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§ Private Profile · Santa Monica, CA, USA
Wave Sports + Entertainment is a technology company.
Wave Sports + Entertainment operates as a media company, specializing in sports storytelling and content distribution for digitally native audiences. It develops a diverse portfolio of media brands and original content, leveraging digital platforms. The company crafts engaging experiences tailored to younger demographics' sports consumption habits and preferences.
Founded in 2017 by Brian Verne and Ishaan Sutaria, the company emerged from their insight that traditional sports media struggled to connect with evolving fan consumption habits. They recognized a market need to build a digital-first platform, delivering relevant sports content to a new generation of enthusiasts who primarily engage with media across digital channels.
Wave Sports + Entertainment serves a community of digitally native sports fans, engaging them across social and digital platforms. The company aims to build the future of fandom by amplifying contemporary narratives and fostering connections between fans and sports. Its vision involves continuous innovation to meet dynamic audience preferences within the rapidly evolving digital media landscape.
Wave Sports + Entertainment has raised $67.3M across 5 funding rounds.
Wave Sports + Entertainment has raised $67.3M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Wave Sports + Entertainment is not a technology company—it is a media and entertainment company that produces and distributes sports content for digital-first audiences.[1][5]
Wave Sports + Entertainment is a production and distribution company launched in 2017 that creates original video and audio content featuring athletes and sports personalities.[5] The company serves Gen Z and younger sports fans who consume content primarily through social media and digital platforms rather than traditional television.[5] It solves the problem of fragmented sports fandom by providing authentic, athlete-driven content that builds direct connections between sports personalities and superfans.
The company has achieved significant growth momentum, with over 130 million highly engaged followers globally and a monthly reach exceeding 500 million sports fans.[1][4] Its original shows have generated approximately 5 billion impressions over the past year, demonstrating strong audience demand for sports influencer content.[5]
Wave is capitalizing on a fundamental shift in how younger audiences consume sports content. As traditional sports viewership on television declines among Gen Z, the company has identified and monetized the demand for sports influencers and athlete-driven narratives distributed through digital and social platforms.[5] This positions Wave at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and creator economy trends.
The company also serves as infrastructure for the sports industry itself, helping leagues, teams, and sports organizations (like the WNBA and Tennis Channel) innovate their content strategies and reach younger audiences through its media agency.[2][5]
Wave Sports + Entertainment represents a successful bet on the creator economy within sports media. CEO Brian Verne's vision—that young fans would embrace original content from athletes themselves—has proven accurate, with multiple podcast hits achieving massive scale and cultural relevance. The company's expansion into serving sports organizations through its media agency suggests a maturing business model that captures value from both talent representation and enterprise services.
As sports media continues fragmenting across platforms and younger audiences increasingly reject traditional broadcasting, Wave's position as a bridge between athletes, fans, and brands will likely strengthen. The company's challenge will be maintaining authenticity and creative quality while scaling commercial partnerships and expanding its talent roster.
Wave Sports + Entertainment has raised $67.3M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Wave Sports + Entertainment's investors include Shamit Mehta, Calm/Storm Ventures, Long Journey Ventures, George Burke, Baker Mayfield, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Henrik Kraft, Jay Williams, Crossbeam Venture Partners, Golden Ventures, Glen Chesir, John Burbank.
Wave Sports + Entertainment has raised $67.3M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $27.0M Series B in February 2022.