and as you said, driven the valuation of that team over the past twenty three years, you know, seventeen X to you know, an upcoming biggest sports team sale in North American history. So there's lots to be inspired by in that model. From my vantage point, i'd say, you know, it's an organization where from the players and everyone evolved.

They have bought into this idea that it's team before self and you're not always going to win championships, but you're going to compete for championships always. And you know, it's a team that has always recognized the responsibility to have impact both on and off the court. And so you know, that's what we're trying to do at Boston Legacy.

You know, we realize that we have to be fielding a team that is competing for championships all the time, and you know, we are really also, i think, setting a new standard for how sports franchises can connect to their community by redefining what a team's commitment to social impact really can be. And that's through our public private partnership with the City of Boston and the Boston Public schools as we renovate a stadium.

Speaker 5

To be our home pitch.

Speaker 4

I guess my question goes back to the Boston Celtics. You guys have been part of his ownership now for over two decades. When you can receive that call, is is there a little bittersweetness? Is it like, eya, we're going to make a great return, or is it like, oh, we really enjoyed this investment and to be here.

Speaker 2

How do you feel about it?

Speaker 5

So bittersweet?

Speaker 1

At my heart, I'm a fan and I still will always be a fan, and I will look forward to, you know, going to games for the rest of my life. I may not have quite as good seats, but there'll be an adjustment just because you.

Speaker 5

Know, I'm a fan.

Speaker 1

But it's also I have relationships with a lot of people within that organization and a real respect for them, and you know, it will change and I won't have that same window to kind of the inner workings of that organization.

Speaker 5

So yes, it'll be bittersweet.

Speaker 1

But it's been a phenomenal twenty three years and it's taking me to places that I didn't anticipate. I would, you know, necessarily go riding the duck boats down Boyleston Street with two million fans cheering for the Celtics, I mean, you know, and and really helped position me to now launch this Club Boston legacy that I hope I will also be writing down the Duck Boats celebrating a championship with two million fans, where you know there are female athletes who are the focus of the celebration.

Speaker 4

So, Jennifer, you mentioned Vick, who's a controlling partner of the Boston Celtics and has really done a phenomenal job. If you go just fifty thousand feet, what he's done with that franchise for over twenty years, two tighters, all of that is pretty incredible. But I guess he's also one of the most respected governors and revered governors in the NBA board, which tells you a lot about who

he is a character. What lessons can you take for him as you embark in your controlling governor in the world of soccer.

Speaker 1

I mean, I think he's always had a real respect for his partners and a real respect for his players, and you know, a real respect for the community and his fans, and just you know, everything that he's done has really honored that respect. And commitment to the city of Boston. In Boston, you know there's a lot of pressure here too. We have such a legacy of championships.

Speaker 5

Here in our city.

Speaker 1

How do we show that respect where the stewards really have a public asset right as owners of a sports team. If we do this correctly, you know, we don't know the team. The whole city owns the team, right. And these are some of the lessons that I've I take, by example, from from Wick.

Speaker 3

You led me exactly where I was hoping we would go, Jennifer, which is the Boston of it all. You know, I'm here in New York, and you know, I'm sitting virtually alongside a New York Yankee, former New York Yankee, who may have his own feelings about your sports teams and sort of what they've done to other teams over the

course of the last twenty five years. Especially, you know, I mean, I'm watching this, you know, great documentary about the Celtics, this great docuseries that Bill Simmons produced.

Speaker 2

It's unbelievable, you know, the history.

Speaker 3

I mean, every time you turn around, there's like this other name where you think, even beyond the people that we obviously associate with the Celtics. You know, they're more who are just so tied to that franchise then, you know, than the Patriots, than the Bruins, than the Red Sox.

Speaker 2

Sorry Alex, but like, what is it about the fans?

Speaker 3

What is it about the city that is unique when it comes to sports.

Speaker 1

I mean, I love Boston sports fans. I really feel like we have the best fans in the country, the most passionate. You know, we are we are die hard. But what that means is, you know, we are loyal I think above all else. So we criticize. I mean, we are not always nice. We are not happy when the team's not playing well. I mean, you know, but but we show up. You know, we show up when we're winning, we show up when we're losing, and we show up when we're rebuilding.

Speaker 5

You know, it's just you know, for me, you know, the joy.

Speaker 1

Of sports is this way that sports can connect communities. And that's you know, the athletes on the court, are on the field, and it's the fans in the stands.

Speaker 5

You know, you all come from where you come from.

