The How
Our operating model explains HOW different parts of the business work together.
BSE is a growing organization, adding new businesses and venues to support our overarching purpose to create an ecosystem of unforgettable experiences.
The platform model is the right model that allows us to run multiple businesses, enjoy operational leverage and extract cross-functional synergies. We cannot act on our WHY and create an ecosystem if we have a disjointed operating model.
The platform model is such that company functions (e.g. Finance), support company businesses (e.g. New York Liberty) and brands (BK Mag). We are not alone in this structure. Some of the world’s most successful companies are platform businesses including Google, Proctor & Gamble, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon and Airbnb.
The power of the platform is that it allows each Business and Brand to be leaner and focus on its true purpose while leveraging the shared experts in the Functions. The platform provides consistency, best practices and a high-level framework to all the businesses on top of it.
Our ability to embrace new businesses, to capitalize on new opportunities, or adapt quickly to market conditions comes from our structure. Our greatest achievements as a company are the result of our functions and businesses collaborating effectively.
Business that are not set up as a platform whose goal is to support multiple businesses, end up often suffocating new businesses or putting one in competition with the other. Our model is specifically designed to provide fertile ground and support to multiple business to succeed side by side and support one another.
The BSE Platform Model
This is an illustration of how our platform looks and how the functions support the business across the company.
Businesses and Functions
This is the visual representation of how we deliver value to our internal and external customers. It is HOW our components work together. At BSE, our businesses are organized into four key categories:
Sports
Entertainment
Hospitality
Media
Within each of these categories are the core Businesses that drive our revenue generation and audience growth. Each business is uniquely tailored to address specific markets or customer segments, often supported by dedicated teams and resources. These businesses are the engine of our company, fueling success and creating connections with audiences far and wide.
Supporting these businesses are our Functions – specialized roles and departments that provide essential services across the entire organization.
While not all functions are directly tied to revenue generation, they are the backbone of our operations, ensuring that every part of the company runs smoothly. From resource allocation to strategic oversight, these functions enable our businesses to achieve broader organizational objectives with efficiency and precision.
Some specific notes about businesses and functions:
Businesses:
- These are ‘standalone’ properties within BSE’s portfolio.
- Businesses have distinct P&L’s, external brand identity/value, dedicated staff and are run by a business lead.
- Businesses use shared functions for additional resources and therefore do not need to be self-sustained (self-operating).
- May have lines of business or multiple brands within each.
Functions:
- Specialty areas that support the business.
- Run by a senior leader, who is responsible for allocating resources according to business needs.
- Some functions will have a revenue component.
- Functions are in service of businesses, and in service of other functions.
- Our ability to launch or embrace new businesses comes from our platform structure and mindset.
Some implications that should be noted are:
- Businesses need to respect that functions have multiple businesses as internal clients.
- Employees should identify with the brand of a business only if they are solely in that business otherwise those employees are part of platform. Some examples are a content creator who works solely on Typeset Brooklyn or a Coach who teaches youth basketball through Brooklyn Basketball.
Adaptability and Opportunity: The Power of Our Platform
As BSE continues to grow, this structure allows us to seamlessly integrate additional businesses or functions, ensuring that our organization remains dynamic, adaptable, and poised for success. Our platform not only supports the smooth operation of the company but also fosters a culture of opportunity and advancement.
Example 1
The Liberty organization has long been in the hunt for the perfect location to build a stateof- the-art training facility that will meet the long-term needs of the players to optimize their performance and contribute to their sustained success. After years of touring locations across every neighborhood in Brooklyn, the perfect location was identified, and a cross-functional team sprang into action so that we could announce the news of the facility while still basking in the glow of a championship win. Some of the teams involved were:
- Finance led negotiations with the landlord.
- CapEx put together a cross-functional team of architects, engineers and specialists to determine if the site was viable.
- The Liberty front office worked with players to gain valuable insights unique to women athletes and their multifaceted lifestyles.
- Government relations partnered with CapEx and legal to ensure that there were no major roadblocks that would derail the project.
