Ryan Clark is making moves.The former NFL player-turned-analyst was left in limbo when he was laid off by ESPN while he was live on air doing the NFL Live show. Ryan Clark has secured investment for Pivot25 ProductionsGETTYExpectedly this drew a huge amount of backlash, including from one of the network’s most influential figures Stephen A. Smith.But Clark, a Super Bowl winner with the Pittsburgh Steelers, wasn’t the only one, with brutal mass layoffs occurring which also saw NFL Network’s top insider Tom Pelissero let go.Although the polarizing Clark took some time before addressing his abrupt firing, he later spoke out candidly on The Pivot Podcast – which he co-hosts with Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor – where he revealed that he wasn’t laid off, but he was in fact fired.He further accused ESPN of having used the mass layoffs as a ‘camouflage’ for firing him after 11 years without a legitimate reason. Whatever beliefs he holds about the breakdown in relationship between himself and his former employer, however, it appears that Clark has had the last laugh. This comes amid the news that his company Pivot25 Productions, which he co-founded alongside 11-time Emmy winning producer Alicia Zubikowski, has secured a huge investment from former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. The 73-year-old is worth $3.4 billion, per Forbes, and has decided to get into the media space with his latest investment. The Pivot currently boasts 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube, whilst it has also received financial backing from Netflix. Schultz – who is heavily credited for taking the franchise coffee chain global and made it a $108.5 billion company – will join Clark’s production company as both an investor and a strategic partner. “I have always believed that the most enduring businesses are built at the intersection of great ideas, authentic leadership and human connection,”Schultz said in a statement, via Business Wire. “We are living through a profound transformation in media. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has instilled belief in ClarkGettyClark had been with ESPN for 11 years before his abrupt layoffGetty“Audiences are increasingly choosing people and platforms they trust over traditional institutions, and the barriers between sports, business, culture, and entertainment are disappearing.“Ryan, Alicia, and the team have built something special within this new landscape. They have earned an audience not simply because of who they are or what they have accomplished, but because of the honesty, curiosity and humanity they bring to their conversations.“What excites me most is the opportunity to help build upon that trust,” Schultz continued. “Pivot25 is already much more than a successful sports media platform. It is playing at the level of culture—bringing together sports, leadership, business and entertainment while creating consequential conversations for the next generation.”Clark reveals how partnership with Schultz beganClark opened up on how the partnership with the former Fortune 500 CEO came about during an episode of Glass Half Full with Craig Melvin, an anchor for TODAY. “The first thing he did, he sends me this long text message, and he talks about what happens to me,” Clark revealed. Schultz wants to help Clark and co turn Pivot into a media empireAFP“He talks about this deep dive he’s done on me since he saw it [ESPN firing] happen, and how he wants to not only be a part of my comeback, but he believes that I’m a brand. “He believes in things that I stand for, which I hadn’t heard from somebody of his stature who didn’t look like me. I’m just being honest. During these conversations, Clark also relayed how Schultz encouraged him to think bigger in regards to his vision for the future. “I told him that I wanted to do a show, and from there he was like, ‘Wait, why would we just talk about doing one show? Like, yes, we’re going to do this show, but I believe in who you are. “I believe in your capabilities. I believe that in you being a brand, we can build an entire network, and I don’t want you to have to go add.”Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.