How Leaders Lead with David Novak• Aug 14, 2025• 53:58Interview

Inside the Mind of the Leader Who Changed How We Watch Sports

From How Leaders Lead with David Novak

David Levy•co-CEO, Horizon Sports and Experiences

Executive Summary

David Levy, former President of Turner, details the landmark Turner/CBS partnership that revolutionized the broadcast of the NCAA March Madness tournament, turning it from a loss-leader for CBS into a highly profitable, fully-televised event.
Levy's current venture, Horizon Sports and Experiences (HS&E), focuses on creating and owning new sports intellectual property (IP), capitalizing on emerging trends like pickleball (Pickleball Slam) and the rapid growth of women's sports.
HS&E is making significant investments in women's basketball, including owning the Women's Champions Classic and partnering with the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league, which provides WNBA players with a high-paying domestic offseason option.
Levy's leadership philosophy emphasizes surrounding oneself with top talent and the ability to lead peers and individuals who do not directly report to you as the hallmark of a great leader.

11 quotes

Concerns Raised

The high failure rate (approx. 90%) of co-CEO leadership structures.
The challenge of retaining top talent in a growing company.
The risk of pricing diehard fans out of live sporting events.

Opportunities Identified

Investing in undervalued women's sports media rights for high ROI.
Creating new sports and entertainment IP to build long-term enterprise value.
Capitalizing on the consumer demand for live events, which Levy calls 'the new digital'.
Bringing non-traditional sponsors (e.g., Sephora, Wayfair) into sports partnerships.

Key Themes

Innovation in Sports Media Rights

The episode details the creation of the groundbreaking Turner/CBS partnership for the NCAA March Madness tournament. This 50-50 joint venture introduced the concept of broadcasting every game live across multiple networks, fundamentally changing sports media consumption and creating a highly profitable model.

This illustrates how creative deal structures can unlock immense value in established media properties, turning a financial liability into a major revenue driver by expanding access and inventory.

The Business of Women's Sports

Levy identifies women's sports as a major growth area with a strong ROI for media rights and sponsorships. His company is actively investing by creating new events like the Women's Champions Classic and taking an equity stake in new leagues like Unrivaled, demonstrating a belief in the long-term commercial viability of the sector.

This highlights the accelerating commercialization and investment in women's sports, presenting a significant opportunity for brands, investors, and media companies to engage with a rapidly growing and passionate audience.

Creating and Owning Intellectual Property

A core strategy for Horizon Sports and Experiences is moving beyond a traditional agency model to creating, owning, and controlling its own sports IP. Events like the Pickleball Slam and the Women's Champions Classic are owned by HS&E, giving them control over media rights, sponsorships, and long-term enterprise value.

This shift from a service-based model to an asset-ownership model represents a more durable and scalable approach to building a business in the sports and entertainment industry.

Strategic Partnerships and Leadership Structures

The discussion covers various partnership models, from the Turner/CBS joint venture to the co-CEO structure at HS&E. Levy emphasizes the importance of complementary skill sets and clearly defined roles, noting that while most co-CEO structures fail, his with Chris Weil succeeds due to minimal overlap in their networks and responsibilities.

This provides insight into structuring effective collaborations, whether for large-scale media deals or executive leadership, stressing the need for strategic alignment and operational clarity to ensure success.

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Topics

Sports Media Media Rights NCAA March Madness Turner Sports CBS Sports Partnerships Joint Ventures Women's Sports WNBA Unrivaled League Pickleball Intellectual Property (IP)Sponsorship Brand Consulting Leadership

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