Sports Tech Feed
By STWS
Hosted by Thomas Alomes and presented by STWS - a global leader in sports technology advisory, knowledge and insights.
sportstechfeed.substack.com/
Sports Tech FeedMay 25, 2020
Building startup leagues and tech businesses with Jared Kleinstein, Fresh Tape Media and Brian Michael Cooper, American Flag Football League
What does it take to build something new in sports and technology? We explore the real challenges and opportunities of growing teams, leagues, and businesses from those with first-hand experience. Recorded live at Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, during the 2023 Sports Innovation Summit.
- Jared Kleinstein (CEO, Fresh Tape Media)https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmichaelcooper/
- Brian Michael Cooper (President & COO, American Flag Football League)https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephi-blank-48aa6a42/
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About Sports Innovation Summit
The Sports Innovation Summit is a new annual forum from HTX Sports Tech and STWS for sports industry professionals to explore the most pressing issues they're facing today. From the latest technological advancements to new ways to engage fans, as you’ll hear in this episode the summit covers a wide range of topics with a focus on meaningful and actionable insights. Learn more: https://www.htxsportstech.com/summit _____
Australia Sports Innovation Week
This episode is brought to you by the Australia Sports Tech Conference, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most respected sports technology industry event. This year’s edition is happening on Thursday, August 31st in Brisbane, Queensland. Agenda, tickets, and more info available at https://stws.co/conference-australia
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Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: sportstechfeed.substack.com
Revenue Generation Strategies in the Digital Age with Dan Healy, FanPower and Jeremy Jones, nVenue
Learn from industry experts Dan Healy and Jeremy Jones about the latest revenue growth strategies, sponsorship opportunities, and monetization models that are driving success in the digital era. The discussion also includes an update on the development of legalized US sports betting and how tech is being used to engage with betting sports fans. Recorded live at Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, during the 2023 Sports Innovation Summit.
- Dan Healy (Founder & CEO, FanPower) https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-jeffries-8b53571a/
- Jeremy Jones (CRO, nVenue) https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephi-blank-48aa6a42/
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About Sports Innovation Summit
The Sports Innovation Summit is a new annual forum from HTX Sports Tech and STWS for sports industry professionals to explore the most pressing issues they're facing today. From the latest technological advancements to new ways to engage fans, as you’ll hear in this episode the summit covers a wide range of topics with a focus on meaningful and actionable insights. Learn more: https://www.htxsportstech.com/summit _____
Australia Sports Innovation Week
This episode is brought to you by the Australia Sports Tech Conference, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most respected sports technology industry event. This year’s edition is happening on Thursday, August 31st in Brisbane, Queensland. Agenda, tickets, and more info available at https://stws.co/conference-australia
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Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: sportstechfeed.substack.com
Fan Engagement and Immersive Experiences with Courtney Jeffries, VRTL and Stephi Blank, WIT Sports
This discussion delves into the world of fan engagement and uncovers how organizations are creating immersive experiences that captivate audiences, foster brand loyalty, and maximize fan interaction. Recorded live at Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, during the 2023 Sports Innovation Summit.
- Courtney Jeffries (CEO, VRTL) https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-jeffries-8b53571a/
- Stephi Blank (VP, Marketing, WIT Sports) https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephi-blank-48aa6a42/
- Nate Thompson (Founder, HTX Sports Tech) https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-jeffries-8b53571a/
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About Sports Innovation Summit
The Sports Innovation Summit is a new annual forum from HTX Sports Tech and STWS for sports industry professionals to explore the most pressing issues they're facing today. From the latest technological advancements to new ways to engage fans, as you’ll hear in this episode the summit covers a wide range of topics with a focus on meaningful and actionable insights. Learn more: https://www.htxsportstech.com/summit _____
Australia Sports Innovation Week
This episode is brought to you by the Australia Sports Tech Conference, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most respected sports technology industry event. This year’s edition is happening on Thursday, August 31st in Brisbane, Queensland. Agenda, tickets, and more info available at https://stws.co/conference-australia
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Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: sportstechfeed.substack.com
Can Major League Cricket conquer America? with Adam Crosthwaite
Cricket is the world's second most popular sport with over 2.5 billion fans worldwide. A group of high-profile investors, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, have launched a new T20 tournament in the US. Major League Cricket (MLC) hopes to establish a foothold for cricket in the world's richest sporting market, but will it succeed long term? We spoke with Adam Crosthwaite for the inside word on cricket in the land of the free.
Adam is the co-founder and CEO of The Brand Bar a Marketing agency run nationally across Australia based in Melbourne. As a former first-class wicketkeeper-batsman himself, Adam has worked as a batting and wicketkeeping coach for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, the WBBL, and the Victoria State team. Adam has coached internationally for the Seattle Thunderbolts as head coach in the MiLC in the USA, leading the team to win the 2022 National Championship. Adam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-crosthwaite-66751a71/ ____
Australia Sports Innovation Week
This episode is brought to you by the Australia Sports Tech Conference, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most respected sports technology industry event. This year’s edition is happening on Thursday, August 31st in Brisbane, Queensland. Agenda, tickets, and more info available at https://stws.co/conference-australia
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Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com
Data driven decision making with Nashville Predators, CrowdIQ & Country Music Association
Recorded live at Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, during the 2023 Sports Innovation Summit. This discussion uncovers insights into the power of data and analytics in driving informed decision-making across various aspects of the sports industry, including sales & service performance, operational strategies, and fan behavior analysis.
