Sportonomics

Jaksot

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  What Happens When AI Can Get More Views Than You? 16.09.2026 38min

  There's a 23-year-old who ran over a hundred YouTube channels staffed by $26-an-hour Fiverr actors reading AI-written scripts...and collectively, they pulled more views than the New York Times. Jake came back from the woods with a new term for this corner of the internet ("ghost creators") and a surprisingly optimistic case for them; Tyler came in with a Semaphore investigation and a lot of skepticism. What follows is a genuinely unresolved debate about who polices manufactured news, where authentic content ends and paid acting begins, and what's left for real creators when views become a commodity.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro01:13 — Introducing the "Ghost Creator"06:01 — Influencer, Creator, or Celebrity?09:04 — Why "user generated" usually isn't10:25 — Blame TikTok Shop: When authenticity became a commission rate12:35 — $26 a Video: Inside the Semaphore ghost creator investigation14:11 — Bragging Your Way to a Ban: The dumbest possible way to run a secret network16:30 — Manufacturing News vs. Reporting It: Gaming YouTube's breaking-news signal20:04 — The Paid Actor Precedent22:37 — Whose Job Is This, Anyway?: Platforms, incentives, and the responsibility question24:18 — The Detection Problem: Why AI tags are harder than they look27:27 — "Too Big to Solve" Is Not an Excuse31:28 — The Big Tobacco Playbook: Going after the biggest actors first33:14 — More Views Than the New York Times: What that means for real creators35:20 — Clipping Accounts and Stolen Good Ideas: Can anything nefarious be repurposed?36:46 — Pick a Lane: Fastest or Best: Why speed is the first thing AI takes38:13 — Outro
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  His First Brand Deal Was $50. The Rest Is History. 09.09.2026 56min

  PeteTakes turned a fantasy football weatherman bit and a parody song into a career — but somewhere along the way, he learned the hard way that getting paid for something you love can quietly ruin why you loved it in the first place. Tyler sits down with the creator behind "Coop DeJean Is Not a Safety" to unpack the slow climb from 43 TikTok followers to a booming business, the brand deals he's turned down, and where exactly the line sits between sports betting content and selling out your audience. It's a rare, honest look at what it actually costs to build an audience...and what it costs to keep it.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro01:00 — The Glazing Segment03:06 — Why boredom built his imagination06:04 — VHS Confessions: Childhood home videos and a theory about creative kids13:43 — The quiet start of an account with no face attached16:24 — The Fantasy Football Weatherman Era18:34 — 20,000 Followers: When it stopped feeling like a hobby19:53 — The Song vs. The Business: Why the viral hit isn't what pays the bills21:53 — The $50 Deal That Started It All23:39 — What happens when passion turns into paychecks26:05 — The Influencer Cliff: Falling off the edge of relatability30:15 — Legacy Media's Blind Spot: Why ESPN can't say no to a sportsbook34:51 — Closed Loop vs. Open Market38:07 — Why nobody bets to actually win45:10 — The DC Internship He Didn't Take48:58 — The Pep Talk: Why there's no better time to go all in54:38 — Outro
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  Austin Ekeler On Turning Fantasy Football Players Professional 02.09.2026 31min

  Nine seasons in the NFL, one torn Achilles, and a newborn later, Austin Ekeler is rebuilding his career in real time — not on the field, but inside Claude Code. Tyler sits down with the former Chargers and Commanders running back to talk free agency at 31, the surprisingly firm rules around players and fantasy football, and Austin's bigger bet: turning fantasy sports into a legitimate profession with its own "pro card." It's part locker-room confession, part startup pitch, and a rare look at what an NFL career looks like the moment the cameras stop rolling.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro: Meet Austin Ekeler 00:29 — Life After the Cameras Leave: What actually happens post-injury01:34 — Time to Move On02:47 — The Adrian Peterson Effect: Why "back in nine months" became the norm04:51 — The Bell Curve of a Career05:35 — Social Currency: Why Austin's staying in the game even off the field07:01 — Learning Claude Code 08:04 — The Shovel Analogy09:41 — From Website to App: Fixing the login complaints that started it all11:26 — Where Fantasy Meets the Law: The $250 rule for active NFL players13:31 — Drafting Himself... and Losing: The celebrity league story17:29 — The Missing Pro Card: Why fantasy sports has no industry-wide "legit" status19:13 — What a Pro Card Actually Buys You: Benefits, credibility, and bragging rights21:41 — Inside the $100K Leagues: Gamblers, owners, and friend groups with deep pockets23:20 — Why casual players might lead the whole industry25:07 — How to join Fantasy Royale before the season starts26:29 — The Austin origin story Tyler never told
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  The Real Advice for Breaking Into Sports 26.08.2026 43min

