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Dolphin Entertainment targets doubling Always Alpha athlete roster and tripling affiliate …

Published

7 months ago

May 18, 2025

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Dolphin Entertainment targets doubling Always Alpha athlete roster and tripling affiliate ...

Earnings Call Insights: Dolphin Entertainment (DLPN) Q1 2025

Management View

CEO Bill O’Dowd highlighted total revenue of $12.2 million for the quarter, noting it was impacted by the absence of the prior year’s Blue Angels documentary contribution, but emphasized that core entertainment publicity and marketing revenue grew 2% year-over-year when excluding the film. O’Dowd stated, “this is a testament to the underlying strength of our platform, especially as we manage through the lingering impact of the LA wildfires and a correspondingly lighter award season.”
O’Dowd emphasized strategic investments: “We’re big believers in the future of women’s sports, our women’s sports management firm, Always Alpha…now positions us as the largest and most comprehensive management firm in the women’s sports space.” He projected expansion into women’s soccer and basketball, expecting the active roster to double by year-end, and signaled ongoing investment in the new affiliate marketing division, anticipating the influencer roster would more than triple in 2025.
The CEO also referenced his personal confidence in the company’s valuation, stating, “I see tremendous upside in our shares, and I’ve started weekly purchases through a 10b5-1 plan.”
CFO Mirta Sanchez Negrini reported, “Total revenue for the quarter was $12.2 million compared to $15.2 million for the same period in 2024. As Bill noted, the year-over-year decrease is primarily attributable to last year’s Blue Angels production revenue of $3.4 million.” She added, “Operating expenses for the quarter were $13.9 million compared to $15.1 million in Q1 2024.”

Outlook

O’Dowd indicated plans to continue investing in Always Alpha and the affiliate marketing division, expecting both to “pay increasing dividends for us in 2026 and beyond, both in revenues and profits.” He projected that the affiliate roster could more than triple by year-end and that the women’s sports roster would double, as Dolphin targets expansion into women’s soccer and basketball verticals.
The CEO reiterated, “We expect to still have as strong a year as we thought we were going to have at start. Our businesses are growing and no loss of confidence for this full year for us.”
There was no explicit numerical forward guidance for revenue or EPS, and management did not provide quantitative guidance.

Financial Results

The company reported total revenue of $12.2 million for Q1 2025, with core entertainment publicity and marketing segment revenue of $12.1 million, up 2% year-over-year when excluding the prior year’s film production revenue.
Operating expenses were $13.9 million, including approximately $600,000 in both depreciation and amortization and non-recurring or non-cash expenses. Operating loss for Q1 2025 was $1.8 million, and adjusted operating loss was about $600,000. Net loss was $2.3 million, or $0.21 per share, compared to a net loss of $300,000, or $0.04 per share, in Q1 2024.
Management maintained that adjusted operating loss was comparable to the prior year, excluding the Blue Angels’ one-time impact.

Q&A

Allen Klee, Maxim Group: Asked about investments versus revenue potential in Always Alpha and affiliate marketing. O’Dowd explained that new managers are hired to expand into soccer and basketball, with revenue typically ramping up six to nine months after hiring. “If we’ve closed revenue through Q1 for Always Alpha…I think probably it’s fair to say that 90% of that revenue will be sometime later in 2025, and then that will be true in Q2, too.”
Klee probed affiliate marketing growth and structure. O’Dowd detailed, “We have a backlog of affiliate influencers that would like to work with us. And we’re hiring and training affiliate managers…they can have a quicker turn. A team could be cash positive within a shorter period of time, a couple of months after it being fully ramped-up.”
Klee questioned how affiliate influencers are sourced and monetized. O’Dowd explained the company takes a 20% commission on influencer earnings from affiliate links, and highlighted the competitive advantage of offering both brand campaigns and affiliate marketing to creators.
On priorities for 2025, O’Dowd listed growth in Always Alpha and the affiliate division, preparing Youngblood for a festival debut and future release, and increasing production frequency as top focuses.
Klee asked about the financial outlook. O’Dowd responded, “We expect to still have as strong a year as we thought we were going to have at start. Our businesses are growing and no loss of confidence for this full year for us.”

Sentiment Analysis

Analysts’ tone was positive and supportive, recognizing the company’s ability to deliver revenue above their own $10 million estimate despite headwinds. “So kudos to you.”
Management’s tone was confident and forward-looking in both prepared remarks and Q&A, repeatedly expressing belief in the company’s growth prospects and ability to navigate challenges. O’Dowd stated, “I feel very good about the rest of this year.”
Compared to the previous quarter, tone from both analysts and management became more focused on execution and growth, with less emphasis on past accolades and more on near-term expansion.

