Celebrating 100 Episodes: Revenue Above Replacement, Northwestern's Sports Business Podcast
Northwestern's MA in Sports Administration (MSA) podcast, Revenue Above Replacement, returns for a fourth season and is celebrating a milestone of 100 episodes of interviewing sports industry leaders, delving into a wide range of topics such as sports business, economics, marketing, branding, media, sponsorship, events, and public policy.
For their 100th episode, Revenue Above Replacement co-hosts and MSA faculty members Brice Clinton and Adam Grossman discuss the development of the podcast, which launched in 2021. They also reflect on its impact on them and their audiences, particularly MA in Sports Administration program students.
Throughout its four seasons, notable guests have included Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin, ESPN's Sara Spain, and NHL Chief Marketing Officer Heidi Browning, as well as MSA graduates at the beginning of their sports careers. Other memorable interviews feature mission-driven leaders making a difference in the field, including Beautiful Lives Project’s Bryce Weiler, who shares how his blindness has helped fuel his commitment to making sports more accessible for people and fans with disabilities.
"It's those types of guests that our students say, ‘I would like to be this type of person someday,'" whether from a personal perspective, a role, or a job,” says Clinton, faculty director of the MSA program, “It really gives the ability to relate and shows fans and listeners that sports can bridge a lot of gaps, and do a lot of things, both in business and on a personal level.”
Sports business podcast integrated into the Northwestern SPS MA in Sports Administration curriculum
MA in Sports Administration students not only gain insights from sports industry experts as listeners but also actively participate in the creation of Revenue Above Replacement. A unique aspect of the podcast is its integration into the Northwestern University MSA curriculum.
Students enrolled in the Introduction to Sports Analytics course, which is co-taught by Grossman and fellow faculty member Leslie Cervantes McGreevy, collaborate to develop a production plan, which includes selecting an episode’s guest, formulating questions, and defining the target audience. “Our goal is to provide students with the opportunity to learn from professionals with real-world experience in the topic we are covering during class,” says Grossman.
The podcast co-hosts recall that the concept of Revenue Above Replacement emerged when Grossman redesigned his course in 2020, with the intention of incorporating hands-on opportunities for students to explore new content platforms. “Brice then mentioned that he could contribute his expertise both in digital media sports and production (editing, mixing, and releasing) to the podcasts,” says Grossman.
Since then, the sports business podcast has evolved into an integral component of the MSA program. “What has been amazing to see is how the intertwinement of the two, [the podcast and our courses], has evolved over the seasons. We often now pull information from podcast episodes into our courses or vice versa and use the topics in our courses as primers for guests that we seek out,” says Clinton.
What’s next for sports business podcast Revenue Above Replacement
As they look forward, the podcast co-hosts are enthusiastic to continue interviewing guests on engaging topics that resonate with their expanding audience. “We are going to explore the most important strategic challenges that industry leaders are examining now and [anticipating] in sports. This includes conversations with guests about artificial intelligence, media rights strategy, women’s sports, emerging sports, sponsorship monetization, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL),” says Grossman.
Clinton adds that they plan to produce small series and features focusing on former MSA students at various career stages, as well as professionals with specific skill sets or in innovative intersections between sports and another industry, such as artificial intelligence, finance, and entrepreneurship. He says, “Anything that can widen the breadth of knowledge for our listeners.”
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