Jonny Greco of Shine Entertainment: Sports Writes the Ultimate Script

It's where the magic happens

Jonny  is cofounder and chief energy officer of Shine Entertainment. He has worked all over the world, designing shows and launching campaigns. His brand portfolio across a 25-year career includes the Olympics, Madison Square Garden, WWE, NBA, MLB and the Vegas Golden Knights. His teams have created stories and characters with talent such as John Cena, LeBron James and Jerry Bruckheimer.

We spent two minutes with Jonny to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.

Jonny, tell us …

Where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

Born in Italy then proud to have been raised in Oneonta, N.Y. (right by Cooperstown!). Great community, great nature, great teachers, coaches and some of the best pizza on the planet. Moved to all corners of USA for various teams. Now, our family lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest—in Seattle.

What is your earliest sports memory?

Shea Stadium, Mets vs Cubs. I was 11 years old and Howard Johnson hit a home run. The crowd went nuts and HoJo ran out and tipped his cap for a curtain call. I still get chills thinking of this moment: my Dad proudly smiling at me, the sights, the smells, the sounds, the show. I was hooked.

Who are your favorite sports team(s)?

1. New York Mets
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Golden Knights
4. Savannah Bananas
5. Columbus Crew

Favorite athlete(s)

1. LeBron James
2. John Cena
3. Sue Bird
4. Nate Schmidt
5. Caitlin Clark
6. Dan Marino
7. Howard Johnson
8. Michael Jordan

What is your favorite sports movie and/or show?

The classics: Rudy, Ted Lasso, Field of Dreams (I cry every time), Remember The Titans, Rocky IV (the montages from this movie inspired my editing career), Hoosiers, The Program.

What is your favorite sports podcast or news show?

1. Party In The Back
2. The Tim Ferriss Show
3. Films To Be Buried With with Brett Goldstein
4. Armchair Expert

Your favorite sports video game, if you have one.

Madden 1993, Genesis. I played this with my two best friends, Josh and Quame, whom I still speak to nearly every day. We grew up playing sports, playing video games of sports—and we’re connected by sports to this day.

What is a recent project you’re proud of?

I had the honor to team up with the NBA for All-Star Weekend in San Francisco.I locked arms with the Mr. Beast creative team to help produce a $100,000 shooting challenge. This was an unreal experience, where the drama of sports and the hope of a great story fused together.

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Someone else’s work that you admired recently

Steven Spielberg will always be No. 1 on my Mount Rushmore of creative inspiration. But recently, seeing firsthand what the Savannah Bananas are doing on their world tours has been incredibly inspiring. Their creative culture is powerful and rare. They experiment, push and spark one another.

What sports can do that nothing else can.

Sports creates a stage for greatness. It allows a mother and daughter to share a forever memory. Viewers become dreamers. Athletes become legends. A scoreboard becomes an unforgettable story. Sports is a place where we all have the chance to witness the perfect script coming alive—one that has never been written before. 

But the truth is sports can be brutal, painful and heartbreaking (like this year’s Super Bowl). The drama and story arcs on any given day may defy the imagination of the greatest script writers in Hollywood.