Quarter-over-Quarter Comparison

Guidance language shifted from celebrating agency recognition and foundational achievements in Q4 to emphasizing operational execution and future business scaling in Q1.
Strategic focus sharpened on scaling Always Alpha and affiliate marketing, with clear targets provided for roster expansion and investments in talent and infrastructure.
Analysts’ questions in Q1 focused more on near-term execution, revenue ramp timelines, and operational mechanics rather than high-level strategic announcements.
Key metrics moved from full-year growth and profitability in Q4 to Q1’s segment-level year-over-year core revenue growth and specific loss figures, with management highlighting resilience despite Q1 headwinds from LA wildfires.
The management tone remained optimistic, though became more pragmatic and focused on current initiatives and future profit centers.

Risks and Concerns

Management cited lingering impacts from the LA wildfires and a lighter awards season as Q1-specific challenges, particularly affecting 42West and Special Projects subsidiaries.
O’Dowd emphasized that the fire’s impact was “limited to Q1 for us” and maintained that cost discipline and core business growth strategies continue to offset such disruptions.
No new risks or concerns were highlighted by analysts beyond those already discussed.

Final Takeaway

Dolphin Entertainment’s management underscored ongoing investments in women’s sports management and affiliate marketing as core drivers for future growth, with explicit targets to double the Always Alpha roster and triple the affiliate influencer base by the end of 2025. Despite Q1 disruptions from LA wildfires and the absence of prior year’s film revenue, core entertainment marketing revenue demonstrated resilience. Leadership remains confident in achieving strong full-year results, with a clear focus on execution and scaling new business verticals poised to deliver sustainable profit in 2026 and beyond.

Read the full Earnings Call Transcript

KSR Today: Volleyball Ends, Basketball Rolls On

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Good morning, KSR readers. It’s Monday morning of Christmas week. Can you believe it? Ready or not, it’s here, so get that last-minute shopping in. Maybe I’ll see you out there, right after I get these decorations put up.

In addition to Christmas anxiety, we’re coming off an emotional weekend in Big Blue Nation. Sunday didn’t pan out the way we hoped in the NCAA Volleyball Final Four, but Saturday in Atlanta gave us some excitement with Mark Pope’s Wildcats finally getting a top-25 win in the CBS Sports Classic, leaning on the depth of a full roster.

There is more UK fun ahead, so what do you say we catch up on everything as the holidays close in? And let me know if you have any last-minute shopping ideas, or if you want to put the ornaments on my Christmas tree.

Kentucky Volleyball swept by A&M in the NCAA Championship

This one was tough to wrap your head around. Kentucky Volleyball‘s incredible season came to a disappointing end Sunday in Kansas City, as the Wildcats were swept 3-0 by Texas A&M in the NCAA Championship match. It never felt like this was how it was supposed to end. Kentucky had set point in the opening set at 24-23, but Texas A&M closed on a 3-0 run, and it was all Aggies from there.

The Wildcats struggled to find their rhythm after that moment during one of the worst performances of the season. A&M was the far better team for the afternoon and had the majority of the crowd, winning the final two sets 25-15 and 25-20. The loss snapped a 27-match winning streak and was a shocking finish for a team that had been so steady and dominant all season, and was favored to win.

Still, Craig Skinner’s NCAA runner-up group deserves appreciation. Kentucky finishes 30-3, swept the SEC regular season and tournament titles, and reached the national championship for the second time in program history. Yeah, the ending hurt, but the Wildcats brought a lot of joy and excitement to the fan base, and the program is built to be back on this stage again next season. Sunday’s final still stings for now, though.

Mark Pope’s Wildcats host Bellarmine in Rupp Arena tomorrow

Now at full strength, Kentucky Basketball returns to Rupp Arena tomorrow for a pre-Christmas matchup with Bellarmine, looking to keep momentum rolling before the short holiday break. The Wildcats have won three straight games, including wins over Indiana and St. John’s, and are starting to look more comfortable on both ends of the floor after a disappointing start to the year.

Bellarmine, ranked No. 260 in KenPom, catches Kentucky at a bad time. However, the Knights also snapped out of a recent funk with a 15-point win over Chattanooga. Bellarmine is 5-6 entering Tuesday’s game, set for 1 p.m. in the afternoon. It’s a streaming-only game on SEC Network+.

