In a volatile entertainment business, what is the current state (and the future prospects) of live sports? On the first episode of Follow the Money, host Sam McCleery is joined by John Kosner, a four-decade sports-media veteran and president of Kosner Media, where he advises leagues, technology companies, and investors on digital strategy, media valuations, and rights negotiations. One of the industry’s earliest digital pioneers, he played a central role in building ESPN into a global leader in streaming, editorial content, fantasy, and direct-to-consumer products during his 21 years at the company, earning multiple Sports Emmys, Online Journalism Awards, and repeated recognition from SportsBusiness Journal.

Today, Kosner works with organizations ranging from Apple and the USOPC to MLS, Opendorse, SponsorUnited, Videocites, and numerous early-stage sports-tech startups. He co-founded Micromanagement Ventures with the late David Stern, investing in breakthrough companies such as WHOOP, WSC Sports, Overtime, and others that have since been acquired. Alongside longtime collaborator Ed Desser, he develops media-rights strategies, performs league and property valuations, and contributes regular analysis to Sports Business Journal, including the influential review that accompanied the NCAA’s External Gender Equity Report. He also writes on sports and gaming with J Moses and serves as an expert witness in major industry legal matters.