Covering Sports Startups and Finance, with Sid Balaga, The 4th Quarter (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 835)
In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray chats with Sid Balaga, co-founder of The 4th Quarter, a media company focused on sports technology, startups, finance, and venture capital. Sid shares the story behind the company’s inception with his childhood friend and company co-founder, Suraj Peramanu, and explains their vision to bridge the gap between sports, business, and technology. They delve into the niche of sports tech, covering areas such as AI applications, venture capital in emerging sports markets, and the innovative concept of investing in athletes’ future earnings. Sid also highlights their upcoming deep dive pieces and the expanding role of private equity in sports leagues. The episode is packed with insights for sports fans, business enthusiasts, and those interested in the future of sports technology.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced by the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Sid Balaga, The 4th Quarter
The 4th Quarter is a media company focused on sports technology, startups, finance, and venture capital. Its newsletter is the #1 sports business newsletter on Substack, delivering weekly insights on the latest business news, cutting-edge innovation, and trends in the sports technology, startup and venture capital ecosystem. Subscribers gain exclusive updates on emerging unicorn startups, high-profile investments, and a curated job board, making it a go-to resource for staying informed.
Led by Sid Balaga and Suraj Peramanu, The 4th Quarter connects a community of founders, venture capitalists, and professionals passionate about the sports-business world.
LinkedIn | Substack Newsletter | Sid’s LinkedIn | Suraj’s LinkedIn
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:45 Meet Sid Balaga
02:21 Overview of The 4th Quarter
04:47 Why Focus on the Business of Sports?
06:25 Covering the Financial Side of Sports
08:03 Spotlight on Startups and Niche Markets
10:20 Athletes and Venture Capital
15:02 Future Trends and Predictions
26:36 Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 800 shows and having featured over 1,200 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show welcomes a wide variety of business, non-profit, and community leaders to get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