Q&A with Jayden Quaintance and Kam Williams

Fresh off his Kentucky debut, Jayden Quaintance gets a turn at the podium to preview Kentucky’s next game. He and Kam Williams, who also starred in Saturday’s comeback win, will take questions about the matchup with Bellarmine and the upcoming holiday break. You can watch those conversations here at KentuckySportsRadio.com later today.

Hear from Mark Pope during his call-in show

After Quaintance and Williams speak for the locker room, Mark Pope will sit down with Tom Leach for his Monday night call-in radio show. Hear from Pope at 6 p.m. on the UK Sports Network, as he recaps the win over St. John’s and more on the team’s three-game winning streak.

Kentucky climbing the NET, maybe the Top 25

With Saturday’s win, Kentucky climbed the NET Rankings up to No. 23. Later today, we’ll find out if the win was enough to move the Wildcats back into the Top 25 polls. The AP and Coaches’ polls update around lunchtime for both men’s and women’s college basketball. Kenny Brooks’ squad enters the new week ranked No. 12/13.

Will Stein’s first coaching staff is taking shape

Will Stein is a busy man, balancing two jobs this holiday season. On Saturday, his Oregon Ducks scored 51 points in their first College Football Playoff game. Then on Sunday, news spread of Stein’s latest hire for his first staff in Lexington.

Former Cal assistant Allen Brown will serve as Kentucky Football‘s cornerbacks coach. Brown replaces Chris Collins, who joins Brad White and Jon Sumrall at Florida, and rounds out Stein’s list of assistant coaches for his first season at UK:

Joe Sloan: Offensive Coordinator
Jay Bateman: Defensive Coordinator
Cutter Leftwich: Offensive Line
Kolby Smith: Running Backs
Justin Burke: TBA
Joe Price III: Wide Receivers
Josh Christian-Young: Safeties
Anwar Stewart: Defensive Line
Tony Washington Jr: Pass Rushers
Allen Brown: Cornerbacks

Former Cal assistant to coach Kentucky’s cornerbacks

Tune in to KSR at 10 a.m.

Matt Jones hosts today’s show from New Orleans, where he will call his first football game for ESPN Radio tomorrow. Joining him via technology are Ryan Lemond and me in Lexington, and Shannon The Dude in Louisville. Together, we’ll recap the high and low weekend from 10 a.m. to noon. Go Cats.

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Sports

South Dakota earns three Summit League Academic All-League selections

Published

2 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — South Dakota volleyball’s Avery Van Hook, Kamryn Farris and Amanda Loschen were named to the Summit League Volleyball Academic All-League team, announced the league office Monday.

South Dakota accounted for three of the seven spots on the Academic All-League team and was the only program to have multiple athletes named to the team. Van Hook has been named to the Academic All-League Team in consecutive seasons, while Farris and Loschen appeared on the team for the first time in their career.

The three Coyotes were also named to the 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team.

To be eligible for the Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), completed at least one full academic year at the current institution and participated in 50 percent of their team’s competitions.

Nominations are brought forth by sports information directors from the league’s participating members, and voting is conducted by both SIDs and FARs. The teams are made up of ten student-athletes receiving the most votes with all ties standing.

2025 Summit League Volleyball Academic All-League Team

Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	GPA	Major
Ally Barth	NDSU	Sr.	MB	3.94	Management Communication
Kamryn Farris	South Dakota	Sr.	DS	3.75	Business
Avery Van Hook**	South Dakota	Jr.	S	3.87	Kinesiology & Sport Management
Kali Jurgensmeier**	Omaha	Sr.	OH	3.82	Biology
Amanda Loschen	South Dakota	Jr.	MB	3.86	Medical Biology
Lauren Perugini**	North Dakota	Jr.	OH	4.00	Dietetics
Joslyn Richardson**	SDSU	Jr.	DS	4.00	Construction Management

*Career Academic All-League honors

Stay up to date with all things Coyotes by following South Dakota Athletics on Facebook /SDCoyotes, X (Twitter) @SDCoyotes, and Instagram @sdcoyotes! #GoYotes x #WeAreSouthDakota

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Tomashek named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week

Published

5 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech men’s basketball senior Marcus Tomashek has been named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for week six, the league office announced on Monday.

The honor marks the ninth of his career and the first of his senior season.

Tomashek, a standout from Green Bay, Wisconsin, averaged 30.5 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds to lead the No. 9 nationally-ranked Huskies to win over Florida Tech (64-52) before blitzing the high-flying offense of the Lynn Fighting Knights (105-67) at the Florida Tech Christmas Classic over the weekend to wrap non-conference play with a 11-1 record overall.