  Two guys who both dropped out of pre-med, stumbled into sports by accident and somehow built a business anyway are finally answering the one question that won't stop landing in their inboxes: how do you actually get a job in sports? Tyler and Jake trade origin stories, from a $30-an-episode podcast gig to a Photoshop tutorial learned in real time for a $100 graphic, before laying out the exact advice they wish someone had given them at 19. It's part confession, part career manual, and fully unfiltered about why "I'm passionate about sports" is the worst pitch you can make.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro01:30 — Pre-Med Dropout, Round One: Jake's chemistry class ends a medical career03:57 — The LLC That Did Nothing: Starting a business with zero business to run06:06 — $30 an Episode: The first time getting paid felt like winning the lottery06:59 — Meet the Gopher: How a sports lawyer's errand-runner became a career launchpad09:15 — Enter Tyler: A COVID-season baseball league, a cold call, and a new partner12:20 — Patch Adams Did This: Why two guys both wanted to be doctors for the wrong reasons16:38 — The $100 Graphic: Googling "How to Photoshop" mid-freelance-job21:02 — Skip the Job Hunt: Why the real advice is "go work at a pizza place"23:36 — The Worst Pitch in Sports: Why "I'm passionate about sports" gets you nowhere26:09 — Get Paid Without a Boss: The new path that skips the job application entirely29:31 — The College Loophole: Why four years of low stakes is your biggest advantage34:26 — The Story of the Story: How people talk about you when you're not in the room41:02 — Six Paragraphs Is Too Many: What actually makes a cold DM worth answering43:16 — Outro
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  Cullen Honohan Made College Sports History for Free 19.08.2026 31min

  A local pizza-shop photo op with a coach's kid just rewrote the rules of college sports sponsorship. Cullen Honohan of All Hail BBall joins Tyler to break down how he became the first content creator with his own logo on a Division I jersey — without paying a single dollar upfront. From the wild backstory to the six-figure value he says social reach can deliver instead of cash, this is a first-hand look at a deal that could change how creators and college programs do business.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro00:49 — Reunion Tour: Cullen's back, and he's got receipts01:28 — A Photo, A DM, A Deal03:33 — Why Cullen's paying zero dollars for a jersey patch06:23 — Who's Really Winning Here?09:05 — Butts in Seats: The real scoreboard Cullen's tracking for success11:31 — Alumni reactions and a Miami Dolphins fan analogy13:32 — Why the story might outshine the season itself15:41 — Creative Freedom, No Committee: Cullen's non-negotiable 18:33 — Cullen's advice to creators 21:08 — Hiring His First Employee26:31 — ESPN Vets Need Not... Actually, Apply28:12 — Put a Price On It30:23 — Outro
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  Surviving Shark Tank & Disrupting a $1B Equipment Market 12.08.2026 51min

  From tutoring pre-med students to making custom 3D-printed mouthguards for NFL and NHL stars, TrueFit Customs founder Matt Hall reveals how he disrupted a untapped billion-dollar sports market. This week Tyler and Jake break down his journey pitching on Shark Tank, how he leveraged advanced material science and AI, and secured game-changing investments directly from professional athletic trainers. Discover how taking a player-first approach turned one of the most hated pieces of athletic gear into a high-tech equipment powerhouse.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Meet Matt Hall & TrueFit Customs 00:51 – From Pre-Med Tutor to "Tutor Pimp" 02:18 – Why 3D Printing Changes the Custom-Fit Game 04:44 – The Wild Early Days of Stone Models & Manual Labor 07:11 – Resins, Lasers, and Light: Modern 3D Tech Explained 08:20 – Spotting a $1B Untapped Sports Vertical 11:44 – The 1990 Japanese Dental Paper That Built TrueFit 14:56 – Surviving Shark Tank & Facing Mark Cuban 20:54 – Negotiating Valuations with Kevin O'Leary & Rashad Jennings 24:22 – Hacking the Pro Sports Distribution System 27:44 – Why Nike and Big Tech Missed the Mouthguard Loophole 32:07 – Securing Investments directly from Pro Athletic Trainers 38:05 – Scaling Custom Fit: AI, Material Science, & Scanners 41:00 – Protection vs. Fit: How Ultra-Thin Guards Work 44:09 – Outro: Key Takeaways on TrueFit's Category Dominance
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  Inside the Times Square Glass Box: Did Fox’s Viral World Cup Campaign Work? 05.08.2026 46min

