Beyond the Scoreboard: The New Playbook for Sports as an Asset Class

WASHINGTON – July 22, 2026 – For generations, the language of sports has been one of statistics, rivalries, and athletic prowess. We followed wins and losses, debated trades, and pledged allegiance to a team crest. But a quiet, seismic shift has occurred. The conversations in owner’s boxes and boardrooms—once whispered—are now the main event. Today, the sports landscape is defined less by batting averages and more by billion-dollar franchise valuations, private equity inflows, and the complex calculus of global media rights. Your favorite team is no longer just a source of civic pride; it's a rapidly appreciating asset in a multi-trillion-dollar global market.

Capturing this transformation is Biz Talk Today TV's new weekly series, Franchise Value, which premiered this month. The program is a clear signal of this new era, deliberately sidestepping on-field highlights to offer what it calls an “institutional-level analysis of the financial forces transforming professional sports.” It’s a compelling premise: that to truly understand the world of sports in 2026, one needs the mind of an investment strategist more than that of a traditional sports analyst.

The New Financial Playbook

The mission of Franchise Value is to deconstruct the business behind the game. As the media landscape fragments, a show dedicated entirely to the economics of sport feels less like a niche product and more like an essential service for anyone looking to comprehend the industry's future. The series promises to explore everything from the explosion in franchise valuations across the NFL, NBA, and Formula One to the impact of AI, the economics of college athlete compensation, and the surge in women's sports.

“Sports has become a multi-trillion-dollar global business, yet few programs examine it through the lens of capital allocation, valuation, mergers, private equity, and investment strategy,” said Todd M. Schoenberger, CEO of CrossCheck Media, the network's parent company. “This series fills that gap by giving viewers institutional-quality conversations about one of the world's most dynamic industries.”

The show’s co-host and featured strategist, Shana Orczyk Sissel, echoes this sentiment, framing the program as a necessary educational tool. “We're taking viewers beyond the games to understand the economics that drive franchise values, media rights, private equity investment, athlete brands, and the future of global sports,” Sissel stated in the announcement. “Whether you're an investor or simply a passionate fan, understanding the business behind sports has never been more important.”

An Institutional Lens on the Game

What truly sets the show’s ambitious agenda apart is the perspective of its lead analyst. Shana Orczyk Sissel is not a former athlete or a beat reporter; she is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) with an MBA and over two decades of experience in asset management, earning the moniker “The Queen of Alternatives” from industry peers. As the founder and CEO of Banríon Capital Management, a fintech platform focused on alternative investments, her career has been built on dissecting complex financial instruments and identifying value where others see only risk.

Her background includes senior roles managing multi-million-dollar portfolios and conducting investment due diligence at firms like Spotlight Asset Group, Orion Advisor Solutions, and Fidelity. This is the forensic eye of a strategist accustomed to navigating the high-stakes world of capital markets—a world professional sports has decisively entered. By placing an investment professional at the center of the narrative, Franchise Value is making a deliberate choice to treat sports not as entertainment, but as a distinct asset class demanding rigorous financial scrutiny. The show isn't just about what happened; it's about the capital allocation, risk assessment, and long-term investment theses behind every major deal.

Decoding a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Ecosystem

The premise of the show rests on a verifiable explosion in the sports economy. While headline figures vary, recent reports from firms like PwC and Deloitte paint a clear picture of relentless growth. The global sports market, valued at over $570 billion in 2026, is projected to nearly double by 2035. This growth is fueled by several powerful, interlocking trends that Franchise Value aims to unpack.

Private equity is chief among them. Once locked out of major league ownership, private equity firms are now a dominant force, with all major U.S. leagues permitting funds to acquire minority stakes. These are not passive investments; they are strategic plays to capitalize on soaring franchise values, media rights, and associated real estate and technology ventures. The institutional capital flooding the market is fundamentally changing team ownership and governance.

Simultaneously, the media rights landscape, long the primary engine of league revenue, is becoming more complex. While global sports media rights are projected to exceed $67 billion in 2026, industry executives forecast a slowdown in the growth rate. This pressure is forcing leagues and teams to innovate, seeking new revenue through direct-to-consumer streaming, sponsorships, and immersive fan experiences—all fertile ground for financial analysis. Add to this the meteoric rise of sports betting, which now accounts for over $130 billion of the market, and the integration of artificial intelligence—used for everything from player performance analytics to hyper-personalized fan engagement—and the need for specialized analysis becomes undeniable.

A Strategic Niche in a Crowded Field

In launching Franchise Value, CrossCheck Media is making a calculated bet. The sports business media space is not empty, with established and respected outlets like Sports Business Journal and Sportico providing deep industry coverage. However, CrossCheck's strategy appears to be one of targeted specialization rather than direct competition. By creating a weekly television series with an investment-centric viewpoint, it carves out a distinct niche.

The show is delivered via Biz Talk Today TV, a network distributed across FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) and connected TV platforms. This model bypasses traditional cable bundles, aiming directly for a digitally-savvy audience of executives, financial professionals, and sophisticated fans who are increasingly consuming content on demand. It's a strategic move that aligns with two powerful trends: the financialization of sports and the fragmentation of media consumption.

By focusing on the 'why' behind the money, Franchise Value is positioned not just to report on the sports business but to interpret it. It seeks to equip its audience with the framework to see a stadium not just as a venue for a game, but as the centerpiece of a complex investment portfolio, complete with appreciating assets, diversified revenue streams, and emerging market opportunities.