Behind Jomboy Media’s creator-led sports platform

Jimmy O’Brien was a wedding videographer whose irreverent baseball videos regularly went viral on YouTube. When O’Brien sought to convert those views into a full-blown sports media brand, he turned to Courtney Hirsch, an advertising sales executive who also happened to be his sister. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Amazon Music/Audible. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend! Today, Hirsch is chief operating officer of Jomboy Media, a 6-year-old brand built on creator-led sports content such as videos, podcasts and a series of made-up sports competitions. The organization, which now has 20 creators and 44 shows, has produced more than 5,000 videos. Between its programs, social channels and events, Jomboy reaches more than 20 million followers, according to the brand. Brands such as DraftKings, SeatGeek and Shady Rays have been with Jomboy for several years; more recently, T-Mobile, Captain Morgan and Corona have signed on. These brands are getting in front of an audience that’s 95% male and 80% in the coveted 18-to-34-year-old age bracket. “What we deliver for these brands is the younger generation of sports fans. We know how to speak to them,” Hirsch said, speaking on the latest episode of the Market’s Brief podcast. Part of the platform’s success has been demonstrating to brands that their messages are safe with Jomboy’s creators. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs “It’s nerve-wracking for some brands, because they are used to controlling the asset,” Hirsch said. “And now, we are producing the commercial and delivering and distributing it. … You really need to have trust with your brand partners. And they know from over the years listening to our content, the community that we’ve built, like, we're not going to mess that up.” Jomboy rose to fame behind viral content like O’Brien’s 15-minute breakdown of a Mariners-Angels brawl that drew 1.3 million views. An influential video visualizing the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal drew more than 7.7 million views. A tone of voice that’s enthusiastic about sports but not scorched-earth talk-radio has served Jomboy well, said Hirsch. “I think we resonate with a lot of people because we are super passionate. We are opinionated. But we don’t do hot takes or controversy just for the sake of it,” Hirsch said. As evidenced by the billions of dollars being sought in new deals for Nascar and the NBA, sports television rights are about the hottest property in entertainment now, and Jomboy is playing a tiny role. The brand’s “Warehouse Games” property scored a deal with Bally Sports, which is now televising the blitzball, slapball and floorball games Jomboy had been posting to social media across 17 regional sports networks. Hirsch believes these games—variants of whiffleball, team handball and floor hockey, contested by suburban dads—have real potential to grow. Subscribers to Warehouse Games on YouTube has grown 595% since 2022, the brand said. “The value of sports is going to continue to increase. I think live sports is very powerful in getting together audiences. And I think that sports are going to continue to be more fun and interactive,” Hirsch said. “There’s opportunity to create new sports leagues that are quirky and exciting and fun. That’s where we want to go with the future of it.” See America's Hottest Brands 20 brands that are trending in 2024 Click here

Behind Jomboy Media’s creator-led sports platform

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