  Out of 6,000 applicants, content creators Kevin and Austin were selected by Fox Sports and Indeed to receive $50,000 to sit in a glass box in Times Square and watch every single match of the FIFA World Cup. In this episode, the duo join Jake and Tyler to discuss their complete creative freedom, surviving 14-hour days inside the box, and whether they fear getting typecast in their careers moving forward. Afterward, Tyler and Jake break down the true marketing ROI of the viral campaign and address any pushback regarding monetizing creator content.Timestamps00:00 – Intro00:53 – Pitching to Become Chief World Cup Watchers 03:32 – Long Leashes, Tattoos, and Total Creative Freedom 06:09 – Pure Joy vs. Expert Ball Knowledge 08:09 – Man-on-the-Street Marketing & Trial by Fire 11:08 – Seizing a Once-in-a-Lifetime Creator Opportunity 14:03 – Times Square as the Ultimate World Cup Cultural Hub 19:58 – Addressing the Fear of Getting "Typecast" 21:37 – Post-Interview Breakdown: The Hidden Costs of Viral Activations 28:20 – Did Fox’s $50,000 Bet Return Real Value? 34:11 – Shoulder Content vs. Main Broadcasts 41:41 – Outro: Pushing Back on "Intentionally Amateur" Content Creation
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  Inside the $80,000 World Cup Content Experiment with Jack Settleman 29.07.2026 1t 3min

  What does it take to pull off a month-and-a-half-long sports content marathon across three countries, and is the massive financial risk actually worth it? In this episode, Jake and Tyler bring back Snapback Sports founder, Jack Settleman, for a fourth time as he breaks down the chaotic logistics, daily YouTube vlogging stumbles, and financial reality of sending his brother to 33 World Cup matches in 39 days. From scaling up content operations on the fly to walking away with a razor-thin profit margin of just $500, Jack offers an insanely transparent look at what it takes to build a modern sports media brand from the ground up.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro 00:36 – Clearing Up the Guest Record 01:19 – Why People Love Financial Transparency 02:20 – How the 33-Game World Cup Plan Was Born 03:30 – Selling a Mass-Scale Content Tour in Just 40 Days 08:38 – The SparkNotes Version: 33 Games, 39 Days, and $500 Profit 10:27 – Breaking Down the Return on Investment for a Media Brand 12:23 – Why Daily YouTube Vlogging Underperformed 23:36 – The $35,000 Ticket Problem and Missing Travel Sponsors 34:41 – Hotel Sharing, HR Violations, and Keeping Content "Hungry" 39:18 – Runway, Reinvesting Capital, and the Future of Underdog Deals 45:07 – Surviving "No Man's Land" as a Mid-Sized Creator Company 50:20 – The Annual Update: Seeking a College Football Jersey Patch Sponsor 55:35 – Outro
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  The Michael Jordan of Newsletters: Kendall Baker's Playbook for Daily Email 22.07.2026 51min

