SSAC: Recent Episodes
MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
Moderator: Jessica Gelman
Panelist: Don Garber
Over the past 25+ years, Don Garber has overseen the transformation of the Major League Soccer (MLS) from a small and fragile league into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise with global relevance, soccer-specific stadiums, record franchise valuations, and a landmark global media partnership. In this one-on-one conversation moderated by Jessica Gelman, Garber will reflect on the defining inflection points of his tenure: expansion strategy, investor relations, media innovation, talent development, and navigating moments of existential risk.
The discussion will also turn toward the future. As MLS enters a new era shaped by global competition, shifting media economics, data-driven decision-making, and the 2026 World Cup, what should the league’s next chapter look like? What leadership capabilities will matter most in a commissioner transition? And how should MLS balance commercial growth with competitive credibility on the global stage?
This conversation offers a rare look at long-term sports leadership: what it takes to build a league, and how to prepare it for what comes next.
Moderator: Contessa Brewer
Panelist: Jessica Berman, Valerie Camillo
Some of the most consequential innovation in sports today isn’t coming from legacy institutions—it’s coming from leagues that are rethinking how sports organizations are built from the ground up. As fan expectations evolve and business models are rewritten, these leagues are setting new standards for governance, growth, and value creation across the industry.
In 2024, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was named No. 5 on the World’s Most Innovative Companies list, with team valuations surpassing $100 million. Meanwhile, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is on track to reach pay parity by 2027—an industry-defining milestone reshaping expectations across sports. Together, the NWSL and WTA are redefining how modern sports leagues are built, governed, and monetized.
Join NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman and WTA Chair Val Camilo for a conversation on building and scaling next-generation sports leagues. They’ll explore the strategic decisions, operational innovations, and business models fueling growth and what emerging enterprises can learn from these leagues as a blueprint for the future.
Moderator: Emily Olsen
Panelist: Heimo Schirgi, Paul Caine, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest and most commercially ambitious sporting event ever staged, spanning three countries, sixteen host cities, and an unprecedented footprint across North America. But it is only half of a broader transformation as global soccer experiences a cultural and commercial explosion in the United States across both the men’s and women’s games. This panel brings together Heimo Schirgi (COO, FIFA World Cup 26), Paul Caine (President, On Location), and Carolyn Tisch Blodgett (Governor, NJ/NY Gotham FC) to examine how massive operational scale and high growth investment are reshaping the global soccer economy. The discussion will explore how learnings from the Club World Cup in the United States are informing planning for 2026, and how insights from the men’s tournament may flow into the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Moving beyond broadcast exposure, panelists will discuss the rise of premium hospitality, data driven fan engagement, and new models of commerce rooted in gender equity and long term audience growth. Ultimately, the panel will highlight how FIFA, clubs, and investors are establishing a new blueprint for how mega events can drive both cultural impact and unprecedented commercial returns.
Moderator: Sue Bird
Panelist: Adam Silver
In this wide-ranging conversation, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joins moderator Sue Bird to explore how the league is navigating a period of rapid change on and off the court. The discussion will focus on the unique opportunities from player development to fan interactivity to analytics and international expansion. Hear how new player development models and NIL are changing the approach to global talent pipelines. Learn how the league continues to be at the forefront of advanced analytics and AI to enhance decision-making and fan engagement while simultaneously balancing international expansion, driving arena development and creating a potential new league in Europe. With a global talent pipeline reshaping the game and basketball entering a pivotal moment amid emerging challenges, this conversation offers a rare look at how today’s decisions are shaping the future of the league.
Moderator: Chad Millman
Panelists: Jeff Ma, Nate Silver, Sean Zerillo
The rapidly evolving landscape of sports betting presents unique challenges for both bettors and bookmakers, especially as data anomalies and unexpected outcomes increasingly disrupt predictive models. This panel, featuring industry experts, will explore strategies for identifying and addressing situations when actual results deviate from model expectations. The panel will explore the implications of unusual betting patterns and dive into the sports betting challenges of the 2024 NFL Season, where favorites won 72.1% of the time, the highest winning percentage in almost 20 years.
Moderator: Liz Moulton
Panelists: Greg Kim, Sonia Raman, Michael Girsch, Matt Gaudry
Career Playbooks presentations are given by a wide range of professionals from leagues, teams, and other players in the sports industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear each speaker’s unique story of entering and succeeding in the sports industry and learn vital careers lessons as they chart their own career paths. The Playbooks presentations will also include Q&A opportunities for attendees to engage with speakers.
Moderator: Ben Alamar
Panelists: Jackie MacMullan, Jeff Bennett, Rebecca Dyer, Brant Berglund
Storytelling plays a vital role in the fan experience. Across the sports landscape, storytellers are relied upon to convey the drama and excitement of sports, bring new fans in, and satisfy fans' hunger for knowledge. The tools available to storytellers have expanded significantly over the last few years with the expansion of new data sets and metrics that provide new insights and perspectives on sports. The recent advances in AI also provide the opportunity for new tools, but also a potential to replace certain types of storytelling through automation. This panel discusses how the role of the storyteller has changed, skills and perspectives needed to tell good stories, and how AI is and will change how fans engage with sports stories.
Moderator: Valerie Camillo
Panelists: Shelley Pisarra, Tim Clark, Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick
In 2025, sports are fighting harder than ever for fans’ attention – contending with an unprecedented news cycle, shorter attention spans, and changing modes of content consumption. This panel will discuss how teams and leagues are using data to adapt in this rapidly changing world, and how they can play – and win – the attention game.
Moderator: Danny Rensch
Panelists: Alexandra Botez, Levy Rozman, Daryl Morey, Ella Papanek
Chess is experiencing a global renaissance, fueled by emerging innovations in streaming, social media, and format variety, but where does the game go from here? Join Levy Rozman, Alexandra Botez, Ella Papanek, Daryl Morey, and Danny Rensch as they explore how chess is evolving to engage new audiences. This panel will dive into the growth of chess content creation and how the sport is expanding into new mediums and formats.
Moderator: Jessica Gelman
Panelists: Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Bela Bajaria
From Drive to Survive to Quarterback, Netflix has reshaped how fans engage with sports through immersive storytelling. Now, with WWE’s flagship Raw moving to Netflix, the streaming giant is making an even bolder play in live sports entertainment. But what makes for compelling sports storytelling? How do you build anticipation for big events, cultivate new audiences, and sustain engagement beyond the game? This panel brings together two of sport’s most influential content executives, Netflix’s Bela Bajaria and WWE’s Paul “Triple H” Levesque, to explore how sports media is evolving, what it takes to craft narratives that captivate global audiences, and the future of sports entertainment in the streaming era.
Moderator: Katie Hodel
Panelists: Karlis Kezbers, Keith Goldner, Nicole Pelaez-Dandrea, Branden Moore
In an era where data is king, predictive modeling has become a critical tool for decision-making both on and off the field. From optimizing player performance and game strategy to enhancing fan engagement and business operations, predictive models shape the way organizations in sports operate. However, the path to building, testing, and deploying these models is filled with challenges, including structuring data science teams for success, designing and optimizing data systems, ensuring model accuracy, and understanding the broader implications of data-driven decision-making. This panel brings together experts from leading sports and entertainment companies to discuss the evolving landscape of predictive modeling, the biggest hurdles they face, and the innovations shaping the future of analytics in sports. Join us for an in-depth conversation on how model-driven decision-making is transforming the sports industry.
Moderator: Erin Kelly
Panelists: Mike Shane, Jeff Heaton, Emily Johnson, Kari Gritton
The most fundamental fan experience in sports is in a seat watching your favorite team live. This panel brings together top ticketing voices to explore the evolving landscape of how fans buy, sell, and experience live events. Experts from across the ticketing landscape will share insights on innovations in ticketing strategy, from dynamic pricing and distribution to personalized fan engagement. As technology advances and consumer expectations shift, panelists will discuss how teams, venues, and platforms are adapting to maximize both revenue and accessibility. With perspectives spanning major league sports and emerging markets, this session will offer a deep dive into the trends shaping the future of live event ticketing.
Moderator: Pablo Torre
Panelists: Sendhil Mullainathan, Daryl Morey
As AI continues to reshape industries, its impact on sports is only beginning to be understood. Economist and behavioral scientist Sendhil Mullainathan and Daryl Morey join Pablo Torre Finds Out for an in-depth discussion on how AI can expand human capacity in sports, not by replacing human intuition and expertise, but by enhancing decision-making, strategy, and performance.Rather than merely automating scouting reports or game-day decisions, AI can serve as a powerful tool for reflection and learning—helping athletes identify patterns in their play, coaches uncover hidden strategic opportunities, and front offices refine their decision-making processes. Should teams rely on AI-driven scouting, or should these systems be designed to work alongside human evaluators, amplifying their insights? Can AI help players recognize critical mistakes in real time and develop strategies to adapt? And how do we ensure technology strengthens competition rather than diminishing its human essence?This panel will move beyond the hype, exploring AI’s true potential to act as a “bicycle for the mind” in sports—an augmentation of human intelligence that enables athletes, coaches, and teams to push the limits of their capabilities.
Moderator: Contessa Brewer
Panelists: Jonathan Kraft, Mark Shapiro
What will the sports industry look like in 2045? In this forward-thinking conversation, Jonathan Kraft and Mark Shapiro will explore the forces shaping the next generation of sports—from mega-events like the World Cup and Olympics to the future of live entertainment and hospitality, and the growing role of private and public capital in shaping teams and leagues. Jonathan Kraft has led the redefinition of sports property ownership across multiple leagues, real estate development, analytics, and embracing technology to drive differentiation. Mark Shapiro’s innovation from ESPN to Endeavor to TKO has changed the connectivity of entertainment, leagues, and the fan experience. Learn what trends they saw leading to the strategic decisions which led to changes in how the sports world operates. Understand what they see ahead with athlete-performance, financing/valuation, up ‘n coming sports, and the role of analytics across all aspects of the sports world. More specifically, how will venue infrastructure change and what will the lines between live events, media, and technology be when defining the ultimate fan experience in the decades ahead? Join two of the most influential leaders in sports as they break down the evolution of the industry, sharing insights on where the biggest opportunities lie and what challenges the business of sports will face in the future.
Moderator: Bill Connelly
Panelists: Lorrissa Horton, Scott Pioli, Kevin Demoff
Increasingly, NFL organizations are becoming more data-centric, and as a result, so has the role of the Front Office. See through the eyes of NFL executives whose franchises are on the leading edge as they discuss the role of data analytics on free agency/draft strategy, prospective player evaluation, play calling on the field, organization of weekly preparations for game day, and managing athlete workload.
