White paper · · November 2026
A meaningful, sustainable network support model
Built on transparency and independence
Co-ownership and cooperation drive scalable growth in the amateur sports ecosystem.
Abstract
Grassroots amateur sports depend on many small, independent participants: players, venues, organizers, media, and brands. Conventional sponsorship and distribution models tend to concentrate value through exclusivity and control. This paper outlines an alternative, in which value is created and shared through participation.
The premise
Objective before inventory
Sponsorship usually starts with what's for sale: a banner, a title, a package. In a grassroots sport, that leaves value on the table.
The better first question is what anyone is trying to accomplish: entering a market, reaching players and viewers, getting equipment into the right hands, or helping a venue stream its own matches. The structure follows.
Standardize the interface, not the property.
The network
Co-operation over control
Traditional distribution runs in a line: manufacturer, distributor, dealer, customer. Broken supply chains and informal power structures constitute barriers to entry. Everyone takes their cut, but nothing runs efficiently.
Amateur sport runs on small, independent brands, venues, events, media, players, and organizers. The value is in getting them to work together repeatedly, while each keeps its autonomy. When participants share in the value they create, they have reason to keep creating it.
Distribution services
- Trophies
- Cloth
- Chalk
- Awards
- Cushions
- Tips
- Recognition
- Lighting
- Rests
- Tables
- Scoring
- Ball sets
- Livestreaming
- Overhead cameras
- Gloves
- Production
- Commentary
- Waistcoats
- Accessories
- Highlights
- Scoreboards
- Standard equipment
- Brackets
- Frame data
- Stats
- Rankings
- Break building
- Analysis
- Leagues
- Replays
- Metrics
- Tournaments
- Field notes
- Agreements
- Academies
- Lookbooks
- Strategy
- Coaching clinics
- Permissions
- Meetings
- Player trials
- Close-out
- Storage
- Product demos
- Residual value
- Archival
- Cue cases
- Logistics
- Audience engagement
- Fulfillment
- Maintenance
- Apparel
- Placement
- Re-clothing
- Merch
- Installation
- Wholesale
- Cues
- Media rights
- Programs
- Premium brands
- Reporting
- Sponsorship
- Venues
- Partnerships
- Governance
- Hospitality
- Introductions
- Continuity
- Readiness
- Interviews
- Photography
- Community
- Co-operation
- Co-ownership
- Clips
- Schedules
What counts as an account
A position in the network, measured by relationship depth, practical capability, and how far its access extends.
Signature
Salience without saturation
Not a tier or a price level. Authorship: deliberate creative direction for one defined relationship without diluting the brand.
- Default title naming
- Category exclusivity
- Logo volume
Fewer placements, each with a reason. A brand is part of how an event works and is still in the media a year later.
Notice
Signature is proprietary methodology of Matthew Herm LLC.
Evidence
The audience is growing
US Snooker Masters, gross public YouTube views:
+330%
2025 to 2026
What this number measures
How much was watched. Not unique viewers, reach, impressions, or watch time. Snapshot taken November 2026.
Sustainable practice
Sponsorability as practice
A property doesn't need to be ready on day one.
- Assess
- Enable
- Activate
- Measure
- Leverage
- Improve
- Repeat
Each cycle leaves the property more capable, so next season starts ahead instead of from scratch.
Principles
Transparent. Independent.
Brand-agnostic by design. Conflicts are disclosed.
Introductions are free, and access is never withheld as a negotiating tactic. Strengthening one part of the network strengthens the rest.
A network is sustainable when everyone can see how it works and everyone has a share in it.
Correspondence: herm@matthewherm.com