- Tyree White (Director, Business Strategy & Analytics, Nashville Predators) https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyreewhite/
- Rachel Goodger (CRO, CrowdIQ) https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-goodger-3491658b/
- Michael Farris (Sr. Director of Business Strategy and Insights, Country Music Association (CMA)) https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfarris1/
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About Sports Innovation Summit
The Sports Innovation Summit is a new annual forum from HTX Sports Tech and STWS for sports industry professionals to explore the most pressing issues they're facing today. From the latest technological advancements to new ways to engage fans, as you’ll hear in this episode the summit covers a wide range of topics with a focus on meaningful and actionable insights. Learn More: https://www.htxsportstech.com/summit ----
Australia Sports Innovation Week
This episode is brought to you by the Australia Sports Tech Conference, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most respected sports technology industry event. This year’s edition is happening on Thursday, August 31st in Brisbane, Queensland. Agenda, tickets, and more info available at https://stws.co/conference-australia
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Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com
The 2023 Sports Tech Market Report with Mohit Pareek, Drake Star Partners
Mohit Pareek is a seasoned tech and digital-media investment banker, bringing over 14 years of experience advising on all types of M&A and financing transactions focusing on sports tech, gaming, esports, interactive entertainment, and media. Some of Mohit’s most notable transactions include sale of Echtra Games to Zynga/ Take 2, Spiketrap to Reddit, Firefly Studios to Devolver Digital, FreshPlanet to Vivendi / Gameloft, Slightly Mad Studios to Codemasters / EA, nWay to Animoca Brands, Wildworks to Nazara, Lightstream to Videndum / Creative Solutions, EyeEm to NewValue, and Avira to Investcorp. Mohit is an MBA from IBS, Mumbai, and a CFA Charterholder. The full Global Sports Tech Report Q2 2023 is available to download via: https://www.drakestar.com/research/global-sports-tech-update-q2-2023 -- Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com
Democratizing elite training through disruptive tech and innovative NIL deals with Scott Deans, BeOne Sports
Scott Deans is CEO and founder of BeONE Sports, a platform that uses AI and computer vision to help young athletes maximize their performance, gain exposure for their talents, and get advanced training on demand. Scott is a former collegiate kicker and punter, architect, designer, and data analytics manager.
Scott's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdeans00/
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Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com
How Generative AI is disrupting sports content with Steve Wasick, infoSentience
The use of Generative AI is a contentious issue across many industries, including sports. We spoke with AI expert Steve Wasick for his views on the present realities of AI and where the future of this revolutionary tech is going:
- What role can we expect AI to play in the future of sports?
- Why is Generative AI so controversial – what is it exactly and why the concern?
- How is Generative AI changing and benefiting the sports community?
- What fans don’t realize is AI?
Steve has more than a decade of experience in the Generative AI space working with companies like MaxPreps, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, IU Health, and many others. As Founder of infoSentience, his company uses AI to provide millions of automated articles to CBS Sports, ranging from fantasy game recaps to live coverage of the NBA and NFL. Steve was the Technical Editor for the book Enterprise AI for Dummies and graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
---- Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com
Incentivizing fans based on behaviors and habits with Matt Gardner, St. Louis Blues
Matt Gardner is Vice President, Innovation & Digital Strategy for the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, Enterprise Center, and Stifel Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to being 2019 Stanley Cup Champions, the St. Louis Blues were named the Sports Business Journal 2020 Team of the Year, and were also recognized by Fast Company as one of the 2020 Top 10 Most Innovation Companies in Sports.
Matt has spent 20 years working in professional sports, providing leadership in innovation, technology, strategy, marketing, content creation and revenue generation. Prior to arriving in St. Louis in 2012, Matt was part of the marketing and digital teams at the NBA’s Orlando Magic and the ATP World Tour.
Matt serves as an advisor and mentor for Stadia Ventures, and is a founding member of Xvisory. He is a proud journalism graduate from the University of Kansas.
Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgardner
Bluenatics blockchain-based fan engagement platform: https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/blues-to-launch-blockchain-based-fan-engagement-program/c-344831002
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Subscribe to the Sports Tech Feed newsletter. Your source for in-depth sports technology insights, news, and analysis: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com
How to effectively sell tech to sports teams with Nate Thompson, Sports Innovation Summit
Nate Thompson is a Managing Partner of HTX Sports Tech, a consultancy that specializes in providing strategic guidance to sports organizations, innovation ecosystems, and startups developing technology-enabled products and services in the sports industry. Nate has over 15 years of experience in the sports industry, working in ticket operations, data analysis, strategic planning, and technology implementation. He has held positions with the Houston Astros, University of Cincinnati, Complete Ticket Solutions, Baltimore Orioles, and Cleveland Guardians. His expertise in data analysis and technology implementation has helped sports organizations improve their business operations and create new revenue streams while leveraging a passion for utilizing technology to enhance the fan experience and drive business growth in the sports industry.
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This episode is brought to you by the Sports Innovation Summit (https://www.htxsportstech.com/summit), a new one-day event for sports industry professionals. The inaugural event will be hosted in Nashville, TN at Nissan Stadium, Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, on Wednesday, July 12th.
