1/ Recently been on an @APompliano binge, and recently came across this article (from 2017!!) where he breaks down the genius of @stoolpresidente and shares why @barstoolsports will become the most powerful media org in the world.
Very relevant for today's media landscape.
Very relevant for today's media landscape.
2/ Barstool Sports is building the most valuable media company in the world
I say that in a sensationalist tone to grab attention, but there are real drivers behind the sentiment that make it possible. The relatively small team has built a large, hyper engaged audience
I say that in a sensationalist tone to grab attention, but there are real drivers behind the sentiment that make it possible. The relatively small team has built a large, hyper engaged audience
3/ The magic is driven by charismatic personalities, a cultural obsession with memes/humor, and a system level evolution in distribution platforms
4/ The focus on “clicks” by media empires was once a recipe for success, but is now a bee line to negative unit economics and the inherent fall from grace that follows
5/ What has Barstool done to set them up for world domination?
The answer is more complex than you would think… the true magic lies in the electric blending of individual parts
The answer is more complex than you would think… the true magic lies in the electric blending of individual parts
6/ Unscalable things: @stoolpresidente worked his ass off to get in front of anyone… and focused on creating valuable content that made people laugh
7/ Hyper engaged audience: Every media organization wants one. @barstoolsports is set up better than almost any other media company to take advantage of successful distribution on social platforms predicated on users sharing, retweeting, liking, favoriting
8/ Authentic content: A hyper engaged audience doesn’t just appear out of thin air. It is created by establishing trust over a long time.
This level of authentic content is nearly impossible to replicate and creates a highly defensible moat for the band of Barstool bloggers.
This level of authentic content is nearly impossible to replicate and creates a highly defensible moat for the band of Barstool bloggers.
9/ Humor: It would be a waste of time if they weren’t actually funny… They have a sick sense of humor. It resonates with hundreds of thousands of people across the world. Media companies who can’t make fun of themselves moving forward are going to struggle heavily.
10/ Advertising: By mixing humor and authenticity, @barstoolsports is able to create engaging advertising content that is nearly impossible to copy… the team has found the magical intersection of valuable content and advertising dollars
11/ Operational excellence: @stoolpresidente knew he couldn’t do this alone.
He made a brilliant decision to partner with @peterchernin and TCG. They brought in Erika Nardini and the rest will be history.
He made a brilliant decision to partner with @peterchernin and TCG. They brought in Erika Nardini and the rest will be history.
12/ Monetization: Every media company is struggling to make money… @barstoolsports has an exploding physical product business that drives revenue… they make money which makes them sustainable
13/ It’s clear that @stoolpresidente has built @barstoolsports into a major player in sports media. Everyone know that what gets you here, won’t get you there though. @pomp predicts the team will pull off 3 legendary moves:
14/ 1) They’ll push @stoolpresidente and co to cover non-sports content
Oh boy, as big brained as @APompliano is, I doubt even he foresaw the extent of @stoolpresidente’s stock market wizardry
Oh boy, as big brained as @APompliano is, I doubt even he foresaw the extent of @stoolpresidente’s stock market wizardry
15/ 2) @barstoolsports will recreate almost every incumbent monetization channel for the social age… As they build out their tech, Barstool will replace PPV for the common man in a narrow vertical of content… deepens the relationship with audience and drives compelling revenue
16/ 3) Barstool will evolve into serious journalism… The company and the personalities won’t sell out to the suits. They’ll create coverage in a unique, Barstool way. They’ll transform from boys in their parent’s basements to the most valuable, powerful media org in the world
17/ @barstoolsports – the most powerful media company in the world.
That has a really nice ring to it. I just hope that Dave doesn’t get scared and sell the company too early because he can’t handle true greatness.
That has a really nice ring to it. I just hope that Dave doesn’t get scared and sell the company too early because he can’t handle true greatness.
18/ @stoolpresidente and @APompliano are two of the most big brained guys out there. Honestly surprised they haven’t done a podcast together yet… hoping it happens and looking forward to listening!
Full link: medium.com/@apompliano/da…
Full link: medium.com/@apompliano/da…
End/ If you enjoyed this, check out my substack where I share some notes on an interesting letter (mostly from my compilations) each day:
aletteraday.substack.com
aletteraday.substack.com
