PLN focus on under-optimized sports like World Putting League, Strongman Championship, Slapfight and Major League Paintball
This week I am back with another interview, this time with Mike and Bill from Pro League Network. Here is a quick bio before we jump in:
Mike Salvaris, Co-Founder of Pro League Network, has over 20 years of experience at the intersection of sports and wagering, with achievements including the development of the Colonial Downs gaming and racing facility in Virginia and operating Luckii.com.
Originally a commercial litigator from Australia, Mike holds a law and economics degree from Monash University and an MBA from London Business School.
Bill Yucatonis, also a Co-Founder of Pro League Network, brings nearly two decades of expertise in the sports, racing, and gaming industry. He has led the development and brand vision of professional sports launches for PLN and played a pivotal role in various casino and racing projects that generated billions of dollars in handle and substantial economic impact.
Bill’s early career involved leading marketing and corporate strategy for BetClic Everest Group, contributing to the growth of Everest Poker into a top poker brand across three continents. He envisions PLN as a game-changer for niche sports’ growth and monetization through a tailored content and distribution strategy.
When I heard about the Pro League Network I wanted to learn more about their place in the US sports and betting space. Let’s dive in!
First off: what is Pro League Network?
Salvaris & Yucatonis. Pro League Network is sports media and entertainment company that produces fun, bettable sports. PLN sits at the intersection of media, sports betting and the rapidly expanding alternative sports market. We create value for our leagues by owning, controlling, producing and distributing our unique IP which allows us to create sports leagues in a way that brings in casual fans.
We find casual and accessible professional sports that have an existing market and fanbase with an opportunity to grow through content and available wagering markets, like the World Putting League, SlapFight Championship, Carjitsu Championship and Pro Carrom Tour.
What sports are in your portfolio now?
Salvaris & Yucatonis. Our sports run the gamut and are super entertaining. For a sport to be part of our portfolio, it needs to be easy to watch, and easily accessible for a new audience.
We have 16 sports in our portfolio right now, highlighted by World Putting League, a professional mini golf league that’s seen great success. We’ve hosted many live WPL tournaments this year that have demonstrated strong engagement from an online audience and interest in wagering. Featuring the world’s best mini golfers, WPL is distributed in conjunction with creator-led broadcast partners, generating more than 1.1 million impressions.
We recently acquired SlapFIGHT Championship and its studio in Branson, Missouri, which we’re developing to become PLN Studio – a new home for PLN portfolio sports.
One of our most popular sports is Carjitsu Championship – exactly what it sounds like, jujutsu in a car. Our early CarJitsu Championship content has become a viral sensation and we’re looking forward to upcoming matches.
How is betting intertwined with each of these sports?
Salvaris & Yucatonis. Betting is the ultimate fan engagement. We’re building sports with betting in mind, to fill the gaps in the sports calendar when there might not be anything to engage fans, especially during the week. Fans and bettors alike are expecting a more consolidated viewing experience. To meet this need, we build betting directly into our broadcasts, so fans can watch and wager on one screen.
We know that sports fans are searching for sports to engage with during the week and use their betting entertainment dollars. For example, 60% of the handle on horse races comes from races on weekdays. We want to be the weekday option for people and we believe that PLN provides easily consumable, bettable and entertaining content for our viewers.
Where can fans watch these tournaments?
Salvaris & Yucatonis. We own the broadcast production and distribution to our sports and stream each sport on our channels. Fans go to ProLeagueNetwork.com to find livestreams. Most sports are also streamed on social channels. Instead of adopting traditional sports’ approach to broadcast – being very protective over the broadcast – we’ve opened the doors for creators and influencers to layer on watch-alongs and streams of our sports on their own channels. We encourage our fans to take our streamed sports and make them their own, inherently making them more engaging for the everyday fan.
What can we expect from PLN in the next few months?
Salvaris & Yucatonis. We just announced the launch of Str33t, a new 3×3 professional streetball-style basketball league and the Pro Carrom Tour, which is a very popular sport in southeast Asia. Str33t is a joint venture between PLN and Kevin Garnett’s sports venture arm Big Ticket Sports. We’re mixing the popularity of 3×3 basketball with the style and energy of streetball. We’ll hold the first series in early 2024. Through this venture, Kevin Garnett became an investor in PLN, joining Roger Ehrenberg.
