Paul Rabil

Sports investments are everywhere. It's not uncommon for active investors to hear about a new sports related investment opportunity weekly these days. From pickleball teams, to women's sports franchises, to European soccer clubs, to sports technology. The opportunities are everywhere. On top of that we are seeing the democratization of sports investing with exciting startups making it simple for fans to invest in racehorses, amateur golf and tennis players, baseball players and so much more. I am personally excited to see what areas of sports investing catches the next wave of attention. Golf, sports data/analytics & making the space investable for fans are all things we actively are involved in at Social Leverage I think we see a lot more buzz continuing around women's sports from basketball to soccer, cricket, men's soccer, and more alternative new sports leagues. https://lnkd.in/g9nYw_RE

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🔶Diamonds in the [Tech] Rough: The first failure: In 2016, we embarked on a bold journey with the launch of HYPE, fueled by a vision to bridge the gap between sports tech startups and industry giants. My co-founder, armed with invaluable insights from Adidas, and I leveraged our deep networks to champion the cause of emerging innovators. The first failure: We initiated a program dedicated to identifying and nurturing startups that represented the real “diamonds” of innovation. Despite our enthusiasm and industry connections, none of the startups managed to secure a deal or even a pilot test with the brands during that period. The feedback was… Full story: #AI #SportsTech #Sportsbiz #News #Media #Sports HYPE Sports Innovation

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Follows these tips to break 100..

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Do really know the rules of baseball? Baseball Rules in Black and White App has helped thousands learn and retain the rules of baseball. We are the only rule resource that covers 4 rule sets. See the difference in Black and White. https://lnkd.in/g_6N6GN #entrepreneur #doyoureallyknowtherulesofbaseball

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Struggling with tennis elbow? Our blog, "Ouch! Is That Tennis Elbow?" covers the causes, symptoms, and effective treatments to get you back on the court pain-free. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting out, this guide is a must-read for preventing and managing this common condition. Check it out now and share it with your tennis buddies! 👉 Read the Blog

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THE MVP PLAYBOOK: CROSSOVERS, CURVEBALLS, & PIVOTS Here's the thing. If you aspire to a career with longevity and work in sports long enough, you will experience professional plot twists in the form of crossovers, curve balls, and pivots. This is a not a maybe, it's a certainty. Just like coaches and players have to switch up organizations/teams from time to time (sometimes by change, sometimes by choice). The team behind the scenes has to have the agility, capacity, and flexibility to do the same. Free agency is real! Maybe you aspired to one thing and decided to do another. Maybe you took on a role and missed your goal. Maybe you did everything right, but the leadership/ownership changed and they want to build their own athletic department and/or front office. Maybe life (aka personal plot twists) forced your hand. Maybe this, may that. If you get ready and stay ready, you'll always be ready to make your next move, your best move. Just because the career ladder morphs into a career lattice, you can still move upward and onward. I've been there, done that, and aspire to do it again. Change is inevitable, but growth is intentional! So, I'm excited to give back by paying it forward as a presenter/speaker at the Black Sports Business Symposium in the A! Game on! Hope to see you there!

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“Foster the best playing environments” Here is a question that was brought to my attention this week. Can an MLS Club protect up to 9 players in their region without informing the player? If that is the case: would that rule stand up in a court of law? If not the case: what is the “protect player rule” and why is the list not made public? Anyone with correct answers please respond! Thx Db

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Leveraging the power of machine learning, we transform data into predictive insights for accurate sports forecasting.

