In this episode of the Knup Sports Show, Ryan Knuppel sits down with John Libro, Head of Sports and Entertainment at drive21, to discuss his fascinating career in the sports business world. John shares insights from his time working with major brands like Google, Amazon, and leading sports agencies, and dives into how drive21 is transforming stadium and arena experiences through experiential graphic design and brand integration. Tune in to learn about the innovative ways drive21 is shaping fan engagement and partnerships in both collegiate and professional sports.
Ryan Knuppel
Hey, hey, hey, what’s going on, everybody? Ryan Knuppel here. Knup Sports Show episode 232. Hope you’re all doing very well today. I am doing amazing. It was just coming off week one of the NFL. It’s like the best time of year for me personally. I absolutely love it. I spend all day Sunday watching football. Hopefully, you got to watch a little bit as well.
I’m wearing my Tampa Bay Bucs shirt down here in Orlando, Florida today. They are coming off a big win. I will say I’m not a super fan, but I have adopted them as a team and do enjoy watching the Bucs. So, hopefully your team won, or your fantasy team won, or you had a good day betting, whatever it was. Football’s here. We are back, baby. We are back.
A little housekeeping before we dive into today’s show, which we have another amazing guest for you. I cannot wait to dive into this show. But first, a little housekeeping.
First off, we are super proud as a company. We’ve finished the launch of Coded Content. We’re going to actually have a whole episode about what Coded Content is, but it’s our version of a sports smart AI content creation tool for brands. We’re super excited to bring this to the world and showcase what we can do for brands from an AI sports-smart content perspective. So, super excited about that. Go to content.ai. We’re actually going to bring on somebody and talk a whole show about that soon, but I’m excited about that internally. A little personal brag there before we get going.
We are proud media partners of SBC. SBC Summit Lisbon is only two weeks away. So, September 24th to 26th, make sure you get your tickets for that. If you haven’t gotten your tickets already, “new partner VIP” will get you an amazing discount. It’s going to be like the super show of iGaming or super show of gaming, whatever they’re calling it there in Lisbon.
All right. Without further ado, let’s dive into today’s show. Let’s bring on our guest today. We have John Libro of drive21. John, how are you doing?
John Libro
I’m great. How you doing, Ryan?
Ryan Knuppel
Amazing. Doing well here down in Orlando. How you doing up north there?
John Libro
Yeah, not too bad. Not too bad. I know your Bucs, you gave a shout-out. My Birds did okay. The Eagles rallied against the Packers. That was good to see as well. Very, very excited NFL is here.
Ryan Knuppel
Yeah, I mean, this isn’t, we’re not going to dive, I could talk sports all day, but I’m curious, what were your thoughts on that game? You know, being in kind of foreign territory there. What were your thoughts on that game in general and how that looked?
John Libro
You know, I thought it showed both teams, right? They’re going to punch it out all year long. I think they’re both good teams, right? They can move the ball, they can run the ball. I was happy to see the Eagles as one of the last teams with the ball and they won the game.
For us as Eagles fans, we just want to give a hat tip to the Giants for letting us take on Saquon, because man, he’s just a difference maker on the field, that’s for sure.
Ryan Knuppel
Yeah, for sure. I think, you know, the thing that really stands out to me is the NFL trying to get global, right? Going to Brazil, playing there, and really kind of making it a landmark game for doing something like that. And I know there are a lot of complaints—the field wasn’t good, and that’s why Jordan Love got hurt and all sorts of stuff—but long-term, I’m glad they kind of planted a stake and said, hey, we’re going to try to go global and do a lot more of this over the years.
So I thought that was cool about the game, regardless of your Eagles pulling one out. But it was cool to see them play in a different area. I actually have a friend who was at that game, and it sounds like the atmosphere was just amazing. So, pretty cool.
John Libro
Yeah, I caught Coach Sirianni’s press conference in the end, and it was genuine, it seemed. He thanked that whole Brazilian fan base, and they said it was an amazing experience all around. They really embraced the NFL there. So it’s exciting.
Ryan Knuppel
Well, cool. Like I said, I could talk Eagles with you all day, but let’s dive into what you’re doing with drive21. First off, tell us a little bit about yourself and maybe your career path that led you to what you’re doing today.