Moderator: Michael Lewis
Panelists: Andrew Luck, Adrian Wojnarowski
The NCAA has entered a new era - one shaped by NIL, the transfer portal, and a talent market that looks more like free agency than the traditional recruiting of the past. As the landscape shifts, programs are adapting by introducing General Managers, a role long associated with professional sports but now critical to navigating college athletics. In this discussion, Andrew Luck (GM, Stanford Football) and Adrian Wojnarowski (GM, St. Bonaventure Basketball), explore how front-office leadership is evolving at the college level. What separates a great college GM from their professional counterparts? How do you balance player recruitment and retention when the rules change by the year? And as college sports become increasingly commercialized, how do these new decision-makers shape the future of the game?
Moderator: Michael McCann
Panelists: Oliver Luck, Mark Jackson, Brian Higgins
As college athletics enters a transformative era, a landmark NCAA settlement could reshape player compensation, conference dynamics, and the future of the NCAA itself. This panel brings together leading voices from sports governance and business strategy to explore the implications of direct athlete payments, revenue sharing, and evolving financial models. Panelists will discuss how schools should adapt to a salary cap environment, the role of the NCAA as a governing body, and the impact on competitive balance between large and small programs. The conversation will also examine conference realignment, private equity’s growing influence in college sports, and data-driven decision-making for long-term NCAA sustainability. With major financial and structural shifts on the horizon, this discussion will provide insights into what lies ahead for college athletics and the future of the NCAA.
Moderator: Bret McCormick
Panelists: Mark Jackson, Bill Hanway, Darren Ross, Fran Weld
Sports real estate has evolved into a powerful tool for fan engagement, urban revitalization, and the creation of innovative revenue streams. No longer just venues for games, modern sports facilities are driving economic growth, fostering community connections, and redefining the spectator experience. From the urban regeneration sparked by projects like the Intuit Dome to groundbreaking stadium designs like Ryan Field's year-round usability and the Dodgers' integration of historic preservation with cutting-edge upgrades, today's projects are setting new benchmarks for innovation. These spaces blend sustainability, inclusivity, and multifunctionality, offering tailored fan experiences and unlocking new revenue opportunities. How can sports real estate continue to balance architectural ingenuity with economic and social impact? Join leaders from Northwestern University, AECOM, Canopy Team, and Wasserman as they discuss the transformative potential of sports venues in shaping the future.
Moderator: Shira Springer
Panelists: Constance Schwartz-Morini, Megan Rapinoe, Marie Donoghue
Increasingly, leading sports figures are telling their stories and connecting directly through athlete-led podcasts, documentaries, and other content that indicates athlete power and changes to sports media approaches. Underscoring this trend is a growing interest from fans to go beyond broadcasted games and into the personal lives and perspectives of athletes. From Jason Kelce to David Beckham to Simone Biles, athletes are finding themselves in the producer chair to both commercially and artistically drive these projects. Hear from figures who saw these opportunities early on at the forefront of this movement, and how new mediums are impacting brand building, influence, and the ability to craft their narratives. Hear what has worked, understand the risks of saturation, who has been bypassed, and how things are evolving around athlete-driven content hold.
Moderator: Jessica Gelman
Panelists: Michele Kang, Gerry Cardinale
Join an exclusive conversation with Gerry Cardinale and Michele Kang, two entrepreneurs who are literally changing the sports industry. Both founders have taken unique approaches to expanding global reach through investment approach and team ownership structure. Michele Kang is a pioneering entrepreneur and investor who has transformed women’s sports by founding and leading Kynisca, the world's pre-eminent women sports organization and the first woman-owned multi-team global organization dedicated to women’s football. Gerry Cardinale is the visionary creator, managing partner, and chief investment officer of RedBird Capital Partners, where his leadership has driven over $10 billion in investments across sports, media, and entertainment. The discussion led by Jessica Gelman will highlight their journey from early beginnings that has led to how and why they are building sports empires today.
Panelists: Alex Rodriguez, Jason Kelly, David Blitzer
‘The Deal’, Bloomberg’s hit show featuring Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, brings its signature blend of sports, business, and investing to the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference for an exclusive live interview. In this special session, they sit down with David Blitzer—co-managing partner of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and a pioneer in multi-club ownership—to explore the evolving landscape of sports investment. From private equity’s expanding role to the strategic use of analytics in team acquisitions and operations, Blitzer shares his perspective on the business of winning both on and off the field. How do investors assess opportunities in today’s data-driven sports world? What’s next for ownership models as leagues adapt to new financial realities? Join us for a front-row seat to The Deal as we unpack the numbers, narratives, and next moves shaping the future of sports.
Moderator: Michele Steele
Panelists: David Stearns, Nick Caserio, Daryl Morey
What’s it like to negotiate nine-figure contracts, let go of a veteran fan-favorite player, or survive a trade deadline? This panel unites four visionary executives across three different sports—Daryl Morey (Philadelphia 76ers), David Stearns (New York Mets), Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings), and Nick Caserio (Houston Texans)—to explore how analytics are transforming team management across sports. The discussion will delve into how each leader leverages data and technology to guide roster construction, player evaluation, and development strategies. From navigating professional drafts to executing trades and competitive rebuilds, the panelists will share insights into how analytics drive sustained success in their respective leagues. They’ll also address the challenges of integrating data with traditional scouting and balancing innovation with the human element of decision-making.
Moderator: Abe Madkour
Panelists: Amy Howe, Brian Rolapp, Jessica Gelman
The sports industry is in a period of massive disruption from streaming media to direct-to-consumer to globalization to sky-rocketing team valuations to increased access to athletes to data connectivity. Why have team values increased so much despite declining viewership? The Future of Sports Business is evolving in real-time reflecting the changing expectations of fans, athletes, & stakeholders. Hear from industry innovators from the pre-eminent sports organizations engaging the changing fan, how the game is more connected than ever before, and why the sports world will continue to become smaller. This discussion will highlight how organizations across the ecosystem are strategically adapting to changing fan preferences and highlight the data & technology needed to support changes in-venue, at-home, and across the world. The panel will consider the broader influences affecting the sports ecosystem, including globalization and emerging trends, as they look to redefine the future of sports business.
Moderator: Alison Fragale
Panelists: Lorissa Horton, Mike Ybarra, Tim Armstrong
Year after year, the overlap between the technology and sports sectors grows stronger. Teams and leagues have used technology to revolutionize how they make decisions on the field; technology companies in turn have looked to sports to highlight their capabilities, enhance user engagement, and find new areas of growth. Moderated by leading organizational psychologist Alison Fragale, this panel brings together executives that built careers in the technology sector before taking leadership roles in sports businesses of Flowcode, PrizePicks and SumerSports. Hear the lessons learned from scaling products and divisions at Microsoft, Google, Cisco, and AOL, and the impact these experiences have on their visionary leadership in cutting-edge sports organizations today.
Moderator: Shira Springer
Panelists: Mike McCarley, Katlyn Gao, Mike Buckley, Steve Argeris
As investment accelerates in professional sports, new leagues and teams are emerging, redefining competition and engagement. Mike Buckley, Katlyn Gao, Mike McCarley, and Steve Argeris are shaping this transformation from different angles—league founders driving innovation and an industry leader navigating the financial landscape. Buckley is bringing sailing to a broader audience through SailGP’s global expansion, backed by private equity. Gao is building League One Volleyball (LOVB) from the ground up, creating a sustainable pipeline from youth development to the professional stage. McCarley is reshaping golf with TGL, a tech-driven primetime league supported by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Adding a financial and operational lens, Argeris brings insights from his leadership in the United Football League (UFL), where he helps navigate investment strategies, media rights, and long-term league stability.Together, they will examine the future of emerging leagues, the evolution of revenue models, and what it takes to thrive in a landscape dominated by legacy sports organizations.
Moderator: Steve Heiner
Panelists: George Pyne, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, Mitch Lasky
Sports investing has expanded far beyond traditional team ownership, with capital now pouring into areas such as sports technology, media rights, betting, athlete-backed ventures, and emerging leagues. This panel will explore how the smartest money in sports is being allocated and what factors investors consider when evaluating these non-traditional assets. Are these emerging opportunities a passing trend, or do they represent the future of sports investment?
Panelists: Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Lauren Holiday
Everyone watches women's sports—and now, there's a podcast for that.Take a front row seat with world champion athletes Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, as they sit down with Lauren Holiday to discuss their shared journeys through sports and life. Hear deep cut stories from their experiences as athletes, and the inside look at moments illuminate the intersection of sports and pop culture.
Moderator: Michele Steele
Panelists: A'ja Wilson, Jade-Li English
2x WNBA Champion, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, and 3x MVP A’ja Wilson, alongside her agent Jade-Li English, will delve into the dynamic intersection of sports, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. They’ll share A’ja’s journey from athlete to businesswoman, navigating opportunities on and off the court. The discussion will also highlight the critical player-agent relationship, explore how strategic decisions shape careers, personal brands, and long-term success amid the booming women’s basketball landscape and reflect on the sport’s evolving impact and exciting future of women’s basketball.
Moderator: Saj Cherian
Panelists: Mark Tatum, Christine Dorfler, Paul Caine
As the sports industry continues to evolve, US-based leagues are increasingly looking internationally to capture new audiences and drive growth. Our panelists will explore the current climate of sport globalization and its future trajectory, focusing on how leagues identify and prioritize key international market while sharing the unique challenges by culture, language, and access. In addition to understanding grassroots support through youth development programs and leveraging digital platforms can engage global fans, hear about the unique challenges of global events (e.g. Olympics, World Cup). The conversation will also address competition from international leagues, potential international team expansion, and varying fan expectation when traveling or locally-based. Bringing together executives and insiders from the NFL, NBA, and On Location who supports all 3 to discuss their strategies for global expansion and the corresponding challenges they face.
Moderator: Jessica O'Beirne
Panelists: Mohini Bhardwaj, Brody Malone, Josh Dixon, Li Li Leung
Gymnastics remains the most-viewed Olympic sport and top women's college sport, presenting a unique opportunity to boost fan engagement and economic expansion leading up to the LA28 home Olympics. This panel will explore cutting-edge solutions like Fujitsu’s AI Judging Evaluation program and the USOPC’s International Scouting Analytics project, which played a key role in securing Olympic medals in Paris. Additionally, we will discuss the emerging economic ecosystem within gymnastics, including athlete-driven revenue opportunities, sponsorship growth, and innovative platforms that allow gymnasts to capitalize on their success. Join Olympic medalists, industry leaders, and the president of USA Gymnastics for a deep dive into the innovations shaping the future of gymnastics performance, safety, and business strategies driving audience engagement forward.
