BLUESKYMEDIA NYC

Sports Media and Technology Consultants

ABOUT

BlueSkyMediaNYC, founded in 2010, is a boutique media consulting firm. Our expertise includes evaluating business opportunities for our clients and partners, including business development, strategy, distribution, go-to-market launch, collegiate NIL (name, image and likeness) advising, web3 (NFT/Blockchain/Crypto) development, social network partnerships, sales, fund-raising and acceleration.

We have advised dozens of companies in the digital sports media space and have reached agreements and partnerships with all of the major sports leagues and most of the major broadcast and cable rightsholders, regional sports nets, social networks, sports platforms and destinations. Many of our clients have achieved strategic and favorable exits.

LEADERSHIP

Leslie Gittess, a media and technology veteran, founded Blue Sky Media NYC. Leslie worked for over 16 years at Major League Baseball Advanced Media and the National Hockey League specializing in all aspects of digital rights management. Her previous positions include vice president of business development at Major League Baseball Advanced Media and Vice President of TV and Business Affairs at the National Hockey League. Prior to her career in sports, she was an associate at Hughes Hubbard and Reed in New York City.

She is also a contributor/advisor at the Columbia University Start-up Lab in Soho.

Leslie received a BA in economics from Columbia University and a JD from Georgetown University. While a student at Columbia, she was a captain and member of the Women's Tennis Team. Ms. Gittess is on the Columbia College Board of Visitors, an executive committee representative for the Columbia Women's Tennis Team and a co-chair of the UJA's Sports For Youth Committee.

Jody Shapiro is a veteran of three professional sports leagues: the NHL, NBA & MLB. A programming and production specialist, as a producer, he won Emmys for This Week in Baseball and The Baseball Bunch. He then launched and became General Manager of Home Team Sports (HTS), the mid-Atlantic Regional Sports Network. At the NBA, Jody was Senior Vice President, Media, and responsible for NBA League Pass, the NBA's 24/7 national sports channel, among other media businesses. At the NHL, Jody oversaw NHL Center Ice and negotiated distribution agreements for the launch of the NHL Network, the NHL's 24/7 channel.

Jody and Leslie deliver their joint expertise to all clients.

About Us

SERVICES

Services

A Comprehensive Approach

STRATEGY

Digital strategy, including the creation, monetization and distribution of content.

Business strategy, including planning/timelines, business development, distribution plan (social, OTT, platform, digital, etc) and budgets.

College/Conference/University advising on name, image and likeness (NIL) strategy.

OTT strategy, including advice on the creation, launch and distribution of over-the-top networks and on-demand content.

Cypto/NFT/Web3 consulting and integration of products and services

Corporate strategy, including advice on governance, transactional and exit strategy.

Expert Guidance

INTRODUCTIONS - RELATIONSHIPS

Introductions to senior executives at media and technology companies, colleges and conferences, VCs, sports leagues, music and entertainment companies.

Recommendations and referrals for use of third party resources, including technology providers, content creators, designers, producers, and all providers of services for media needs.

Providing media research and analysis to support strategy and objectives.

Providing expert advice, counsel and testimony.

The Path to Success

OPERATIONS - NEGOTIATIONS

Sales and business development partnerships.

Preparation of term sheets, proposals and review of contract terms.

Negotiation of agreements until conclusion.

Recruiting for key business and sales positions.

Marketing of products and services.

Developing launch and growth goals based on business plan.

Analysis of market and product valuation based on competitive sports media landscape.