Running Point: Is Hoopli a Real Sports Streaming App?

In Netflix’s ‘Running Point,’ Isla Gordon gets a taste of power when she is appointed the president of the basketball team owned by her family, the LA Waves. She has loved basketball since she was a child and wanted to be a part of her father’s business. However, she was never included in the business because she was a girl. Meanwhile, her brothers were put in charge of things, which changed when the eldest, Cam, had an accident involving drugs. Instead of choosing one of his two brothers as his successor, he put the reins in Isla’s hands. She is ecstatic to get the job, but it comes with its own set of challenges, and it takes her some time to understand how to maneuver them. Something similar happens with the Hoopli deal. SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Fictional Hoopli Deal is an Important Turning Point in the Show

One of the major things working in the favour of ‘Running Point’ is that it is inspired by the life and works of Jeanie Buss, the president of the LA Lakers. The show pulls a lot from her personal and professional life, but it also adds enough fictional stuff to give Isla a unique arc and serve the drama in the plot. Hoopli happens to be one of those fictional additions to the show. In real life, there is no sports streaming app with such a name. Major companies coming together to form a streaming service targeting their audience is not unheard of, but the fans of the show will not find Hoopli in that list.

The concept of Hoopli arises in ‘Running Point’ as a deal that could change the financial situation of the Waves in a major manner. The idea of signing the deal is all but confirmed before Isla replaces Cam. She also attends the league’s owner’s conference with the same thing in mind. With the deal getting signed, she and three other major league owners would be in business together, bringing a lot of money to all of them. However, when Isla is told how the app’s existence would adversely affect the minor teams, she decides to take a stand and find a way that could bring together everyone rather than leaving some starving while she and three other major teams reap the benefits.

Despite it being a seemingly impossible task, Isla finds common ground and gets all the minor league owners to join her in a new plan. But her efforts go in vain when her exit from the deal opens the door for her competitor to take her place. This is when she realizes that she has been played. It is a massive loss for the team, but for Isla, it turns into a lesson that shows her that she has to be more aware of her enemies and their plans, and wanting the best for everyone might not work every time. The Hoopli deal also shows that Isla is not entirely invincible, despite her best intentions, and might have to face a few defeats in the midst of her wins.