Speaker 1

But you show up and you live and share this experience together and then it doesn't really matter so much from where you came from. You can just connect and you know, I think there's a real appreciation for that here in Boston. But there's a real appreciation for winning. So pressure's on.

Speaker 4

You are Massachusetts, Boston is basically championship town. I mean, you look at the Bruins of Celtics, the Red Sox and Patriots. My question, Jennifer is I count around fifty five titles somewhere around there, plus or minus. How do you cut through that noise now with Boston legacy, Like, how do you jump out.

Speaker 2

Of the page.

Speaker 1

So you know, I think our name honors and recognizes that legacy that's here in Boston. It's the DNA of our club, and we aspire to the standard that other Boston teams have set. But we start out, and we've talked about some of this already, but we start out gathering a lot of information about our fan base. So you know, we do have to make our mark, and so we do have to have an extremely compelling, exciting

fan experience. But I think we have the opportunity to capture, you know, some fans that haven't necessarily felt included in all of our spaces right now in.

Speaker 5

In sports here in Boston.

Speaker 1

So we have the opportunity to get the fans that are already going and then some and I really look forward to sort of expanding that fan base. But you know, Boston fans, they do have a high performance standard and we're going to have to meet it from our very first kick. Bostonians appreciate great sports, and so we're going to have to be relentless competitors in every aspect of

how we build the club. And I think you know, you can see that in our first hire and the sporting side of our GM Domeguash from FC Barcelona, one of the best women's clubs you know in the world, that we are ensuring that we can recruit a highly

competitive roster. And it's pressure, but we're ready to try and meet those expectations and actually maybe turn that pressure into really a privilege, right, It's a privilege that we can be here in Boston and use the performance of our other teams here as an inspiration.

Speaker 2

So, Jennifer, you have a law degree.

Speaker 4

I think that's always a great competitive advantage for someone in the position that you're going to embark as controlling partner governor. But when it comes to Boston, you also have to think about there's a different element, and it's harder in Boston.

Speaker 2

It's harder in New York.

Speaker 4

I do believe it's harder in LA in these primary markets where the media has such a loud voice and such a rabbit fan base. How do you think about your role and responsibilities dealing with the media from your position.

Speaker 1

Now, Well, I didn't have a lot of experience, honestly, dealing with the media prior to this role. So it's new and I'm learning, getting more comfortable appreciating it more. When we are launching and announcing the club. In September twenty two, twenty three, I had the good fortune to sit down with the Boston Globe, you know, a bunch of reporters from there, and they asked me, you know, we're we want to support women's sports.

Speaker 5

You know what can we do?

Speaker 1

And you know, one of the things I said is, well, once we start to play, you're going to have a beat reporter at our games, just in the same ways that you have one at you know, at the Celtics, at the Red Sox, et cetera, et cetera.

Speaker 5

So I think it's building.

Speaker 1

Relationships with the media and you know, making sure that they cover the women's teams and the way they cover the men's teams. Right, you're seeing such tremendous growth in women's sports, and that's partly because of this increase in visibility the leagues. In year two of a new media deal, we're on four different networks. You know, the value is forty x higher. People are starting to actually see the games. You know, the product has always been exceptional, but it

was just hard to find. So I guess it's you know, it's our responsibility to make sure that the.

Speaker 5

Media recognizes fans are interested.

Speaker 1

This is world class sports that you're seeing out there, and please make sure and cover it.

Speaker 5

And you I don't need to cover it with.

Speaker 1

With kid gloves or like be gentle, you know, cover it in the same way, which means critique and promote do it all right?

Speaker 3

Well, speaking of critique, there was a lot of criticism when you first came out with the original name bost Nation and a marketing campaign that many people reacted negatively to.

Speaker 2

To be fair, there were a lot of people who liked it.

Speaker 3

As well and loved the cheekiness of saying too many balls you ultimately decide to change the name. Take us into that process, because that's a deal in its own right of making a decision, you know, admitting that, you know, maybe you misstep originally, like take us inside those conversations with you and your partners.

Speaker 1

So you know, certainly there was a lot of work and a lot of excitement before we launched the original name, and it was incredibly disappointing because we realized we had missed the mark and our biggest error was that in our effort to sort of think about the broader Boston ecosystem, we had alienated, you know, some of our core fan base. That's one of the worst things you could do, right, And you know, that process, we had done some testing.

Speaker 5

But we had kept it tighter.

