
L.A. Dodgers Accelerator - Lukeas14
http://www.dodgersaccelerator.com/
======
brudgers
In part, this expresses a common public perception of startups: that branding
and marketing are the critical early steps. It's the idea that everything
starts with SEO and social media. Baseball teams don't have track records of
disrupting industries...they have a fucking antitrust exemption and live off
tax payer subsidized stadium deals. They all take the 3~0 pitch and don't bunt
with two out. It's conservative money jumping on the startup hype and cashing
in their star power

~~~
slg
Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) is a company that has streaming
video deals with HBO, Sony, ESPN, WWE, and the PGA Tour. They measure their
non-baseball related revenue with 9 figures. Their streaming service exceeded
Twitch in both number of streams and revenue in 2014. They are currently
evaluating spinning-off as a company with a valuation in the neighborhood of
$5 billion [1] . MLBAM actually is one of the best examples of a successful
tech startup created by a pre-Internet company. But since they are a private
company that never took venture capital, they are mostly ignored by people in
our community. Granted the Dodgers are only 1/30th of MLBAM, but I think your
overall view of baseball is outdated and in turn you might be overly cynical
regarding this accelerator.

[1] - [http://www.wsj.com/articles/mlbs-streaming-tech-unit-goes-
pr...](http://www.wsj.com/articles/mlbs-streaming-tech-unit-goes-
pro-1424718022)

~~~
brudgers
The primary assets of MLABAM are intellectual property rights (contracts for
content). The business is resale and the revenue model is biased toward
dividend type payouts rather than reinvestment for continued growth. This may
make it a lucrative business line, but it doesn't make it a startup. It
started on third base not ramen.

~~~
slg
>The primary assets of MLABAM are intellectual property rights (contracts for
content). The business is resale

You can say that about any number of startups that focus on delivering
content: Netflix, Steam, Youtube, etc.

> and the revenue model is biased toward dividend type payouts rather than
> reinvestment for continued growth. This may make it a lucrative business
> line, but it doesn't make it a startup.

MLBAM has had both dividend payouts and reinvestment. They were started with a
$77 million initial investment [1] and turned it into a $5 billion business in
a decade and a half. You don't get that kind of growth without reinvestment.

> It started on third base not ramen.

Can't disagree, but isn't that the point of an accelerator? Isn't that
supposed to be the differentiator between going to someone like Y Combinator
before going to a VC? They are supposed to give startups a head start and
guidance that they wouldn't normally receive in order to help them be more
successful.

[1] - [http://www.fastcompany.com/1822802/mlb-advanced-medias-
bob-b...](http://www.fastcompany.com/1822802/mlb-advanced-medias-bob-bowman-
playing-digital-hardball-and-hes-winning)

~~~
brudgers
When Netflix was a startup, the disruptive idea was sending DVD's through the
mail as often as you liked for a fixed monthly fee but only so long as you
never had more than two at a time. YouTube stopped being a startup when Google
bought them almost a decade ago. Since, it's seen incremental change but
hasn't disrupted anything.

Neither was built on the value of exclusive rights to content. My
understanding is that this is mostly true for s Steam as well, but I don't
know as much about its evolution. MLABAM didn't go through an accelerator so
RoboCop is riding a unicorn on that one.

------
apkostka
My idea: An app to let you post Dodgers watch parties, to help out the
majority of Los Angeleans who don't have access to the Dodgers' TV package.

~~~
PirateDave
My thoughts exactly. I don't live in a Time Warner serviced area so I can't
watch the games unless I pay ridiculous fees. I've also been attending more
games in-person because of this, so maybe that was their intention all along.

~~~
corin_
TWC and Charter now! (Not that in affects my MLB TV in Europe.)

