From 2K skits to global series, how Jesse Riedel built a modern sports entertainment empire. May 13, 2026 [[read-time]] minute read The way we watch sports has completely flipped. We’ve moved from an industry dictated entirely by traditional TV networks, to a phase where “influencers” were introduced as short-term marketing tactics, to the current reality where independent creators are commanding audiences comparable to major broadcasters. At 17, Jesse Riedel made the call to go all-in on his YouTube channel, Jesser , focusing on the cultural elements of sports traditional TV completely ignored: video games, sneaker culture, and driveway challenges. It was a massive gamble back then, but one that paid off. A decade later, Jesse has built a community of over 41 million subscribers on his main channel, elite pro athletes are actively reaching out, and he’s expanding his content with large-scale episodic series like Summer of Soccer and Pros vs. YouTubers .…