#80: The Founder Building Italy’s Fastest Growing Esports Organization | Emanuele Acerbis, NOVO Esports

What I Learned About Athlete Wealth Teams (ft. Athletes Capital Podcast)

Listen my conversation on the Athletes Capital Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FRZqMfnAp8If you’re new to my work, I’m Edoardo Grandi and I talk about how wealth is created in sports. I interview the people who build and buy the best businesses in sports, media, and entertainment so you can see how value is created at the highest level.How I got here18: Started speaking with entrepreneurs to understand how sports businesses create wealth.19: Founded Students of Sport Business, an EdTech startup. Engaged 15 elite European sports executives and 150 students. Failed due to funding and adoption.20: Worked in wealth management in Luxembourg and London. Saw how athlete and entertainer services were underserved.21: Joined Berkida Ventures (founded by a 49ers Enterprises advisor) in London. Worked on due diligence and new business with European football clubs and sports tech companies.22: Graduated from John Cabot University in Economics and Finance & Signed NCAA Division 1 at Fordham UniversityToday: Recorded more than 80 interviews with founders and investors in sports media and entertainment to show how the best sports businesses are built, scaled, bought, and valued.My mission is to help Italy produce world champion athletes, make wealth education for athletes and entertainers accessible, and help entrepreneurs succession plan their companies so they transition cleanly. Everything I do is built to help athletes, founders, and creators build wealth in the sports ecosystem.To everyone chasing excellence in sports, keep creating value. I hope this content helps you. The climb is steep, but that is what makes champions.Keep building and never quit,EdoardoDISCLOSURE:Content is educational. Business decisions involve risk. Athletes, founders, and entrepreneurs should evaluate their own strategies and risks. Your results may vary. You are responsible for your own choices.© 2026.

My take on Athletes Investing in Football Clubs (Ft. Athletes Capital Podcast)

Listen my conversation on the Athletes Capital Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FRZqMfnAp8 If you’re new to my work, I’m Edoardo Grandi and I talk about how wealth is created in sports. I interview the people who build and buy the best businesses in sports, media, and entertainment so you can see how value is created at the highest level. How I got here 18: Started speaking with entrepreneurs to understand how sports businesses create wealth. 19: Founded Students of Sport Business, an EdTech startup. Engaged 15 elite European sports executives and 150 students. Failed due to funding and adoption. 20: Worked in wealth management in Luxembourg and London. Saw how athlete and entertainer services were underserved. 21: Joined Berkida Ventures (founded by a 49ers Enterprises advisor) in London. Worked on due diligence and new business with European football clubs and sports tech companies. 22: Graduated from John Cabot University in Economics and Finance & Signed NCAA Division 1 at Fordham University Today: Recorded more than 80 interviews with founders and investors in sports media and entertainment to show how the best sports businesses are built, scaled, bought, and valued. My mission is to help Italy produce world champion athletes, make wealth education for athletes and entertainers accessible, and help entrepreneurs succession plan their companies so they transition cleanly. Everything I do is built to help athletes, founders, and creators build wealth in the sports ecosystem. To everyone chasing excellence in sports, keep creating value. I hope this content helps you. The climb is steep, but that is what makes champions. Keep building and never quit, Edoardo DISCLOSURE: Content is educational. Business decisions involve risk. Athletes, founders, and entrepreneurs should evaluate their own strategies and risks. Your results may vary. You are responsible for your own choices. © 2026.

