Former NFL star turned broadcaster Greg Olsen hopes to turn his passion for youth sports into a successful business venture.
Olsen will be replaced in the broadcast booth by NFL icon Tom Brady for the 2024 season.
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But he is a man of many interests and hopes his latest plan will help millions of people navigate a fragmented sports landscape.
Olsen closed a $4.5 million seed round for his new youth sports content and commerce company Youth Inc., a digital media network that will focus exclusively on youth sports content.
Originally a podcast launched by Audiorama, it now aims to transition into a media and e-commerce company.
The goal will be to not only entertain and educate people, but also serve as a direct-to-consumer marketplace for goods.
“This is something I experience every day, whether it’s through my own kids or spending time coaching other people’s kids,” said Olsen, a father of three.
“Five, six days a week I am in the community experiencing youth sports as a parent, as a coach and as a former athlete.
“If we build this platform right, this could be a lasting resource that millions of families across the country can rely on.”
The seed funding round was led by Will Ventures with co-investments from Ryan Sports Ventures, Jim Toth, co-founder of Hello Sunshine, and private equity fund ISOS Ventures.
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Olsen, who founded Audiorama, the parent company of Youth Inc., with former Carolina Panthers teammate Ryan Kalil, has received help from other football stars.
Quarterbacks Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and CJ Stroud of the Houston Texans were among those who contributed.
Tight end Olsen played in the NFL for 14 seasons, most of them with the Panthers, and was a three-time Pro Bowler.
Olsen retired from professional football in early 2021.
Since then, the 39-year-old has proven to be a popular broadcaster, working alongside commentator Kevin Burkhardt on Fox games.
Brady will begin working with Fox this fall, having signed a 10-year contract worth $375 million.
The legendary former New England Patriots quarterback said he’s looking forward to working on something outside his comfort zone.
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“Everyone asks me which ring is my favorite. I used to say, ‘Next.’ But now that I’m retired, my favorite ring is the camera that captured Coach Belichick leaving that poor girl’s house at 6 a.m. a few months ago.”
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“There were rumors that Coach Belichick would be here tonight. Turns out he has some time on his hands. Look, at least when I got fired, someone else wanted me.”
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“I think even with the expectations I have for myself, I’m going to work really hard at this part of my career, knowing that the first time you try something, you’re not very good at it,” Brady said.
“The first time I threw a football, I wasn’t very good at it.
“The first time I tried a math equation, I wasn’t very good at it.
“So in different ways, the first time you try something it’s not going to be the easiest way and you’re just going to have to keep working at it.”
The expectation is that the first game Brady works will be the Dallas Cowboys at the Cleveland Browns, on September 8th.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
