Alexis Ohanian Aims to Challenge NFL Demographics, Channels Bane in Justin Gatlin’s Podcast: “I Was Born in the Darkness”

In a captivating episode of Justin Gatlin’s Ready Set Go podcast, Alexis Ohanian presented his ambitious idea for track and field to challenge the NFL’s traditional demographics.

He also drew inspiration from the renowned villain Bane, stressing on one of his most famous phrases, and expressed his desire to reshape the sports environment via creativity and inclusivity.

Ohanian openly stated that, following Athlos’s successful debut, he now has even bigger ambitions for the event. He mentioned scheduling the event to coincide with Thursday Night Football, specifically during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.

He was and continues to be delighted to compete “head-to-head” with the “Goliath” of American sports, the NFL. As an entrepreneur himself, he conducted research on the demographics of the renowned sports league. 

Ohanian claimed that the average age of an NFL fan is between 60 and 65, whereas track and field attracts a younger demographic, which they are attempting to approach as a “digital native.”

Furthermore, he stressed the difficulty of gaining online attention to promote his event, citing his own experience developing Reddit from the ground up.

Ohanian also linked this desire to compete against the major leagues to one of Bane’s most famous quotes from the Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, stating:

“I was born in the darkness, molded by it.”

When Ohanian managed to imitate Bane’s voice, Gatlin and Rodney Green laughed and complimented him on his attempt. The American entrepreneur then returned to the topic, highlighting the people who are thriving under the “new generation of storytelling.” He pointed out that understanding every audience was critical, as opposed to the context of what the older generation did.

Considering the fact that the journey ahead would be difficult, Ohanian felt optimistic about Athlos’ future. Despite holding the event as the penultimate track meet of the 2024 season, Athlos received a lot of attention around the world.

It included exciting female athletes who provided lots of action for viewers watching from the Icahn Stadium and their devices at home. Athlos has set high expectations for the forthcoming 2025 season, which fans will eagerly await.