  From a college kid running the SportsCenter teleprompter to the newsletter that reaches over a million inboxes every morning, Kendall Baker has lived the entire boom-bust-boom cycle of email media — and he's not holding back. He breaks down why he sent 50 different newsletter formats in his first three months, how he negotiated an acquisition without ever naming a price, and what it actually took to convince 100,000 subscribers to follow him from one company to the next. Along the way: the "secret weapon" RSS feed that powers his daily grind, why AI can aggregate news but can't replicate taste, and an honest look at why newsletter advertising is still years behind podcasts. If you've ever wondered what it takes to build (and keep) an audience that opens your work every single day, this one's a masterclass.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro00:45 — The roundabout path into sports media01:47 — Bleacher Report, ESPN, and finding his voice03:31 — Trading TV glamour for newsletters03:45 — The Skimm and the lightbulb moment06:24 — Advice for starting a newsletter from scratch08:59 — Newsletters vs. social media: the data problem10:55 — Selling Sports Internet to Axios13:56 — The power of a daily habit16:22 — Kendall's process and his RSS "secret weapon"19:45 — Standing out from AI aggregation22:28 — Why newsletters are booming again25:56 — What Yahoo actually is today29:23 — Giving away ideas for free on Twitter39:45 — Sharing competitors' work and building trust42:11 — Why newsletter advertising is still so immature46:50 — The newsletters Kendall actually reads48:54 — Outro
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  Frank Michael Smith Vibe-Coded a Game in a Weekend...Now 100K People Play Daily 15.07.2026 34min

  Six years into building a content empire with 3.5 million followers, Frank Michael Smith accidentally built something bigger during a hungover Sunday afternoon. In just 14 hours of "vibe coding" with Claude, he created GeoSports — a map-tapping sports trivia game with no app, no tutorial, and no push notifications — and it's now pulling in 100,000 daily players. In this episode, Frank breaks down how a side project quietly cannibalized his company's flagship game, why removing the prize money actually supercharged the network effect, and what having a business that runs without him means for his future as a creator. It's a candid look at what happens when the thing you built for fun outperforms everything you spent years trying to force.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro to GeoSports00:55 – Welcome Back, Frank01:37 – The Hungover Sunday Build04:36 – From Side Project to Sole Focus07:34 – Why This One Actually Worked12:55 – The Share Score Secret16:24 – Claude Writes the Backstories17:24 – Monetizing a Free Game19:57 – Staying Off His Main Channels22:21 – New Dad, Dry Spell25:10 – Life Beyond Content Creation30:36 – Frank's Challenge to Tyler31:18 – Outro: Go Play Today
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  AI vs. Authenticity: The Sports Creative Showdown 08.07.2026 56min

  In this head-to-head debate, Jake and Tyler go toe-to-toe on whether AI belongs in sports creative work — arguing everything from copyright theft and job security to "cognitive debt" and the soul of what makes sports fandom human. Producer-turned-moderator, Gabby, keeps the conversation on track, lobbing sharp follow-up questions, stepping in to referee when things get heated, and ultimately weighing in with her own verdict on who made the stronger case. It's a lively, surprisingly personal debate about where the line is between helpful tool and creative shortcut — and whether that line is already gone.⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Intro: AI Takes the Field00:34 — Gabby Sets the Rules01:01 — Opening Statements Fly04:37 — Ethics or Job Security?11:09 — The Getty Images Lawsuit18:37 — The Addiction Analogy25:52 — Individual vs. Organization33:16 — Ferrari vs. Ford37:47 — Gabby Breaks Up the Heat43:44 — The Cognitive Debt Study49:14 — Closing Arguments53:16 — Who Does Gabby Crown As The Winner?56:19 — Outro
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  The Missing Analyst: Why No One is Doing Sports Business Coverage Right 01.07.2026 1t 12min

  Two best friends who've known each other literally since before one of them was born — Sid Balaga and Suraj Peramanu of The 4th Quarter — join Tyler and Jake to talk about building a venture-backed sports business media company from a basement during knee surgery recovery. They break down what it actually looks like to raise capital as a content creator, why they believe sports business is the most under-analyzed asset class in media, and what a "CNBC for sports" could really mean. It's part business deep-dive, part mentorship session... Tyler and Jake don't hold back.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro00:36 — Pre-Womb Best Friends: The Origin Story08:22 — Why They Raised Venture Capital 11:16 — The White Space: Sports Business Without a Home13:17 — How They Actually Landed Courtside Ventures16:35 — The Future of VC-Backed Creators20:53 — "You Are a Creator" — Jake Drops the Truth Bomb35:13 — Measuring Success When the Big Numbers Don't Come38:25 — What's Actually Missing From Sports Business Media42:22 — Does a "Sports Business Newscast" Have Legs?47:00 — When a World Surf League Video Goes Unexpectedly Viral50:27 — The Law of Large Numbers: Why Casting Wide Nets Works1:02:35 — How Tyler Actually Defines Success as a Creator1:05:00 — Outro
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  Your 9-to-5 Isn't as Safe as You Think 24.06.2026 45min

