It was recently announced that global independent hip hop artist and producer Kota the Friend, from Brooklyn, and his Flight Boys Network (FLTBYS) have invested in NYC Sports Network (NYCSN), with the expansion of NYCFootball.com as the first phase. Kota is considered to be one of the top independent hip hop artists in the industry. (Recent UPROXX article)
“This is a full circle moment for me. Most people don’t know that years ago when I was a teenager I used to film and edit highlights for the NYCFootball.com and NYCBasketball.com games of the week. Those websites covered high school football and basketball in New York City. I remember filming and editing high school highlights of players who are now pro athletes in the NBA and NFL. This industry goes hand in hand with the hip hop culture so this investment makes sense on so many levels. I created highlights of Curtis Samuel (Washington Commanders), Gus Edwards (Baltimore Ravens) and others who are now in the NFL. Sometimes I can’t believe how far we’ve all come. We’re all just guys from New York City who kept grinding in sports and music”, stated Kota the Friend.
NYC Sports Network combined all sports onto one platform 5 years ago, but the company recently decided to relaunch NYCFootball.com as a separate digital platform, once again.
Kota is no stranger to investing. He owns income producing real estate in NYC, LA and PA. His Pennsylvania property is a mixed use commercial /residential property that houses his flagship FLTBYS store, which ships the FLTBYS merchandise globally. He also is a part owner of Equity Platforms, a digital technology company backed by real estate.
Vernon Jones, founder of NYCSN, stated, “The investment by Kota the Friend and his Flight Boys Network allows us to relaunch NYCFootball.com. The site will include weekly lists of game results and top performers, game of the week coverage, MADMAN predictions, top 10 teams, top 100 players and overall exposure for players and teams. We’re also talking about bringing a podcast to the Flight Boys Network, focusing on high school football and basketball.”
The Flight Boys Network produces Kota the Friend’s upcoming Flight Boys Podcast, as well as the upcoming Simple Talk podcast, which the host will be interviewing professional athletes and sports influencers. The Flight Boys Network will also be launching a podcast that focuses on up-and-coming hip hop artists and producers. The lineup of the podcasts will be announced on or before September 15, 2023.
Kota added, “we want to see how this season goes. If it goes as expected, then we will expand to high school basketball and invest in a relaunch of NYCBasketball.com. I know how excited the players and fans were when I was filming those games as a teenager. It was insane. Especially with the MADMAN and his predictions. Everyone loved the predictions and the breakdown of the games. At that time Instagram wasn’t around so I can imagine the insanity this time around. Bringing back the MADMAN was one of the stipulations they had to meet to make this deal happen. I saw the excitement firsthand, so I was really serious about them bringing back the MADAMN. If I wasn’t there personally then I probably wouldn’t fully understand it. It’s just one of those things where your gut tells you that this is valuable. And the numbers are there and you know what they say, numbers don’t lie.”
The amount of the investment hasn’t been disclosed, but it includes funding, the use of the Flight Boys Network studio in DUMBO, Brooklyn, as well as a possible podcast focusing on NYC high school football and basketball and the use of Kota’s music that is relevant to specific highlight videos.
Jones added, “we have a list of over 35,000 high school sports fans that we will be inviting to become members of NYCFootball.com. The list also includes college coaches throughout the United States, which will open the door to more scholarships for players. Now that students can earn income through sponsorships, this takes things to an entirely different level in terms of exposure and partnerships.”
The first week for the NYC high school football season begins Thursday September 14, 2023. Players, fans and coaches can become members of NYCFootball.com. It’s free to join and players can create profile pages that can include their stats, highlights, articles, photos, music and other details. High school football players, coaches and fans can now Join NYCFootball.com to create player profiles and submit players for consideration for the NYC Top 100 Football Players list.
Kota the Friend: IG | FB | YouTube | Spotify
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