The Winning Formula: What Makes Sports IP Truly Valuable

Everyone wants to launch a league. Very few are building something that will last.

Michael Cohen

and

Andrew Brown

Apr 08, 2025

∙ Paid

We’re living through a gold rush in sports IP. Startup football leagues, reimagined golf tours, tennis exhibitions, even made-for-social flag football — all trying to stake a claim in the attention economy.

Why? Because in a world of infinite scroll, sports still command live, communal, appointment viewing. That’s a rare asset.

But with the surge of new f…

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A guest post by

Andrew Brown

Andrew is founder of 1896 Partners, working with operators & investors across sports & entertainment. In recent years, Andrew has partnered with founders of the most disruptive & innovative sports IP to build sustainable, high growth businesses.