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a series of interactive panel sessions led by industry experts, with the aim to push past the hype in sports tech and innovation to focus on driving tangible business outcomes for their organizations.
Learn More and secure tickets at: https://www.htxsportstech.com/summit
The online platform powering America's fastest growing sport with Max Ade, Pickleheads.
Max Ade is the co-founder and CEO of Pickleheads, the #1 online destination for pickleball. Pickleheads helps players find nearby courts and organize games. The company is backed by Ardent, Overline and Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Boardroom Pickleball. Max previously founded and sold a freelance marketplace called Growth Collective. Pickleball has cemented itself as the fastest-growing participation sport in the US with 36.5 million people playing between August 2021 and August 2022. According to research from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, participation nearly doubled in 2022 increasing by 86% year-over-year, and by an astonishing 159% over three years. Learn more about the rapid growth of Pickleball: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com/p/participation-vs-consumption-or-why
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Subscribe to Sports Tech Feed, your source for sports technology insights, news, and analysis: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com/
Minisode: Broadcast innovations with James Watson, LIV Golf
Snack-sized Sports Tech Feed! After the success of LIV Golf's inaugural Australian event at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, we catch up with James Watson for an update on what new broadcast innovations LIV Golf has introduced since we last spoke.
James Watson is the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Production at LIV Golf. James has more than 15 years in sports production including producing and overseeing worldwide championships such as the Australian Open Golf, Australian Open Tennis, Laver Cup and ICC Cricket World Cups.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-watson-37102046/
Behind the Scenes with LIV Broadcast team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubhEfFBpTDk&ab_channel=LIVGolf
The Fan Journey Model with Geoff Wilson, Sports Strategist
Geoff works with the likes of FIFA, UEFA, AFC, FIBA, and other global sports organizations in a wide range of areas from strategic planning, marketing and communications, digital, fans engagement, public affairs, and knowledge sharing/exchange programs. In addition, Geoff consults with a number of sports tech companies in the CRM, esports, wearable, and fans engagement space. Previously Head of Marketing and Communications (Irish FA) Geoff was responsible for public relations, commercial programs, brand development, and communication with fans.
He is the co-author of the Fan Journey Model: a new simple tool for sports teams and venues to map the key touchpoints, sample the experience of a fan, seek to measure or grade that experience, and then provide possible solutions to strengthen the journey of game day. See the Fan Journey Model here: https://geoffwnjwilson.com/2023/04/06/the-fan-journey-model/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffwnjwilson/ ---- Subscribe to Sports Tech Feed: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com/
Immersive as the Past and Future of Fan Engagement with Richard Ayers, Rematch
Richard Ayers founded the leading European sports digital marketing agency Seven League in 2012 and is seen as one of the leading thinkers in digital sports marketing, media, and fan engagement. Now that Seven League is part of IMG, he Chairs the company as the digital arm of IMG Media. In 2019 Richard founded a new business, Rematch, delivering live immersive experiences that take you back in time to re-imagined iconic sporting moments and won awards with its debut show, Wimbledon Rematch 1980. Richard also chairs the UK Government’s Sports Business group and is a special advisor to the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. Originally a BBC journalist who launched BBC News online in 1997, Richard has spent most of his career in media. His first sports business role was as Manchester City’s first Head of Digital in 2011-13. Beyond digital and business, he plays a wide variety of sports enthusiastically but badly, including reasonable golf and bang-average table tennis in north London.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardayers/
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Sports Tech Feed is brought to you by STWS. Subscribe to our newsletter at: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com
How Open Source Intelligence is used to reveal opaque financial dealings in world football with Jack Kerr, Investigative Journalist
Jack Kerr is an award-winning, data-driven investigative journalist who has reported for The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel and ESPN, produced front-page investigations for The Age and had his work featured in Interpol briefings and academic papers. With funding from the European Union, Jack crafted a suite of web-scraping programs to analyze the international betting market and generated research that was shared with Australia’s financial watchdog, which subsequently announced a money-laundering investigation into an international bookmaker. Jack was recently part of an open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigation into 8XBet, the Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese-facing operation that Manchester City recently announced as its Asian betting partner.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-kerr-24a773b4/
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Sports Tech Feed is brought to you by STWS. Subscribe to our newsletter at: https://sportstechfeed.substack.com/
The role of host cities in the FIFA World Cup with Janis Burke, Harris County - Houston Sports Authority
In 2006, Janis Burke, CEO of the Harris County - Houston Sports Authority became the third chief executive and the first woman to hold the position since the organization's inception. In addition to overseeing the $1.2 billion dollars of bond debt service for Houston’s professional sports stadiums, under her leadership, Houston has been awarded major sporting events including: 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four; 2023 College Football Playoff Championship; 2026 FIFA World Cup; U.S. Olympic Trials; collegiate tournaments; numerous National and World Championships; AAU Junior Olympics, and the World Transplant Games. The Sports Authority was selected by its peers as one of the country's best on several occasions and was designated “Best Employer in Sports” by Front Office Sports Publication. In addition, Burke has been recognized individually by numerous organizations for her impactful work done in the local community. Amongst those, Conference USA and Rice University acknowledged her for outstanding contributions as a woman in the Houston sports industry, was named one of “Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women” by Houston Woman Magazine, received the Sports Industry Impact Award from Sam Houston State University, and was identified by the Houston Business Journal as one of Houston’s Most Admired CEO’s. Burke also served as Board Chair for Sports ETA, the leading sports tourism trade association in the United States.
