Sportonomics

Uncle Charlie
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

Two sports marketers (Jake Kranz and Tyler Webb) interview the most unique people in sports, business, marketing, and technology to learn about the ideas shaping the future of the sports industry.

  1. 2d ago

    Why the Best Sports Experience in America Might Be in a Colorado Ski Town

    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. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 00:48 — The FaceTime that started it all 02:21 — What is the Mountain Hockey League? 04:21 — Rick's playing career & the Merrill Lynch detour 07:34 — From throwaway exhibition to owning the league 09:31 — 35 fans, no sponsors & years of losing money 10:54 — How COVID forced Rick to take over the league 13:01 — Rick's VC background & "The Clear" cannabis brand 17:46 — The real economics: $500K through the P&L, break-even is the goal 19:47 — What owning a team teaches you about the NHL 23:57 — "The end game? More hockey." 29:05 — How to build a fan base for a brand-new sports property 33:37 — What hockey in Breckenridge looked like before the Vipers 37:00 — How the league serves grassroots hockey in ways the NHL can't 38:18 — Why real stakes make people care (even without money on the line) 41:46 — Outro

    43 min

  2. Jun 10

    What 6 Years as a Creator Actually Looks Like

    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. ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 — Intro - Welcome back Lawson 2:18 — 6 years with The Hockey Guys 5:39 — More money in the creator space = more demand 7:17 — Behind the scenes of The Hockey Guys today vs. 2020 8:11 — Why no new hockey creators are breaking through at the top level 9:03 — Brand vs. metrics: what gets you in the door vs. what sets your rate 11:37 — Defining the "creator avatar" and why a unique story beats raw numbers 13:52 — Breaking down "avatar" in marketing 15:03 — Why being a friend group is The Hockey Guys' biggest competitive advantage 32:18 — No Bad: from Hockey Guys merch line to independent apparel brand 33:30 — Finding new customers outside your existing audience in a tight-knit sport 36:46 — Building skills (paid ads, email, copy) as insurance for whatever comes next 37:44 —The brand-side POV on creator partnerships 39:03 — Would Lawson ever work for someone else? Probably not. 40:28 — How creator skills transfer: Notion, short-form video, and content systems 43:13 — Why branded content is performing worse and what that means for the whole ecosystem 44:17 — Outro - Jake gets a live discount code: Jake20 for 20% off

    45 min

  3. Jun 3

    The Author Who Played Semi-Pro in Iceland Says American Soccer Is Finally Ready

    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 – Intro 00:52 – Mark's Background 01:50 – Being a Fan in the 80s 03:31 – Still Playing Today 04:41 – Son's MLS Academy 06:07 – Iceland & Global Perception 07:13 – 1994 World Cup & MLS Origins 08:34 – 150-Year History Begins 09:15 – Universities & Immigrants 12:30 – 1930 World Cup & Third Place Finish 14:08 – How Countries Qualify 16:10 – FIFA's Role 19:26 – The Inflection Point 19:53 – MLS's Slow Burn 22:47 – Why the Last 10 Years Changed Everything 27:00 – Relegation Debate 29:01 – The Rags-to-Riches Soccer Dream 31:13 – Teaching MLS Structure to 10th Graders 33:20 – Can MLS Ever Rival the Premier League? 35:45 – Youth Development is the Real Key 35:58 – World Cup Expectations 38:08 – Memories of 2010 World Cup 40:45 – 10-Year Legacy 43:54 – Where to Find the Book 44:26 – Outro

    51 min

  4. May 27

    $50 a Month to 125 Million Followers: The Overtime Blueprint with Tom Weingarten

    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. Timestamps 0:00 — Intro 0:41 — The Social Media Landscape of 2015: Vine, Facebook & No TikTok 1:46 — 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 Worked 7:21 — Covering Zion Before Anyone Else: The High School Athlete Bet 9:14 — Building a 1,000-Person Decentralized Filming Network on the Cheap 12:39 — How Overtime Directs & Trains Its Global Network of Filmers 29:35 — How Publishers Are Trained & Then Let Loose 32:00 — Publisher Burnout, 18-Month Peak, & Why Tom Celebrates People Leaving 35:07 — Manager vs. Creator 37:11 — Embracing Competition: Why Overtime Lets Rivals Into Their Events 40:26 — How Overtime Produces 600 Pieces of Content for Fox/World Cup 42:42 — Mega Media Companies vs. the Individual Creator 55:26 — AI, Brand Voice & the Risk of Losing What Makes Overtime, Overtime 56:25 — Tom's Advice for Breaking Into Sports Media 58:52 — Tyler & Jake Reflect on Overtime's Origin Story 1:07:21 — Outro

    1h 8m

  5. May 20

    Audience First, Business Second: Cole Nevins' 5 Predictions for the Sports Creator Economy

