Chris Bevilacqua

Bevilacqua is currently a Sr Advisor for Rothschild & Co, a Strategic Partner with Smash Sports, and a board member for Playfly Sports. He was previously the Co-Founder & CEO of SimpleBet, a data and technology company, which was acquired by DraftKings in 2024. He was also the Co-Founder of Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures (BHV), a New York based media advisory and investment firm in the sports and entertainment industries.

Over the last 35 years, Bevilacqua has established himself as a leader in the sports, media, entertainment, and technology industries. A sports-media pioneer, Bevilacqua created CSTV – the first ever 24-hour cable TV network dedicated to collegiate and amateur sports, which was later sold to CBS in 2006 (now the CBS Sports Network).

An early investor across sports, media, and tech, Bevilacqua has deep insight and experience with media companies, startups, and distribution platforms and is known for his sharp eye when it comes to identifying trends and emerging categories. He has made early-stage investments in companies such as Betr, Underdog, StubHub, ActionX, Viagogo, Lyft, Airbnb, SpaceX, The Players Tribune and ThePostGame.

Bevilacqua is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University where he was a 2X NCAA All-American wrestler and was elected into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.