Kyle Scott, CrossingBroad.com: From Local Sports Blog to Massive Affiliate Success

Jun 28 2022 • 1 hr 7 mins

On this show I interview my business partner and co-host of this show, Kyle Scott. Kyle knew at a very young age that he wanted to be involved with covering sports and giving his slant on a story.

From joining a physically mailed newsletter group at the age of four, to living in his parents basement in his mid-twenties, Kyle has fought to make his dream a reality. As the co-founder of CrossingBroad.com, Kyle has provided a unique and at times irreverent stance on Philadelphia sports.

Since 2009, he’s built an unbelievably loyal audience that unbeknownst to them, almost became part of the Barstool Sports family.

He’s broke huge national stories, took on the largest names in Philadelphia sports reporting, and has ultimately built a sports betting affiliate cash machine that led to a 25 million dollar acquisition exit. This was quite a conversation.

Kyle remembers breaking down in tears when he realized his business may not recover because of a tunnel vision mistake on a specific revenue stream. He walks us through the amazing process of growing Crossing Broad from zero traffic to one of the most popular sports blogs in the country.

He also tells how two Crossing Broad readers potentially saved the site with an investment that ended up paying off big for everyone. Kyle is a humble person with an insane drive to be successful. Working with him over the past four years has provided me with many learning experiences that I hope you can pick up on a bit during the show.

(0:07) Jason introduces his business partner and co-host, Kyle Scott.
(1:36) Kyle’s early days, his lifelong passion for sports and sports media, and his career path to starting his own sports media business.
(6:10) The beginning process and origins of Crossing Broad, how the blogs were initially marketed, and the utilizing Facebook to scale the blog.
(16:13) The next steps to monetization after gaining traffic, and running a blog from his parents basement after quitting his job.
(28:29) The first viral hit for Crossing Broad and how it impacted the business.
(34:35) The next steps in the evolution of Crossing Broad and some early regrets and mistakes.
(37:55) A moment where Kyle thought the business may fail, why you should never put all your eggs in one basket, and how Kyle tried to recover the business.
(47:54) How two readers invested in the brand to get reputable writers for the business and how Kyle initially saved the business by selling t-shirts.
(55:48) The balance between hard work and luck, and the stabilization of the business.
(57:42) How the business and Kyle’s involvement changed when sports betting was legalized.
(1:01:40) Kyle’s advice to anyone who is self employed and one tool that Kyle couldn’t live without in business.
(1:06:45) Where to find Kyle on social media.