Sports Tech Feed is brought to you by STWS. Learn more: https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast/
How the Australian Open is leveraging Web3, Metaverse & NFTs with Ridley Plummer (Senior Manager Metaverse, NFT's, Web3 & Cryptocurrency at Tennis Australia)
Ridley Plummer is the Australian Open's Metaverse and NFT Project Manager, leading the AO Metaverse strategy and overseeing the development of the Metaverse and Web3 projects. Spearheading the AO Metaverse launch and AO Art Ball NFT's, Ridley is passionate about NFT and blockchain technology and its potential to evolve industries beyond physical sporting events into the virtual world. Ridley has been instrumental in progressing the AO's launch into the Metaverse and has been with Tennis Australia and the AO for four years.
Prior to this, Ridley had worked across a range of worldwide sporting events including the NHL and NFL Superbowl, working with Budweiser and Bud Light to activate in-stadium connected tech-product integrations. Ridley's expertise extends from project management and product design to marketing innovation and event management, however, Ridley's passion lies in creating truly immersive experiences through the Metaverse, NFTs and Web3 to build brand awareness, drive meaningful connections and excite consumers about the future potential of these technologies.
This discussion was recorded from a Live Q&A hosted by Thomas Alomes the SVP, Market Insights, STWS. Follow STWS on LinkedIn for future Live Interactive Q&A sessions with thought-leaders from across the sports tech ecosystem: linkedin.com/company/sportstechworldseries/
The Future of High Performance, Connected Fitness & Sports Tech with Troy Taylor, Tonal
Troy Taylor is the Senior Director, Tonal Strength Institute a newly formed human performance unit within the connected fitness unicorn Tonal. Troy joined Tonal in June 2021 after six years as High Performance Director for US Ski and Snowboard. In this previous role, he led the interdisciplinary departments that prepare U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s elite athletes toward their journeys to podiums by seeking to enhance performance through institutional knowledge and cutting-edge technology. Troy has been leading high-performance programs across a broad set of Olympic sports for more than 15 years.
This discussion was recorded from a Live Q&A hosted by Thomas Alomes the SVP, Market Insights, STWS. Follow STWS on LinkedIn for future Live Interactive Q&A sessions with thought-leaders from across the sports tech ecosystem: linkedin.com/company/sportstechworldseries/.
Technology innovations in sports broadcast and production with James Watson, LIV Golf
James Watson is the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Production at LIV Golf. James has more than 15 years in sports production including producing and overseeing worldwide championships such as the Australian Open Golf, Australian Open Tennis, Laver Cup and ICC Cricket World Cups.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-watson-37102046/
High performance trends in elite sports clubs and teams with Edward Sulley, Hudl
Edward Sulley has 21 years of professional football experience and joined Hudl as Director of Customer Solutions after a successful 11 year period at one of the fastest growing global sports organisations, City Football Group (CFG), working with 7 clubs in Manchester, New York, Melbourne, Yokohama, Girona, Montevideo and Chengdu. His diverse experiences and qualifications span Coaching, Performance Analysis, Sports Science, Medical, Scouting, Recruitment, Research, Innovation, Strategy, Project Management and Leadership. During the last 5 years, his main focus at CFG was to design and implement a football strategy for their clubs in Japan and China, leveraging best practice knowledge.
Learn More: Hudl Elite Blog
STF100: The ultimate innovation in sports - launching a new league with Zack Weiner, Co-Founder & President @ Overtime
Zack Weiner is the Co-Founder and President of Overtime with over 65 million social media fans driving an average of over 2 billion video views each month. He also co-created OTE (Overtime Elite) and OT7, the transformative sports leagues that offer the world’s most talented basketball players and football players respectively better pathways to becoming professional athletes. He currently serves on the board of directors.
Weiner is a recipient of the following accolades:
- Forbes’ "30 Under 30"
- Sports Business Journal’s "Forty Under 40"
- Leaders In Sports’ "40 Under 40"
Prior to founding Overtime, Weiner was the CEO and Founder of The Sports Quotient which he started at the University of Pennsylvania. He was also a 3x Ivy League Chess Champion. Weiner graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zachary-weiner-02071237/
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STWS is a trusted and experienced global strategic advisory and consulting services firm, delivering solutions to grow organizations in sports technology and adjacent markets.
