The Sport Businessman Podcast by Edoardo Grandi

June 15, 202624 min

#75: The Producer Who Changed How the World Watches Sports | James Gay‑Rees, Box to Box Films

How did one producer redefine how the world watches sport and turn niche competitions into global entertainment IP?In this episode, Edoardo Grandi sits down with James Gay‑Rees, the multi award winning producer behind Senna, Amy, Diego Maradona, and the global phenomenon Formula 1: Drive to Survive. As co founder of Box to Box Films, James helped create a new category of sports storytelling built on access, character, and narrative structure. This approach reshaped how fans engage with sports and how leagues think about global audience growth.James explains how Drive to Survive transformed Formula 1 from a specialist motorsport into a mainstream global product, why human drama outperforms technical detail, and how the same blueprint now underpins hit series across golf (Full Swing), tennis (Break Point), rugby (Six Nations: Full Contact), and cycling (Tour de France: Unchained).We also explore the economics behind modern sports docuseries, how access is negotiated, how rights holders think about storytelling as a growth lever, and why the next decade will see every major sport compete for global attention through premium documentary formats.If you own, invest in, or operate within sports, media, or entertainment, this conversation will change how you think about storytelling, audience development, and the value of behind the scenes IP.What we coverHow Box to Box Films was built and why access driven storytelling worksThe making of Drive to Survive and how it reshaped Formula 1’s global audienceWhy human centred narratives outperform traditional sports broadcastingExpanding the model to golf, tennis, rugby, and cycling and what changes sport to sportThe economics of access and how teams, leagues, and rights holders think about documentary valueThe future of sports storytelling and where the next major docuseries opportunities will emerge🎙️ Guest: James Gay‑Rees, Co Founder of Box to Box Films🌐 Box to Box Films: boxtoboxfilms.com📩 Interested in collaborating or appearing on The Sport Businessman Contact Edoardo at edoardo@sport-businessman.com🌐 Learn business models in sports and entertainment: sport-businessman.com

June 3, 202622 min

#74: The AI Tool Transforming How Football Clubs Sign Players | Furkan Yagiz, Comparisonator

How are the best football clubs in the world deciding which players to sign and which to sell?In this episode, Edoardo Grandi sits down with Furkan Yagiz, Chief Operations Officer of Comparisonator, the AI football analytics platform tracking over 200,000 players across 271 leagues worldwide.Furkan breaks down how the platform started from a single Excel spreadsheet built by a chief scout at Bursa Spor and evolved into the AI intelligence layer used by clubs including Besiktas, Trabzonspor, FC Dallas, and LA Galaxy.We cover exactly how AI is changing the decisions that matter most inside a football club: which players to sign, when to sell, how to build a squad on a limited budget, and what jobs inside clubs will be replaced by autonomous AI agents in the next five to ten years.We also get into women's football, why Comparisonator built a dedicated analytics product for the women's game, and why the data already shows this is one of the most significant investment opportunities in sport right now.If you own, invest in, or work around football clubs, this conversation will change how you think about every transfer decision you make.What we cover:1. How Comparisonator was founded and what problem it was built to solve2. How AI simulates a player's performance in a new league before you sign them3. Which jobs inside football clubs AI agents will replace in the next decade4. Why women's football data requires a completely different analytical framework5. How player agents are now using data to sell their clients to clubs6. The commercial model: from consulting firm to SaaS to AI agent platform🎙️ Guest: Furkan Yagiz, Co-Founder of Comparisonator🌐 Comparisonator: comparisonator.com📩 Interested in collaborating or appearing on The Sport Businessman? Reach out at edoardo@sport-businessman.com🌐 Learn business models in sports and entertainment at sport-businessman.com

