Saturday, October 3, 2026

What’s It Like Being an Independent Sports Creator in 2026?

The lines between legacy sports media and independent creators have never been more blurred, and few people are navigating that shift more thoughtfully than Kofie Yeboah. He has built a loyal audience around deep dives into obscure sports moments and milestones that most people have forgotten, and the way he thinks about content creation is fundamentally different from how traditional media operates.

Kofie breaks down the real economics of going independent, from YouTube AdSense to Patreon to brand deals, and what it actually takes to sustain a career when no single revenue stream is guaranteed. He also weighs in on whether a large social following has now replaced a journalism degree as the most important credential for anyone trying to break into sports media today.

YouTube is making moves into NFL games and the Oscars, Netflix is licensing podcasts from Barstool and the Ringer, and big media companies are rethinking how they invest in talent. Where does all of this leave the independent creator, and is the future of sports media actually just everyone on YouTube?

A new weeknight TV show breaking down the business and culture of sports, premiering September 14th.

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