On the latest episode of JaneWallStreet Presents: At The Table, a biweekly podcast exploring the intersection of sports, media, and finance through the lens of (mostly) female decision-makers, JaneWallStreet Executive Chair Deirdre Lester sits down with Siegelman Stable Founder and CEO Max Siegelman.

In this hour-long conversation, the two surface and explore a range of actionable insights, including:

Use Local Licenses to Break into Sports

Licensing costs and existing rights agreements can complicate collaborations for challenger brands looking to enter sports. Working under a local license can simplify the process, but it will narrow the sales opportunity.

Our “Knicks and Rangers [partnership was done under] a local license, which basically means [we] work directly with the team, they wholesale [the products] and can only sell [them] in-arena. And that's the way we've worked with Madison Square Garden to date,” Siegelman said. “Only being able to sell in-arena obviously takes a lot of revenue away from [the] opportunity online, [but] it's [resulted in] this crazy demand where in the playoffs last year we had lines of a couple hundred, like 400 people, to go buy hats that we had on sale for the finals.”

Now, the brand is focused on expanding its reach.

“We are working through what a lot of our licensing structured relationships look like as we speak. We'll probably have a good announcement soon on a particular sports license provider that we'll partner with [so that we can work with] any sports league, any sports team moving forward,” Siegelman said. "[That will help us] move quicker and be able to be flexible if [the NFL wants to] do something for the Super Bowl champion or [if the NCAA wants to] do something for the Final Four. We can start to do these cool, fun, last-minute things [that are] engaging, and [enable us to] stay in that cultural moment and [maintain] momentum.”

Women’s Sports Fashion Has Room to Run

The opportunity exists to create more women’s lifestyle apparel that combines team affiliation with thoughtful design, quality materials and styles suited for everyday wear.

“It's a big untapped market, women in sports fashion… So, we've started to put more effort towards more female-focused SKUs,” Siegelman said. “Everything we make [has historically been] pretty unisex. [But] this season, we're putting out our first women's coaches jacket [with a] matching mini skirt. That's just us starting to understand our audience and [the existing demand].”

Authentic Cultural Partnerships Enhance the Fan Experience

As sports and culture increasingly intersect, teams have brought figures from the worlds of fashion, music, and art into creative roles to deepen their connection with fans. The strongest partnerships maintain a shared identity that fans recognize as authentic.

“A lot of people in fashion love the idea of being involved in sports, and I think [the crossover] aligns directly with [how we’re starting] to see some of these athletes [in] the front row of fashion shows. There's a reason that AC Milan and Off-White partnered and that's what [those] teams wear when they walk into games or they travel,” Siegelman said. There remains “a huge opportunity for brands to be a part of sports organizations because of the IP that [partnership] comes with. Ronnie [Fieg] has done an amazing job with Kith and Kith Night and what they've built with the Knicks over the last number of years. Same with Big Sean [in Detroit]. [And for the clubs], it brings attention, it brings excitement, it brings something new and fresh [to their fans].” 

📺 Watch the full episode on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube page.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

We’ll be back with the next episode of JaneWallStreet Presents: At The Table on December 3. Madison Reed CEO and Founder Amy Errett will be our guest. 

Catch previous episodes of At The Table, including our sit-down with LOVB Chief Growth Officer Stephanie Alger, former Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Global Head of Sports Julie Souza, Head of Fubo Sports Network & Fubo Studios Pamela Duckworth, former Barstool Sports CEO & Mule Media Co-Founder Erika Badan, ATHLOS Acting President Kayla Green, former CEO of CBS News Wendy McMahon, A-Rod Corp Chief Business Officer & Minnesota Timberwolves Chief Strategy Officer Kelly Laferriere, Rasenberger Media Founder & President Cathy Rasenberger, AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng, Jomboy Media CEO Courtney Hirsch, Trailblazing Sports Group Founder Sara Gotfredson, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR) CEO Jessica Gelman, SPORT BEACH CEO Beth Sidhu, and Premier Lacrosse League Co-Founder, President and Chief Creative Officer Paul Rabil on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube channel.

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In the latest episode, four JohnWallStreet Advisory Advisors discuss how rights owners —including the Milwaukee Brewers and Golden State Valkyries— can go about maximizing the value of a championship.

Key takeaways from the 50-minute conversation: play the long game, teams have 90 days to turn increased attention into lasting relationships, and championships do not fundamentally increase sponsorship value.

📺 Watch the full episode on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube page.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

As always, you can connect with a member of the JohnWallStreet Advisory team by sending a note to [email protected]. In fact, we encourage it!