Media rights for women's sports currently offer a superior return on investment for media companies compared to more established men's sports.
To attract top-tier talent and ensure the success of new sports leagues, it is essential to offer athletes compensation comparable to lucrative overseas contracts and provide them with an equity stake in the league itself.
The most successful large-scale media partnerships are structured as true 50/50 ventures where all major revenue streams are pooled and divided equally, aligning all parties toward a common goal.
Modern sports broadcasting must empower the consumer by providing comprehensive, live access across multiple platforms, allowing the viewer to control their own experience.
Co-CEO leadership structures are fundamentally flawed and have a failure rate of approximately 90%.
1984
Began his career at advertising agency SSC&B in New York, earning a starting salary of $9,000 as an assistant network buyer.
Early Turner Sports Digital Era
While building Turner Sports' digital portfolio, Levy acknowledges that the company overpaid for the digital rights for major properties like NASCAR and the PGA Tour.
Landmark NCAA Deal
Forged an $11 billion media deal between Turner and CBS for the NCAA March Madness tournament, introducing a multi-network broadcast format that gave viewers unprecedented choice. The deal is expected to last until 2032.
Present
As the leader of Horizon Sports and Experiences, Levy is focused on creating and investing in new sports properties, particularly in women's basketball (Unrivaled, Women's Champions Classic) and emerging sports like pickleball.
▶Revolutionizing Sports BroadcastingApr 2026
Levy is credited with fundamentally changing how major sporting events are consumed. His landmark NCAA March Madness deal with CBS introduced the innovative concept of broadcasting all games live simultaneously across four networks, shifting control to the viewer.
This demonstrates a long-standing focus on consumer experience as a driver of value, suggesting that his future ventures will likely prioritize accessibility and user choice over traditional, curated broadcast schedules.
▶Championing and Commercializing Women's SportsApr 2026
A significant portion of Levy's current work involves creating and investing in professional women's sports. Through ventures like the Unrivaled league and the Women's Champions Classic, he is implementing models that feature equitable pay, athlete equity, and new sponsorship opportunities.
Levy is betting that the market has historically undervalued women's sports, and by creating premium products with proper financial backing and athlete incentives, he can generate a significant return on investment as ratings and interest grow.
▶The Art of the 50/50 PartnershipApr 2026
Levy's approach to large-scale deals is rooted in creating true 50/50 partnerships. The Turner/CBS deal for March Madness pooled all major revenue streams to be split equally, aligning the interests of both media giants.
This philosophy mitigates risk in high-stakes ventures and suggests a preference for collaborative, mutually beneficial structures over zero-sum, competitive acquisitions, a key consideration for potential partners.
▶Building New Sports EcosystemsApr 2026
With his company Horizon Sports and Experiences, Levy is not just buying media rights but building entire sports properties from the ground up. This includes investing in leagues (Unrivaled, Pickleball Slam), owning tournaments (Women's Champions Classic), and managing sponsorship sales and media rights negotiations.
This vertically integrated approach allows his company to capture value at multiple points in the sports value chain, indicating a strategy that is less dependent on the established media rights market and more focused on creating wholly-owned, high-growth assets.