April 17, 20267 min

#73: How Athletes and Celebrities Build Generational Wealth

Sport Businessman is a platform built for investors to understand business models and investable opportunities across sport, media, and entertainment.We work with Private equity, family offices, and entrepreneurs targeting sports/media/entertainment opportunities across Europe and North America.For collaboration opportunities: edoardo@sport-businessman.comWebsite: sport-businessman.comOur main themes:• Building Generational Wealth• Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs • Acquiring Control + Scaling Businesses• Growth Equity in Sports/Media• Private Credit in Sports Finance#SportsFinance #SportsBusiness #SportsInvestingTrascrizione

April 16, 20268 min

#72: Building a Succession Plan for a Sports, Media, or Entertainment Business

Sport Businessman is a platform built for investors to understand business models and investable opportunities across sport, media, and entertainment.We work with Private equity, family offices, and entrepreneurs targeting sports/media/entertainment opportunities across Europe and North America.For collaboration opportunities: edoardo@sport-businessman.comWebsite: sport-businessman.comOur main themes:• Building Generational Wealth• Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs • Acquiring Control + Scaling Businesses• Growth Equity in Sports/Media• Private Credit in Sports Finance#SportsFinance #SportsBusiness #SportsInvesting

April 15, 20266 min

#71: How Private Equity Buys and Scales Sports, Media, and Entertainment Assets

Sport Businessman is a platform built for investors to understand business models and investable opportunities across sport, media, and entertainment.We work with Private equity, family offices, and entrepreneurs targeting sports/media/entertainment opportunities across Europe and North America.For collaboration opportunities: edoardo@sport-businessman.comWebsite: sport-businessman.comOur main themes:• Building Generational Wealth• Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs • Acquiring Control + Scaling Businesses• Growth Equity in Sports/Media• Private Credit in Sports Finance#SportsFinance #SportsBusiness #SportsInvesting

April 14, 20264 min

#70: How Growth Equity Works in Sports and Entertainment

Sport Businessman is a platform built for investors to understand business models and investable opportunities across sport, media, and entertainment.We work with Private equity, family offices, and entrepreneurs targeting sports/media/entertainment opportunities across Europe and North America.For collaboration opportunities: edoardo@sport-businessman.comWebsite: sport-businessman.comOur main themes:• Building Generational Wealth• Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs • Acquiring Control + Scaling Businesses• Growth Equity in Sports/Media• Private Credit in Sports Finance#SportsFinance #SportsBusiness #SportsInvesting

April 13, 20263 min

#69: How Private Credit Finances Sports, Media, and Entertainment Assets

Sport Businessman is a platform built for investors to understand business models and investable opportunities across sport, media, and entertainment.We work with Private equity, family offices, and entrepreneurs targeting sports/media/entertainment opportunities across Europe and North America.For collaboration opportunities: edoardo@sport-businessman.comWebsite: sport-businessman.comOur main themes:• Building Generational Wealth• Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs • Acquiring Control + Scaling Businesses• Growth Equity in Sports/Media• Private Credit in Sports Finance#SportsFinance #SportsBusiness #SportsInvesting

April 8, 202621 min

#68: Jesper Søgaard | Co‑Founder & CEO, Better Collective (Digital Sports Media Group)

We speak with Jesper Søgaard, Co‑Founder & CEO of Better Collective, on how global sports media platforms scale through acquisitions, operational standardization, and data‑driven audience monetization across regulated and emerging markets.Jesper outlines Better Collective’s evolution from performance marketing into a diversified digital sports media group reaching hundreds of millions of monthly users across brands including Action Network, Playmaker HQ, HLTV, FUTBIN, and Yardbarker. He explains how the company builds repeatable operating systems, integrates acquisitions, and expands recurring revenue through productized media assets and long‑term commercial partnerships.We discuss the company’s current strategic posture: navigating market headwinds in the US and Brazil, adapting to search‑ecosystem volatility, and restructuring around publishing, paid media, and esports to drive efficiency and scale. Jesper breaks down how Better Collective evaluates opportunities, approaches M&A, and balances brand autonomy with centralized capabilities in tech, data, and commercial operations.The conversation also covers the future of sports media: first‑party data, audience segmentation, content‑commerce hybrids, and the role of trusted, regulated digital platforms in shaping how fans consume sports, betting insights, and community‑driven content globally.Sport Businessman is a media platform built for investors to understand business models and investable opportunities across sport, media, and entertainment.For podcast requests or collaboration opportunities: edoardo@sport-businessman.com