John Libro
Yeah. So, my background has been more in the sports agency world for most of my career. I spent almost twelve years at Van Wagner Sports Group, which originally started off as Dorna. It was an interesting company to join at that time. They bought a rotating signage technology from Spain used in international football because there’s no stoppage of play. They put advertising along the pitch, and we brought that technology over, putting it courtside in the NBA, behind home plate in Major League Baseball, and in college basketball as well.
From there, I went into the tech space for about two years—startup tech world—and it didn’t kill me, but it almost killed me! But it really helped me as an executive understand the technology side, especially as it relates to stadiums and arenas.
Then I was at CAA, Creative Artists Agency, for a bunch of years, right through the pandemic, which is just a special place. I helped lead the Global Sports Properties group there, selling across major iconic brands like Formula 1, Major League Baseball, and more. We sold those properties globally.
During the pandemic, I had a ten-year-old and a twelve-year-old at home, and I was traveling around 110 days out of the year. It showed me how present I wasn’t at home, even though I had a job that I loved. Eventually, I pivoted to Cardinal Sports Capital, a smaller VC firm specializing in the media-tech-data convergence space within sports and entertainment. I ran their marketing services side of the business.
Now, I’m with drive21, which is an experiential graphic design and build company. Our biggest clients were Google and Amazon, where we designed office spaces and integrated brand identity. We’ve also done sports-related projects like the NBA offices, Major League Baseball offices, the NHL offices, and even the Austin FC stadium. That’s when we realized sports could be a big focus, and I came on board to help lead that direction.
Ryan Knuppel
Wow, sounds like an incredible journey. Congrats on your career and the experiences you’ve had. It’s always fascinating to hear about all the cool things going on in sports that we don’t always see from the outside.
Are you guys focusing mainly on professional sports arenas and stadiums, or are you also diving into the college space?
John Libro
We’ve found our niche by creating strategic partnerships with the right entities. One of the first deals we did was with Van Wagner’s collegiate division, which manages multimedia rights for 46 universities. Universities are in an arms race when it comes to facilities, not just for athletes but for attracting students. We’re working with them to bring unique services to their schools, whether it’s locker room renovations, facility updates, or other projects. The goal is to create amazing experiences for students and fans while integrating corporate partners to tell their story.
Another big partnership we have is with Oak View Group (OVG), which owns and operates new buildings and manages 360 venues across the country. We’re doing similar things there, creating opportunities for brand integration and helping their sales teams with creative inventory to sell.
Ryan Knuppel
I love that! As fans, we go into these stadiums and think, “Wow, this looks amazing!” But we don’t always think about what goes on behind the scenes. It’s cool to hear that companies like drive21 are focused on making these spaces visually appealing and functional. It gives us a new appreciation for the aesthetics that go into creating these experiences.
John Libro
Exactly. These architectural firms and ownership groups are designing facilities to enhance the fan experience, especially with the competition for eyeballs and how great the at-home experience has become. But what often gets overlooked is how to integrate corporate partners in a way that benefits both fans and brands. We’re filling that gap by creating experiences that engage fans while also telling the story of corporate sponsors.
Ryan Knuppel
Awesome. Well, John, it sounds like you have tons of business experience, and I’d love to ask, as a successful sports business leader, what advice do you have for aspiring sports professionals?
John Libro
I
’d say, first off, you need to be all in. Sports is a huge industry, and there are so many different paths you can take. You can work for teams, leagues, venues, or focus on media, sponsorships, or tech. But no matter what, you need to be a sponge—learn as much as you can about the industry, not just your specific area. Hustle hard, work smart, and don’t be afraid to disrupt and look at things differently. That’s where real innovation happens.
Ryan Knuppel
Great advice. Thanks for sharing, John. Any last words before we wrap this up?
John Libro
No, Ryan, this has been great. I really appreciate your time. Looking forward to seeing what happens this NFL season. I’ll be rooting for the Bucs a little more now, thanks to you!
Ryan Knuppel
Awesome, John. Thanks again for joining us. We’ll talk soon!
Relevant Guest Links
- Learn more about drive21 on their website.
- You can connect with the LinkedIn crew on LinkedIn.
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