Sports Media Masterclass Interviews: Curtis Symonds (HBCU GO) & Hardy Pelt (UEN)

Originally posted on HBCUs on SI | By Kyle Mosley | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 1:56 PM ET

HOUSTON — Welcome to tonight's episode of Black Sports Insiders. Tonight's show will feature two pioneers in sports media — one is a veteran, the other is relatively new to the scene. The sports media pioneers will share their thoughts about their platforms, changes in media, black sports being undervalued, and understanding how content is monetized by advertisers.

Our first guest is Curtis Symonds, a legendary figure in sports media who has played a pivotal role in launching various broadcast channels. He collaborated with Robert Johnson to establish Black Entertainment Television and assisted Byron Allen in founding HBCU GO.

Next, we will welcome a relatively new broadcasting pioneer, Hardy Pelt. He gained prominence as an NBA executive and, along with co-founder Todd Brown of Urban Edge Network, recently secured a groundbreaking deal to broadcast over 200 NAIA football games. This achievement is unparalleled among black media broadcasters. Hardy will share insights on how to monetize content and grow a media channel.

We will start with the insights of Curtis Symonds. Afterwards, we will gain an understanding of the visionary, Hardy Pelt.

LIVE STREAM LAUNCHES AT 6:00 PM CT | KYLE T. MOSLEY - HOST

ABOUT URBAN EDGE NETWORK

Urban Edge Network (UEN) is a leading 24-hour streaming network showcasing a diverse portfolio of collegiate sports. With a special focus on competitions from the NAIA, NBAG, and HBCU Athletic Conferences, UEN champions inclusivity, highlighting women’s sports and a variety of athletic events. By delivering accessible, high-quality content, UEN enables fans to celebrate and connect with collegiate talent across the country.

ABOUT HBCU GO

HBCU GO is a cultural lifestyle destination and leading sports media provider that embraces and represents the voice of Black Excellence every day of the year through an all-new platform that captures the rich history, diversity, perspectives, and cultural experiences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). HBCU GO also provides a platform for emerging creatives in media production, branding, and broadcasting. We offer our viewers the best in live sports, original series, documentaries, films, comedy, and edutainment programming produced by African American leading producers, directors, and students from select HBCUs.

Launched in 2012, the free-streaming service ‍HBCU GO was purchased by Byron Allen in 2021 and is part of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group (AMG). AMG owns/operates 27 ABC-NBC-CBS-FOX network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 U.S. markets and twelve 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 300 million subscribers: THE WEATHER CHANNEL, THE WEATHER CHANNEL EN ESPAÑOL, PETS.TV, COMEDY.TV, RECIPE.TV, CARS.TV, ES.TV, MYDESTINATION.TV, JUSTICECENTRAL.TV, THEGRIO TELEVISION NETWORK, HBCU GO, and PATTRN. AMG also owns the streaming platforms HBCU GO, SPORTS.TV, THEGRIO, THE WEATHER CHANNEL EN ESPAÑOL, THE WEATHER CHANNEL STREAMING APP and LOCAL NOW--the free-streaming AVOD service powered by THE WEATHER CHANNEL and content partners, which delivers real-time, hyper-local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information. For more information, visit www.allenmedia.tv

This article first appeared on HBCUs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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