  NFL content creator Matt King sits down with Tyler and Jake to pull back the curtain on one of the most relatable decisions in the creator economy: when — and how — to quit your day job. Matt walks through the exact mindset, numbers, and support system that led him to go all-in on content creation in November 2025, including the specific financial threshold he set for himself before making the leap. Whether you're a creator on the fence or just curious what life actually looks like on the other side, this episode is an honest, unfiltered look at the leap of faith that more and more people are seriously considering.⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 — Intro2:04 — When the idea first hit3:50 — The magic number5:12 — Not all creator money is equal7:03 — The false security of a 9-to-59:16 — Anyone can make content (pool cleaners prove it)11:20 — The income pie vs. the W-215:07 — Who Matt actually called for advice18:12 — The pushback: benefits, taxes & the off season20:01 — How Matt uses AI (and where it fails him)26:03 — AI slop, watercolor, and the camera killing painting29:24 — The most surprising part of going full time33:02 — Telling his parents on the golf course34:50 — What he'd do differently38:19 — Matt's advice to anyone on the fence39:32 — Outro
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  Why the Best Sports Experience in America Might Be in a Colorado Ski Town 17.06.2026 42min

  What started as a late-night FaceTime from a friend at a chaotic hockey game in Breckenridge, Colorado turned into one of the most unexpected sports business stories you'll hear. Rick Batenburg — venture capitalist, cannabis entrepreneur, and self-described "Jackie Moon of Breckenridge" — built the Breckenridge Vipers from scratch eleven years ago with 35 people in the stands, purely because he wasn't ready to stop playing real hockey. In this conversation, Rick breaks down the counterintuitive economics of owning a sports team, why the only way this works is if you stop trying to make money at it, and how a semi-pro hockey league in ski towns is quietly doing something the NHL never could.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro00:48 — The FaceTime that started it all02:21 — What is the Mountain Hockey League?04:21 — Rick's playing career & the Merrill Lynch detour07:34 — From throwaway exhibition to owning the league09:31 — 35 fans, no sponsors & years of losing money10:54 — How COVID forced Rick to take over the league13:01 — Rick's VC background & "The Clear" cannabis brand17:46 — The real economics: $500K through the P&L, break-even is the goal19:47 — What owning a team teaches you about the NHL23:57 — "The end game? More hockey."29:05 — How to build a fan base for a brand-new sports property33:37 — What hockey in Breckenridge looked like before the Vipers37:00 — How the league serves grassroots hockey in ways the NHL can't38:18 — Why real stakes make people care (even without money on the line)41:46 — Outro
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  What 6 Years as a Creator Actually Looks Like 10.06.2026 45min

  Lawson McDonald, co-founder of The Hockey Guys, returns to Sportonomics for the first time since S1 E2.He pulls back the curtain on what six years in the creator economy actually looks like — plateauing views, compounding networks, and why brand deals keep coming even when the algorithm doesn't cooperate. The conversation takes a sharp turn into brand-building as Lawson breaks down how he's growing No Bad, his hockey apparel company, from a merch side project into a standalone e-commerce brand with its own identity and target customer. If you've ever wondered what separates creators who last from those who flame out — and how the skills you build along the way become the real asset — this episode is for you.⏱️ Timestamps0:00 — Intro - Welcome back Lawson2:18 — 6 years with The Hockey Guys5:39 — More money in the creator space = more demand7:17 — Behind the scenes of The Hockey Guys today vs. 20208:11 — Why no new hockey creators are breaking through at the top level9:03 — Brand vs. metrics: what gets you in the door vs. what sets your rate11:37 — Defining the "creator avatar" and why a unique story beats raw numbers13:52 — Breaking down "avatar" in marketing15:03 — Why being a friend group is The Hockey Guys' biggest competitive advantage32:18 — No Bad: from Hockey Guys merch line to independent apparel brand33:30 — Finding new customers outside your existing audience in a tight-knit sport36:46 — Building skills (paid ads, email, copy) as insurance for whatever comes next37:44 —The brand-side POV on creator partnerships39:03 — Would Lawson ever work for someone else? Probably not.40:28 — How creator skills transfer: Notion, short-form video, and content systems43:13 — Why branded content is performing worse and what that means for the whole ecosystem44:17 — Outro - Jake gets a live discount code: Jake20 for 20% off
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  The Author Who Played Semi-Pro in Iceland Says American Soccer Is Finally Ready 03.06.2026 51min

