5YF Episode #11: Commonwealth CEO Brian Doxtator

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Commonwealth is ushering in a highly disruptive model for sports that both democratizes ownership to fans while empowering athletes and teams with a direct channel to their supporters. Horses, golfers, NBA teams, entire leagues, could now start to see the masses leverage a new capability to take up economic positions and decision making power. Everyone from billionaire sports owners to talent agencies are now being challenged.

Already, Commonwealth has allowed its fans to announce their claim on the horse racing world, owning the highest earning horse in 2022 as well as winning the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Could this be sports’ biggest underdog story?

We had 130 people in the (Kentucky Derby) winner's circle going crazy, it was pandemonium!

What you’ll hear:‍

⛳️ Fan owned and operated sports teams, leagues, and athletes

🏆 A startup winning the 2023 Kentucky Derby

🤼 The disruptive economics behind fractional ownership

🎰 Athletes as eCommerce companies

🎪 The 21st Century Sports Agency

🎭 Changing face of media and entertainment

♾️ And plenty more!

You’ve just had this massive audience that has always wanted to be on the (owners) side but has never had a mechanism…now for as little as $50 you can become an owner.

Our guest:

Brian Doxtator is the CEO of Commonwealth, an LA based startup challenging the economic model of horse racing, golf, and sports more broadly. Commonwealth enables its 20,000+ members to buy shares in horses and athletes, competing head on with wealthy sports owners for winnings while unlocking a new level of fan engagement and experience through ownership. Commonwealth has taken horse racing by storm: in 2022 their horse Country Grammer was the world’s highest earner, in 2023 Mage won for them the Kentucky Derby. The company continues to expand into other sports and has the backing of renowned investors such as Roger Ehrenberg and athletes like Larry Fitzgerald. Brian has spent his career in technology startups, notably growing mobile-marketing company PlayHaven from $0 to $45M in revenue before its acquisition.

Starts to look like a 21st Century Sports Agency... providing both capital and audience

My takeaway:

Sports are a brilliant use case for fan empowerment through fractional ownership. With sports consumption, fantasy leagues, and gambling growing at all time highs it feels like a naturally converging evolution of these trends. Soon fans will outspend even the richest owners for the best athletes and franchises. Athletes will benefit from new revenue channels and support directly from their fan base. Sports agencies will need to step up their game to provide not just capital but an audience.

What starts here in sports could easily form the template to spread into other parts of media and entertainment — Brian and my personal favorite being the music industry. For this innovation its clear we’re only in the early innings of change.

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- Daniel Darling