Learn more: https://sportstechworldseries.com/
Increased collaboration & innovation across the sport rights ecosystem with Minerva Santana, LaLiga Tech
Spanish top-flight football league LaLiga launched its own technology company, LaLiga Tech in 2021. It offers a cloud-hosted ecosystem through which various rights holders are managing their OTT, fan campaigns, antipiracy and match data. On top of the technology LaLiga Tech also offers consultancy on data analysis and fan activation. Minerva Santana joined LaLiga in February 2016, following 10 years of experience in project implementation and process optimization at multinational companies from various industries. She is currently Director of Innovation & Global Development at LaLiga Tech, running a department whose mission is to increase collaboration and innovation initiatives across the sports industry, delivering more value to fans and to rights holders through high-impact technology solutions.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minervasantanaprojectdirector/
Moneyball 3.0 & Beyond - How analytics and technology are continuing to evolve pro sports with Cory Jez, Sports Analyst
With over a decade of experience working at the intersection of sports and technology, Cory Jez has cemented himself as one of the leading operators in the space. With experience building analytics departments in both the NBA (Utah Jazz) and the MLS (Austin FC); Cory has hands-on experience helping teams implement data into their decision-making processes. He currently works as a consultant for teams in the NBA, MLS, European soccer, and multiple golfers on the PGA Tour. Cory has spoken at several industry events including SXSW, Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, United Soccer Coaches Convention, and multiple podcasts. Cory holds an MS in Analytics from Georgia Tech and a BS in Economics from Virginia Tech. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Kellie.
Twitter: @JezData
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coryjez
Innovating the Fan Experience in Golf through Digital & Technology with Scott Gutterman, PGA TOUR
Scott is the Senior Vice President Digital Operations at PGA TOUR where he oversees the Digital Product Development teams and the TOUR’s Broadcast Technology groups. These teams focus on delivering the best digital and live streaming experiences for the fans of the PGA TOUR. He led the transition that brought the TOUR’s digital assets and capabilities in-house in 2013. In 2021 the Digital and Broadcast tech teams implemented “Every Shot Live” for the THE PLAYERS Championship which live streamed every shot from every player for the first time at a professional golf tournament. During his tenure the teams have released a wide variety of innovative experiences for the PGA TOUR including the latest version of the TOURCast platform, a 3D simulated experience that lets fans see a every shot live from all PGA TOUR Events. Scott came to the TOUR in September 2005 having previously worked for Turner Broadcasting, Viant Corp. and New Era of Networks.
Transforming Athletic Development with René Wormhoudt, KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association) & Athletic Skills Model
René Wormhoudt is the High-Performance Coach (Strength & Stamina) of the Dutch Men's National Soccer team and CEO / Co-founder of the Athletic Skills Model Company (ASM). ASM is built around the philosophy that all athletes benefit from multidisciplinary training, providing educational programs for coaches and instructors, developing training materials, and designing formats for fields and courts that allow for multidisciplinary practices and training.
Inspired by the work of Professor Geert Savelsberg two decades ago, René started to challenge the belief of coaches that early specialization was beneficial to youth players, outlining its detrimental effect on the overall development of motoric skills of athletes. With the support of the legendary soccer player/coach Johan Cruyff, he reformed the renowned soccer academy of FC Ajax Amsterdam, and partnered with Professor Savelsbergh to develop new initiatives that transformed Dutch thinking on sports education and coaching. René is co-author of four books including The Athletic Skills Model: Optimizing Talent Development Through Movement Education.
VIDEO: Opening day of the innovative and inclusive Skills Garden in the city Almere (The Netherlands). Designed by ASM. https://youtu.be/iqImFHe1cLc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renewormhoudt
With special thanks to Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO) Texas for their support.
Why the Green & Gold Runway to the 2032 Olympics begins in Queensland this September with Andrew Walton, STWS
Andrew Walton is a trailblazer of sports technology in Australia. His current role is as Managing Director of Sports Tech World Series (STWS), the leader in sports technology consulting, education and events. Andrew began his career in sports technology as the Co-Founder of InteractSport, a scoring and management software platform for sports at the national, state, association and club level including Cricket Australia, Netball Australia, Australian Rugby Union and The ECB. InteractSport was acquired by Sportradar in 2021. Andrew has previously served on a range of Boards as a Board Member for Vicsport, Bowls Australia, and the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN).
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anwalton
Join us at APAC's leading sports innovation conference, the Australian Sports Technology Conference on Friday 2nd September, 2022. Limited Early Bird Tickets are available now: sportstechworldseries.com/conference-australia
Why sports need to own, value and invest in their official data with Libby Owens, Champion Data
Libby Owens is the CEO of Champion Data, a sports stats and technology company at the intersection of event and tracking data, technology, Media and Entertainment. Champion Data's mission to collaborate with sports and their partners to tell the story behind the game through data and data driven content.
Libby has experience across the regulatory environment of communications and media, in sports administration and most recently on the service side selling into and supporting the sports and media ecosystems. Before taking on the CEO role Libby led Champion Data's operations and commercial business as COO after joining from Cricket Australia's media and digital rights team. Prior to Cricket Australia, Libby was involved in a range of projects for the Australian Communications and Media Authority in subjects as broad as children's programming, control and cross media ownership, spectrum management, anti-siphoning and ISP policy.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-libby-owens-5a9a8439/
How to create impactful NFT and Web 3 initiatives with Michael Conley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Michael Conley is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which includes the Cleveland Monsters (AHL), Canton Charge (NBAGL) and Cavs Legion Gaming Club (NBA2K). Michael oversees all the information technology, data governance, emerging technology and digital operations for the franchise. Recently, Michael led the technology ideation and application for the Transformation of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, a major renovation project to transform the nearly 26-year-old venue.