Moderator: Corbin Petro
Panelists: Stacy Lewis, Julie Uhrman, Jennifer Rizzotti
Women's sports have grown tremendously in popularity but many leagues still lack the data infrastructure long-established mens league's have. This panel will explore the critical need for better data collection and analysis in women’s sports, and how past efforts have directly translated to on-field success. The panel will discuss the challenges of limited data availability, how it affects athlete development, fan engagement, and media coverage, and highlight the importance of accurate, comprehensive data to drive investment and visibility in women’s sports.
Moderator: Mark Donaldson
Panelists: Jonathan Atkeison, Mihir Warty, Todd Myers, Jarrod Kimber
Two internationally renowned sports, cricket and rugby, are betting on the appeal of a World Cup to break into the American market. But how effective is this strategy? And what can be done strategically to get this bet to succeed? The World Cup approach relies on a significant upfront investment with considerable risk, but potentially high rewards in the world's largest sports market. This panel will explore how USA Cricket approached the 2024 World Cup, and how USA Rugby is planning for the 2031 (Men's) and 2033 (Women's) World Cups. It will synthesize learnings and best practices as well as what's next for both of these governing bodies, and the growth of these sports in the U.S. from the grassroots to professional levels.
Moderator: Jennifer Shahade
Panelists: Nate Silver, Alexandra Botez, Xuan Liu
Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and psychology—but how do players navigate the tension between mathematical precision and the unpredictable swings of variance? This panel explores the interplay between optimal game theory strategy and the mental resilience required to handle hot streaks and brutal downswings. Experts and poker content creators will discuss the impact of solvers, intuition, and behavioral psychology on decision-making at the highest levels. Whether you're a data-driven grinder or a feel-based player, this conversation will reveal what it takes to stay sharp in a game where both skill and mindset determine long-term success.
Moderator: Seth Walder
Panelists: Brian Burke, Dean Oliver, Andrew Healy, Steve Weinman
The entire idea of sports analytics is to drive better decisions through quantitative analysis. But as the field has become more advanced, it’s virtually impossible now to do the job without watching tape. In this panel, we’ll explore how football and basketball analytics professionals – both on pro teams and at ESPN – have learned to watch film, rely on film to further their understanding of the game, and use film to augment or even inspire their quantitative analysis. It turns out: nerds do watch the games – and they’re going to do it in this panel.
Moderator: John Hollinger
Panelists: Shane Battier, Dean Oliver, Monte McNair, Ariana Andonian
This panel will explore how NBA organizations have transformed through the integration of analytics into their decision-making processes. From drafting strategies and roster construction to player development and in-game tactics, panelists will examine the role of analytics in shaping team identity and success. The conversation will balance the front office’s perspective on long-term planning with the player-centric view of how data-driven strategies impact the on-court experience. Topics will include the use of advanced metrics for player evaluation, the integration of tracking data, the balance between data and basketball instincts, and the challenges of implementing analytics across departments.
Moderator: Deepak Malhotra
Panelists: Sue Bird, Evan Wasch, Mike Zarren, Daryl Morey
Basketball has seen a dramatic shift in recent years, with the three-point shot dominating team strategies and reshaping how players approach the game. This panel will explore whether the NBA is at a “crisis” point due to this trend, drawing lessons from other sports that faced similar strategy convergence. Panelists will debate whether the league has reached peak three-point shooting volumes, how defenses have adapted, and whether this evolution has made the game less entertaining or overly repetitive. The discussion will also address potential solutions: Should leagues intervene with rule changes, or will the game naturally evolve as teams identify new inefficiencies? Join us for a lively debate on the future of basketball amidst the three-point era.
Moderator: Arda Öcal
Panelists: Jeremy Rogalski, Meghan Chayka, Philippe Desaulniers
Across all sports, analytics have become essential for shaping offseason decisions, such as draft preparation and player compensation. However, their impact extends far beyond that—data and analytics now play a critical role in guiding in-game decisions, helping coaches lead their teams to success. Join our panelists from across the hockey landscape as they discuss the evolution of on-ice decision-making driven by analytics. From line changes to innovative strategies, discover how coaches and front offices are redefining the game with data-driven approaches.
Moderator: Lauren Rosen
Panelists: Allison Feaster, Sian Leah Beilock, Steve Magness
Winning isn’t just about talent or preparation—it’s about mindset and the chemistry between athletes, coaches, and teams. While pressure and clutch performance are often the focus of sports psychology, this discussion takes a different approach: how do athletes build mental resilience, foster productive relationships, and sustain long-term success. Dr. Sian Beilock, an expert on cognitive performance, and Steve Magness, a leading voice in mental toughness, come together for a conversation on self-doubt, burnout, and the mental side of teamwork. Drawing from their books Choke and Win the Inside Game, they’ll explore how team dynamics, leadership styles, and communication shape mental performance—and how today’s athletes can use psychology to thrive rather than just survive. This is a discussion about mindset, chemistry, and adaptability—not just in sports but in life.
Moderator: Alison Overholt
Panelists: Evan Wasch, Dawn Aponte, Lisa Lazarus
In efforts to create unique competition, the NBA recently debuted its in-season tournament, while the NFL consistently updates its rules to enhance game flow, safety, and competitiveness, while also expanding its global presence by hosting games in international markets, with the first NFL game in South America taking place in 2024. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is actively pushing for innovation to improve safety standards while the MLS is rapidly expanding, and using MLS Next Pro to test their latest innovations. Leagues continue to innovate and adapt to meet the evolving needs, desires and concerns of fans while maintaining the integrity of their sport and the fundamentals that fans love. This panel brings together executives from the NBA, NFL, MLS, and HISA to discuss how leagues are making the decisions that are driving their sports forward to raise the overall quality for both the fans and the participants. Through insightful analysis, this panel will explore the impacts of these changes on league operations, fan engagement, player dynamics, and the overall future trajectory of each respective league. #LeagueInnovations
Moderator: Matt Rousson
Panelists: Kevin Lopes, Julie Souza, Tyrone Millard
AI has changed the way that the world interprets, handles, and reacts to data across all industries. This panel will focus on how AI and machine learning is and will change the sports industry. Current applications of AI are still relatively nascent in sports, but in a rapidly developing environment, the use cases for AI continue to broaden. This discussion will center around the different ways in which sports teams, leagues, broadcasters, and technology vendors could eventually integrate AI into areas such as player evaluation, fan engagement, league innovations, and more. Hear from panelists at the forefront and close to the action on how they believe AI is best positioned to develop in the sports industry. #WinningWithAI
Moderator: Jessica Gelman
Panelists: Jason Robins, Rich Paul
From creating a new industry to redefining an old one, industry giants, Jason Robins and Rich Paul will share their origin stories, vision of leadership, and entrepreneurial approach to success. Both founders are highly influential in the sports industry and have expanded their reach beyond their original start-up goals while taking very different approaches, IPO vs partnership. Jason Robins founded DraftKings out of his passion for fantasy sports and has expanded the company into sports betting, gaming, and other consumer product offerings. Rich Paul founded KLUTCH Sports Group to represent NBA basketball clients and has built the agency into a leader in athlete empowerment and community impact. KLUTCH now has expanded into a variety of major sports and leagues with a wide array of industry-dominant offerings. This duo will give an in-depth look into their own entrepreneurship journey and lessons learned from building their empires across negotiations, business growth, and connecting with people. #GameChangers
Moderator: Brian Millman
Panelists: Joe Marsh, Andrew Lilien, Doug Watson
This panel seeks to dive into the dynamic relationship between brands and the esports industry, exploring the current landscape and future in 2024. In the world of esports, brands and esports organizations are presented with unique opportunities and challenges in establishing meaningful connections with the community. Our panel of experts from esports teams, agencies, game developers, and brand partners will discuss the current state of brand involvement in esports, examining what it takes to form impactful strategic partnerships. Panelists will offer insights into how esports organizations and brands can successfully collaborate in the esports ecosystem, from sponsorship activations to digital marketing innovations. #LevelUp
Moderator: David Schoenfield
Panelists: Carlos Pena, Jonathan Erlichman, Michael Voltmer, Nick Troop
The 2023 season marked a seismic shift in Major League Baseball. The introduction of rule changes, namely the pitch timer and defensive shift limits, have fundamentally altered the way the game is played. As these changes enter their second season, how are stakeholders across the league thinking about the long-term implications of competing under the new rules? Hear from Jonathan Erlichman and Michael Voltmer, representing two of baseball’s most consistent franchises in the Rays and Dodgers respectively, and former All-Star and 14-year MLB Veteran Carlos Peña as they dive into the strategies being deployed by teams and players in pursuit of sustained success. The panelists will discuss how data & analytics, advanced technology, and other innovative resources are being used to optimize game strategy, opponent scouting, player development, and more. #TakeTwo
Moderator: Abe Madkour
Panelists: Jessica Gelman, Julie Uhrman, Amy Latimer
Sports is a center for innovation and change, directly reflecting in real-time the changing expectations of fans, athletes, and industry. With the world’s eye often looking to sports to lead change, both with the game and customer consumption, how do sports organizations position themselves for sustainable long-term success? This panel will explore the future of sports and innovation opportunities within on-field experiences, fan engagement, and how sports are consumed. Hear from industry leaders with unique perspectives from leagues, teams, venues, and technology who are driving changes across and within sports. The panel will delve into how organizations can use analytics, AI, and data to improve all aspects of the game. Panelists will also discuss how changes in the broader ecosystem around ownership, globalization, foreign investment, gambling, and rapid shifts in technology are altering fan preferences and reshaping the sports industry. #futureofsports
Moderator: Marie Donoghue
Panelists: Amy Reinhard, Lori Conkling, Harish Sarma, Reagan Carey
This past year has seen the realization of sports streaming. Netflix hosted its first live sporting event, the Netflix Cup, and has been the home to popular sports series, such as Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Quarterback. YouTube is now the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket. TikTok has re-invented how to consume sports by enabling off-the-field conversations in platforms such as SportsTok. Both playoff and regular season games are now broadcasted on a variety of streaming platforms. Amidst these changes, vMVPD providers are seeing large increases in their subscriber counts. Additionally, consumers are watching more sports content on social media platforms, like TikTok. Panelists representing some of the world’s most innovative digital entertainment companies will discuss approaches to their sports content development strategy, cutting edge ways to monetize the content, and how data drives these decisions. This panel will take a retrospective look at what approaches have been successful so far and how these learnings can be leveraged to anticipate future trends in sports streaming. #sportstreaming