Speaker 1

We were probably overly concerned with confidentiality and trademark issues. And so with that hiccup, I will say, well, the positive part of that, of course, is that we learned how much passion people have for this club.

Speaker 5

Okay, so there was a positive.

Speaker 1

It was a lot of criticism, but there was a lot of passion and support. Really, there was support that you know, you got to get this right and we're going to be there for you. And so we went back and we enlarged our testing to encompass you know, a much broader base, and you know, we really gathered a lot of information about our existing very invested women's soccer fan base, the potential fans that will come from

all over Boston. You know, people knew to women's sports, LGBTQ community, Hispanic audiences, and we had all those perspectives that we brought together in both you know, with a brand advisory group, and we went out and did more market research and we tested names and you know, really it was the same vision, this vision of championships and impact and innovation through soccer through this club in the

heart of Boston. It was the same vision, but it ultimately led to a much better execution and we learned a lot.

Speaker 2

Yeah, how did it feel in that moment?

Speaker 3

I mean, were you because as you said, you know, you're a person who's been highly successful behind the scenes. You're a successful investor, you're a successful entrepreneur. And Alex and I were actually talking about this offline that you know, being a sports team owner is a different level of scrutiny, in a different level of sort of being a public figure.

Speaker 2

So I wonder how you sort of go about adjusting to that.

Speaker 1

It's a new experience for me. It is different running

a sports organization. You know, you said it, there's a much higher level of public scrutiny because sports teams at their core are community assets, right, so to have people criticize it, it means that they're invested in what you were doing right And you know, we really truly do want to build this club within the fabric of our community, but that's hard, and we need to think really hard about what makes up our community and be appreciative and

realize when we make mistakes. So it was incredibly disappointing. But you know, you mentioned also that I'm an investor, which I am, and one of the things that I look for in a founder because you know, I haven't done very precede you know, early stage investing, and it's hard to really make some of those decisions based on a lot of metrics, a lot of data, because it's not really there yet. But what I really love to see and invest is an investor who's nimble because you're going to.

Speaker 5

Face obstacles and you're going to make mistakes.

Speaker 1

And that's what happened to us, and as long as you're able to react and pivot, that's when you really learn, and that's when you are on the path to greater success.

Speaker 5

You know.

Speaker 2

It's interesting, Jennifer.

Speaker 3

You know I got a chance to meet to you when you guys are first launching this and alongside your partner Stephanie Conneton, Amy Danoff and Anna Palmer. It's such a fascinating group of people who sort of came together from different parts of the business and investing world. I want you to talk a little bit about them and sort of how you guys came together, and then I would love to talk a little bit about even what's happened in those intervening couple of years when it comes

to the business of soccer. But tell us a little bit about how the four of you came together.

Speaker 1

I'm glad you mentioned my co founders because this is a collective vision. It's certainly not a vision of just my own, and I would not be here speaking to you without the support of all of my partners behind I mean, but particularly my three co founders. We didn't all know each other really well before we came together

for this project, but we were all investing. We had a connection around investing in female founders and diverse founding teams, sort of recognizing that, you know, a plurality of voices around the table is really what leads to long term ROI.

Speaker 5

You know, it's not just the right.

Speaker 1

Way to do business, it leads to better business. And you know, we were all sports fans. My partner and I was a diehard soccer fan. She's a venture capitalist, but she's from the supporter culture. And my partner, Amy, who runs the Women's Foundation of Boston, has been you know, thinking about women and girls in the city of Boston and how to you know, how ventures can really impact

and promote growth there. And my partner Stephanie is a marketer, so she was at Gillette, one of the real brains behind the venus or so it was thinking about how you can take a product and market you know, it's really pretty much the same product, right, but to a corror demographic. So we all brought experience in different relevant sectors. We see this as not just an opportunity to have generational impact in the city of Boston, but we see this as a good investment.

Speaker 5

You know, we're pursuing this for both reasons.

Speaker 1

I think we all learned of the opportunity and barely skipped to Pete before we just jumped in, you know, recognizing this was this was the moment to enter women's sports.

Speaker 3

I mean, Jennifer, one of the most interesting things when you think about your founding team as investors is how good an investment this already is when you look at where valuations have gone. So walk us through where soccer was, where women's soccer was, where it was when you came in, and now where it is today.