With over two decades worth of experience in media, digital and technology-related positions, Michael's leadership has helped set a solid business foundation from which the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Monsters, Canton Charge, Cavs Legion GC and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse have flourished into one of the most successfully-operated and technology-driven sports and entertainment teams in the country.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpconley7
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpconley
Pro Sports Data Strategy & Analytics with Charlie Shin, Indianapolis Colts
Charlie Shin is a seasoned sports executive with more than 20 years of experience in customer strategy and marketing. He currently serves as VP of Data & Analytics for the Indianapolis Colts. Prior to that, Charlie worked in Major League Soccer for 14 years. While there, he served as Vice President of Data Strategy & Analytics, overseeing the enterprise data strategy, CRM initiatives and development of league-wide marketing technology infrastructure.
Prior to joining MLS, Charlie was a senior business consultant at IBM Business Consulting Services and PwC Consulting for over six years. He managed various projects involving customer strategy, CRM strategy, performance marketing, customer segmentation and new business model development. In addition to his role with MLS, he serves as an adjunct faculty at New York University’s graduate program for Integrated Marketing.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlieshin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRMinSports
Sports Tech Investment Trends: 2022 & Beyond with Matilda Sung, Ludis Capital
Matilda is the co-founder and General Partner of Ludis Capital, a globally based fund investing in early stage companies operating at the intersection of sports, technology and media. She has over 15 years of experience helping companies strategize, conceptualize, develop, and deliver on digital products and experiences. Prior to Ludis, Matilda built out the digital media strategy group for the National Football League (NFL), covering the entire portfolio of the League’s direct to consumer digital experiences.
Matilda has held leadership roles at McKinsey & Co, PayPal, and Sung Capital Partners (family office). Matilda is an active mentor and advisor to a number of startups, accelerators, and academic institutions. Her investment portfolio includes names such as Pumpjack Dataworks, Hyperice, SimWin, Pilotly, Gemini, MakerDAO, YBVR, Nifty Islands, 3ICE and others; Recent exits include Robinhood and Bakkt. Matilda began her career in investment banking and holds a Bachelors of Commerce from McGill University in Canada and an MBA from Berkeley Haas.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matildasung/
What's underrated and overhyped in the world of sports with Roger Mitchell, Albachiara
Roger Mitchell is Founder of Albachiara, an advisory and investment business that consults with various companies and rights holders in the sport and music ecosystem, actively investing in sportech, often taking the NED Chariman CFO role. The areas of sporttech expertise are content (digital publishing), fan engagement, sports media and formats, DTC, sports (big) data. With a specific eye on AI innovation. He also has his own very popular business of sport podcast AreYouNotEntertained
Roger background is as a qualified CA and investment banker, involved as Chair in 3 IPO exits. Roger has been an in the music/sport industries for 27 years. Starting as a journalist in the early 90s covering Italian football for Sky/BBC, he joined EMI in the mid 90s as CFO Italy, and lived the digital disruption of that industry in the first person. He was then the founding CEO commissioner of Scottish football in 1998, representing Scotland also in UEFA.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerpmitchell/
The future of data in elite sports performance with Stephen Smith, Kitman Labs
Stephen Smith is the Founder and CEO of Kitman Labs, the sports technology and analytics company setting a new industry standard for how elite sports organizations use data. Stephen founded Kitman Labs in 2012 and now lives in Palo Alto, CA where he focuses on expanding Kitman Labs in elite US sports. His areas of expertise include injury assessment, rehabilitation and analytics and he has a strong interest in the use of technology and emerging trends in sport science to further enhance sport science and medicine.
Previously he worked with Leinster Rugby as a Sports Injury Rehabilitation Coach within the Strength & Conditioning Department between 2008-2014. Stephen holds a Higher Diploma in Human Physiology and Health Science, a BSc (Hons) in Sports & Exercise Rehabilitation and an MSc in Football Rehabilitation.
How WWE uses technology to stay ahead of the curve with Rajan Mehta, WWE
What the Metaverse means for sports with Ridley Plummer, Tennis Australia / Australian Open
Ridley Plummer is the AO's Metaverse and NFT Project Manager, leading the AO Metaverse strategy and overseeing the development of the Metaverse and Web3 projects. Spearheading the AO Metaverse launch and AO Art Ball NFT's, Ridley is passionate about NFT and blockchain technology and its potential to evolve industries beyond physical sporting events into the virtual world.
Ridley has been instrumental in progressing the AO's launch into the Metaverse and has been with Tennis Australia and the AO for four years. Prior to this, Ridley had worked across a range of worldwide sporting events including the NHL and NFL Superbowl, working with Budweiser and Bud Light to activate in-stadium connected tech-product integrations. Ridley's expertise extends from project management and product design to marketing innovation and event management, however, Ridley's passion lies in creating truly immersive experiences through the Metaverse, NFTs and Web3 to build brand awareness, drive meaningful connections and excite consumers about the future potential of these technologies.
Twitter: @RidleyPlummer
Where to next? Web3, Fan Flywheels & 2022 Sports Tech Trends with Michael Broughton
A leading sports marketing technology and investment expert Michael Broughton is currently Partner at Acceleration Equity, a sports-focused equity investment firm. Previously, Michael led the Technology Strategy for FIFA holding the strategic relationship with the big data and tech companies globally. Additionally, he was responsible for the investment strategy within the organisation and supported the Gaming and eSports group. He joined from Sports Investment Partners (SIP) where he was co-Founder of Europe’s first Sports investment vehicle. Within SIP he led the companies approach to new technologies and disruptive business models to uncover new ways for sports businesses to grow. Prior to starting SIP he spent time with Nolan Partners working with Chairmen and Chief Executives to enhance their executive teams and also in Motorsports where he worked with preeminent sponsors such as Lucky Strike and Diageo manage their sports assets.