Moderator: Liz Moulton
Panelists: Kirsten Corio, Julie Haddon, Dave Alpern
In an era where sports sponsorships offer an abundance of assets, from jersey patches to on-court branding, the challenge lies in ensuring that partners receive optimal value while maintaining fan engagement and data privacy. This panel, featuring perspectives from leaders across various industries and roles, including the USTA, NWSL, Los Angeles Rams, and Joe Gibbs Racing, delves into the dynamics of sponsor-brand-fan relationships. This panel will explore evolving fan expectations, successful activations, and the impact of shifting data landscapes on sponsorship strategies. While traditional marketing remains a cornerstone of sponsorships, the panel will discuss how it's transitioning to become more digital, emphasizing the fusion of traditional and digital marketing in today's sports sponsorship ecosystem. The panel offers insights into how sponsors are adapting their approaches to first-party data access, emphasizing the importance of staying connected to fans in innovative ways. #ActivatingValue
Moderator: Jackie MacMullan
Panelists: Sue Bird, Jeff Van Gundy, Nick Caserio
As fans, we watch sports for the unexpected and for the feats we did not see coming. Of course, many of the most memorable are David defeating Goliath. Upsets. Last second shots. Win streaks. What leads to the right moments where chemistry defeats legacy? Hear from Sue Bird, Jeff Van Gundy, Nick Caserio, and Daryl Morey on how players, GMs, and coaches come together when they have been both David and Goliath. What are the keys to developing this "underdog" mindset, and how can those of us who are not professional athletes apply those lessons to the challenges we face every day? #Underdog
Moderator: Michele Steele
Panelists: Paul Tudor Jones, Jonathan Kraft
American Football has long held the marquee sports spot within the United States thanks to continual advancements made by leagues and in the sport at large. The NFL is in a period of growth and innovation: the NFL's fan demographics have expanded, 5 international games will be played in 2024, player safety is paramount, flag football has been added to the 2028 Olympics, NFL games accounted for 93 of the top 100 most watched TV broadcasts in 2023, and more. However, fewer of America's youth are playing the game than any time in the past decade and there is concern about the traditional college football model. In this session we'll hear from Jonathan Kraft and Paul Tudor Jones II, two business titans who are at the forefront of this new football era, about what these recent dynamics mean for the game and how they expect the game to progress over the next few years. #FutureOfFootball
Moderator: Jacob Feldman
Panelists: Brian Josephs, Keith Goldner, Eric Rimsky
As the U.S. sports betting market continues to mature, hear how key stakeholders within the ecosystem are collaborating to maximize fan engagement opportunities today and in the future. This panel will feature a deep dive into the deeper event data, including the growing focus on the athlete narrative as well as the usage of emerging technologies and advanced analytics. The panelists will discuss how these tools are being leveraged to fuel in-play betting, increase betting offers, and create personalized experiences that bring fans closer to the sports they love. #SportsBetting
Moderator: Ted Knutson
Panelists: Steve Palazzolo, Eugene Shen, Sean Clement, Heather Maclean
This panel will deep dive into the multi-faceted world of football analytics with seasoned industry experts from the Washington Commanders, Pro Football Focus, SumerSports, and StatsBomb. The panelists will discuss the current breadth of analytics use cases in football, ranging from the crucial role data plays in player evaluation and roster construction to the rapidly increasing utilization of data to inform game strategy and decision-making. The panelists will highlight the tangible impacts of data-driven methodologies in shaping the modern football landscape and explore potential analytics advancements that can further enhance the influence of data on success in the NFL. #TheNumbersGame
Moderator: Corbin Petro
Panelists: Will Blodgett, Seth Moulton, Alex Drane, Valerie Camillo
Data is used universally across public and private sectors in powerful ways. This panel brings together a variety of industry experts focused on using data for the greater good, with lessons for the sports industry. Join us as we look to the expertise of panelists across real estate, healthcare, and the public sector to better understand how data is being used to power positive outcomes and how these learnings can inform the sports industry. The collaborative insights shared by these professionals will delve into innovative approaches, ethical considerations, and emerging trends, providing a comprehensive view of the dynamic landscape where data-driven strategies intersect with social and economic progress. #PowerOfData
Moderator: Allison Loucks
Panelists: Brian Burke, Dean Oliver
ESPN Analytics will host a conversation with two leaders in the advanced metrics space, hitting on the prominence of analytics in the recently completed NFL playoffs, the impact on football and basketball in-game decision making, the media’s role in presenting analytics, and much more. #ImpactingTheGame
Moderator: Erin Kelly
Panelists: Michelene Rabbitt, Dejan Mitkovski, Karlis Kezbers, Daryl Morey
After years of progress, the sports industry has increasingly embraced the usage of data & analytics to optimize and enhance business performance. But in a world where data-driven decision making is now part of the status quo, what is the next frontier for data & analytics in sports business? This panel will bring together executives from Snowflake, Ticketmaster, FanDuel, and NASCAR to delve into the innovative ways in which they deploy data & analytics tools. The panelists will discuss recent developments in data & analytics technologies, the impact of these technological advancements on current operations, and the future of data & analytics utilization in sports business as technological innovation accelerates. #DataRevolution
Moderator: Jeff Ma
Panelists: Nate Silver, Xuan Liu, Jennifer Shahade
With the proliferation of analytics in sports and the increasing accessibility of machine learning, defining the next optimal next move is becoming increasingly challenging. Join us for an insightful poker panel as we explore the evolution of strategy in the game, driven by probability, game theory, and statistical analysis. Delving into how these analytical tools have revolutionized poker gameplay, our esteemed panelists will discuss the ways in which traditional strategies have been redefined and the game itself transformed. Beyond the poker table, we'll examine how these strategic principles are crossing into other domains, from sports to business, reshaping decision-making paradigms across industries. Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of analytics, strategy, and the future of poker. #ProbabilityToProfit
Moderator: Danny Rensch
Panelists: Daryl Morey, Levy Rozman, Robert Hess
"The Digital Gambit" brings together chess legends Danny Rensch, Levy Rozman, Robert Hess, James Canty, and Daryl Morey to explore the evolution of chess in the digital era. This panel will delve into the transformation of chess content, fueled by mainstream media and online streaming, and its burgeoning appeal to a younger, tech-savvy audience. Discussions will focus on innovative formats like Chess960, the role of Twitch streamers in popularizing chess, and blending chess with other disciplines for unique content creation. The panel will also tackle the challenges of online cheating, the use of AI to enhance the chess experience, and strategies to monetize content while preserving the game’s integrity. Join us for an insightful exploration into how chess is being reimagined for a new generation, maintaining its rich heritage while embracing technological advancements. The event will also feature live demonstrations with our grandmasters interacting with the audience! #DigitalGambit
Moderator: Jeff Ma
Panelists: Grant Cloud, Madeleine Want, Brett Abarbanel
In the rapidly evolving landscape of sports gaming, the intersection of data analytics and technological innovation is creating unprecedented opportunities for growth and engagement. This panel will explore the forefront of innovation in sports gaming, highlighting how data is driving the development of new products and enhancing the sports viewing experience. Key topics will include new DFS game formats, responsible gaming initiatives, the integration of Esports into traditional sports gaming platforms, and the growth of digital communities that connect sports enthusiasts and enable them to form deeper connections to the games they love. Experts from leading gaming companies, including PrizePicks and Fanatics, will offer a deep dive into the intricate behind-the-scenes efforts that fuel these cutting-edge advancements in sports gaming. They will provide a rare glimpse into the complex interplay of data analytics, technology, and creative vision that underpins the development of new gaming formats and enhancements to the sports viewing experience. Through this discussion, the panelists will uncover how data and technology are not just changing the way games are played, but also how they are watched and experienced, paving the way for a more immersive and engaging sports gaming future. #TheNewPlaybook
Moderator: Justine Brown
Panelists: Thayer Lavielle, Julie Uhrman, Susie Piotrkowski, Sezin Aksoy
While women’s sports have historically comprised only 4% of media coverage, recent insights from Wasserman demonstrate a notable uptick to 15% in 2023. However, despite this progress, professional women's sports still represent just 8% of all broadcasted competitions. The rapid recent growth of women's sports leagues and women's team valuations underscores the need for strategic investments to expand coverage. This discussion will delve into innovative investment models aimed at bolstering the presence of women's sports, while also exploring the potential of diverse media platforms in amplifying their visibility. Join us as we dissect these trends and strategies with women deeply involved in this change, from media, team, and agency executives.
Moderator: Shira Springer
Panelists: Jackie Caldwell, Blake Stuchin, Amanda Anderson, Sanjeev Verma
Like, follow, and subscribe - the analytics of social media go well beyond these fundamental statistics. This panel will delve into the dynamic relationship between sports and social media, highlighting the influential role of content creation in attracting new and diverse audiences to the world of sports. As digital platforms reshape the fan experience, our panelists bring hands-on experience and innovative strategies to the table, pushing the boundaries of content creation and leveraging analytics to maximize brand reach. Hear from content creators, media companies, and sports leagues as they unpack key topics such as the profound impact of user-generated content, the evolving connection between athletes and content creation, the role of analytics in redefining digital strategies in sports, and the captivating influence of sports storytelling in the ever-evolving landscape of the digital age.
Moderator: Hannah Storm
Panelists: Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Andre Iguadala
This star-studded panel brings together legendary athletes turned business innovators, owners, investors, and changemakers to discuss the growing influence of players leading change in the industry. Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Andre Iguodala will share their unique leadership journeys, how they are leveraging their power to drive change and inspire the next generation, and perspectives on why it’s so important for diverse leaders to have a seat at the table. Through their own entrepreneurial and investment activities, these panelists will discuss lessons learned from their endeavors across Togethxr, Gotham FC, Deep Blue, A Touch More, MOSAIC, and more. The discussion will explore lessons learned as athletes and how they’re applying that acumen to effecting change through diverse leadership, influence, and how they use their power to enact positive changes within the sports industry. This is a can’t-miss discussion about the champions and changemakers who are shaping the future of sports, on and off-the-field, and ways that all of us can move the industry forward.
Moderator: Katie Hodel
Panelists: Kate Howard, Jake Burns, Jason Green
This panel will explore the “Evolution of Ticketing” and provide a comprehensive discussion of the current trends, challenges, and opportunities in the ticketing industry. Hear from ticketing vendors and team/venue executives as they dive into technological advancements, changing fan consumption patterns, and other key drivers that are changing the ticketing landscape, including the balance between premium experiences and accessibility for the average fan.
