Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Jeremy Bloom, two-time Olympian, former NFL wide receiver, and CEO of the X Games, to discuss a career that spans elite athletics, legal battles with the NCAA, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and now the reinvention of one of the most iconic action sports brands in the world. Bloom opens with the story of his 2002 lawsuit against the NCAA, filed at age 19 when the organization told him he had to give up his Olympic skiing endorsements to play college football at Colorado, and explains why Judge Hale’s ruling that student athletes are third party beneficiaries of the NCAA contract became foundational to every significant amateurism case that followed, including the Alston decision. He shares his frank take on the Protect College Sports Act, arguing that college football and basketball are already professional sports and that Congress is the wrong solution to a problem the sport’s own leaders have failed to fix. The conversation then shifts to the X Games, where Bloom has led a dramatic turnaround by launching a team-based league modeled in part on F1’s approach to storytelling and franchise value, complete with a docuseries, international events, and an 80% increase in TV ratings. He also discusses Owl, his AI officiating company co-founded with Google’s Sergei Brin, and Wish of a Lifetime, his foundation that grants wishes to people aged 80, 90, and 100-plus, inspired by his grandfather who taught him to ski at age three.
Connect with Jeremy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremybloom11/
Learn more about Jeremy: https://www.jeremybloom.com/
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The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR) and produced by Sam Henry (@s_henry11), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with social media efforts led by Lissa Ruiz and Sydney Cristall.
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