The evolution of golf through technology with Nic Catterall, Peak Power Golf
Nic Catterral is High Performance Coach for Peak Power Golf specialising in working with professional golfers on the PGA Tour. For over 11 years, Nic has worked as a High Performance Coach Specialising in Strength and Conditioning, Musculoskeletal Therapy and Sports Science for Professional Athletes, collegiate teams and amateur athletes. Nic has a particular interest in the use of sports and assessment technology to provide evidence-based approaches to the improvement of athletic performance. Previous roles include with the Australian Olympic Golf Team, Australian Cricket Team, Brisbane Lions AFL Club and the two premiership winning years with the Brisbane Roar Football Club.
Understanding human movement, from sports stars to senior citizens with Dr Phil Wagner, Sparta Science
Dr. Phil Wagner is founder-CEO of Sparta Science, a physician and a strength coach whose own athletic career as a football and rugby player was cut short by a series of avoidable training injuries. Dr. Wagner’s commitment to data-driven coaching and athlete development began as a strength coach for U.C. Berkeley and UCLA and as a professional rugby coach in New Zealand and Australia.
Frustrated by the lack of evidence-based approaches to athletic performance and injury prevention within professional sports, Phil received his medical degree from USC focused on biomechanics. Phil’s passion for protecting athlete health and longevity through injury resilience coupled with his medically-oriented human performance mindset inspired him to found Sparta Science, a movement technology and data science company focused on improving musculoskeletal health.
Technology’s role in the growth of sports betting with Lloyd Danzig, Sharp Alpha Advisors
Lloyd Danzig is the Managing Partner of Sharp Alpha Advisors, a venture capital firm specializing in sports betting and online gaming. He previously managed institutional portfolios for BlackRock, data science initiatives for Samsung, and machine learning engines for Simplebet. Lloyd completed his undergraduate studies, in Economics, at The Wharton School of Business and his postgraduate studies, in Computer Science, at Columbia University.
Data driven fan insights & industry inspirations with Alison Lu, San Francisco 49ers
Alison Lu is in her 5th season with the 49ers and 2nd as Director, Business Strategy & Analytics. Previously, she served as both a Manager and Senior Manager in the BSA department. In her current role, Lu works on projects that include food & beverage strategy, technology and innovation, ticketing/sales analytics, and 49ers-affiliated businesses. Alison also works for Elevate Sports Ventures, a leading sports consultancy, helping to launch and hone sales and business strategies for clients across various global sports teams and leagues.
https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast
What role can technology can play in bridging the gender equity divide in sports with Jasmine Kinglsey, Hudl
Jasmine Kingsley is Senior Vice President, Legal & People and General Counsel at Hudl, a global leader in sports video technology headquartered in Lincoln, NE. Jasmine began her legal career in private practice at law firms in Silicon Valley and focused her practice on technology and intellectual property transactions. She joined Hudl as General Counsel in 2015 and currently leads the company’s global Legal and People Operations teams.
Jasmine is helping to deliver the third annual BreakThrough Summit on Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 12pm – 5pm ET. The Summit is a free digital leadership conference designed to develop and celebrate women in sports. The event is organized and developed by Hudl and WeCOACH and free to attend. Registrations open now: https://www.breakthroughsummit.live/
NFT's & Digital Collectibles In Sports: From NBA TopShot To The Metaverse with Jayne Peressini, Dapper Labs
Jayne Peressini is the VP, Growth at Dapper Labs. In her newly-created role, she leads and directs all new and existing user growth efforts for Dapper Labs across NBA Top Shot, CryptoKitties, upcoming titles - as well as Flow. Jayne’s career across the mobile and sports technology industries includes over thirteen years of driving growth at notable companies like DraftKings, Machine Zone, Reddit, and Electronic Arts (EA). She ran growth for major properties—from DraftKing’s Sportsbook launch in the US to the most recent Madden game release and FIFA’s mobile app globally.
Jayne is passionate about mental health and is a staunch supporter of women in the industry. She holds a Masters of Science in Digital Marketing from the University of East London and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Santa Clara University.
More episodes: https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast
How Microsoft is tackling data and AI in sports with Jon Flynn, Microsoft Sports
Jon Flynn is the Data & AI business lead for Microsoft Sports, a role that is dedicated to bringing new and exciting capabilities to life across the Microsoft Sports business. In this role, he helps existing and new clients harness the power of their data, and apply innovative ways of delivering competitive advantage across all Sport disciplines, front and back office. Previously Jon held leadership positions at Apple, Tibco, and IBM and provides advisory services to many innovative start-ups in the technology space.
More episodes: https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast/
High performance meets connected fitness with Troy Taylor, Tonal Strength Institute
Troy is the Senior Director, Tonal Strength Institute, a newly formed human performance unit within the connected fitness unicorn Tonal.