Moderator: Claire Rogers
Panelists: Krista Olson, Travis Trembath, Fahad Zahid
Historically, golf has been perceived as a sport with a strongly loyal but relatively small fanbase. While golf’s various stakeholders continue to seek out ways to attract new fans, the sport has seen significant momentum in recent years, with participation growing at rates that haven’t been seen in decades. The introduction of cutting-edge golf media platforms and content has played a key role in generating interest in golf, offering both burgeoning and devoted fans the opportunity to engage with the sport on a deeper level. This panel brings together executives from the PGA of America, PGA TOUR, and LPGA Tour as well as leading golf brand No Laying Up to discuss the steps needed to capitalize on these trends and outline the path forward for growing the game. #GrowingTheGame
Moderator: Cassidy Hubbarth
Panelists: Megan Rapinoe, Nate Silver, Jessica Gelman
Sports serve as a unifying force and catalyst for change. Sports possess the ability to uplift communities through athlete-driven philanthropy, team engagement in community development, and league initiatives including international outreach. From trailblazers like Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens breaking down racial barriers to contemporary icons such as Megan Rapinoe and the USWNT championing gender equality, the influence of sports on society transcends mere competition. This panel will discuss what has made sports shift so meaningfully in impact over the past decade. As athletes and sports organizations continue to expand their impact, there arises a need to measure and expand this impact. Join Megan Rapinoe, Nate Silver, and Jessica Gelman in the closing panel of SSAC24 as they delve into the profound influence and evolution of the sports industry.
Moderator: Allison Katz Mayfield
Panelists: Liz Lindsey, Paul Caine, Robert Thacker
The phrase “live sporting event” has taken on a new meaning in recent years. Gone are the days when fans simply showed up to a stadium to watch a game. Fans now have a myriad of avenues for entertainment and engagement when visiting a sporting event. Hospitality and premium experiences have been redefined by significant enhancements to curated event packages, behind-the-scenes access, and white glove service. Sporting events now feature a wide array of improved seating, dining, and experiential options that are more customizable and accessible than ever before. The introduction of next-generation venues like shared reality event spaces will further alter the live viewing experience and enable fans to enjoy sporting events in new ways. Amid this changing landscape, what will fans of today and tomorrow demand from live sporting events? How can industry leaders in hospitality, event management, immersive experiences, and property marketing deliver on these expectations? Join executives from OnLocation, AEG, Cosm, and Wasserman as they discuss the latest trends and outlook for the future of live events. #LiveEvents
Moderator: Jessica Gelman
Panelist: Michael Rubin
Michael Rubin, a connector of people, has transformed the way athletes and entertainers engage with businesses, leagues, and each other. As Founder and CEO of Fanatics, he has revolutionized the sports apparel business, quickly becoming a premier partner with many top entities. With an expansive rolodex and Fanatics sitting at the center of the ecosystem, Michael has a finger on the pulse of the global sports and entertainment landscape. Join Michael as he sits down with Jessica Gelman for an engaging discussion on future disruptions, globalization of sports, and the future of Fanatics. #FosteringFanatics
Moderator: Saj Cherian
Panelists: Scott Krase, Brian Bilello, Matt Hulsizer
The global soccer landscape has undergone seismic shifts in recent years. Multi team/sport ownership groups have permeated top soccer leagues - sports conglomerates now control five of the esteemed "Big Six" Premier League clubs as well as various other teams around the world. Simultaneously, the world's premier talent is no longer concentrated exclusively in Europe and South America, as some of the sport's biggest stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are choosing to play in burgeoning soccer markets. In the US, the MLS continues to grow in stature both domestically and abroad as the NWSL, the world's leading women's soccer league, faces increasing competition from the rise of the WSL. These developments are unfolding as we approach the 2026 World Cup, which will bring the attention of the global soccer community back to the US for the first time in over 30 years. Amid this backdrop, what steps are soccer clubs taking to capitalize on these trends both on and off the pitch? Hear from some of the world’s most prominent soccer club leaders as they discuss the strategies they are deploying in pursuit of supremacy within the global game. #GlobalizationOfSoccer
Moderator: Ryan O'Hanlon
Panelists: Ian Graham, Sarah Rudd, Jesse Marsch, Bill James
Three is worth more than two, walks count the same as hits, first downs are better than punts. While data analysis has transformed the way we play all of the major American sports, soccer still awaits its own kind of disruption. It’s not for a lack of trying, though. Major European clubs have begun to invest — and occasionally empower — in data-driven decision-making. But due to cultural differences, institutional inertia, and a sport that’s simply really hard to measure, advanced analytics haven’t had the same kind of transformative effect at the highest level of the sport that we’ve seen in the NBA, MLB, or NFL. Combining on-the-ground coaching expertise with high-level quantitative thinking, this panel will survey the state of soccer’s analytical revolution and attempt to determine just how far it might go. #BeyondThePitch
Moderator: Ben Alamar
Panelists: Dean Oliver, Brittni Donaldson, Mike Zarren
In the dynamic landscape of modern basketball, analytics has emerged as a cornerstone, fundamentally altering the way the game is played, analyzed, and strategized. This panel will delve into the emergence of basketball analytics from its initiation to its current essential role in today's basketball paradigm. The discussion seamlessly intertwines the historical origins with the contemporary significance of basketball analytics, showcasing its transformative journey within the sport, from its humble origins to its current status as a game-changer in the NBA and professional basketball. Navigating pivotal milestones, influential figures, and driving forces, the panel examines the profound impact analytics has on various facets of the sport, from front office strategies, coaching methodologies, player development, and beyond. This session promises to captivate enthusiasts, industry professionals, and basketball aficionados alike, offering valuable insights into the significance of analytics in shaping the past, present, and future of basketball strategy and performance. #EvolutionOfBasketball
Moderator: Warren Zola
Panelists: Martin Jarmond, Val Ackerman, Brian Higgins
The world of college athletics has seen seismic shifts in recent weeks and years. The introduction of NIL compensation has altered the recruiting landscape across sports, media rights are evolving the exposure of college sports, and conference realignment is changing the college sports experience for student-athletes, universities, and their fans. This panel will delve into the impact of these changes to date and what they could mean for the future of college athletics. Hear from Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond, COO of NIL consulting firm Altius Tommy Gray, and NCAA SVP of Business Performance Brian Higgins as they discuss the latest developments across college sports and where we go from here. #NewGeneration
Moderator: Arda Ocal
Panelists: Meghan Chayka, Tyler Dellow, P.K. Subban, Jacqueline Davidson
There's a changing of the guard underway in the NHL, with legendary superstars entering the twilight of their careers and a new crop of generational talents on the way up. As this new era of the NHL gets underway, how are front office executives thinking about roster construction? What's the balance between analytics and eye test? How do you construct a roster that can handle the grind of the regular season while making sure you have a team that's built to succeed in the playoffs? From the player’s perspective, how is this next generation of NHL athletes thinking about analytics to improve their game, scout opposing teams and maximize their recovery? Come find out all this and more from 13 year NHL veteran PK Subban, NHL front office executives Brett Peterson and Tyler Delllow and Stathletes Co-Founder and CEO Meghan Chayka. #StatsToStanleyCups
Moderator: Deepak Malhotra
Panelists: Daryl Morey, Monte McNair, Nico Harrison
Presidents and GMs of professional sports teams are responsible for a lot of decisions, but nothing gets more attention, discussion, debate, and criticism from fans and the media than the trades they make (or fail to make) as they try to build a title contender. The fact is, even the most ardent fan or sophisticated analyst has no visibility on what really happens in these deals – or why certain decisions were made. How do these parties actually interact and battle it out behind closed doors? What are the pressures and constraints that dealmakers face that are not visible to those on the outside? Why is there often a discrepancy between what fans want, analysts advise, and teams actually do? This panel will bring together NBA executives Nico Harrison, Dennis Lindsey, Monte McNair, and Daryl Morey to discuss the inner workings of building a championship-level team from the perspective of an executive and give you a lens on what actually happens behind the scenes. #Negotiations
Moderator: Alison Overholt
Panelists: Kat Frederick, Tim Clark, Carolyn Tisch
There are more ways than ever for fans and organizations to engage and interact, both digitally and in-person. By extending the game day experience and connecting more broadly with fully virtual viewing opportunities, sports organizations have an abundance of options to reach more fans in new and different ways. However, maximizing fan attention and engagement remains a challenge in a world where so many alternatives exist. This panel will delve into the ways that organizations foster authentic and long lasting fan engagement and how they differentiate in their local market while globalizing their brand. Panelists will also discuss the increasing role of technology and who owns the fan data along with the growing need for analytics to connect sports and fans. #fanalytics
Moderator: Contessa Brewer
Panelists: Gerry Cardinale, Rich Kleiman, Steve Pagliuca
In recent years, the sports world has seen massive changes in ownership structures, portfolio approaches across leagues and geographies, control vs. minority, and the role of content in driving value. Hear from change agents Gerry Cardinale, Steve Pagliuca, and Rich Kleiman on their strategies, views, and lessons they've learned in the industry. This panel will highlight the changing nature of sports ownership and how each panelist has managed their investments. The panelists will discuss the ways in which the ownership of assets across different sports can generate competitive advantages. They will also dive into how franchises think about engaging fan bases both domestically and internationally, including the role of media networks and partnerships, as well as future trends in the global sports industry as they relate to ownership and sports content #SportsOwnership
Bill James - Former Senior Baseball Operations Advisor Boston Red Sox
Michael Lewis - Author & Journalist
Shane Battier - Former Vice President, Analytics and Basketball Development, Miami Heat; 2012 & 2013 NBA Champion, Miami Heat
Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
Jackie MacMullan (moderator) - Retired Senior Writer
When Moneyball was published in 2003, no one could have predicted its monumental impact across business, sports, culture, and beyond. Now, twenty years later, the book, and later the blockbuster movie, sparked a renaissance that has totally changed how organizations think about and use data. Jackie MacMullen will lead a discussion with Michael Lewis, Bill James, and Shane Battier as the group reflects on the impact and legacy of Moneyball - and analytics driven thinking - over the last two decades.
Michael Rubin - CEO, Fanatics
DeMaurice Smith - Executive Director - National Football League Players Association (NFLPA)
Tamika Tremaglio - Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)
Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR)
Over the past 5 years, we’ve seen a massive shift in how players are directly engaging with fans, investing into business, and using their platform to affect societal change. As players step into their collective power, the NBAPA, NFLPA, and partners like Fanatics are redefining the role and impact of player influence within and across the sports industry. Featuring DeMaurice Smith (NFLPA Executive Director), Tamika Tremaglio (NBPA, Executive Director), and Michael Rubin (CEO of Fanatics), Jessica Gelman will guide a discussion on how these industry innovators are adjusting their business models, creating new business lines, driving the future of fan interactivity and have altered the player power landscape to innovate sports.
