Lead The Game with Edoardo Grandi

If you’re new to my work, I’m Edoardo Grandi and I talk about how wealth is created in sports. I interview the people who build and buy the best businesses in sports, media, and entertainment so you can see how value is created at the highest level. How I got here18: Started speaking with entrepreneurs to understand how sports businesses create wealth.19: Founded Students of Sport Business, an EdT...

How do you build a world class esports media company that produces premium tournaments, global live events, and broadcast experiences watched by millions? In this episode, Edoardo Grandi speaks with Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST, one of the most influential organizations in modern esports and competitive entertainment. BLAST has become a global leader in tournament production, live event IP, and high...

How do you build a modern esports organization in a market that is still early, fragmented, and full of opportunity? In this episode, Edoardo Grandi speaks with Emanuele Acerbis, the co founder and CEO of NOVO Esports, one of Italy’s most ambitious competitive gaming organizations. NOVO was founded in 2023 and is already active across multiple top titles including Brawl Stars, Rocket League, VALOR...

How do you build AI systems that help athletes make better financial decisions, avoid common money traps, and create long term stability in a career defined by volatility and short earning windows? In this episode, Edoardo Grandi sits down with Mayer Reich, founder and CEO of Prosperity AI and one of the most experienced product builders in fintech and AI. Mayer has spent more than twenty years cr...

How do you turn the fastest growing sport in America into a commercial product that attracts major brands, national sponsors, and mainstream media attention? In this episode, Edoardo Grandi sits down with Ben Shapiro, founder and CEO of PIVOT Agency and one of the most influential commercial operators in pickleball. Ben is the architect behind the sport’s biggest sponsorship deals, the creator of...

How do you scale the fastest growing sport in America by building both the digital layer and the physical infrastructure it needs to grow? In this episode, Edoardo Grandi sits down with Daren Hornig, a New York real estate investor and technology entrepreneur who has become one of the most influential builders in pickleball. Daren is the founder and CEO of CourtsApp, the AI powered booking platfor...

How do you build the global rating system for the fastest growing sport in the world, and what does it take to standardize competitive play across 150 countries? In this episode, Edoardo Grandi sits down with Gilberto “Tito” Machado, CEO and President of DUPR, the platform that provides pickleball’s universal skill rating. DUPR now supports more than 1.7 million players and 12,000 clubs, giving th...

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...

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 Bur...

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 t...

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 t...

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 t...

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.com Website: sport-businessman.comOur main...

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 t...

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 mon...

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 i...

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...

We speak with Aldo Comi , Co‑Founder and CEO of Soccerment , on how football is being reshaped by AI, performance data, and wearable technology , and why the sport is entering a new era defined by objective measurement, player‑centric intelligence, and global scalability. With a background spanning finance, data science, and football performance , Aldo explains how Soccerment is building an integr...

We speak with Danny Menken, former Managing Director of Eurosport, co‑founder of Eleven Sports, Chairman of Levels Fight League, and co‑founder of Athvance Capital, on how European sports IP is being reshaped across media, combat sports, and private investment, and why under‑commercialised properties represent one of the most overlooked value‑creation opportunities in the sector. With a career spa...

We speak with Han Park, CEO & Founder of Payment Labs , on how global payouts are being rebuilt for esports, sports, NIL, and the creator economy and why paying individuals across borders remains one of the most overlooked operational challenges in the digital economy. With 25+ years across gaming and esports, including leading Turtle Entertainment America (ESL Gaming), Han breaks down how Pay...

We speak with Edoardo Martorelli , Founder & Executive Director of Drive Sports Marketing, on how brands, rights holders, and drivers build strategic partnerships across Formula 1 and global motorsport. With 10+ years in commercial strategy including senior roles at Scuderia AlphaTauri and Right Formula, Edoardo breaks down sponsorship sales, partnership management, and global brand activation...

We speak with Antonio Alquezar , Team Principal of Spain SailGP, on how the team went from last in Season 3 to World Champions in Season 4 by aligning performance, sustainability, and purpose inside one of the world’s fastest‑growing sports leagues.

We speak with Raphael Gellar , Founder of Forward Sports Group, on how his boutique football consultancy represents players, coaches, and clubs across global markets . From contract negotiation to branding, marketing, and sponsorship acquisition, Raphael breaks down how Forward brokers deals across Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa built on a foundation of integrity and long‑term client trus...

We speak with Koen Put , Senior Partner & Managing Director at Double Pass, on how the company builds and optimizes talent‑development ecosystems for clubs, leagues, and federations worldwide. From “glocalized” academy strategy to consulting across 125 countries, Koen explains how Double Pass helps investors, executives, and sporting leaders create sustainable football performance and long‑ter...

Massimo Marinelli, Founder & Managing Partner of Berkida Ventures For collaborations, or if you are an investor or builder in sports and would like to appear on the podcast, contact: edoardo@sport-businessman.com 🌐 Visit: sport-businessman.com About the Podcast:On The Sport Businessman Podcast , I speak with leading investors and operators in the business of sport, media, and entertainment. T...