Troy joined Tonal in June 2021 after six years as High Performance Director for US Ski and Snowboard. In this previous role, he led the interdisciplinary departments that prepare U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s elite athletes toward their journeys to podiums by seeking to enhance performance through institutional knowledge and cutting-edge technology. Troy has been leading high-performance programs across a broad set of Olympic sports for more than 15 years.
You can listen to more Sports Tech Feed episodes, including Troy's first appearance, here: https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast/
Reimagining Le Tour De France with Peter Gray, NTT Data and Vincent Pereira, A.S.O
Peter Gray (SVP, Advanced Technology Group, NTT Data) in conversation with Vincent Pereira (Fmr. Head of Digital, A.S.O / Le Tour de France).
Peter is a Senior Vice President within NTT Ltd where he leads the Advanced Technology Group for Sport and is part of the Global CTO Office leadership team. The Advanced Technology Group for Sport conceptualizes, architects and delivers strategic innovation projects, particularly within the sports industry. This includes the delivery of NTT's Tour de France and Team Dimension Data technology programs, as well as support for NTT's solution delivery to a range of different sporting teams, governing bodies, event organisers and venue operators around the world.
Vincent is formerly, Head of Digital for Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). The company that owns, designs and organises top international sporting events, specialising in the ‘non-stadia’ events. A.S.O. is involved in 5 major sports including cycling with Le Tour de France, motor sports with Le Dakar, sailing with Le Tour Voile, mass events with the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris and golf with the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.
https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast
Redesigning a Sports Federation From The Ground Up with Rocky Chow, Hong Kong Rugby Union
The HKRU organises the world-renowned Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens as part of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, as well as a thriving domestic competition and multi-layered Community Foundation programme that supports positive change in society through sport.
More Episodes: sportstechworldseries.com/podcast
Unpacking the explosive growth in tech across fitness, wellness & health with Anthony Vennare, Fitt Insider
Anthony Vennare is the Co-Founder of Fitt Insider a newsletter, podcast & investment fund covering the business of fitness and wellness. He's an accomplished founder, fitness professional and former U.S Marine.
More episodes: https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast
Building revenue generating partnerships in Esports
Industry expert panel discussion from the 2020 Australian Sports Innovation Week.
- Chris Smith (Founder & Director, Big Esports)
- Stefy Bau (Co-Founder & Director, Init Esports)
- Xiao (Sean) Zhang (CEO & Co-Founder, Talon Esports)
- Felix LaHaye (Founder, United Esports)
https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast/
Can data tell if sport sponsorship changes what fans think, feel and do? Dr. Kirk Wakefield, Wakefield Research Partners
Dr. Kirk Wakefield is the founder and Chief Research Officer of Wakefield Research Partners, a research firm measuring partnership and brand impact for over 20 pro teams. He is also the Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Sports Strategy & Sales (S3) program and author of the book Team Sports Marketing. Kirk is a regular contributor to Sports Money on Forbes.com and his scholarly works appear in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.
The role of consumer brands in driving innovation with Dr Tom Waller, lululemon
Dr. Tom Waller is the Senior Vice President, Advanced Innovation and Chief Science Officer at lululemon athletica inc. In 2012 Dr. Waller founded Whitespace, lululemon’s internal R&D and ideation group in 2012. In this group Tom heads up a team of 30 creative innovators and R&D experts spanning the fields of science, technology, engineering and materials with a common focus of inventing the company’s product future. Including developing what lululemon defines as the “Science of Feel”. A holistic approach that explores how clothing makes the wearer feel and how this impacts their performance potential – the belief being that when a person feels good, they perform to their true potential.
This approach has led Tom and his team to investigate a range of performance-related and fundamental garment characteristics including tactile qualities, how fabric travels with or across the skin as the body moves, and even the noise it makes in response to movement. Working cross-functionally with lululemon’s design team and community network of athlete and yogi ambassadors, Whitespace™ is integral to the development of innovative new fabrics and designs to support an individual’s optimal athletic performance.
Before lululemon, Dr. Waller served as Head of Aqualab at Speedo International Ltd where he led new product and fabric development for all Olympic elite swimming projects. Having completed his PhD in 2004, he was appointed as Head of R&D at Loughborough spin-out company Progressive Sports Technologies which offers a range of testing and development services to global sports brands.
https://sportstechworldseries.com/podcast/
Sports tech investment & growth insights from a DraftKings Board Member with Steve Murray, Revolution Growth.
Steve Murray is Managing Partner at Revolution Growth, the Washington DC-based investment firm that has invested nearly $1 billion in growth-stage companies. In 2016, Revolution Growth invested in DraftKings and Steve joined the board. In April 2020, despite a temporary shutdown among major sports leagues, DraftKings debuted on the public market through a three-way SPAC merger with Steve working closely on the deal.
Other notable investments from Revolution Growth include Sportradar, the world’s leading supplier of sports and betting-related data and CLEAR, the biometric identity company that has made entry into airports and sports stadiums around the country faster, safer, and more convenient.
Steve is currently on the boards of Revolution Growth companies BigCommerce, Convene, Glowforge, Interactions, Tala and of course DraftKings. He is also a board observer at Tempus and Uptake. Steve joined Revolution from Softbank where he worked for nearly 20 years with some of the most important technology companies of our generation including Yahoo, Etrade, GeoCities, GSI Commerce, Alibaba, Fitbit, Kabbage and many others.