Stef Strack - Founder & CEO, Voice in Sport, and Voice in Sport Foundation
Billy Bean - SVP | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion & Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Major League Baseball (MLB)
Sola Winley - EVP Office of the Commissioner and Chief DEI Officer, Major League Soccer (MLS)
Jonathan Beane - Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, NFL
Katie Burke (moderator) - Chief People Officer, HubSpot
Sports organizations are prioritizing and developing programs to broaden DEI. However, despite increased discussion, media attention, and data supporting diversity, women, people of color, non-binary, and LGBTQ leaders continue to be underrepresented in sports from entry-level to most glaringly in the executive branch. Importantly, leagues are investing heavily in equaling the playing field from employees to vendors to partners with a diversity priority. Over the past few years, major sports leagues have created new policies, hired DEI leaders, and shared their representations from business to team to front office. This panel brings together the league leaders who are driving change at the macro and team-level to increase representation. Moderated by Katie Burke, regarded as a leading voice of culture at Hubspot, learn what is working, what the data says, and how much more we need to do to accelerate representation of diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports.
Jessica Berman - Commissioner, National Women’s Soccer League
Johanna Faries - Senior Vice President/General Manager of Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard
Jackie MacMullan (moderator) - Retired Senior Writer
Sports has long been a microcosm for society at large and given the public visibility athletes, teams, and leagues expected to lead on all aspects of culture. From players to fans to ownership expectations, it is more critical than ever that organizations listen, respond, and set a path towards evolution. Led by Jackie MacMullan, listen in as Jessica Berman (NWSL Commissioner) and Johanna Faries (Senior Vice President/General Manager of Call of Duty, Activision Blizzard) discuss the process of defining a path forward as organizations invest heavily in cultures to set new precedents, ensure employee, fan, and player satisfaction and improve the organization’s outcomes. With many competing stakeholders, this panel will feature perspectives from all angles of cultural change within and around the sports industry.
Sue Bird - WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Co-Founder of A Touch More and Togethxr
Brian Westbrook - Managing Director of Athlete Entrepreneur Network, underdog venture team
Lindsay Kagawa Colas - Executive Vice President, Talent + The Collective, Wasserman
Michele Steele (moderator) - Reporter, ESPN
Star athletes develop strong name recognition for their feats on the field, but their professional athletic careers represent just a fraction of their lives. After retirement (or sometimes even before), athletes embark on numerous different pathways, often using their platform and lessons learned in their playing careers to make an impact on the broader world. This panel convenes star athletes and one of the most prominent agents in sports for a discussion centered on entrepreneurship and investment as a means to drive positive change.
Sue Bird - WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Co-Founder of A Touch More and Togethxr
Brad Stevens - President of Basketball Operations, Boston Celtics
Steve Magness - Performance Coach, Author
Michael Lewis (moderator) - Author & Journalist
Pressure in sports comes in many forms and some people "have it." Listen in as legendary clutch performer Sue Bird shares how she handles the highest-pressure moments on the court and in boardrooms, how former coach and now team architect Brad Stevens defines the value of performance under pressure for his players, and how performance coach Steve Magness studies the science of these skills to drive performance improvement. Can the "clutch ability" be measured? How do we define clutch? End of shot clock, end of game, importance of the game? How do athletes prepare to perform under pressure mentally and physically? Join this myth-busting discussion led by Michael Lewis as leaders in this area attempt to answer what truly makes the best athletes perform under pressure.
Olav Aleksander Bu - Co-Founder, Head of Performance for Norway Triathlon, Santara Technology
Chris Cassidy - Retired NASA Astronaut & NAVY Seal, President and CEO, National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation
Roberta Groner - Professional Runner, USATF and RRCA Coach
Steve Magness (moderator) - Performance Coach, Author
What do space flight and endurance sports have in common? Both demand the highest level of physical and mental performance, requiring astronauts and athletes alike to push their limits and strive for peak performance. Achieving this goal requires a comprehensive approach that integrates training, recovery, nutrition, and perhaps most important of all mental toughness. This panel will explore what peak human performance means and whether or not it is attainable, drawing on the insights and expertise of Olav Aleksander Bu (coach of Ironman World Champions Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden), Chris Cassidy (former Navy Seal and NASA Astronaut), and Roberta Gronder (American Distance Runner). Join Author and Performance Coach, Steve Magness as he leans on his experience to sift through the complexities and understand what matters most in the pursuit for peak human performance.
Tracey Kitt - Chief Technology Officer, Sony's Sports Businesses
Megan Schroeder - Senior Director, Performance Science, Los Angeles Dodgers
Michael D'Auria - Chief Commercial Officer, Second Spectrum
Christina Chase (moderator) - Co-Founder, Managing Director MIT Sports Lab
The rapid rise of the use of analytics in sports has created demand for new and unique datasets that can help provide an edge over the competition. With the commercialization of motion capture technology, player and object movements can be analyzed and recreated down to the finest detail. For sports teams and leagues, this revolutionary new age of data capture has unlocked so many possibilities in terms of player evaluation, game strategy, and coaching. Furthermore, this advanced data capture has changed the way that games are officiated and administered, providing a path to fairer outcomes. Led by MIT's Christina Chase, hear from Tracey Kitt (Sony's Sports Businesses), Megan Schroeder (LA Dodgers) and Mike D'Auria (Second Spectrum) to learn more about how these exciting technologies are being applied in the sports industry.
Steve Palazzolo - Head of Product for the Football Division, Pro Football Focus (PFF)
Thomas Dimitroff - CEO, SumerSports
Kevin Demoff - Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles Rams
Jacqueline Davidson - Senior Director of Football Research, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Seth Walder (moderator) - Analytics Writer, ESPN
Football teams across the NFL are using analytics to build an edge over their competition, with improved roster construction being a chief use case. This has also created numerous opportunities for companies to build solutions that provide teams with the data and analytics they need to truly create an edge. Super Bowl winning executives and leaders from SumerSports and PFF convene on this panel to discuss how teams are currently using analytics to build that edge. Potential areas of discussion include how teams are building through the draft, how to prioritize cap allocation to the correct players and positions, approaches to free agency, and the handling of all the variables that come with trading. Panelists will touch on how teams are deploying analytics today, what has and hasn’t worked well in the league thus far, and where teams will be putting more of their analytics focus in the coming years.
Omar Chaudhuri - Chief Intelligence Officer, Twenty First Group
Sarah Rudd - Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, src | ftbl
Mladen Sormaz - Director of Football Analytics, 777 Partners Football Group
John Muller (moderator) - Senior Writer, The Athletic
Soccer is both perhaps the most "unsolvable" major sport and earlier in the analytics adoption curve at the club level, making it an extremely exciting time for the global leaders pushing the boundaries of soccer analytics. The beautiful game's analytics research grows more fascinating by the year, with concepts like expected possession value models, pitch control, talent development, set piece optimization, and more gaining more traction. Meanwhile, clubs have become massive businesses, spending hundreds of millions of pounds on individual players while still unsure of how to integrate even basic analytical insights into their decision-making processes. This panel gathers the sport's brightest minds from the world's leading clubs, analytics consultancies, data providers, and researchers to truly dig into soccer's analytics frontier.
Mike Zarren - VP of Basketball Operations and Team Counsel, Boston Celtics
Shane Battier - Former Vice President, Analytics and Basketball Development, Miami Heat; 2012 & 2013 NBA Champion, Miami Heat
Katherine Evans - VP of Research and Information Systems, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Ben Cohen (moderator) - Author, Wall Street Journal
Analytics has transformed how players, coaches and front offices approach player development. The use of data analysis and advanced metrics has provided teams with valuable insights into player performance, allowing teams to tailor their training and development programs to better meet the needs of individual players. In addition, analytics has also led to a shift in how players approach their own development, as they now have access to detailed data about their own performance and can use this information to identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, the use of analytics has also impacted roster construction, as front offices and coaches now use data to make more informed decisions about everything from blockbuster trades to lineups. Join us as NBA Champion Shane Battier and front office executives Mike Zarren (Boston Celtics) and Katherine Evans (Washington Wizards) discuss the ways in which analytics has revolutionized the way that players, coaches and front offices approach player development.
Seth Walder - Analytics Writer, ESPN
Brian Burke - Data Scientist, ESPN
Allison Loucks (moderator) - Director, Business Development & Innovation, ESPN
ESPN Analytics will take a deep dive into what the team has done to tell differentiating stories with player tracking data, using the prism of Receiver Tracking Metrics, its newest offering using NFL Next Gen Stats data.
Amy Howe - CEO, FanDuel
Tom Reeg - CEO, Caesars
Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group
Contessa Brewer (moderator) - Correspondent, CNBC
While sports betting has exploded in popularity recently in the US, only 1 in 5 Americans placed a bet on sports in 2022. As more states legalize sports betting (including Massachusetts in August 2022) and technological innovations drive adoption and accessibility, sports betting is poised for rapid growth. At this same time, sports teams and leagues are looking for new ways to attract new fans and broaden their demographics all while further engaging existing fans. This has come to a fever pitch as sports betting companies race to partner with teams and leagues in the pursuit of continued growth. This panel will explore the evolving landscape of sports betting, the ways in which innovation is driving growth in the industry, and how the landscape is different across leagues with the change agents of the gaming industry. Led by CNBC's Contessa Brewer, hear from Jonathan Kraft (The Kraft Group), Amy Howe (FanDuel) and Tom Reeg (Caesars) as the leaders driving fan engagement and innovation.
Molly Pendleton - Head of Touring, NHL and MLS, Eventellect
Ryan Tanke - COO, Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx
Brian Lafemina - Chief Business Officer, LA28
Sezin Aksoy - Senior Vice President, Global Data Strategy & Analytics, AXS
Shira Springer (moderator) - MIT Sloan Lecturer and Journalist, MIT Sloan
While companies are pouring billions of dollars into media and streaming rights to bring events to the masses, there is nothing that can replicate a live viewing experience: the sights, smells, sounds, and energy of a stadium is so unique. The stakes are only amplified when the events and experiences are big - fan expectations skyrocket in parallel with ticket prices. This panel convenes leading executives from ticketing companies, teams, and major events to discuss how to price the biggest tickets and deliver the boldest experiences all in the name providing fans an unforgettable live experience.