In the largest scoring game against a Division II opponent in over 15 years, Tomashek netted a season-high 39 points in the 105-67 win on 14-21 from the field and 11-17 from 3-point land, breaking the school record for single-game 3-point field goals made, surpassing fellow Husky All-Americans Kyle Monroe and Ben Stelzer. He also added four assists that helped the Huskies break the team record for most 3-point field goals made with 23.

Tomashek finished the weekend shooting 54.1 percent from the field (20-37), 50 percent from long range (14-28) and a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe.

The Huskies resume GLIAC play next weekend, hosting Grand Valley State Thursday and Davenport on Saturday.

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Sports

SCAC Announces 2025 Fall All-Sportsmanship Teams

Published

6 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SUWANEE, Ga. — The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) today announced its 18th annual fall All-Sportsmanship teams. A total of 63 student-athletes – the most since 2011-12 – were selected to the 2025 squad in the sports of men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball.

Since the inaugural All-Sportsmanship teams were honored in the fall of 2008, the SCAC has recognized over 2,500 student-athletes who each, in his or her own way, has displayed the league’s core belief in the value of honorable conduct.

For this year’s selections, each conference head coach was asked to elect one member from his or her team who displayed good sportsmanship throughout the season.

The 2025 SCAC All-Sportsmanship honorees for the fall sports season are listed below:

2025 All-Sportsmanship Men’s Cross Country Team
Centenary College – Zack Wroten, Fy., Benton, Louisiana
Colorado College – Luc Santos, Sr., Exeter, New Hampshire
Concordia University (Texas) – Gerardo Leal, Fy., Dallas, Texas
University of Dallas – Martin Lane, So., Hot Springs, South Dakota
Hendrix College – Davin Barragan, Fy., Hot Springs, Arkansas
LeTourneau University – Austin Jett, Jr., Magnolia, Texas
McMurry University – Roman Perez, Sr., Big Spring, Texas
University of the Ozarks – Daniel Sanderson, Sr., Clarksville, Arkansas
Schreiner University – Sean Dansby, Jr., Pasadena, Texas
University of St. Thomas – Mason McFeeters, Jr., Lake Jackson, Texas
Texas Lutheran University – Peyton Bristow, Fy., Round Rock, Texas

2025 All-Sportsmanship Women’s Cross Country
Centenary College – Grayson Shugart, So., McKinney, Texas
Colorado College – Brooktie Frogge, Sr., Nashville, Tennessee
Concordia University (Texas) – Camille McWhorter, Jr., Humble, Texas
University of Dallas – Teresa Chshen, Jr., River Ridge, Louisiana
Hendrix College – Pippy Newell, Fy., Owasso, Oklahoma
LeTourneau University – Alayna Galloway, Sr., Montgomery, Texas
McMurry University – Madison Soultanova, Sr., Jacksonville, Texas
University of the Ozarks – Chloe Weathers, Sr., Clarksville, Arkansas
Schreiner University – Piper Hoeke, So., Boerne, Texas
University of St. Thomas – Alejandra Ramon, Jr., Klein, Texas
Texas Lutheran University – Audrey Malbrough, So., Selma, Texas

2025 All-Sportsmanship Football
Austin College – Evan Dennis, Sr., McKinney, Texas
Centenary College – Gideon Bowman, So., Destrehan, Louisiana
Hendrix College – Auvic White, Sr., Munford, Tennessee
Lyon College – Grayson Johnson, Jr., Anniston, Alabama
McMurry University – Kimani Smith, Sr., Austin, Texas
Texas Lutheran University – Anthony Ortegon, Jr., Houston, Texas

2025 All-Sportsmanship Men’s Soccer
Austin College – Justin Ajdukovich, Sr., Frisco, Texas
Centenary College – Joshua Mensah, So., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Colorado College – Will Jones, So., Colorado Springs, Colorado
Concordia University (Texas) – Steven Dolan, Jr., Bellevue, Washington
University of Dallas – Josh Longlois, So., Houston, Texas
Hendrix College – Charlie Mata, Sr., Houston, Texas
LeTourneau University – Nate Bransford, Sr., Kijabe, Kenya
McMurry University – Abel Gonzalez, Fy., Dallas, Texas
University of the Ozarks – Hunter Robert, Sr., Montgomery, Texas
Schreiner University – Derek Toney, Fy., San Antonio, Texas
University of St. Thomas – Elijah Flores, Sr., Missouri City, Texas
Texas Lutheran University – Preston Huff, Sr., Houston, Texas