------
jsprogrammer
From the bottom of the FAQ page:

>The Accelerator model gives you the opportunity to pitch investors, venture
capitalists, influential industry leaders, and R/GA executives and clients at
the end of the program during Demo Day. As a benefit of participating in the
program, each company will receive $20,000 as well as work space, connections,
and deep mentorship in exchange for 6% equity. In addition, companies accepted
to the program have the option to accept a $100,000 convertible debt note.
This provides even more resources for you to get your ideas off the ground.

~~~
ripberge
Seems like a pretty hefty chunk to give up for $20K and the chance to be a
guinea pig in an unproven startup incubator run by...a baseball team.

I have no idea about the quality of RG/A's work, but we did share an office
with them and it was always an entertaining recent college grad, hipster
fashion show.

I do think the idea of sports focus is cool though.

~~~
jsprogrammer
Their marketing is also a bit misleading. The landing page claims to
award/grant $120K to each team.

However, until you get near the last question of the separate 'FAQ' page,
there is no mention of equity exchanges or convertible debt financing, nor
that $100K of the prize is optional and if chosen, require the team to take
ongoing financial obligations to the sponsor(s).

~~~
drewpmoffitt
Aren't the original YC terms 7% for $20,000 plus $100,000 uncapped note?

------
nodesocket
I would love to do a sportsbook startup, take it legit. If only the US would
change its antiquated laws, it could revolutionize the industry and prevent
the rampant fraud and shady business practices of current international online
sportsbooks.

I wrote a blog post on this topic as well:

Online sportsbooks... A security and fraud nightmare.
[http://justink.svbtle.com/online-sports-books-a-security-
nig...](http://justink.svbtle.com/online-sports-books-a-security-nightmare)

~~~
waterlesscloud
While betting on individual games is still tightly controlled in the US, Daily
Fantasy Sports is considerably more open. Basically picking (and betting real
money on) fantasy rosters on a daily basis.

It's the one form of online gambling in the US that's relatively open, its
carve out in the relevant laws was an explicit choice. It's got the support of
the pro leagues and the broadcasters, so its lobby is pretty strong.

It's an extremely fast growing market right now. Two major players have the
lions share of the market, but there's a lot of activity around the fringes.

~~~
nodesocket
Both David Stern (previous) and Adam Silver of the NBA support sports
gambling. If all major sports (NFL, MLB, NCAA) can get behind it, perhaps
legislation can get pushed through. Once that happens, it will be another
"space race" to build the first legal US based sportsbook.

~~~
k-mcgrady
>> "Once that happens, it will be another "space race" to build the first
legal US based sports book."

Wouldn't it just be easy for existing non-US companies to expand into the US?
They already cover US sports.

------
toddkazakov
I am wondering ... How will a DSL for trading on betting exchanges + a
trading/backtesting engine will be perceived in this context? I have my doubts
for even applying because the sole purpose of our software is "educated"
gambling. In the past applying for accelerator in Europe did not go very well
because gambling is quite regulated here, although I am seeing this more of a
different financial instrument.

------
Sanddancer
This...actually makes a lot of sense given the Dodgers' history. They were one
of the first teams to really recognize that a strong farm system was essential
to a strong team. Developing a good pool of young talent in sports tech and
sports entertainment like this would make sure that the Dodgers are one of the
first beneficiaries of products that come out of this accelerator.

------
icelancer
You have to understand that baseball is basically ass-backwards in everything.
Even if the terms aren't great, this is revolutionary that a team would look
OUTSIDE for more information. This is becoming more common with the smarter
teams but the vast majority of teams would NEVER think to do something like
this. They presume to have all the answers in all realms of the business, in
general.

------
ttaylorr
It's interesting that an organization like the L.A. Dodgers has interest in
something like this. It's also worth noting how startlingly similar this is to
the YC-model of funding: $120k, 3 months, demo-day...

~~~
calebclark
This Dodgers accelerator is "Powered by TechStars". See
[http://rgaaccelerator.com/](http://rgaaccelerator.com/). The terms are
exactly the same as all other TechStars programs. $20k for 6% equity + an
optional $100k as a convertible note.

------
Implicated
Dodgers, Lakers - LA teams seem to know something about staying relevant
outside of 'sports', through quite a bit of competition.

------
callmeed
I'm going to apply and wear head-to-toe Giants gear to every meeting.

