Craig Amazeen: Creating Sports Content for the Next Generation of Sports Fans - a podcast by Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Craig Amazeen is the CEO of Fan Rag Sports Network and has over 20 years experience in the sports industry with the Sacramento Kings, Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Coyotes and scout.com. During our interview we talk about creating a workplace culture, keys to success for people starting out in sports and new content styles and methods.

Hi everybody I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for WorkinSports.com and this is the Work in Sports podcast.



My boss the CEO of Work in Sports is a guy named John Mellor – I’ve you’ve been listening long enough to the podcast you’ve probably heard me mention him in prior episodes.



Before launching WorkinSports back in 2000 John worked at the Phoenix Coyotes for four years as the Manager of Website Business Development. He was young, starting his career in the sports industry, and surrounded by other young people making their way in the industry.



You’ve actually met many of them.



Remember Jeff Altstadter, Director of Public Relations with the USGA? Episode 44



What about Chris Wojcik, Director of Event Communication and Player Relations for the NHL? Episode 29



That’s the thing about working in sports – once you venture into the game, you don’t really leave. You may move up and move around…but most people stay in the biz.



I can say the same thing – when I started at CNN Sports, I began my career with 100 other young excited sports crazed people – and we’re all still friends in the industry 20 years later. These friends of mine now run sports networks, like Brad Como the VP of programming at SportsNet New York, Kevin Miller, VP of content at NBC Sports Boston, Mike Shiffman VP of content strategy at ESPN.







 



Here’s the deal, this isn’t meant to say "look who I know", this is meant to show you the sports world, while huge in revenue generation, is in reality a small, connected, world. A web of people who can play seven degrees of Kevin Bacon with each other.



When you first break in, that first gig will begin to form the myriad of relationships you’ll carry through your career. You’ll have a common bond that won’t be broken – and from friends I talk to in other industries, that fact is unique to the sports industry.



Which bridges us back to today’s guest – Craig Amazeen is currently the CEO for Fan Rag Sports Network, but has also worked as the Director of Broadcasting for the Arizona Cardinals, SVP of Digital, Content, Broadcasting and Brand Management for the Sacramento Kings…and…drum roll please… started his career as a Broadcast Manager with the Phoenix Coyotes…you guessed it, with my CEO John Mellor.



It’s a small sports world people. We’ve got a lot to dig into so let’s get to it…here’s Craig Amazeen CEO of Fan Rag Sports Network…

Questions for Fan Rag Sports Network CEO Craig Amazeen

1: So I’m doing a little prep for this interview, looking through your bio, and outside of the really impressive array of sports brands you have worked for, one thing really stands out to me – you use the word culture a great deal in describing your roles. You talk about establishing culture, building culture – in your experience, why is culture so important in the workplace, and what makes a good culture?



2: You’ve held major executive roles with the Sacramento Kings, Arizona Cardinals, Scout.com and now Fan Rag sports network – your background is on the creative side, you’ve always been connected to the art of storytelling – how hard has it been to be in a more managerial, budgetary role or was that just a natural progression for you?

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