Zach Leonsis: Owner, Washington Capitals and Wizards

Suiting Up with Paul Rabil

Paul Rabil

Sports, Business

5 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2017

⏱️ 104 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Zach Leonsis is the Vice President and General Manager of Monumental Sports Network (MSN), a first-of-its-kind regional network for digital, mobile and over-the-top platforms. MSN is co-owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) and NBC Sports Group. MSE was founded and chaired by Zach’s father, Ted Leonsis. Ted’s a co-founder of AOL and one of the most decorated and sophisticated sports and tech operators and investors on the planet. The Leonsis’ own the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, Capital One Arena, two Arena Football League teams, and controlling interest in Team Liquid – one of the most successful Esports franchises in the world. Also, they're founding members in one of the more successful private equity and venture capital groups in the US, called Revolution Growth Fund. I traveled down to DC to sit in Zach’s office and talk shop. We cover everything from team operations, to new media in sports, NBA free agency, defining Esports, and Ted's purchase of the Washington Capitals in 1999. There are some wonderful stories Zach shares with us, including his take on how you can secure a job in the sports industry. That bit is toward the end. Suiting Up Podcast is a show that explores the psychology, playbook of tools, and strategies of the most influential people in sports, entertainment and business.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We have a world-class practice facility on the capital side. We're building a world-class practice facility on the wizard's side.
0:07.0	Both teams pay to the cap, pay a little bit over the cap for the Wizards.
0:14.6	We spent about what, $240 million in commitments this summer on extending John Wall
0:20.1	and Otto Porter.
0:21.4	We're very, very serious about trying to field championship
0:24.5	caliber teams and you know I think our one regret is that we haven't won a
0:29.7	championship yet. Welcome everyone I I'm Paul Rayble.
0:33.0	This is Suiting Up Podcast, and it is episode number as I school on my phone.
0:39.0	We don't number our shows.
0:42.2	But we're in our 20s, I that and it's been really energizing putting
0:46.2	these together interviewing our guests and getting feedback that's primarily been positive
0:51.0	and the constructive feedback has been very helpful as we
0:54.8	continue to hone in on delivering a really nice product. So this week's
1:00.2	guest he's a good buddy of mine. His name's Zach is exactly onsis and he is the vice president and GM of monumental sports
1:05.8	network which is a first of its kind regional sports network for
1:08.8	digital mobile and over-the-top platforms those OTTs that we've been hearing about for several years,
1:13.8	we explain what all that means on the show.
1:17.2	Monumental Sports Network, though, is owned by Monumental Sports
1:20.0	and Entertainment, called MSE, which was founded and chaired by Zach's father Ted Leonesis.
1:26.3	And Ted, well, he's a co-founder of AOL and one of the most decorated and sophisticated tech
1:31.6	investors and sports operators on the planet, if not the most.
1:35.1	I promise you that.
	...

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