March 25, 202624 min

#67: Dov Penzik | CEO & Co-Founder, No Strings Inc

We speak with Dov Penzik, Founder of No Strings, on how private equity and institutional capital can fuel growth in sportainment through tech-enhanced recreational experiences, venue differentiation, and scalable revenue models in paddle, ping pong, darts, and emerging sports hospitality.With a background spanning 15 years building entertainment and sportainment concepts from Bounce ping pong in London to Flight Club Darts across North America and mini golf ventures, Dov explains how No Strings creates high-margin, tech-layered platforms that transform commoditized activities into addictive, branded destinations. He breaks down how auto-scoring tech, CRM-driven events, and seamless consumer journeys unlock unit economics, boost repeat play, and blend live sport with social hospitality, and why the next decade belongs to “invisible technology” hybrids merging recreation with data-driven monetization.We also discuss No Strings upcoming flagship launch targeting mature paddle markets Q4 2026/Q1 2027, its networked club model with leaderboards and spectator vibes, revenue from court bookings/memberships, corporate events, F&B, retail, and sponsorships via court screens, plus opportunities in under-monetized paddle ecosystems for investors. Dov shares insights on organizational friction in paddle (e.g., WhatsApp chaos), synergies with hospitality dynamics, and the vision for a SaaS-licensable “Apple Store for paddle” powerhouse.Sport Businessman is a media platform built for investors to learn business models and investable opportunities across sport, media, and entertainment.To request a podcast appearance or explore collaboration opportunities, contact: edoardo@sport-businessman.com

March 18, 202623 min

#66: Shawn Tilger | President, GF Sports & Entertainment

We speak with Shawn Tilger, President of GF Sports and Entertainment, on how private equity is fueling growth in sports and live events through targeted acquisitions, operational excellence, and revenue diversification in tennis, lacrosse, and alternative sports.With a background spanning over 30 years in sports operations from COO of the Philadelphia Flyers to executive roles across NHL, esports, and events, Shawn explains how GF Sports and Entertainment builds high-margin platforms that scale undervalued assets into global brands. He breaks down how PE transforms scouting talent pipelines, venue monetization, and fan engagement, and why the next decade belongs to hybrid models merging live experiences with digital media.We also discuss GF’s portfolio powering ATP events like Dallas and Atlanta Opens, NLL’s Ottawa Black Bears, World Long Drive, and debt-backed expansions, the rise of data-driven sports investments, and opportunities in under-monetized markets for family offices. Shawn shares insights on structural gaps in U.S. sports ecosystems, synergies with institutional capital, and the vision for a PE-fueled entertainment powerhouse.Sport Businessman is a media platform built for investors to learn business models and investable opportunities across sport, media, and entertainment.To request a podcast appearance or explore collaboration opportunities, contact: edoardo@sport-businessman.com

The Sport Businessman Podcast

About the show

Listen to episodes

#75: The Producer Who Changed How the World Watches Sports | James Gay‑Rees, Box to Box Films

#74: The AI Tool Transforming How Football Clubs Sign Players | Furkan Yagiz, Comparisonator

#73: How Athletes and Celebrities Build Generational Wealth

#72: Building a Succession Plan for a Sports, Media, or Entertainment Business

#71: How Private Equity Buys and Scales Sports, Media, and Entertainment Assets

#70: How Growth Equity Works in Sports and Entertainment

#69: How Private Credit Finances Sports, Media, and Entertainment Assets

#68: Jesper Søgaard | Co‑Founder & CEO, Better Collective (Digital Sports Media Group)

#67: Dov Penzik | CEO & Co-Founder, No Strings Inc

#66: Shawn Tilger | President, GF Sports & Entertainment

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