Meet the Hall Of Fame Advisor to the NFL, Ryder Cup AND NASCAR! SportsMediaAdvisors CEO Reveals All!

Doug Perlman breaks down the media rights gold rush, why private equity is flooding into sports, and how NIL is transforming college athletics—drawing from deals across the NFL, Ryder Cup and NASCAR.

Doug Perlman is the Founder and CEO of Sports Media Advisors, a boutique advisory firm specializing in media rights, strategy, and transactions across professional sports. Since launching SMA in 2009, he has advised major leagues, teams, media networks, and private equity firms on high-value broadcast and digital rights deals. Previously, Perlman served as EVP of Media at the NHL and later as President of IMG Media North America. He began his career at Proskauer Rose LLP. A Sports Business Journal “Forty Under 40” Hall of Fame inductee, Perlman holds a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law and a BA from Duke University.

In this episode, Doug Perlman revealed:
◽️ The founding story and core services of Sports Media Advisors (SMA)
◽️ How private equity firms are increasingly investing in sports, from major leagues to emerging ones like pickleball
◽️ Building trust through long-term relationships and handling failures in the sports industry  
◽️ Strategies for maintaining a lean team while handling high-quality clients and deals  
◽️ The evolution of NIL in college sports, from initial ideals to pay-for-play realities and future settlements

⏱ Timestamps
00:00 Intro  
00:56 How Doug got started in sports  
02:31 Someone Doug worked with at IMG  
03:00 What Doug’s company does  
05:33 Are sports teams too expensive now?  
06:04 What other sports people are investing in  
07:13 How Doug got big-name clients  
07:38 Why people trust Doug’s company  
09:09 How Doug keeps strong relationships  
10:09 What Doug does when something goes wrong  
11:39 Doug’s first big deal  
13:30 How Doug learned new skills  
16:21 Doug’s dream client  
18:27 What keeps Doug excited about work  
20:53 Why his team is small  
23:05 What NIL is and why it matters  
26:39 Why NIL is tricky  
29:46 Will people still like college sports?  
31:44 What the Olympics can teach us  
33:29 Why sports is like buying juice  
35:08 How Doug knows what something is worth  
37:20 Doug’s tips for making deals  
39:34 Why hard work matters  
42:09 A question Doug doesn’t get often  
42:54 Doug’s best advice ever  
45:12 One big lesson from Doug  
46:29 Host shares his thoughts  
47:34 Outro  

📌 Resources
Doug Perlman
◽️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-perlman-0405877/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ Website: www.personable.media
◽️ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): x.com/harveybsmith_

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Additional:
◽️ The Draft (Sign up): thedraft.io
◽️ Fundraising: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/LouLouRacefoiundation?utm_term=PvByaxmdn

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.