  In this episode, Tyler and Jake sit down with Mark Franek — author of American Soccer Nation and semi-pro soccer veteran — to trace the remarkable and often overlooked 150-year history of soccer in the United States.Mark breaks down what makes MLS's single-entity, no-relegation structure both uniquely frustrating for soccer purists and genuinely necessary for survival in the American sports landscape, and why youth development — not star signings or TV deals — is the true key to the country's soccer future. With the World Cup arriving in North America this summer, the conversation turns to what success realistically looks like for the US men's national team, why the tournament's legacy will likely be measured in youth participation and Academy signings rather than trophies, and how the beautiful game is quietly becoming impossible to ignore.⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Intro00:52 – Mark's Background01:50 – Being a Fan in the 80s03:31 – Still Playing Today04:41 – Son's MLS Academy06:07 – Iceland & Global Perception07:13 – 1994 World Cup & MLS Origins08:34 – 150-Year History Begins09:15 – Universities & Immigrants12:30 – 1930 World Cup & Third Place Finish14:08 – How Countries Qualify16:10 – FIFA's Role19:26 – The Inflection Point19:53 – MLS's Slow Burn22:47 – Why the Last 10 Years Changed Everything27:00 – Relegation Debate29:01 – The Rags-to-Riches Soccer Dream31:13 – Teaching MLS Structure to 10th Graders33:20 – Can MLS Ever Rival the Premier League?35:45 – Youth Development is the Real Key35:58 – World Cup Expectations38:08 – Memories of 2010 World Cup40:45 – 10-Year Legacy43:54 – Where to Find the Book44:26 – Outro
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  $50 a Month to 125 Million Followers: The Overtime Blueprint with Tom Weingarten 27.05.2026 1t 7min

  From skipping to page 50 of Google and earning $50 a month to helping build one of the most dominant sports media companies on the internet, Tom Weingarten's journey at Overtime is a masterclass in finding opportunity where no one else is looking. In this episode, Tom pulls back the curtain on how Overtime built a decentralized network of 1,000 filmers worldwide, cracked the code on covering high school athletes before they were stars, and made the bold leap from media company to league owner. If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to build a media empire from scratch — and keep it feeling like a startup at 125 million followers — this one's for you.Timestamps0:00 — Intro0:41 — The Social Media Landscape of 2015: Vine, Facebook & No TikTok1:46 — How Tom Landed at Overtime for $50/Month (Page 50 of Google)3:15 — The Original Vision: Building "The Instagram of Sports"5:01 — Why the "ESPN for the Next Generation" Strategy Actually Worked7:21 — Covering Zion Before Anyone Else: The High School Athlete Bet9:14 — Building a 1,000-Person Decentralized Filming Network on the Cheap12:39 — How Overtime Directs & Trains Its Global Network of Filmers29:35 — How Publishers Are Trained & Then Let Loose32:00 — Publisher Burnout, 18-Month Peak, & Why Tom Celebrates People Leaving35:07 — Manager vs. Creator37:11 — Embracing Competition: Why Overtime Lets Rivals Into Their Events40:26 — How Overtime Produces 600 Pieces of Content for Fox/World Cup42:42 — Mega Media Companies vs. the Individual Creator55:26 — AI, Brand Voice & the Risk of Losing What Makes Overtime, Overtime56:25 — Tom's Advice for Breaking Into Sports Media58:52 — Tyler & Jake Reflect on Overtime's Origin Story1:07:21 — Outro
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  Audience First, Business Second: Cole Nevins' 5 Predictions for the Sports Creator Economy 20.05.2026 56min

