As Dan Le Batard and John Skipper work to jumpstart their new venture Meadowlark Media, the pair has discussed possible financial backing with other industry leaders.
After previously writing Le Batard and Skipper are seeking between $10-15 million of initial funding, Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported Wasserman and DraftKings as two serious targets.
Casey Wasserman, the chairman and CEO of Wasserman Media Group has a working relationship with Skipper, who led ESPN from 2012-2017, meeting at various industry related events. Skipper also knows DraftKings CEO Jason Robins well, having brokered a deal with the sports betting operator to become ESPN’s official daily fantasy sports platform in 2015.
Both companies continue to be titans in the sports industry. In 2015, Wasserman successfully guided Los Angeles’ bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics, leading their Olympic organizing committee. And as sports betting becomes more prominently legalized throughout the United States, DraftKings continues to see their portfolio explode.
The sports betting operator currently has a market value exceeding $23 billion, and a growing interest for financing mergers and acquisitions to further expand.
Skipper and Le Batard want to maintain control of their startup, which is why they prefer a variety of investors rather than one large supporter for Meadowlark Media. According to McCarthy, the talks with Wasserman and DraftKings regarding investments are serious, but not yet imminent.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