- Communications worked to facilitate an announcement of the facility that would make a big splash.
- Marketing created the content to support communications and to bring the future facility to life.
- Legal supported all aspects of the process.
Example 2
The Brooklyn Nets have always sought participation in international games to cultivate international fandom and create meaningful memories for their players. The 2024 Paris game was an opportunity for the Nets to shine in a big market and so the organization created a campaign to showcase the best of Brooklyn through a series of experiences across the City of Lights focused on food, fashion, art, music and basketball. Some of the teams involved were
- International Marketing took the lead from ideation to activation on the experiences we brought to life.
- Basketball Ops supported other departments to ensure that players, their families and friends had access to events and smooth transitions throughout the trip.
- Legal worked with the NBA to ensure we followed all the rules and coordinated all activities.
- Digital created a seamless app experience for BSE guests to serve as a central place for all information.
- Communications announced our slate of activities and handled on-site press for each event.
- Community and Brooklyn Basketball created meaningful moments for Parisian youth through basketball clinics and other community events.
- Partnerships and Sales rolled out the red carpet for their clients.
- Ops and Hospitality were the glue that kept everything together leading up to the trip and on the ground.
Example 3
BSE wanted to invest in strategic arena renovations to maximize the existing space for the customers of the future. That meant, more premiere offerings for higher-end clientele that cares about hospitality, room for additional socialization for Upper Bowl fans, technology improvements, food selection enhancements and more. The challenge? Make these surgical enhancements without taking the arena off-line. Currently in Phase II of a 5-year plan, we are delivering on-time, on-budget renovations to meet the expectations of our fans. Some of the teams involved were:
- Planning by CapEx to determine architecture, engineering and timelines to meet the goals.
- Input from ticketing and entertainment to provide fan insights about what types of renovations would resonate with them.
- Data analytics to better understand consumer insights and pricing.
- Partnerships to contemplate the types of sponsors who would fit the new opportunities.
- Integration with digital to ensure a seamless customer experience.
- Execution by hospitality and operations to stick to the schedule and ensure a flawless opening.
- Promotion by communications.
- Branding and creative by marketing.
- Overall support and project management from legal, finance and HR.
Example 4
The Nets leveraged the retirement ceremony of former player Vince Carter as a moment to rally around during the season. The moment was an opportunity to engage fans from New Jersey and to bridge the gap between the identities and fan bases of the New Jersey Nets and the Brooklyn Nets. It also gave us a reason to bring together Nets alumni and to cultivate relationships with former players as future ambassadors for the team. The multi-day celebration was special for Vince Carter and his family and for all Nets fans – old and new – to rally around an exceptional player who is an important part of Nets history. Some of the teams involved were:
- Basketball front office to determine the vision for the celebration and the key alumni that could bring the moment to life.
- Marketing to shape the multi-day experience for fans, design the creative and more.
- Game presentation to create an unforgettable ingame experience to capture the jersey retirement moment.
- Communications to publicly celebrate what Vince Carter means to the franchise and all the different ways we celebrated his jersey retirement.
- Community for bringing to life an experience for local youth to connect with basketball legends.
- Ticketing to leverage the moment to engage as many fans as possible.
Example 5
The NBA approached the Long Island Nets to host six games during the 24/25 season in Montreal. Not only was this a difficult task on the surface: six games, in another country, in a hockey arena, the ask came not long before the season was about to begin! The team quickly went to work, leveraging the platform by working across multiple departments to pull off this tall task. The results reflected the highlevel experience BSE stands for – the arena sold out for each game, merchandise flew out of the stores and the elevated game experience created new Canadian fans! Some of the teams involved were:
- Operations to ensure the court was delivered and installed.
- Basketball front office for player travel and logistics.
- IT for technology in the arena.
- Communications to get the word out about this exciting run of games.
- Marketing to design new logos.
- Merch to design inventory to sell in game and design new uniforms.
- Community to activate opportunities for local youth.
- Game Presentation to ensure that we brought the same level of in-game experience to Montreal.