  Cole Nevins has been in the sports media space since he was eight years old; from blogging on an iPod Touch to building a high school creator network, running a content agency, and now leading creator partnerships at Yahoo Sports. In this episode, Tyler and Cole dig into the evolution of the sports creator economy, how making money online has fundamentally changed who becomes a creator, and why "creator loneliness" is one of the most underrated problems in the industry today. Cole closes out the episode with five bold predictions for where the creator economy is headed, from the death of follower counts to the rise of audience-first businesses.🕒 Timestamps0:00 — Intro0:32 — Cole's background: from iPod Touch sports blogger to Yahoo Sports3:52 — Building Phenom: a sports media network for high school creators4:42 — The shift from the creator economy to the creative economy6:08 — Why monetization changed everything for creators7:29 — Creator loneliness: the hidden pain point of solopreneurship8:28 — Do all creators need to be entrepreneurs?11:13 — Creators inside big media companies: opportunity or trap?13:02 — Building a team vs. building a community of collaborators16:49 — Keeping creator operations lean in the AI era19:07 — How Yahoo Sports is thinking about creator partnerships22:19 — Solving creator pain points: cash flow, access, and production support26:32 — Minimum guarantee deal structures and sharing the upside29:25 — Balancing creative control with brand input31:16 — The Barstool incubation model and creator leverage34:40 — Can you manufacture a great creator from scratch?44:47 — What AI can and can't replace: in-person, live, and personality-driven content47:37 — Creators intentionally making mistakes to prove they're not using AI50:02 — The "give a shit factor" and finding your unique creator angle51:41 — Cole's five predictions for the future of the creator economy56:16 — Outro
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  Why (Some) Athletes Shouldn’t Be Creators 13.05.2026 56min

  Jake Miller, co-founder of Arvelo Media, joins Tyler to unpack what it actually takes to build a personal brand as an athlete or public figure in 2026. They dig into the "it factor" — why some people are natural content creators and others simply aren't — and how to tell the difference before wasting everyone's time. The conversation wraps with a grounded take on AI: not as a threat to creators, but as a tool that makes great creators even better while doing nothing for the ones who were never really in it.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro00:38 – Jake's background & early days in athlete content02:07 – The first business that failed05:04 – Landing at VaynerSports07:18 – First solo client: a Jets linebacker10:23 – The "it factor" in content creation13:54 – Obstacles that kill content before it ships16:43 – Why Jake steers clients away from YouTube18:50 – How the pitch for content creation has changed19:55 – Creator archetypes: passionate vs. reluctant22:03 – Athletes transitioning to social media23:53 – The context gap between press conferences and social25:42 – Establishing credibility with a new audience26:18 – Who should NOT be creating content30:39 – Mystique vs. accessibility (Mahomes, Clark, Jordan)36:13 – When over-production kills authenticity38:42 – Advice for aspiring creators: live life first43:33 – Why individual creators beat media companies45:57 – How Tyler & Jake use AI in their workflows50:44 – AI and the future of content creation54:32 – Where to find Jake & Arvelo Media
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  The Kid Who Bet Everything on YouTube...And Finally Won 06.05.2026 57min

  Justin Leusner started making YouTube videos at age 10, built a 100-person student media company at Penn State, and recently pulled off visiting all 30 NBA arenas in 30 days — raising over $100,000 for Make-A-Wish along the way. In this episode, Justin opens up about the mental health lows that almost ended his creator career, the faith journey that brought him back, and the meticulous behind-the-scenes logistics that made his most ambitious project possible. Whether you're a creator chasing your next big swing or someone trying to build something that actually matters, this one's packed with hard-earned insight.⏱️ Timestamps0:00 — Intro0:33 — Justin's origin story: NBA Live Mobile & the early YouTube grind3:15 — The real motivation: wanting to be rich, famous, and move to LA8:21 — The $1 million deal with his parents & why he ended up going to college11:19 — Channel death, depression, and the COVID turning point13:36 — Faith, a Bible ordered on Amazon, and a total life reset15:31 — The inspiration behind 30 arenas in 30 days 17:56 — How the Make-A-Wish fundraiser mechanics actually worked20:16 — Building Today Sports: Gen Z's ESPN with 100+ Penn State employees24:44 — Why he walked away from being a CEO 27:16 — The full production breakdown: Editors, iPhones, 300GB uploads & no sleep32:23 — Navigating the NBA partnership and arena access 45:00 — Thinking long-term: sustainability, monetization, and content strategy54:58 — The right-sizing of expectations for creators 57:14 — Outro