    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. 🕒 Timestamps 0:00 — Intro 0:32 — Cole's background: from iPod Touch sports blogger to Yahoo Sports 3:52 — Building Phenom: a sports media network for high school creators 4:42 — The shift from the creator economy to the creative economy 6:08 — Why monetization changed everything for creators 7:29 — Creator loneliness: the hidden pain point of solopreneurship 8:28 — 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 collaborators 16:49 — Keeping creator operations lean in the AI era 19:07 — How Yahoo Sports is thinking about creator partnerships 22:19 — Solving creator pain points: cash flow, access, and production support 26:32 — Minimum guarantee deal structures and sharing the upside 29:25 — Balancing creative control with brand input 31:16 — The Barstool incubation model and creator leverage 34:40 — Can you manufacture a great creator from scratch? 44:47 — What AI can and can't replace: in-person, live, and personality-driven content 47:37 — Creators intentionally making mistakes to prove they're not using AI 50:02 — The "give a shit factor" and finding your unique creator angle 51:41 — Cole's five predictions for the future of the creator economy 56:16 — Outro

    56 min

  6. May 13

    Why (Some) Athletes Shouldn’t Be Creators

    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. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 00:38 – Jake's background & early days in athlete content 02:07 – The first business that failed 05:04 – Landing at VaynerSports 07:18 – First solo client: a Jets linebacker 10:23 – The "it factor" in content creation 13:54 – Obstacles that kill content before it ships 16:43 – Why Jake steers clients away from YouTube 18:50 – How the pitch for content creation has changed 19:55 – Creator archetypes: passionate vs. reluctant 22:03 – Athletes transitioning to social media 23:53 – The context gap between press conferences and social 25:42 – Establishing credibility with a new audience 26:18 – Who should NOT be creating content 30:39 – Mystique vs. accessibility (Mahomes, Clark, Jordan) 36:13 – When over-production kills authenticity 38:42 – Advice for aspiring creators: live life first 43:33 – Why individual creators beat media companies 45:57 – How Tyler & Jake use AI in their workflows 50:44 – AI and the future of content creation 54:32 – Where to find Jake & Arvelo Media

    57 min

  7. May 6

    The Kid Who Bet Everything on YouTube...And Finally Won

    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. ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 — Intro 0:33 — Justin's origin story: NBA Live Mobile & the early YouTube grind 3:15 — The real motivation: wanting to be rich, famous, and move to LA 8:21 — The $1 million deal with his parents & why he ended up going to college 11:19 — Channel death, depression, and the COVID turning point 13:36 — Faith, a Bible ordered on Amazon, and a total life reset 15:31 — The inspiration behind 30 arenas in 30 days 17:56 — How the Make-A-Wish fundraiser mechanics actually worked 20:16 — Building Today Sports: Gen Z's ESPN with 100+ Penn State employees 24:44 — Why he walked away from being a CEO 27:16 — The full production breakdown: Editors, iPhones, 300GB uploads & no sleep 32:23 — Navigating the NBA partnership and arena access 45:00 — Thinking long-term: sustainability, monetization, and content strategy 54:58 — The right-sizing of expectations for creators 57:14 — Outro

    58 min

  8. Apr 29

    The Most Iconic Two Minutes in Sports — On the Ground at Churchill Downs

    Tyler and Jake are live in Louisville, Kentucky for the 152nd Kentucky Derby — and before the gates open, they're breaking down everything that makes this two-minute race a week-long American institution. From the fascinating origins of Churchill Downs and the "Run for the Roses" tradition to the mechanics of pari-mutuel betting and $5,000 mint julep cups, this episode covers the history, culture, and business of one of the most iconic events in sports. Whether you're a die-hard racing fan or just showing up for the hats, this is your ultimate Derby primer. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 00:33 — Why this episode is different 02:23 — Kentucky Derby history: Founded in 1875, Lewis & Clark connections, early Black jockeys 04:44 — The race format: Three-year-olds only, 1.25 miles, first Saturday in May 07:23 — The "Run for the Roses": Origin of the rose tradition & the Kroger garland 09:59 — Mint Juleps: History, the "too much ice" debate & $5,000 Woodford Reserve cups 16:44 — The Twin Spires: How a 24-year-old architect accidentally created an icon 19:18 — The hats, fashion & Kentucky Derby as a high-society tradition 25:37 — Betting 101: Pari-mutuel wagering, $349M wagered, post position superstitions 32:44 — Jake's Derby side quests: Petting a horse, bourbon ice cream & the hot brown 39:01 — The social media strategy behind the Derby & influencer marketing 48:10 — What Tyler & Jake are actually doing on the social team all week 50:34 — Derby Week schedule: From Opening Day to the 6:57pm post on Saturday 55:18 — Outro

    56 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Two sports marketers (Jake Kranz and Tyler Webb) interview the most unique people in sports, business, marketing, and technology to learn about the ideas shaping the future of the sports industry.

Information

  • Creator
    Uncle Charlie
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Uncle Charlie
  • Show Website
    Sportonomics

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