2025 All-Sportsmanship Women’s Soccer
Austin College – Lynna Martin, Fy., Paris, Texas
Centenary College – Anna Hobart, Fy., Natchitoches, Louisiana
Concordia University (Texas) – Lilianna Cherry, Jr., Kingwood, Texas
University of Dallas – Kit Gibbons, Sr., Tomball, Texas
Hendrix College – Ella Kelly, Sr., Webster Groves, Missouri
LeTourneau University – Clarissa Martinez, Sr., Richwood, Texas
McMurry University – Alexandria Flores, Jr., San Angelo, Texas
University of the Ozarks – Jayden Vazquez, So., Dardanelle, Arkansas
Schreiner University – Aspen Ulibarri, So., Clovis, New Mexico
University of St. Thomas – Bre Medina, Fy., Pearland, Texas
Texas Lutheran University – Alysa Marquez, Jr., Miami, Florida

2025 All-Sportsmanship Volleyball
Austin College – Selah Coleman, Sr., Houston, Texas
Centenary College – Hannah Dimmel, Jr., Navasota, Texas
Colorado College – Meghan Gannon, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio
Concordia University (Texas) – Camryn Parker, Sr., Garland, Texas
University of Dallas – Breana Timms, Fy., Mansfield, Texas
Hendrix College – Lily Meyer, Sr., Omaha, Nebraska
LeTourneau University – Emma Smith, Sr., San Antonio, Texas
McMurry University – Jalie Miller, So., Rockwall, Texas
University of the Ozarks – Claire Zeiler, Fy., Paris, Arkansas
Schreiner University – Emma Frye, Jr., Tigard, Oregon
University of St. Thomas – Madi Baker, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, California
Texas Lutheran University – Ryann Ely, Sr., Montgomery, Texas

To view an archive of past All-Sportsmanship teams, click here.

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Sports

RICHARDSON NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-LEAGUE TEAM

Published

6 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota State junior Joslyn Richardson was one of four repeat honorees on the 2025 Summit League Volleyball Academic All-League Team released by conference officials Monday. A total of seven volleyball athletes league-wide were named to the team that was voted on by the membership’s faculty athletic representatives and sports information directors.

Richardson, a two-time Summit League Scholar of the Championship presented by JLG Architects, collected the second all-academic honor of her career.

Richardson played every match as the Jackrabbits’ libero in 2025 and led the team in digs per set with 3.31. She also set a new program record with 41 ace serves this year.

To be eligible for the Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), completed at least one full academic year at the current institution and participated in 50 percent of their team’s competitions.

Nominations are brought forth by sports information directors from the league’s ten institutions and voting is conducted by both the SIDs and facility athletic representatives (FARs). The team is made up of the seven student-athletes receiving the most votes with all ties standing.

2025 Summit League Volleyball Academic All-League Team

Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	GPA	Major
Ally Barth	NDSU	Sr.	MB	3.94	Management Communication
Kamryn Farris	South Dakota	Sr.	DS	3.75	Business
Avery Van Hook**	South Dakota	Jr.	S	3.87	Kinesiology & Sport Management
Kali Jurgensmeier**	Omaha	Sr.	OH	3.82	Biology
Amanda Loschen	South Dakota	Jr.	MB	3.86	Medical Biology
Lauren Perugini**	North Dakota	Jr.	OH	4.00	Dietetics
Joslyn Richardson**	SDSU	Jr.	DS	4.00	Construction Management

*Career Academic All-League honors

-GoJacks.com-

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Sports

Una Vajagic becomes first Badger Volleyball starter to transfer after national semifinal run | Sports

Published

6 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MADISON, Wis. — In a surprising move on the volleyball court, Una Vajagic has announced that she is entering the transfer portal. This news is a stunner for Badger fans, as the sophomore ranked second on the team in kills and becomes the first Badger starter to leave since their national semifinal run.

Vajagic was expected to take on a larger role next season with the graduation of Mimi Colyer and Carter Booth. However, head coach Kelly Sheffield is already taking steps to replenish the roster, bringing in Florida’s Jaela Auguste, a Middle Blocker, and Eva Travis, an Outside Hitter from UC-Santa Barbara.

Looking ahead, there is promising news for Wisconsin volleyball. According to PrepDig, Wisconsin boasts the #1 recruiting class in the nation, incoming in 2026. This signals a bright future for the program despite the unexpected departure of Vajagic.

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