In March, Creator Sports Capital made its most decisive move yet in the creator economy, leading a $45 million investment round in Good Good Golf alongside Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, Manhattan West Private Equity, and Sunflower Bank. For Benjamin Grubbs, co-founder of Creator Sports Capital, this investment in the Texas-based creator company represents the culmination of his vision for sustainable creator-led businesses.

“The goal and aspiration of the team is to grow Good Good into a top-five brand in golf,” Benjamin states. “And I think there are ways to do that through content and media. There are also ways to do that through consumer goods, online distribution, offline retail, domestically in the U.S., but also internationally.”

Founded in 2020, Good Good has built a community of 1.75 million subscribers across its YouTube channels, while developing a business model that turns traditional marketing economics on its head. Instead of spending on customer acquisition, the company creates engaging content that simultaneously generates ad revenue and drives product sales.

“When I heard some of those numbers, I thought, ‘Hold on a second, this channel that has just north of a million subscribers is generating how much revenue and how much profit?!’” Benjamin recalls. “And I thought, ‘Okay, that’s not just ads. There’s more there.’”

What makes Good Good’s model particularly compelling is its efficiency. “Unlike another consumer goods business that has a marketing budget and is spending to buy customers, here’s one that’s actually not really spending any money on marketing. It’s getting paid for its marketing by YouTube ads,” Benjamin notes. The company has also expanded its reach through partnerships with NBC Sports and Golf Channel on events like the Good Good Desert Knockout.

Sustainable Creator Businesses

This investment represents the broader mission of Creator Sports Capital, which Benjamin co-founded in 2024, following 18 years of corporate experience at companies including YouTube, Turner Broadcasting, eBay, and Yahoo!. 

The firm focuses on the intersection of the creator economy and the sports economy, and funds and advises startups that are building sustainable businesses within this segment of the market.

“I long felt that there is longevity within the space as well as enterprise value on a global level,” explains Benjamin. “I felt that there’s no shortage of opportunity in front of us.”

Creator Sports Capital’s investment thesis centers on entrepreneurs who are building genuine enterprises with diversified revenue streams rather than relying solely on platform algorithms or ad revenue. This approach stems from Benjamin’s time at YouTube, where he focused not only on growing view counts but also on developing frameworks for creator sustainability and longevity. 

“We were thinking about sustainability and how it’s not just a revolving door of talent,” he explains. “Creator comes on, finds some success, rides that success, then they hit a wall or barrier, fall off, and someone behind them takes their place. Instead, we asked how creators can continually grow on the platform and have a longer, 10-year lifespan.”

Beyond Just Funding

Creator Sports Capital provides more than just capital to its portfolio companies. Benjamin and his partner Brian Kabot work closely with management teams, offering industry knowledge, international market expertise, and strategic guidance to help these businesses scale effectively.

“We’re active on a week-to-week basis with the management team in the company,” Benjamin notes. “Definitely way more than just writing a check.”

This hands-on approach was particularly important for Good Good, which had never raised outside capital before. “They had not actually ever raised outside money, and they were at a juncture where they were looking to bring on outside capital for the first time and wanted someone around them that had some knowledge of the platform and the creator ecosystem and also some international market knowledge and experience,” Benjamin explains. 

Having spent most of his career in the Asia Pacific region, Benjamin brings a global perspective that many U.S.-based investors lack. “My partner Brian and I were active in trying to bring in strategic capital not only in the U.S. but also outside in markets like Japan, other parts of Asia Pacific, or in Europe,” he explains. “So as the company actually looks to grow in those markets, there’s going to be advocates with a vested interest in the health and growth of the company in those markets.”

This international focus stems from Benjamin’s experience at YouTube, where he observed the limitations of a U.S.-first approach. “I used to think we shouldn’t roll that product out in the U.S. first, but in an international market and then let it be the indicator of acceptance and adoption,” he recalls. “If it doesn’t work in the U.S., it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to work outside it.”

A Model for Creator Businesses

Benjamin sees Good Good as having competitive advantages that neither traditional media companies nor conventional consumer goods companies can match. “If you compare that company against other just pure consumer goods companies, they have a really strong media arm and marketing engine there,” he explains. “And then if you compare that against other media companies, I would say they have a far more direct touch point with the end viewer and consumer through the live events and through the consumer goods.”

Upon closer examination of Good Good’s business, Benjamin discovered what made it so effective. “I was looking at some of the channel metrics and noticed really high monetization rate and RPM,” Benjamin explains. “The average view time on TV was 44 minutes, which implies a long session time, which then affords more ad spots.”

This dual approach—creating content that drives commerce while generating significant ad revenue—creates a sustainable cycle where each aspect of the business reinforces the other. It’s precisely the kind of model Benjamin believes will define successful creator businesses going forward.

The Future of Creator Entrepreneurship

Looking toward the future, Benjamin is focused on several key areas where he sees the creator economy developing. His investment in Good Good represents a broader thesis about the intersection of sports and creator content—a space he believes has room for growth based on changing consumption patterns.

“My kids—my oldest is 16 and my youngest is 11—are all active in sports of some sort,” Benjamin explains, noting how their media consumption habits differ from previous generations. His son, for instance, doesn’t watch full NBA games but stays completely up-to-date on all the latest news and stats through creator content. “Whenever I think I have a news story to share with him, he’s looking at me like, ‘I already know this.’”

Beyond sports, Benjamin is interested in platforms like Roblox, which has seen its market cap rise to around $80 billion. He’s particularly interested in how creators on these platforms are building businesses that extend beyond the games themselves.

“I’ve met creators this year who have been developing experiences on Roblox and within 12 months of launch on the platform, they have a brand, have a community, and have a very leaned-in fan base who then wants to do more than just play the game,” he explains. “They want to consume products, and there’s content now spawning off of that.”

This ability to build communities that transcend platforms and create multiple revenue streams is exactly what Benjamin looks for in potential investments. “The monetization is getting healthier on Roblox. That again affords reinvestment, just like YouTube. You can go build a company and employ people from a single YouTube channel.”

A Passion for Creator Success

As an investor, Benjamin possesses a genuine passion for the space and the creators within it. For him, backing creator businesses isn’t just about financial returns; it’s about supporting talent and helping build lasting enterprises that create value for both creators and their audiences.

“Seeing the creativity from each of these people and the mission that they have and the impact that they’re actually looking to make and being able to kind of support them on that journey is incredibly rewarding,” Benjamin says.

This enthusiasm extends to his entire approach at Creator Sports Capital, where he often finds himself energized by the talented entrepreneurs he works with. “Sometimes, I don’t feel like it’s actually work,” he reflects. “I enjoy what I do and the people around me who inspire me.”

With Creator Sports Capital continuing to expand its portfolio and ventures like Good Good Golf growing, Benjamin is positioned to welcome the next phase of the creator economy.

“I’ve already seen signs of this. It’s definitely not a one-off and there’s a lot more to come,” Benjamin concludes. “As much as I can help play a role in what’s next—count me in.”