Earlier this summer, my wife and I decided we were going to try to spend less time on our phones, and I boldly told her I’d deleted TikTok and Instagram off my phone. 

She countered that I don’t even really look at those apps and challenged me to delete the ESPN app. Within 2 days she caught me ‘just checking the baseball scores’ on the ESPN website, and the app was re-downloaded within a week. Inspiring resolve on my end.

As a self-proclaimed sports addict, I focused this week’s issue on sports. 

With football and hockey back and the baseball playoffs kicking off, this is the best time of year to connect with your similarly sports-addicted clients.

— Robbie

Cosm is an event venue in Hollywood Park, right across from SoFi, where you watch live sports, movies, and artistic performances on an 87-foot LED dome that curves around and above you. 

I heard rumblings about Cosm last football season from a few friends who went and wouldn’t stop raving about it. One seller friend told me a story of texting a friend a photo of the screen mid-game, and the friend thought he was actually standing on the sideline of the game. For a sense of the visual and vibe, here’s a clip of the Niners scoring on my beloved Bears' hapless defense last season.

The main room is called the Dome. It seats around 350 people in comfy sofa-style chairs or bar seats. There are three tiers:

You’ll have a server providing food and drinks throughout the game (menu), so you can focus on hanging with your clients and, if you’re like me, watching your favorite team get crushed in ultra high definition.

For a more affordable option, they also have a space called The Hall, which has enormous LED screens playing multiple games and looks like a massive Vegas sportsbook on steroids. Seats in the Hall can be reserved, or are first-come, first-served through a General Admission ticket. 

If you want some fresh air, there’s also a rooftop Deck with TVs and great views of Hollywood Park. Here are visuals of all the options on the Experience page of the website.  

Tickets:  

Basics:

Added Value: When I spoke with the sales lead, Tiffany, she encouraged me to come check it out in person since it’s hard to overstate what it feels like to see it IRL. They happened to be playing the first Harry Potter movie (which still hits btw), and even that was mind-blowing. 

A big perk of Cosm is that you get the energy and feeling of actually being at a game, but with more creature comforts and less of the logistical crush of gathering with 80,000 of your closest friends. 

Consider this one especially if you have a client who’s an LA transplant and doesn’t often get to support their home team.

RevelXP is a nationwide game-day hospitality company that builds and runs full-service tailgates, so you arrive at a finished setup and walk away without touching it.

The basic package includes your tents, tables, chairs, linens, and coolers. From there you can add catering, drinks, a full-service bar, cocktail tables, lawn games, and even a temporary fence to keep the riffraff out. 

They focus on football, but have also run tailgate experiences around March Madness and MLS.

USC/UCLA: They are particularly well-suited for college football. As an authorized partner at both UCLA and USC, they have designated tailgate space at the Rose Bowl and the Coliseum inside the fan zone. See here for specific information on tailgating at USC and UCLA.

Dates worth keeping an eye on: 

Rams/Chargers: They secure a nearby lot a few blocks away from the stadium. The upside is that it’s a relatively private setup, but the tradeoff is that it is quiet if you’re envisioning the full fan-zone pregame experience.

Beyond LA: RevelXP runs nationwide, so if you are entertaining at a game in another market, they can build the same type of setup. 

Added Value: When I was first thinking about MeetWell and asking sellers what they actually wanted, a service like this was one of the first things that came up. You can’t be responsible for entertaining your clients and grilling weenies at the same time. This is how you get to have your hot dog and eat it too.

Topgolf is a three-level, interactive driving range and bar in El Segundo, a few minutes off the 105 near LAX.

If you've never been, imagine a futuristic driving range where every ball has a microchip that scores itself as you ‘aim’ at big lit-up targets. Here’s a visual of the experience narrated by the classic influencer fast-talk that makes my head spin.

The games are intentionally designed to be fun for both actual golfers and complete beginners. Like many group athletic endeavors, it’s often more hilarious and fun the worse you are. 

While you play, you can order food and drinks, and each bay is climate-controlled in case it gets hot or chilly.

Each bay can accommodate six players. Eight total people can be in a bay in case you want to swap in and out. Most groups reserve a bay for 2 hours, which costs $82 for midweek dates. You can reserve a bay on their website. 

I also spoke with group sales director Hilary Chattler ([email protected] or 424-567-6367), who is responsive and can help you set up specific client package options.

The starting point:

Ways you can level it up:

Details

Added Value: Growing up, every summer my friends and I used to play golf at a crappy course that was free after 7pm. Equipped with a few of my dad’s beers we swiped from the downstairs fridge, we’d play til we couldn’t see the ball anymore.  

Golf has been a fixture of the client entertainment circuit forever for good reason. Topgolf removes all the fussiness of actual golf and makes it available to everyone, even if you’re not usually into sports. Plus, if it's time-capped at 2 hours, everyone is getting home and under the covers before it’s too late.

Do you want to play Media Fantasy Football?

Leaning into the sporting theme, this week we’re changing the Oasis to introduce an inspired side hustle project called Fantasy League Survivor from my friend and fellow seller, who just happens to have one of the coolest last names in the biz, Joe DeFazio. 

Joe created an easier, more fun way to play fantasy football that doesn’t depend on your players miraculously staying healthy throughout the season.

Each week, you select the players on your team (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF), but you can’t choose the same player twice. So you choose new players every week, and all you have to do is check the schedule to see when Taylor’s in town to see whether Travis is going to put in the extra effort for a TD. 

There are no match ups or head-to-head, and whoever has the highest score at the end of the season wins.

The buy-in is $50, roughly equal to the cost of a latte and a croissant on Abbot Kinney. 

If you want to join me, Mr. DeFazio, and several of your fellow colleagues in the media trenches, contact Joe. Window closes this Friday 9/11. 

Also, if you have a side hustle project to share with the media world, reply to this email and let’s get it out there.

Thanks for reading. Any feedback is appreciated - just hit reply to this email.