Howard Schultz Joins Pivot25 Productions as Investor and Strategic Partner

Starbucks chairman emeritus will work alongside Ryan Clark and the Pivot25 Productions team to continue building the media brand at the forefront of sports, business and culture

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pivot25 Productions announced today that entrepreneur and former Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz has joined the company as a strategic partner and investor.

Schultz will work closely with Pivot25 Productions co-founders—Super Bowl Champion and four-time Emmy Award-winner Ryan Clark and 13-time Emmy Award-winning producer Alicia Zubikowski—to expand the company’s brand, business and long-term cultural impact.

Pivot25 Productions recently launched a new weekly studio show, The Pivot Sports with Ryan Clark, produced in partnership with NFL Films and featuring Clark alongside co-hosts and former NFL stars Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.

The Pivot podcast recently entered into a multiyear agreement with Netflix that brings new video episodes of the podcast to the streaming platform. The show has also built a substantial direct-to-audience following, with more than 1.4 million YouTube subscribers and more than 480 million views. Together with The Pivot Sports with Ryan Clark, these growing content properties reflect the expanding reach and ambition of Pivot25 Productions.

Schultz’s partnership will focus on helping Pivot25 Productions and The Pivot podcast translate their momentum and audience trust into an enduring media enterprise. He will contribute lessons from building one of the world’s most recognized consumer brands, along with strategic counsel, commercial relationships, networking expertise and access to capital resources. Together, the partners will pursue new opportunities across content, distribution, brand partnerships, live experiences, licensing and other extensions of the Pivot25 platform.

“I have always believed that the most enduring businesses are built at the intersection of great ideas, authentic leadership and human connection,” Schultz said. “That is what I see in Ryan Clark, Alicia Zubikowski and the entire Pivot25 team.”

“We are living through a profound transformation in media. Audiences are increasingly choosing people and platforms they trust over traditional institutions, and the barriers between sports, business, culture and entertainment are disappearing. Ryan, Alicia, and the team have built something special within this new landscape. They have earned an audience not simply because of who they are or what they accomplished, but because of the honesty, curiosity and humanity they bring to their conversations.”

“What excites me most is the opportunity to help build upon that trust,” Schultz continued. “Pivot25 is already much more than a successful sports media platform. It is playing at the level of culture—bringing together sports, leadership, business and entertainment while creating consequential conversations for the next generation. I am proud to invest in the company and especially excited to become a partner to Ryan and his team as they build its next chapter.”

“Howard has always understood that the strongest brands begin with a clear purpose and a genuine relationship with people,” Clark said. “That’s what he did with Starbucks. He built a company around human connection, belonging and an experience people wanted to make part of their lives.”

“That is exactly the kind of partner we want as we enter this next stage,” Clark continued. “Howard respects what we have built, but he also sees possibilities for Pivot25 that extend far beyond where we are today. His experience, relationships and belief in our vision will help us build the company with greater intention, discipline and ambition.”

“From the beginning, we have been focused on building something that is authentic and can grow without losing what resonated with people in the first place,” said Zubikowski, Executive Producer of The Pivot and Co-Founder of Pivot25 Productions. “We have built Pivot25 from the ground up, and we know that the people, relationships and trust behind the platform are what make it special. Howard understands that better than most. He knows what it means to build a global brand while staying grounded in purpose, people and connection. His experience and perspective will be invaluable as we think bigger about what Pivot25 can become while staying true to the foundation we’ve built.”

Founded by Clark and Zubikowski, Pivot25 Productions has distinguished itself through storytelling that moves beyond conventional sports commentary. Through The Pivot podcast, Clark, Taylor and Crowder create an environment in which prominent guests speak candidly about leadership, family, failure, ambition, adversity, vulnerability and purpose.

That human-centered approach is increasingly valuable as media consumption shifts from networks and channels toward trusted personalities and communities. Sports increasingly sits at the center of a much broader cultural ecosystem encompassing entertainment, music, fashion, business, technology and social change. Pivot25 intends to serve both dedicated sports audiences and the broader culture by building programming and experiences around people, stories and conversations that transcend the game.

“At a time when technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping nearly every aspect of our lives, trusted voices, authentic relationships and deeply human storytelling will become more valuable—not less,” Schultz said. “Pivot25 has already built the most important foundation: trust. The opportunity now is to build an enduring brand and business around it.”

About Pivot25 Productions

Founded by Super Bowl Champion and four-time Emmy-winning broadcast analyst Ryan Clark and 13-time Emmy-winning producer Alicia Zubikowski, Pivot25 Productions is dedicated to telling meaningful stories that transcend sports. With a commitment to innovation, authenticity, and diversity, the company explores the human experience from every angle—whether through athletes, entertainers, intellectuals, or everyday people. Pivot25 believes in the power of longform storytelling to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and reflect the world in all its complexity.

About Howard Schultz

Howard Schultz is an entrepreneur, investor, author and chairman emeritus of Starbucks Coffee Company. During his leadership, Starbucks grew from a small regional coffee company into one of the world’s most recognized and respected consumer brands. Schultz is known for advancing a stakeholder-centered model of business and for establishing innovative employee benefits, including comprehensive healthcare and equity ownership for eligible employees. Through his investments, philanthropy and public advocacy, he continues to support entrepreneurs and organizations working to expand opportunity, strengthen communities and foster human connection.