Jeff Dodds

America’s No.1 sport of Football readies for its opening funding round and entry into the Women’s Sports ecosystem with the X League, here are the drivers for its investment thesis: 🏈 The momentum building behind Women's sports has never been greater. NCAA Women's Tournament Championship drew 18 million viewers (more than mens, first-time in the history), WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) is coming off a record ratings on ESPN + funding round / National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) hauls in record $250m 💰 media rights deals - the commercial opportunity for the X League is even greater because of Football's dominance in audience and economics. 🏈 A single IP driving the entire Women's category globally from youth to professional within America's No.1 sport of Football and its built-in audience of 200m (US) with cumulative annual revenues of $25B (NCAA Division I Football + NFL). 🏈 A single-entity business model that enables our media partners, corporate partners, and investors to take ownership of the global IP vs individual clubs. The single-entity model also enables for containing costs (salary cap) and greater efficiency (limited staffing locally - centralized out of league). 🏈 Network of over 3,500 global female athletes with unprecedented digital reach and influence. 🏈 As per NFHS, there are over 15,000+ girls currently playing Flag Football across 700 high schools. These thousands of current athletes and the millions that will follow them will seek out an aspirational destination league. 🏈 Women's Football being added to 2028 Summer Olympics accelerates X League's growth plans and global participation in the sport. 🏈 Netflix announced a $5B media rights deal with WWE; in this age of rapidly ascending LIVE sports rights set accelerate with Netflix's entry, the X League will be producing 350+ LIVE games year-round across its six (6) global leagues (US, UK, Germany, Mexico, Canada, and Australia) by 2032 in addition to multiple unscripted series, podcast network, short-form digital/social, and feature films. The X League will be a media company that operates a global sports IP. 🏈 Providing NFL broadcasters an opportunity to monetize their built-in NFL audiences outside of the NFL season. Football-focused corporate partners can now invest in growing the Women's game alongside the Men's game. The X League will be aligning with globally focused investors that bring strategic capital to the table, understanding that we will have a societal and commercial impact together.  It's truly #HerTurn 🚀

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Helios Investment Partners invests in the "Champions League of MMA,” the Africa arm of which will launch in April 2025 with its Healios Sports and Entertainment Group. #playbookafrica The Professional Fighters League has been established in Europe and the MENA region, and now PFL Africa, led by MMA Champion Francis Ngannou as chairman, will launch.   While the conversation about Africa and MMA has been happening for some time across the industry, we’re starting to see fights materialize…. Although it won’t be held on the continent, the UFC is hosting an “African” fight between South African Dricus Du Plessis and Nigerian Isreal Adesanya on August 17 after months of back-and-forth between the two. Note: It was rumored last April that they were eyeing Senegal as their first market. The PFL is planting its flag, but it doesn’t stop there. Upcoming regions include: - PFL Australia - PFL LATAM - PFL Asia, All by 2026. Other investments by Helios Sports and Entertainment include Zaria Court, a sports and entertainment district in Kigali, and the Basketball Africa League. ↓ How long do you think it will be before the PFL’s largest competitor, Ultimate Fighting Championship, follows suit and hosts a fight on the continent? For more news and analysis on the emerging sports economies of Africa and the Middle East, check out Playbook - Sports Business for Emerging Markets. __________ Video: PFL #linkedinsports #sportsbusiness

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The volunteer football governance campaign group I co-chaired between 2020-2024 "The People's FA". At the heart of our proposals was the total control The Premier League have over the The Football Association governance. On all professional matters within the FA, its the PL that control the shots, within the main board, the Professional Game Board (PGB) and it's committees, including the FA Challenge Cup committee. The FA does not have the independence. During the #Fanledreview we were one of three campaign groups referenced in the final report alongside Fair Game UK and Gary Neville - beautiful game group. We submitted significant research that at the heart of English Football governance is the direct control the PL have within the FA and this core problem needs to be unravelled. But it goes further and remember its the The Premier League which also directly fund the Football Supporters'​ Association, League Managers Association, the Professional Footballers'​ Association, Kick It Out. In addition to the impasse with the EFL (English Football League) on financial distribution of broadcast and media rights. Also the The Premier League are the only league in Europe to govern the most significant investments in football facilities/grassroots, ie the Football Foundation. Again this is all about control of the different organisations who should be independent. The decision on FA Cup replays is another clear reason why the PL powers and remit needs to be curtailed and where a modern and independent The Football Association should be put in place. A core submission to the fan led review was for the FA to come under the freedom of information act and a public body. https://lnkd.in/esVHN8mb With the "Independent Regulator" coming to fruition, would it have the remit to change the above decision?. No. The Independent regulator "Fan Led Review", main remit is the sustainability and financial sustainability of lower league clubs. It has currently missed the opportunity. It needs an Independent regulator with teeth. Grimsby Town Football Club statement: https://lnkd.in/es6Jy32h Jason Stockwood https://lnkd.in/e9mu__3P Tranmere Rovers FC https://lnkd.in/eqxX-RVe. Darragh MacAnthony Peterborough United Football Club https://lnkd.in/eNZ5euub Exeter City Supporters' Trust In 2015 my club Cambridge United Football Club drew at home Manchester United, the replay was at old trafford. That income was significant, let alone the memories of fans. Niall Couper Kieran Maguire Adam Leventhal Dan Roan https://lnkd.in/euVAJD8B

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