Live, work and play sports districts open 24//7 are the future of sports venues. 🕘 What started with major sports properties in the USA is now making its way internationally. 🌏 And for good reason. Live sports venues are increasingly competing for attention with a proliferation of mobile devices, streaming content, e-sports, and home entertainment. 🏟 To deepen connections with fans, attract new audiences, and increase ROI, sports organisations are looking for ways to boost year-round engagement. Enter… The rise of dynamic, multi use sports districts. 🤯 By activating venues and the experiences around them, sports and entertainment districts can generate new forms of revenue and help create 24/7 live-work-play communities. 1️⃣ So what’s next for sports and entertainment venue design? Well, it’s actually becoming clearer. The trend with sports arenas has been moving away from single-use, game-day venues towards entertainment districts. With facilities closely integrating into the cities and communities where they reside. 2️⃣ How has that approach changed over time though? Through urban planning as well as design with the key being multipurpose flexibility. You only have to look at what Real Madrid and Barcelona have done with their stadiums to understand the roadmap. An even greater example though is what the Chicago Cubs have done in and around Wrigley Field. They made targeted enhancements inside and outside the stadium with new housing, new commercial spaces, and new amenities. Wrigleyville is now an integrated hub within Chicago. A cohesive district and destination for more than baseball. ⚾ 3️⃣ So are sports owners now shifting their approach? Yes. Over the last 50 years, we’ve typically seen generational owners in sports. Now, you’re seeing owners who are businesspeople. Like Jim Ratcliffe. They’re activating around these sports properties because for them it’s about commercial opportunities and lifestyle. Only a few decades ago sporting events were about going to the stadium and that was the be all and end all of the fan experience. Venue owners wanted to get you in the gate as early as possible and extract as much dollar value from fans pockets. 💰 But that’s shifted. Fans going to a venue like LA LIVE to see The Lakers game are going early to have a coffee, heading to the museum, and watching the game. ☕ Then grabbing a drink of dinner afterwards. 🍺 4️⃣ But how can venues appeal to all types of fans? There’s a few ideas. Namely. By activating venues and the experiences around them. Strategic development with targeted adaptive reuse can allow existing urban assets to remain in place while reinvigorating the areas around them. What are your thoughts on the future of stadium design? P.S. Follow me (Chris Swadling) for more sports business content! #sportsbiz #urbanplanning #livesports #stadiumdesign

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3 Trends Changing the World of Sports Investment. 🏀 I took the time this week to watch ‘The Next Wave’ Webinar. Centered around 3 trends shaping the sports investment landscape. 💰 What became clear is how consumption of sports is more fragmented and athlete-centric than ever before. And this is opening up opportunities for startups and investors. Here’s the key takeaways 👇 1️⃣ Small brands can break through without breaking the bank The proliferation of new sports and new viewing media makes it easier for a smaller sports equipment or sportswear brand to break through without having to go for a very expensive ad campaign. A decade ago you had to have a $40m ad campaign to launch a new consumer apparel or shoe brand because all the channels were really expensive and highly curated. Now a relatively unknown brand, can get traction by working with an athlete. An authentic collaboration with a sportsperson can be much more meaningful and effective than a big budget ad. People are much more connected to authenticity right now. 2️⃣ Sports teams are being left out of the direct communication with fans and are looking for a way in While athletes and fans may be communicating more directly than ever. Sports teams and sports leagues, on the other hand, have been cut off from fans by a legion of intermediaries. No one walks up to a stadium to buy a ticket any more. Tickets for games are sold through intermediaries like Ticketmaster and StubHub; food and merchandise are sold through third parties; and viewing happens on digital platforms. That means that sports teams know less and less about their fans. So they want more interaction and more engagement with their fans, and more first party data. The trend isn’t going to go away, but teams and leagues should learn how they can build their own first party relationships with their fans. 3️⃣ Athletes are more valuable than before, which means more investment in performance management and wellbeing. A decade ago fan engagement and fan experience was 100% ruling the roost when it came to sports investments. However, the athlete performance side is now trending upward. Having a star athlete out for a season can have a material impact on a team’s financial performance. When NBA star LeBron James moved to the Lakers, secondary sale prices of Lakers tickets rocketed up more than 40%. But when he was out due to injury they would fall again. Sports leagues have a big incentive to look after their players and are looking for any technologies that can get them to even higher peak performance. Winning cures a lot. Credit to Chris Traeger, Kerry Carter, Fernando Moncada Rivera and Timothy Brownstone for the insight. 💡 #sports #sportsbiz #investing #startups