#83: Money Monday | How a Stadium Signage Business Can Make More Money

If you’re new to my work, I’m Edoardo Grandi and I talk about how wealth is created in sports. I interview the people who build and buy the best businesses in sports, media, and entertainment so you can see how value is created at the highest level.How I got here18: Started speaking with entrepreneurs to understand how sports businesses create wealth.19: Founded Students of Sport Business, an EdTech startup. Engaged 15 elite European sports executives and 150 students. Failed due to funding and adoption.20: Worked in wealth management in Luxembourg and London. Saw how athlete and entertainer services were underserved.21: Joined Berkida Ventures (founded by a 49ers Enterprises advisor) in London. Worked on due diligence and new business with European football clubs and sports tech companies.22: Graduated from John Cabot University in Economics and Finance & Signed NCAA Division 1 at Fordham UniversityToday: Recorded more than 80 interviews with founders and investors in sports media and entertainment to show how the best sports businesses are built, scaled, bought, and valued.My mission is to help Italy produce world champion athletes, make wealth education for athletes and entertainers accessible, and help entrepreneurs succession plan their companies so they transition cleanly. Everything I do is built to help athletes, founders, and creators build wealth in the sports ecosystem.To everyone chasing excellence in sports, keep creating value. I hope this content helps you. The climb is steep, but that is what makes champions.Keep building and never quit,EdoardoDISCLOSURE:Content is educational. Business decisions involve risk. Athletes, founders, and entrepreneurs should evaluate their own strategies and risks. Your results may vary. You are responsible for your own choices.© 2026.

#82: Money Monday | How a TALENT REPRESENTATION BUSINESS can Make More Money

If you’re new to my work, I’m Edoardo Grandi and I talk about how wealth is created in sports. I interview the people who build and buy the best businesses in sports, media, and entertainment so you can see how value is created at the highest level.How I got here18: Started speaking with entrepreneurs to understand how sports businesses create wealth.19: Founded Students of Sport Business, an EdTech startup. Engaged 15 elite European sports executives and 150 students. Failed due to funding and adoption.20: Worked in wealth management in Luxembourg and London. Saw how athlete and entertainer services were underserved.21: Joined Berkida Ventures (founded by a 49ers Enterprises advisor) in London. Worked on due diligence and new business with European football clubs and sports tech companies.22: Graduated from John Cabot University in Economics and Finance & Signed NCAA Division 1 at Fordham UniversityToday: Recorded more than 80 interviews with founders and investors in sports media and entertainment to show how the best sports businesses are built, scaled, bought, and valued.My mission is to help Italy produce world champion athletes, make wealth education for athletes and entertainers accessible, and help entrepreneurs succession plan their companies so they transition cleanly. Everything I do is built to help athletes, founders, and creators build wealth in the sports ecosystem.To everyone chasing excellence in sports, keep creating value. I hope this content helps you. The climb is steep, but that is what makes champions.Keep building and never quit,EdoardoDISCLOSURE:Content is educational. Business decisions involve risk. Athletes, founders, and entrepreneurs should evaluate their own strategies and risks. Your results may vary. You are responsible for your own choices.© 2026.

#81: How BLAST Became a Global Leader in Esports Entertainment | Robbie Douek, CEO

How do you build a world class esports media company that produces premium tournaments, global live events, and broadcast experiences watched by millions? In this episode, Edoardo Grandi speaks with Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST, one of the most influential organizations in modern esports and competitive entertainment.BLAST has become a global leader in tournament production, live event IP, and high end broadcast technology, delivering formats across Counter Strike, Rainbow Six, Fortnite, and multiple publisher partnered ecosystems. Under Robbie’s leadership, BLAST has scaled from a single tournament series into a multi vertical media powerhouse operating in over 150 countries with distribution in 32 languages.Robbie explains how BLAST was built, what problem he saw in the esports events landscape, and why he believes the future of competitive gaming sits at the intersection of media, technology, and live entertainment. We discuss how BLAST structures its business model, how revenue enters the company, and what makes an esports media organization investable in today’s market.We also explore the growth outlook for esports in 2026, including consolidation, new technologies, and the global investment trends shaping the next decade of competitive entertainment. If you work in gaming, esports, or digital media, this conversation will help you understand how a modern events and production company scales internationally and where the next wave of opportunity will emerge.What we coverHow BLAST was founded and the insight behind its global expansionHow the business model works across events, media rights, sponsorships, and IPWhat makes an esports media company investable in 2026How BLAST produces world class tournaments and live entertainment formatsThe biggest tailwinds shaping the gaming and esports industryHow consolidation, AR and XR, and global investment trends will impact events and media companiesThe long term opportunities in global esports production and distributionThe social and community role of esports events for players, fans, and cities🎙️ Guest: Robbie Douek, CEO, BLAST📩 Contact Edoardo: edoardo@sport-businessman.com🌐 Learn business models in sports and entertainment: sport-businessman.com