The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly sit with tennis champions Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss to discuss the current buzz around women’s sports. King and Kloss, the dreamer and builder (respectively) behind Billie Jean King Enterprises, King says, tell the hosts about their investments in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angel City FC, the story behind how they helped launch th...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly discuss the state of Big Ten football after Rodriguez visits his daughter for a University of Michigan game. The hosts then interview Kevin Warren, president and chief executive of the Chicago Bears and the former commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, about lessons he’s learned from professional and college sports. Warren also shares th...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly discuss the influence of Latinos in the world of sports and how the Boys and Girls Club changed Rodriguez’ life. The hosts then interview ImpactX Sports Group CEO Xavier Gutierrez about the growing business of investing in sports. Gutierrez also shares the results of a Nielson report co-produced by his organization, Latinos in Sports, and...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly start off by discussing their excitement for the pro and college football seasons. The hosts then interview New York sports radio icon Mike Francesa about his legendary career at WFAN and his partnership with Chris Russo on Mike and the Mad Dog. Francesa shares his insights on the evolution of sports media, the future of baseball and what...

In this episode of The Deal, Jason Kelly and Alex Rodriguez discuss private equity’s move into the National Football League. The hosts then interview Midge Purce, a forward for Gotham FC, about how she’s taking on the world of business while navigating a soccer career. Purce tells the hosts why she wanted to launch a new reality show that follows the lives of players in the offseason, how she sees...

In this episode of The Deal, Jason Kelly and Alex Rodriguez discuss the 15th anniversary of the 2009 New York Yankees World Championship and why it was an emotional day. The hosts then interview Michael Kay, a Yankees play-by-play announcer for the YES Network and host of The Michael Kay Show. Kay tells the hosts how he doubled his salary as a sports writer, how he got involved with YES and the on...

In this episode of The Deal, Jason Kelly discusses his recent interview with the owners of the Kansas City Chiefs, Clark and Dan Hunt, as well as the burgeoning sports betting industry. Kelly and Alex Rodriguez then interview Carsten Koerl, founder and CEO of Sportradar, about how his sports betting technology company partners with leagues and wagering platforms around the world. Koerl tells the h...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly discuss the conclusion of the Paris Olympics and the big wins for USA basketball. They also interview Keith Dawkins, president of the Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios, about how he is reinvigorating the 98-year-old exhibition basketball icon. Dawkins also tells the hosts about how he’s pivoting from a tour-based to...

In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez tells Jason Kelly about his experience in Paris during the Olympics. They also interview Kevin Burkhardt, Fox Sports’ National Football League play–by-play announcer and lead Major League Baseball studio host, about his journey in broadcasting and what it’s like to now work with Rodriguez. Burkhardt also tells the hosts about how he prepares for broadcas...

On this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez shares his excitement for attending the Olympics as a fan, reminisces about historic moments of the Games and analyzes their impact on athletes’ careers and brands. The conversation then shifts to Masai Ujiri, founder of Giants of Africa and president of the Toronto Raptors. Ujiri tells Jason Kelly about his journey from scouting talent in Africa to lead...

In this episode of The Deal, Jason Kelly and Alex Rodriguez reflect on baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. and his influence on Rodriguez and the broader baseball community. Then Ripken tells Kelly about his business partnership with Josh Harris and David Blitzer, and their effort to expand youth sports. He also discusses the effect his father had on his career and the challenges of building a business...

In this episode of The Deal, Monarch Collective's Jasmine Robinson tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about the business case for investing in women's sports leagues. Jasmine explains how her $150 million fund decided to invest in the NWSL and how she sees future growth opportunities for women's sports. (Corrects to remove reference to the WNBA in first paragraph.) See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

In this episode of The Deal, The Chernin Group's Jesse Jacobs tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about a few of his notable deals, including Barstool Sports, the Professional Lacrosse League and his recent venture in Unrivaled Sports alongside Josh Harris and David Blitzer. Jesse shares his unique approach to business, the impact of digital media on sports and his thoughts on the evolving landsc...

In this episode of The Deal, entrepreneur Joe Pompliano tells hosts Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly about his rise in the sports media landscape, potential directions for sports valuations and future trends in sports media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Deal, Jessica Gelman, chief executive of Kraft Analytics Group, tells Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly how she navigates the intersection of business and sports with a special focus on the transformative impact of data analytics. Alex and Jason also discuss Willie Mays' legacy and the lessons they learned from Reggie Jackson at a celebration of the Negro League. See omnystudio...

With all the money pouring into sports these days, big-time investor Marc Lore says he has an additional metric for success: happiness. On the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly , Lore lays out his thinking on some of his deals, including a few with Rodriguez.  Lore and Rodriguez initially tried to buy the New York Mets, a race they ultimately lost to billionaire hedge...

Stephen A. Smith says he’s always been ambitious, but nothing fueled a burning drive to succeed like being fired from ESPN. His exit from the sports network in 2009 radically changed how he felt about himself, Smith says—and how he wanted to make a living. After ESPN and Smith parted ways, he began the long road back, starting on radio and leveraging his experience as a print journalist to develop...

Serena Williams revolutionized tennis—that much is unquestioned. With her sister and fellow superstar Venus beside her and father Richard behind them both, Williams went on to transform the way the world looks at tennis stars. Having now put her racket down, she has moved on to the world of finance and started her own venture capital firm, Serena Ventures. But this time, she’s doing it all on her...

Mark Shapiro has a habit of making the unlikely happen. From marrying Ultimate Fighting Championship with World Wrestling Entertainment to making the call to hire Stephen A. Smith at ESPN, Shapiro finds a way to get deals done. Now, as president and COO of Endeavor and TKO—the publicly traded combination of WWE and UFC—he and Ari Emanuel are reshaping sports, media and entertainment. On the latest...

Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said he always expected to be coached. Just not by a Wall Street banker. So when Frank Bisignano—then a senior JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive and now CEO of Fiserv—pushed a twentysomething Fitzgerald to think about life beyond the National Football League, it changed his trajectory. That led to a series of internships between football seasons,...

Twenty-five years later than expected and following several false starts, women’s professional soccer looks to finally be planting long-term roots. And at the center of it all is one of the icons of a US championship team. Brandi Chastain, whose electrifying penalty kick in front of more than 90,000 screaming fans at the Rose Bowl sealed the 1999 Women’s World Cup, is a co-owner of Bay FC, the lat...

From George Steinbrenner to Jerry Jones, Gerry Cardinale has done deals with some of the biggest names in sports. These days, the Goldman Sachs alum is making moves under the auspices of RedBird Capital, the firm he created in 2014. His purchase of the AC Milan soccer franchise and the resurrection of American football’s XFL stem from two decades spent at the intersection of sports, finance and me...

Hannah Storm’s analysis of how pro basketball got so big is pretty simple: That guy from North Carolina. “What happened was Michael Jordan,” Storm said on the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly . She should know, since the pioneering television broadcaster and ESPN anchor was there from before the beginning. She had a front-row seat—literally—to basketball’s popular exp...

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Steinbrenner’s decision back in 2004 to pair Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez—two generationally talented baseball players—turned out to be one of the biggest and arguably most successful deals in New York Yankees history. Or all of sports history for that matter. The results that sprang from the Boss’s machinations became clear: a perennially contending team, a 2009 World Series championship...