Peyton Manning discusses sports media with students at the USC Next Level Sports event

As a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer, Peyton Manning is familiar with being in the limelight.

However, Thursday afternoon, a decade beyond his departure from professional football, felt distinctive. There were no stadium lights, cheering spectators, or massive linemen attempting to bring him down.

Instead, approximately 600 USC students, faculty, and staff convened in the Wallis Annenberg Hall forum to listen to Manning speak about life post-football and his remarkably successful foray into sports media.

“I wasn’t entirely certain what path I wanted to follow when my playing days were over,” Manning mentioned. “Earlier in my career, I had discussions regarding a production company, and I might have received some misleading information suggesting it involved taking extensive risks, staffing up, and investing substantial time into its development — which wasn’t truly the case.

“If you collaborate with truly capable individuals, you can establish it with considerably less risk.”

The discussion was part of USC Next Level Sports, a collaboration between the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the USC Marshall School of Business. On this particular day, Manning took the stage alongside USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay and two USC students — one from each institution — to respond to inquiries regarding his media venture, Omaha Productions, which boasts numerous accolades, produces significant scripted and live programming, and is estimated to be worth between $700 million and $800 million.

“I can participate in projects without needing to be physically present,” Manning reflected. “I don’t have to be the quarterback… I can operate as the offensive coordinator in the press box, providing someone else a platform to narrate a story.”

Launching Omaha

Omaha Productions is a content creation and production agency established in 2020 by Manning and Jamie Horowit. Manning’s sibling Eli, also a two-time Super Bowl champion, collaborates with the team. Omaha’s content spans from commercials to the forthcoming Hulu series Chad Powers, documentaries like Netflix’s Quarterback, and live broadcasts such as the Manningcast on ESPN’s Monday Night Football — the latter of which has earned Manning and the Omaha team three Sports Emmy Awards.

“When you cease playing football, the aspect you miss the most is the camaraderie of the team,” Manning shared. “And now I’m part of the Omaha team, which I genuinely appreciate.”

The child of 14-year NFL veteran quarterback Archie Manning, Peyton Manning was an All-American
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at the University of Tennessee. He was selected first overall in the 1998 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts and proceeded to play 18 seasons in the NFL with the Colts and the Denver Broncos. His 71,940 passing yards and 539 passing touchdowns are both ranked third all-time for an NFL career.

Although achievements like that reflect a significant level of confidence, Manning expressed that transitioning into an entirely new role and career trajectory presented its own array of obstacles.

“I believe the error people commit is they presume that just because you’re the quarterback or CEO or manager or president, it automatically makes you a leader, but it truly doesn’t,” Manning remarked. “You need to earn the title of leadership.”

The evolving sports media landscape

While Thursday’s discussion focused on Omaha Productions, this organization is merely one example of athlete-owned and -driven ventures that are transforming sports media. LeBron James is involved with SpringHill Company, Kevin Durant has Boardroom, and Tom Brady along with Michael Strahan are behind Religion of Sports. Each enterprise focuses on athlete-driven narratives to convey sports stories in unique and inventive manners.

For Manning and the Omaha crew, the emphasis is on generating unifying and uplifting content that doesn’t take itself too earnestly. A prime example is: Chad Powers. What has evolved into a full series on Hulu featuring Glen Powell began as an Eli Manning prank video.

“What I’ve realized is, don’t tell me that’s a terrible idea or that won’t make a show,” Manning asserted. “Anything has the potential to become a show if you have the right individuals involved.”

Manning mentioned that even Manningcast didn’t initially appear like a viable concept when it was proposed. The program showcases the Manning brothers viewing Monday Night Football from their living rooms, interspersed with several Zoom interviews with football-enthusiast celebrities. The idea was to explore how NFL icons experience football as fans, although the Mannings were somewhat doubtful about its feasibility.

“Eli believed ESPN was having a laugh,” Manning said.

Nonetheless, the straightforward concept turned into a success. The Manningcast is currently in its fifth season and has agreements with ESPN for several additional years.

“I apologize for the clichéd football metaphors, but we continually strive to achieve completions, and sometimes those brief, small 10-yard completions can lead to a touchdown,” Manning mentioned.

Inspiring the upcoming generation

USC Annenberg senior Campbell Donovan, who sat onstage alongside Bay and Manning, inquired about unexpected insights from Manning’s experiences at Omaha Productions.

“It’s evident that he is genuinely an MVP storyteller just from the way he addressed our questions,” said Donovan, a communications major with minors in screenwriting and education. “I believe he truly embodies what he advocates, being an exceptional listener and emphasizing preparation.”

The other student onstage, USC Marshall senior Elijah Patterson, sought Manning’s guidance on how to enter the sports media realm — and how to effectively navigate the name, image, and likeness (NIL) era.

“I’ve admired him not only as a football player but as the ideal example of someone capable of marketing themselves effectively,” said Patterson, who studies business administration and management.

Both student speakers concurred that having the chance to ask Manning questions was a distinctive USC experience.

“No other institution would bring Peyton Manning on a random Thursday and let students join him onstage to pose questions,” Patterson remarked.