Speaker 1

You know, when we were pitching this to our partners into the league, it was twenty twenty two, so the league was looking ahead towards their next media deal, which you know now is forty x higher and you know, on four different networks. But there was a lot of optimism around that. Angel City and San Diego Wave had

just begun play. San Diego Wave brought in thirty two thousand people to their home opener, and Angel City was consistently selling out Bemost Stadium at nineteen thousand fans, and CPKC had just announced they were going to build the first purpose built stadium for a pro women's team in the world. So you know what you were seeing is that fans were showing up, and there was optimism around potential for new media deal to broad invisibility, and owners

were investing in their clubs. These metrics were giving them confidence to do so, and when we jumped in, it was I mean, what a time to jump in. Expansion fees prior to us were two to five million dollars. We got in at the same time as the Bay We paid fifty three and now Denver has just entered the league and they paid one hundred and ten. So I think we were correct in assessing the opportunity.

Speaker 5

I mean, it's a long game.

Speaker 1

We're in it for the long game, but it's an upward trajectory on the rise.

Speaker 5

We're excited.

Speaker 4

So, Jennifer, that is tremendous growth in a very short period of time, within five years, to go from two to five to fifty three to now Denver.

Speaker 2

One to ten.

Speaker 4

I'm just curious because when you talk to some of your limited partners and you say the number is going to be fifty three, I'm sure there's a few that go, oh, that's so expensive, Jennifer, is not two to five a win a bubble? And then my question is that that happened, and the follow up is when Denver happens at one ten, do you pick up the phone and say, I told you we bought a good price. How does that go? It certainly has to make you feel good. That is two x in less than two years.

Speaker 1

It feels good, But it's really premature to take a victory lap.

Speaker 5

I think, you know, it certainly was what we hope to see.

Speaker 1

But you know, we got a lot to do before we get out for our first game. So you know, we have to finish the rejuvenation of White Stadium. We're building a elite performance facility for our club with the hope that in a second phase it'll grow to be a sports hub for youth sports. We got to build a roster. We have a lot to do. We got to finish rounding out the brand. We're launching our Crests

in early summer. So it's too early for a victory lap, but we were certainly excited to see that growth in that short of a period of time, and we expected to continue as the league continues to expand.

Speaker 4

Yeah, I think that's a little bit of an untold tale on you know, once you get the keys handed to you, how much work there is under that hood and its three sixty five twenty four seven, and the busiest time is probably your off season.

Speaker 2

I'm sure you've seen that.

Speaker 4

But when you say there's a lot of work to do, what are maybe one or two things you can share with us that keep you up at night.

Speaker 1

I don't sleep really well these days. There's there's a lot that keeps me up at night that makes me excited. Yeah, I am really excited, But there is you know, there's stressing the amount that we have to accomplish to do this really well and have a really successful launch. And I believe we have you know, all the reasons that we can do that, and you know, all the ingredients are there, but we still have some key senior hires

to make We have some phenomenal people. We've recently, in the past couple of months, hired our Chief revenue Officer, Amina Bowman. She came from the Commanders, it was in the NFL, and she's recently hired our VP of Ticketing, who also comes from the NFL. My chief of staff, my chief legal counselor. She's been with me since virtually day one. Kim Minor, she came from Baseball, actually worked for the Red Sox and then helped launch the Woo Socks and build Polar Park in Worcester.

Speaker 5

We've just hired ahead of people. We've just hired a creative director.

Speaker 1

You know, every day there's a new hire because you know, we're going to require exceptional talent to launch this club in the way that we want to do that. And then, of course it'll be the really exciting part when we actually get to announce players and they're interviewing final rounds for head coach and have a lot of interest with respect to players, and I expect some announcements there really soon as well.

Speaker 5

So these are the things that keep me up at night. But these are the.

Speaker 1

Things that are you know, all really exciting, and just the to do list is long.

Speaker 3

One thing that I did want to ask you, Jennifer before we got to that is, you know, we've had Jessica Berman, the and WSL commissioner on this show.

Speaker 2

Just recently. Brandy Chastain has been on the show.

Speaker 3

We've got an upcoming episode with Melody Hobson. Jess Gelman has been on this program. Carolyn Tish Blodgett was also in the show. So We've talked to a lot of folks who've been involved in this sport. One of the things that strikes me is is, you know, without guessing everybody up too much, it's really interesting to see the level of expertise and the level candidly of intensity that's happening on this board of governors.

Speaker 2

So what is that board like and how would you characterize it?

Speaker 3

Again as someone who you know, you've been on investment committees, you've been an investor, You've been involved in you know, philanthropic work and entrepreneurial work, Like, what's the tone right now among the governors?

