Months after The Hockey News proved the model, a new global sports network has launched with more than 100 former Sports Illustrated journalists on board.
RTB Digital, Inc. founder and serial media tech entrepreneur James Heckman recently announced U.S. $30 million to support the digital platform for “RoundtableSports” and expand development of RTB’s revolutionary Web3 technology.
RTB’s beta network was launched in partnership with The Hockey News in early 2025, as hockey industry mogul Graeme Roustan agreed to pioneer all his NHL sites on the platform. Roustan was Sports Illustrated’s most successful content partner before joining Roundtable, and now operates 50 hockey channels as Roundtable’s flagship.
“We have millions of users loyal to The Hockey News, with a 70-year-old brand that requires the utmost professionalism and quality at all levels,” said Roustan. “I trusted these pioneers in DeFi and SaaS media to revolutionize the opportunity and it paid off.
“I’m proud we are now the world’s largest Web3 publisher, and invite our major media peers to follow my lead to restore our digital assets and data, reassert control of our brand, and rebuild the communities co-opted by social media. I believe RoundtableSports will soon have the world’s largest sports audience.”
“Frankly, RTB may be a journalist’s best hope for survival,” said former Sports Illustrated team publisher Kade Kistner, now Roundtable’s EVP, Global Sports Network.
“AI is an existential threat to our future, and our decision to invest our careers with Roundtable stems from its empowering technology,” Kistner said. “This is the most advanced media platform in the industry, with fully integrated video and community features, including on-demand video conversations.
“More importantly, RTB provides journalists absolute data control and irrevocable IP ownership, protected on-chain, plus a real-time smart-contract payment system. These capabilities simply do not exist elsewhere, I believe intentionally, which is why we see RTB as the best chance for the survival of our profession.”