Jon Patricof - CEO and Co-Founder, Athletes Unlimited
Katlyn Gao - Co-Founder and CEO, LOVB
Andrew Sinnenberg - Chief Operating Officer, Premier Lacrosse League (PLL)
Johanna Boynton - Chair and Principal Owner, Toronto Six (PHF)
Shira Springer (moderator) - MIT Sloan Lecturer and Journalist, MIT Sloan
Amid seemingly endless opportunities for entertainment, the drama and excitement of sports remains a core part of our culture and continues to capture our attention. Shifting participation trends in youth and high school sports will shape the fans of the future. For example, volleyball - with over 450,000 participants in 2022 - is poised to overtake track and field as the most popular high school girls sport in the US. Amid these changes, we have seen a wave of new leagues - outside the Big 4 sports - pushing the boundaries of traditional league operations through unique approaches to fan engagement, team structure, player empowerment, and gameplay. This panel will dive into the strategies and tactics of innovative leagues like Athletes Unlimited, League One Volleyball, Premier League Lacrosse, and Premier Hockey Federation and outline what's in store for the exciting next chapter of professional sports.
Paul Caine - President, Endeavor’s IMG Events and On Location
John Sheeran - Senior Commercial Director, FanDuel
Elizabeth Lindsey - President, Brands and Properties, Wasserman
Jeff Price - Chief Commercial Officer, PGA of America
Abe Madkour (moderator) - Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal, Sports Business Daily/Global
In the last decade, traditional sponsorships have evolved into broader partnerships with deeper integrations and expectations. The current age of data and digitization has also fundamentally impacted sports partnerships in recent years: we are getting close to the "holy grail" of determining the value behind partnerships. On this panel, we combine holistic perspectives from the PGA of America, Wasserman, Endeavor, and FanDuel to provide insights into how data analytics has revolutionized sports partnerships and allowed both the brands and talent to calculate successes and failures.
Gerry Cardinale - Founder and Managing Partner, RedBird Capital Partners
Steve Pagliuca - Senior Advisor, Bain Capital | Managing General Partner and Co-Owner, Boston Celtics
Mitch Lasky - Partner, Benchmark | Co-owner, LAFC
Saj Cherian (moderator) - Chief of Staff and Head of Fanatics Ventures, Fanatics
Global investment in sports teams has boomed in recent years across continents, sports, and levels, especially as institutional capital has become an increasing driver of team valuations and the sports landscape writ large. Sports-specific funds are popping up and raising funds of ever-increasing sizes, while more generalist institutional funds have increasingly turned to sports as a key investment pillar. With more money flowing in than ever before, valuations have ballooned despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. The last year has seen record franchise and club sales in the NFL, NBA, Premier League, and Serie A. Listen in as some of the most prominent sports investors and owners dig into the logic behind their investment theses, how they make specific investment decisions, and where investment in global sports is going.
Dejan Mitkovski - VP of Data Analytics, FanDuel
Grant Cloud - Senior Director of Data Strategy, PrizePicks
Meghan Chayka - Co-Founder and CEO, Stathletes
André Snellings - Senior Writer, ESPN
Lisa Kerney (moderator) - FanDuel TV Talent and Events Host, FanDuel
As sports betting and fantasy sports continue to expand throughout the US, sports gaming enthusiasts, sportsbooks, and fantasy operators will push each other to become more statistically sophisticated. While not all bettors are leveraging advanced analytics in their strategies, the common consumer now has access to more data and analytical tools than ever before. Therefore, this panel will discuss how consumers are receiving and utilizing this new mass of data, as well as the successful strategies that sportsbooks and fantasy operators are seeing from statistically savvy market participants. Senior data scientists from FanDuel and PrizePicks will provide insights into the modeling that goes into setting lines, while perspectives from ESPN and Stathletes will share how the underlying data is collected and translated to fans and clients. Panelists will also discuss the analytics and real-time decision making that go into new and popular betting and gaming formats, such as live odds (FanDuel), player projections (PrizePicks), and many more.
Steve Phelps - President, NASCAR
Jill Gregory - EVP and General Manager, Sonoma Raceway
Justin Marks - Founder and Owner, Trackhouse Entertainment Group
Joe Pompliano (moderator) - Host of Joe Pomp Show, Entrepreneur, and Investor
As a perennial American staple, NASCAR has steadily increased viewership over the last few years, with on average about 3 million viewers watching each race in 2022. In this new sports age, this panel will convene NASCAR leadership, team ownership, and a racetrack executive to discuss how NASCAR is innovating to drive fan satisfaction and creating an enjoyable racetrack experience for attendees. Panelists will discuss how NASCAR's strategy - including changes to the race car, new events like Chicago Street Race, a show on USA Network - has evolved to match the needs and interests of a changing fanbase. The panel will also look to the future on how NASCAR will continue to innovate and tackle key issues such as media rights deals to improve the sport.
Karim Fernandes - Content Creator, Counter Logic Gaming
Parth Naidu - CEO, SIDO
Nick Troop - Executive Producer, POSSIBLE
Doug Watson - Director of Esports Strategic Advisory, Riot Games
Greg Kim (moderator) - Head of CLG, Madison Square Garden Sports
There is arguably no place in sports that leverages social media, co-streaming, and cutting-edge technology better than esports. Over the past 5 years, esports storytelling has evolved, introduced new personalities, and made it possible for influencers to become bona fide superstars with tens of millions of followers and billions of views across YouTube, Twitch, and other streaming platforms. Fans are no longer content in having a single option for engaging with their favorite team or sport; they want options. Utilizing influencers, alt streams, and other technology, esports is developing strong connections with an extremely loyal fan base, scaling to new audiences, and generating unique integrations for partner brands. Join us to hear content creators, event producers, and sports leagues are using technology to change sports storytelling with new technology, virtual watch parties, and new forms of social engagement. This panel brings together perspectives from Riot Games, POSSIBLE, CLG, and SIDO to discuss the age of influences and co-streaming in esports and what it means for the development of the industry going forward.
Jennifer Shahade - Chess Champion, Professional Poker Player, Author
Hikaru Nakamura - Chess Grandmaster, 5-time U.S. Champion and Popular Chess Streamer
Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
Fabiano Caruana - Chess Grandmaster and Founder of C-Squared Podcast
Danny Rensch (moderator) - International Chess Master, Chief Chess Officer, Chess.com
Although Chess has been played for over one-thousand years, it's popularity has attained new heights in the recent years, particularly amongst the younger generation. This is in part due to popular TV shows, like the Queen's Gambit, the ease of streaming matches, and a growing amount of engaging and digestible content tailor-made for social media. Yet, the game has also been rocked by prominent cheating scandals - aided by the very technologies that have helped chess grow more popular. This panel brings together some of the biggest names in the game including Danny Rensch, Jennifer Shahade, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Daryl Morey to discuss the current state of chess, techniques to detect cheating, and how chess can continue to leverage technology to grow the game all while keeping competition fair, fun, and entertaining. There will be a board on stage - so who knows, we might even have a live match break out in the middle of the discussion!
Nate Silver - Statistician, Author and Founder FiveThirtyEight
Jennifer Shahade - Chess Champion, Professional Poker Player, Author
Maria Ho - Professional Poker Player, Broadcaster
Xuan Liu - Professional Poker Player
Jeff Ma (moderator) - Entrepreneur, Author, Host of "Bet the Process" Podcast
How can analytic decision making in high stakes games of poker be applied to real life decisioning? What can we learn through the analytics of human behavior and how different game strategies can be applied to real world situations? Discover how to identify, analyze and leverage key metrics present in everyday games of poker, blackjack and chess to make more informed decisions in all aspects of your life. Join 538's Nate Silver, professional poker player Jennifer Shahade and Women in Poker Hall of Fame Inductee Maria Ho for a wide ranging conversation on poker's trendiest strategy, whether the rise in analytics in poker has truly evened the playing field, and the potential implications for the future of high stakes poker.
Alex Baldwin - President, Korn Ferry Tour
Mark Broadie - Carson Family Professor of Business, Columbia Business School
Dan Zelezinski - Chief Commercial Officer, Twenty First Group
Suzy Whaley (moderator) - President, Golf Nation
Golf has seen a dramatic transformation in recent years with how players try to gain an advantage. With professional golfers now inundated with data about their games, how do they best cut through the noise and identify the key performance indicators that actually correlate to winning tournaments? How do different course conditions and layout impact performance? What are players focusing on physically to best prepare for peak performance? From the Tour perspective, how can organizations like the Korn Ferry, Epson, and NCAA best prepare players to compete on the PGA and LPGA Tour? Join us for a deep dive into how golfers are gaining a competitive advantage with Alex Baldwin, President of the Korn Ferry Tour, Mark Broadie, golf analytics expert and inventor of strokes gained, and Dan Zelezinski, COO of the Twenty First Group. Learn how influential figures in the golf community see these dynamics playing out in the short and long term.
Jessie Irvine - Professional Pickleball Player, PPA Tour & MLP's Florida Smash
Brian Levine - Interim CEO, Major League Pickleball
Connor Pardoe - CEO, Professional Pickleball Association
Dave Fleming (moderator) - Pickleball Broadcaster, Senior Pro Player, Marketer, and Content Creator, Professional Pickleball Association
Created in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, pickleball is now all the rage. It's the fastest-growing sport three years running. With athletes such as Lebron James, Tom Brady, Naomi Osaka, and Patrick Mahomes investing in the sport, pickleball is projected to attract close to 40 million players across the world by 2030. Moderated by PPA Tour broadcaster & pickleball pro, Dave Fleming, this panel brings together a top 10 player in the world (Jessie Irvine) and CEOs from two of the sport's biggest leagues MLP (Brian Levine) and PPA (Connor Pardoe) to discuss why the sport is growing, what's to expect in upcoming years, and how you can get involved.
Bill James - Former Senior Baseball Operations Advisor, Boston Red Sox
Morgan Sword - Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations, Major League Baseball (MLB)
Raúl Ibañez - Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations, Major League Baseball (MLB)
Kevin Negandhi (moderator) - Anchor for SportsCenter, Host for ESPN College Football on ABC, ESPN
America's Pastime has undergone significant changes over the past several years as it tries to capture younger audiences and develop them into passionate baseball fans like ones from past generations. Chief among these are rule changes meant to increase the pace, excitement, and competitiveness of the game. This panel convenes Bill James and executives from the MLB league office to discuss the rationale behind these rule changes, its effect on team composition, and the tangible impact that the panelists feel it will have on the game moving forward.
Kate Madigan - Assistant General Manager, New Jersey Devils
Brett Peterson - Assistant General Manager, Florida Panthers
Meghan Chayka - Co-Founder and CEO, Stathletes
Dominic Moore (moderator) - NHL Analyst on ESPN, Former NHL Player
With the NHL the only true 'hard cap' league of the 4 major sports leagues, front office executives face a unique dilemma. How does the growing salary of top players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews influence roster construction? Is building a true dynasty even possible anymore with the 'winners tax' that Stanley Cup champions have to pay in order to keep their current roster together? How does the hard cap influence prioritization of salary cap allotment between goalies, forwards and defensemen? This panel brings together front office executives from across the NHL as well as some of the forward-most thinkers in hockey analytics to discuss the best way to build a roster that is well positioned for sustainable, long-term success.