Speaker 5

You know, there are a lot of new owners.

Speaker 1

There's a lot of savvy investors who've recognized that the NWSL, should we be strategic, you know, has every ability to be the best league in the world in the sport. We have owners that have come from Major League Baseball, from the NFL, will Obey and Bob Iger from Disney just you know, in the past year or so acquired the controller stake in Angel City. We have the Bethal family who comes, you know, also from the NBA and not only purchase the Thorns, but recently expanded into the

WNBA as well. So we have a lot of investors that recognize the potential for growth in the NWSL specifically, And I mean, this is what it's exciting to be on that board right now, because we are building the plane as we fly it in many respects, and it is still a relatively young league. We have a strong commissioner in Jessica Berman, but it's going to require, you know, the right decisions to retain and attract the world's best players here in our country and to keep having the

fans show up. I mean, there are some stadiums that are selling out and there's some stadiums that aren't doing as well. So, you know, how do we make sure that fans understand the exceptional product that is out in the field. How do we market the brand, how do we you know, get the media properties to continue to be alongside us and in the next two years, actually grow that media deal to take us to the next chapter. I mean, it's one of the you know, exciting things

I think about Boston joining the league. You know, we are also a top ten media market. We're a city of champions, and you know, I like to say there's no league complete without Boston, and I think, and I hope that's what they recognize when they decided to believe in our vision.

Speaker 2

I do think to editorialize.

Speaker 3

I mean, this is one of the most interesting spaces in sports right now because of all the things we've been talking about, all the new entrants, all the investment. The growth rate that we're seeing, I think is really interesting general. So let's go to the lightning round really quick. I'm going to start.

Speaker 5

You know, I don't know if I'm good at a lightning round.

Speaker 2

You're gonna do great, You're gonna do great. All right, here we go.

Speaker 3

What's the best piece of advice you been given on deal making your business?

Speaker 5

Don't be afraid to go after opportunity.

Speaker 2

Who's your dream deal making partner?

Speaker 1

I mean, how can I not say my three co founders, Amy Kwan, dan Off, Stephanie Connatton, and Anna Palmer.

Speaker 2

All right, what's the most nervous you've ever been?

Speaker 4

Now?

Speaker 5

Going there?

Speaker 1

I'm right, I mean, now when I'm in a lightning rod with Jason and Alex Rodriguez, and I don't have the right answer to the question. No, I'd probably say, you know, when we traveled to New York and we went in front of of the League and the expansion committee to show them what.

Speaker 5

Our vision was in Boston and pitch our bid.

Speaker 4

What's your hype song before a big meeting or negotiation?

Speaker 5

Beyonce, who Run the World?

Speaker 2

I love it all right?

Speaker 3

What's your advice for someone listening who what's a career like yours?

Speaker 1

Recognize that it's often a long game, and that there are different chapters to a career, and they all lead to something, and each chapter may not be as fulfilling as the one that comes after it. But if you work really hard and you recognize and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, you know you're gonna achieve what you want to achieve.

Speaker 5

I mean, honestly, I actually.

Speaker 1

If you had asked me when I was in my twenties if I was going to be where I am right now, I would never have been able to tell you that. I have had different chapters of my career. I was a lawyer, I launched a hospitality business and open restaurants in the Boston area. I'm an investor, and now I'm doing something that I think I have never been more passionate about. So stay the course. They'll get there.

Speaker 2

All right, Well, that was great. Thank you so much, Jennifer Epstein.

Speaker 3

She is the controlling manager of the Boston Legacy Football Club and WSL team taking the pitch next season. A lot of work to do, as she said, doing now and then. Really fun to spend some time with you. Thank you so much, Thank you, Jennifer, Thank you.

Speaker 1

So much for having me. It was lots of fun. Thank you very much.

Speaker 2

Good luck.

Speaker 3

The Deal is hosted by Alex Rodriguez and me Jason Kelly. This episode was made by Anamazarakus, Stacey Wong, and Lizzie Phillip. Amy Keen is our editor and Will Connelly is our video editor. Our theme music is made by Blake Maples. Our executive producers are Kelly Leferrier, Ashley Hoenig, and Brendan neonham Sage Bauman is the head of Bloomberg Podcast. Additional support from Rachel Carnivale and Elena Los Angeles. Thanks so much for listening to the Deal. If you have a minute, subscribe,

rate and review our show. It'll help other listeners find us. I'm Jason Kelly.

Speaker 2

See you next week.

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