Episode Summary / Description:

Matt Ryter’s path to Vice President wasn’t linear and that’s the point. From a first job logging stats at ESPN (that actually made watching sports worse) to learning the ad business at CBS and Time Inc., Matt’s career is a story of finding the right lane, building a personal brand, and growing into leadership by being willing to learn in public. Now VP of Sales at Minute Media, Matt shares how he went from big-company structure to startup chaos at Genius Sports, what he learned building a team from scratch, and why modern leadership is less about control and more about trust, especially in a post-COVID world. Along the way, he breaks down what he looks for when hiring, a common mistake young sellers make (“saying yes” too quickly), and the mantra he lives by, "Collaboration moves at the speed of trust."

Themes Discussed:

• Finding your lane early (and learning what you don’t want to do)
• Breaking into sales without the “traditional” entry path
• Mentorship and the power of shared networks
• Leadership lessons from both great and bad managers
• Player-coach growing pains: teaching vs “I’ll just do it myself”
• Building a business from zero (Genius Sports)
• Selling tech & data vs selling media & content
• Culture-first career moves and “kismet timing”
• Managing hybrid/remote teams without micromanaging
• Personal brand, networking, and staying sane in the grind

Chapter Breakdown:

00:00 - Intro

02:02 - Providence College & early direction

04:26 - ESPN stats job: dream…then burnout

06:28 - CBS entry: ad ops & inventory grind

07:36 - Breaking into sales via CNNMoney

11:26 - Mentorship: Providence alum opens doors

15:31 - Leadership begins: NFL then Genius

17:16 - Genius Sports: build team from zero

31:21 - Minute Media: “everything collided”

36:14 - Trust-based leadership & hiring lessons

Keywords:

Minute Media, Sports Illustrated, The Players’ Tribune, FanSided, SendToNews, Genius Sports, NFL, ESPN, CBS, Time Inc., CNNMoney, digital video, sports media, ad sales, leadership, mentorship, personal brand, networking, remote leadership, CTV, FAST channels, streaming, collaboration, trust, sales management, career growth

Matt's Bio:

Matt Ryter is the Vice President of Sales at Minute Media, where he leads commercial video sales initiatives and supports the company’s broader monetization strategy across premium sports storytelling and distribution. Previously, Matt served as VP of Sales at Genius Sports, helping build and scale the brand advertising business in North America. He also held roles at the NFL, Time Inc. (including Sports Illustrated / Fortune ecosystem), CBS, and ESPN. Matt is a proud Providence College alum and lives in the New York metro area with his wife and two children.

Ray's Bio:

Ray Erickson is the host of The Seat, a podcast featuring 1:1 conversations with revenue leaders across media, marketing, and advertising — unpacking the early days, mentors, setbacks, and pivotal moments that shaped how they lead today. Ray is a longtime ad/media sales leader with experience spanning digital ad tech, CTV, and sports media, and he created The Seat to sharpen his own leadership edge while paying it forward to the next generation of aspiring sales leaders.



Social Links:

Instagram: @theseat.pod

TikTok: @theseat.pod

LinkedIn: The Seat Podcast (LinkedIn Page)

Host: Ray Erickson (LinkedIn)

Listen: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / iHeart / Acast

Minute Media Website:

https://www.minutemedia.com/

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