LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–WAVE.tv, one of the fastest-growing sports and entertainment companies on the planet with more than 100 million followers globally, announced today it is rebranding as Wave Sports + Entertainment (WSE) as the organization enters a phase of rapid growth. The moves come as WSE accelerates its efforts in talent-driven original programming, including a push into sports betting content that will deliver new audiences, original content, and data to existing sportsbooks.
Wave Sports + Entertainment also unveiled a new 8,500 square foot headquarters in the heart of Santa Monica’s Silicon Beach, boasting six custom turnkey sets that will be managed by seasoned entertainment industry veteran David Goffin, whose achievements include multiple Emmy nominations and a People’s Choice Award win for “American Idol.”
Goffin, Executive Vice President, Studio, WSE, said, “When a media company builds native studio capabilities to create its own original programming, you know they have crossed the threshold into a certain level of success. WSE is now charting its own course in the exploding area of social-driven media, armed with a full suite of creative tools to make a significant impact with the huge Gen Z audience of sports superfans.”
To engage digitally native fans, WSE has inked talent deals with a handful of trusted voices in sports and entertainment across major social platforms, including:
- Lucy Rohden: As WSE’s resident football expert and entertainer, Rohden has built an audience around her comedy-infused gridiron analysis.
- Nick Henkel: As the “Champion of Pistons Twitter,” Henkel has built a loyal following around his impassioned, knowledgeable, and charming presence in NBA social media. He landed on the national radar with an appearance on ESPN last year after a clip of him celebrating a Pistons win in the shower went viral.
- Kieran Hickey-Semple: An expert in football and mixed martial arts and a pro at shining the light on sports stories worth telling, Hickey-Semple has built a substantial social media following for his viral takes and commentary.
- Noah Alami (aka “Kid Peche”): One of the most informed emerging voices in soccer social media, Alami distills the drama, chaos, and depth of global soccer into quick-hitting takes and breakdowns for an audience that lives on digital.
The lineup joins WSE’s Josiah Johnson (aka “King of NBA Twitter”) and Zach Schwartz, hosts of the widely popular Twitter show Outta Pocket, as well as Mariah Rose, WSE’s emerging voice in basketball analysis, culture, and fashion, and Robin Black, WSE’s martial arts analyst and commentator.
“Our aim is to invest in and elevate the top personalities sports social media has to offer. We’re building original programming suited to both their strengths and the consumption preferences of digitally native modern fans,” said Mack Sovereign, Executive Vice President, Content & Strategy, WSE.
WSE will leverage the expanded studio and team of talent in the New Year as the company doubles down on sports betting content across the company’s portfolio.
“Sports betting will become an increasingly integral component of the global sports and entertainment ecosystem, with growth in North America set to skyrocket in the coming years as more and more states legalize betting. Our approach to the space is largely emblematic of our core business — in that we plan to build a best-in-class, sports-betting-focused digital media brand for Gen Z and young millennials, while also developing a slate of talent-driven originals that can live both on our existing properties or be distributed across the broader digital landscape,” said Brian Verne, founder and CEO, WSE.
While the corporate entity of WAVE.tv rebrands as Wave Sports + Entertainment, WAVE.tv, with more than 13 million followers globally, will continue to exist as a standalone media brand within the overall WSE portfolio and will expand across new social and digital platforms.
About Wave Sports + Entertainment
Founded in 2017, Wave Sports + Entertainment is a world class sports and entertainment company serving modern day fans via content, products, and experiences. We obsess over sports, from the mainstream to more, bringing superfans the coverage, culture, commentary, and community they crave. With over 100 million highly-engaged global followers and a reach of over 500 million sports fans monthly, we’ve tapped into something incredibly powerful in record time.
Digital platforms love us. We are a top sports partner to Snap, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. We’ve earned bragging rights by creating some of the most popular sports media brands available on digital platforms today: BENCHMOB, BREAK ANKLES DAILY, BUCKETS, DINGERS, FTBL, GYM HEROES, HAYMAKERS, JUKES, RAGEQUIT, SLAPSHOT, SWAY, THE BEST HIGHLIGHTS, THE PUMP, and WAVE.tv. We’re also the creators of popular shows Phenoms, Oddballs, Superhuman, Pop Therapy, and Body Talk that fans just can’t seem to stop watching. No matter the sport, we’ve got fans covered with highlights, memes, takes, commentary, analysis, off-field culture, and stories on the players and movements that are shaping the world of sports.
To see our media brands in action, please go to www.wave.tv.
*Wave Sports + Entertainment is incorporated as Bullpen Sports Network, Inc.