521: Disruptive Play's Michael Cohen and Jeff Nathenson Break Down the Sports Media Creator Economy

Tom Richardson welcomes Michael Cohen, founder of Disruptive Play and co-founder of Creator Sports Network, and Jeff Nathenson, partner at Disruptive Play and MD of Platforms at whynow, to discuss what they believe is the most consequential shift happening in sports media today: the rise of creator-led distribution and its implications for rights holders, broadcasters, and the next generation of fans. Cohen and Nathenson share the origin story of Disruptive Play and explain why they built a platform specifically to challenge the assumptions that have governed the industry for decades. The conversation digs into their thesis on creator-led media, arguing that it represents a system and mindset rather than simply a content format, drawing comparisons between Mr. Beast, the Savannah Bananas, and Walt Disney’s original vision for building IP ecosystems. They discuss Creator Sports Network, their venture that enables creators to legally stream live sports directly from their social channels, and why they believe this model solves two major problems for rights holders at once, reaching younger fans and generating net new commercial inventory. Cohen and Nathenson also tackle the looming generational challenge facing major sports leagues, asking what happens when an entire cohort of fans grows up never watching a live game, and why the traditional advertising model is increasingly incompatible with how Gen Z and Gen Alpha consume content.Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mccohen/Connect with Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-nathenson-09abab3/Subscribe to the CUSP Show: SubstackThe CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR) and produced by Sam Henry (@s_henry11), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with social media efforts led by Lissa Ruiz and Sydney Cristall. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com