Episode 108: Facilitating the Biggest Deals

Joe and Tom are joined by is joined Chris Russo, Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey,  for a conversation on the financial side of the sportsbiz!! Chris is a recognized industry leader and innovator in digital sports media. With a proven track record of success in both corporate and start-up environments. As Senior VP and general manager of the NFL's new media division, he completed arrangements valued in excess of $1 billion. As Founder and CEO of Big Lead Sports (aka Fantasy Sports Ventures), he created the largest independent digital sports property in the U.S. with 20 million+ unique users and ultimately sold the company to USA TODAY. He gained extensive television experience via senior executive positions at NBC and New Line Cinema.Chris talks about the upcoming parts of the sports industry, how he looks at deal flow, what makes a good sports investment and how Houlihan Lokey helps sports companies that are trying to raise money. Chris also shares his inisghts on where sports finance is going to in the future.You can find out more info on Houlihan Lokey here The Facts The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR). 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