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I've talked about the impact that the AIQ.team has in the NFL, but our value transcends beyond just the sport of football - we have a significant presence in basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer and more. With the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals & Draft right around the corner, our team is looking at this past year's rookie class and the signals the AIQ picked up between the players cognitive scores & performance on the court. 🏀 I wanted to share one in particular: the NBA All-Rookie team outperformed all of the other 2023 NBA prospects in the area of Learning Efficiency (LE). LE is one of the 15 data points the AIQ measures and affects a player's ability to learn technique, strategy, reports, etc. and recall this information readily when needed. Teams that use the AIQ for scouting & talent selection know that LE is a crucial indicator in a prospect's ability to learn the playbook more quickly than their peers and adjust to the speed of the game better than other draftees. As sports evolve to rely heavily on analytics and measuring "between the ears", we continue to provide insights & correlations to our teams to help them select the right talent, develop players properly, and ultimately take the right step to a championship caliber team. #Linkedinsports #NBA #CognitiveAssessment

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Can you answer one simple question with a strong, competent answer that will make your owner nod and smile? This week's Secrets of The Ultimate Toolkit Revealed tells you the question and the answer.

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MLB star Jonathan India on the paradox of being a great competitor… “As long as I play the game the right way, I compete hard…I stick to the process…the results will take care of themselves” (paraphrased) So what is ‘the process’? 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 It can be broad or it can be narrow. It can be deep or it can be shallow… The process can include performance objectives and can still include a narrative around the outcome. It can include mini mindset objectives…it can include what to do when the going gets tough and what to do if it’s a day in flow… “My job is to stick to my process. Stick to my cues…keep executing my actions on the front-foot…be ready for great self-talk if I need it…let performance happen if feeling great…” The process can be broad and it can be narrow…it can be deep or it can be shallow…ultimately, it’s vital to stick to the process no matter what…

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Enjoyed discovering the top 8 sports industry trends for 2024 that are revolutionizing athlete performance and fan engagement according to StartUs Insights' latest report. From AI-powered performance analytics and immersive training to smart stadiums and advanced streaming, tech is changing the game in sports. Sustainability and cybersecurity are also big focuses are mentioned, making sports safer & greener. Full article over here. https://shorturl.at/4uj3e #SportsTech #Innovation #FanEngagement #AI #Sustainability 🎗️ 

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And consider that each of those 2.2 million shots have over 90 data points combining player talent & historical ability, the exact type of shot (location, distance, off catch/dribble) and the precise location of the defense!

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Are you a Dualie? If you are, then you could be key to strengthening long-term participation in the game. In short, the National Golf Foundation define a dualie is a golfer who plays both on-course and off-course golf. Not content with a regular 18, they use a simulator, visit the range, or head down to a Top Golf or a Big Shots in between rounds. I’ve seen several reports recently about the consistent growth of off-course golf. And I’ve heard a fair bit of concern from the industry on whether it will weaken participation in the traditional game. I’ve always thought otherwise – so it’s great to see this report suggesting I was right 😊 When we see golfers taking lessons, or hitting the range we know that the number of rounds they play goes up – we’ve measured it. We know that when we can help engage golfers in activities around the club other than playing golf, the number of rounds they play goes up – we’ve measured it. So it has always followed in my head that when golfers hit balls for leisure, the number of rounds they play will go up. In addition, this report shows that they are more committed to traditional golf, their ability level is higher, they spend more money on equipment, and - the number of rounds they play goes up! I think there’s also a great argument that off course golf is a fantastic entry point for many people too. But that’s a post for another day 😊 #participation #dualie #golfbusiness https://lnkd.in/eepE24rS

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Youth brain capital is an economic asset akin to the infrastructure of roads and bridges – arguably more important: We need bright minds to solve problems. Brain capital is the foundation for future societal progress and prosperity. Yet, this precious resource is under siege. Social media, social isolation, climate stress, and political volatility are real, tangible threats to the mental well-being of our youth.  M2Bio Sciences, Inc. M2Biome M2bio Kids

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