Jason Robins - Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board, DraftKings
Wyc Grousbeck - Lead Owner, Boston Celtics
Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR)
Jason Robins and Wyc Grousbeck are two of the most prominent builders of sports businesses today who see opportunities before others. As the Co-Founder and CEO of DraftKings, Jason helped revolutionize the ever-growing US sports betting landscape with the advent of daily fantasy games and mobile wagering. As Lead Owner of the Boston Celtics and a venture capitalist, Wyc Grousbeck helped revitalize one of the NBA's most iconic brands and was an early pioneer investing around sports including fast-growing sports entities such as SeatGeek, Zwift, and Formula E. Join Jason and Wyc as they sit down with Jessica Gelman to discuss their sports career paths and the strategies they've deployed to navigate obstacles along the way.
Marie Donoghue - Vice President, Global Sports Video, Amazon
Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR)
Renie Anderson - Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President, NFL Partnerships, NFL
Valerie Camillo - President & CEO, Spectacor Sports & Entertainment
Shelley Pisarra (moderator) - Executive Vice President of Global Insights and Strategy, Wasserman
The Year of the Fan is upon us as leagues, teams, and partners are more connected and more knowledgeable about their consumers than ever before. Sports continues to dominate our mindshare whether that be watching, reading, listening, or playing alongside. Historically, the Holy Grail of Fan Insights was long around who was attending games. With more ways to consume sports, innovation in understanding and serving the fan is rapidly accelerating. Organizations have invested in improving all aspects of the game-day experience and growing connectivity. Simultaneously, as digital marketing, cashless payments, and OTT content provides a deeper perspective about who, how, when, and why fans are engaging, innovation around a 360 degree view of the fan has become the new focus. Listen in as industry leaders who are redefining fan experiences through entertainment/content, experiences, data, and fan connectivity. With new patterns and data on consumer behavior, long-held industry myths have been busted and is driving a more personalized and "always on" fan experience.
Tim Clark - Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, NASCAR
Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick - Chief Marketing Officer, LA Rams
Kaitee Daley - Vice President of Social Media, ESPN
Karlis Kezbers (moderator) - Vice President of Global Client Analytics, Ticketmaster
More than 50% of fans currently use social media platforms while watching live sports, and that number is only expected to grow. The meteoric rise of short-form video across all social media platforms has shifted viewer attention spans and content preferences. Fans are opting for bite-sized clips over an entire real-time game, or behind-the-scenes clips over live content. In fact, in the next 5 years, the value of short-form video clips in sports is expected to rise faster than live media rights. Join our panelists for a discussion on the evolution of social media and its impact on sports consumption and fanhood. Learn how sports teams are currently using social media to engage their audiences, and their plans to expand beyond those who watch cable broadcasts.
Corbin Petro - CEO and Co-Founder, Eleanor Health
Corey Thomas - Chair and CEO, Rapid7
Seth Moulton - U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 6th Congressional District
Sanjeev Verma - Founder and Chairman, PreVeil
Andrea Jones-Rooy (moderator) - Social Scientist, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Visiting Associate Professor, NYU Center for Data Science
Data is used across industries in innovative ways, raising questions on its use, ownership, and appropriate guardrails. This panel brings together industry experts all focused on using data for the greater good – improved health, safety, security – to share learnings on managing unintended consequences and protect from bad actors. In fact, the sports industry, athletes, leagues, and teams are just learning how to grapple with these issues, as the rise of video footage, AI, and wearable sensors have made it feasible to analyze performance trends in unparalleled detail. Join us as we look to the expertise of panelists across healthcare, government, and cybersecurity industries to better understand what sports can learn from other industries to ensure data is used in the right way by the right people.
Patrick Lucey - Chief Scientist, Stats Perform
Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
Sherry Marcus - Director, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
S. Matthew Liao - Arthur Zitrin Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Center for Bioethics, New York University
Ethan Strauss (moderator) - Proprietor of the House of Strauss Substack
The recent launches of ChatGPT and Dall-E have put a spotlight on artificial intelligence (AI), making it arguably the most discussed topic in the news right now. While many industries have just started to get their first exposure to the possibilities of AI, it has already started to make an impact in the sports industry. Some reports estimate that the AI in Sports market will reach tens of billions of dollars in the next 10 years. From helping analyze game footage and player data in the NBA and NFL, to identifying trends and patterns that predict future performance in F1, teams and organizations are increasingly relying on AI to help gain an edge. Led by Ethan Strauss and joined by Daryl Morey (76ers), Patrick Lucey (Stats Perform), Sherry Marcus (AWS), and S. Matthew Liao (NYU), this panel will discuss the current state of this cutting edge technology and what the future of AI has in store for the sports industry.
Michael Markovich - Chief Commercial Officer, Sony's Sports Businesses & Managing Director, Pulselive
Russell Wolff - Executive Vice President and GM, ESPN+, ESPN
Tim Clark - Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, NASCAR
Alison Overholt (moderator) - Professor, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism & Founder, Good People LLC
This is arguably the most exciting, yet uncertain time in sports media history. Large tech companies are winning sports media rights contracts, many consumers stream games rather than watch on cable, organizations are developing their own direct to consumer networks, social media continues to be the go to medium for younger generations to consume sports, and the rise of esports continually represents a challenge to traditional sports. With representation from major players in the space, this panel will include a range of perspectives across media, technology, and league offices. Topics will include the current state of sports media, the path forward for traditional broadcasters, streaming and digital media, technological innovations to the consumption experience, and league-wide strategies on what it will take to win the fight for viewership.
Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group (KAGR)
Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
Nate Silver - Statistician, Author, and Founder of FiveThirtyEight
Bill James - Baseball Writer, Historian, and Statistician
Michele Steele (moderator) - Reporter, ESPN
Imagine you are granted unlimited wishes allowing you to change the landscape of sports as we know it. You can access any data in the world; you can change any rules; you could invent totally new sports; you can introduce any type of technology. What would you do? In the final session of our 2023 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, we bring together the leaders in sports and business analytics to discuss the art of the possible for future changes in the sports industry.
Keira D'Amato - Professional Runner, InsideTracker Endurance Team
Ian MacGregor - Co-Founder & CEO, Skratch Labs
Dr. Allen Lim - Co-Founder, Skratch Labs
Jonathan Levitt (moderator) - Host, For The Long Run Podcast
In the constant search for an edge, athletes, trainers and coaches are increasingly focusing on better data collection and advanced modeling to refine training plans, optimize recovery and perfect race strategy. Endurance athletes across marathons, triathlons, and cycling events push themselves to the limit each and every day to achieve victory. Over the last 20 years, innovative training, nutrition and recovery plans as well as equipment advances have allowed athletes to achieve unbelievable feats. Now, enabled by new biometric and performance tracking devices, data represents the next source for pushing the limits of human achievement. This panel will focus on how data is being leveraged to take human performance to the next level in endurance sports. By seizing the data, who knows what humans will be able to accomplish next?
Luke Bornn - Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Zelus Analytics
Lucy Rushton - General Manager and Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis, D.C. United
Jaeson Rosenfeld - Analytics Advisor, FIFA
Raul Pelaez - Co-founder and CEO, ailite
Ted Knutson (moderator) - CEO and Co-Founder, StatsBomb
It was a long journey for the soccer analytics community to bring foundational metrics like expected goals to mainstream consciousness and understanding. Soccer fans around the world now expect to see analytical tools such as expected goals on match broadcasts, video games, and online discussions. Soccer analytics has evolved beyond shot- and event-based data as the game's brightest minds seek to quantify value everywhere on the field at all times. Significantly, improved understanding of player aging curves and valuation models has radically shifted recruitment strategies and talent flows, with clubs across Europe and the Americas buying younger and younger. In this new phase, women’s soccer has seen unprecedented levels of investment in television deals, talent, and analytics departments. This panel collects soccer's key thought leaders working in a wide variety of spaces to push the beautiful game's analytics to new frontiers.
Kat Frederick - CMO, Los Angeles Rams
Broderick Hicks - VP, Brands, Wasserman
Nicole Jeter West - CEO, Underdog Venture Team
Allison Feaster - VP of Player Development & Organizational Growth, Boston Celtics
Candace Sautman (moderator) - Senior Director of Strategy, Laundry Service
Real-world issues in sports and business have always been intertwined. In sports, these challenges are very visible, and even more so since Colin Kaepernick’s protests during the National Anthem in 2016. Schools, workplaces, and communities have been grappling with issues around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for years, and while not as publicly visible, the challenges are just as big. What is next in sports, business and culture to evolve a more equitable and accurate depiction of gender, race, and sexuality across sports and business? Progress must be made. On Wall Street, public boards must have female representation. In the NFL, the Rooney Rule hasn’t changed the numbers on Black head coaches. How do we move from the initiatives of today - hosting events, educating, and training on DE&I to truly living DEI - having truly diverse, inclusive, representative organizations and teams on and off the field? It is time to move the chains on DE&I initiatives in sports and this panel will highlight leaders who are the change.
Duncan French - Vice President of Performance, UFC Performance Institute
Deni Batchvarova - Senior Vice President, Strategy, UFC
Forrest Griffin - Vice President of Athlete Development, UFC Performance Institute
Matt Kenny (moderator) - Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN
Observing the raw energy of a mixed martial arts match, one might assume that analytics don't have a place in the octagon. 10 years ago that might have been the case, but the UFC has revolutionized the use of analytics in the sport through their pioneering Performance Institutes. Bringing together a global pool of athletes, these facilities have devised new methods to create data where there was none before and deliver impact during development, training, and the matches themselves. This panel brings together UFC executive, performance scientist, and athlete perspectives to dissect how far the space has come and what the next opportunities are to deploy technology and analytics for knockout results.
Sue Bird - Point Guard, Seattle Storm
Mike Zarren - Assistant General Manager, Boston Celtics
JJ Redick - 15 year NBA Veteran and Co-founder of ThreeFourTwo Productions
Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers Tom Haberstroh (moderator) - Analyst / Reporter, Meadowlark Media
This year marks the NBA's 75th anniversary. In the last three-quarters of a century, the game has evolved in such a way that even James Naismith might not recognize it. While there have been some massive overhauls – from the merger of the ABA and NBA in 1976 to the introduction of the three-point line in 1979 – the NBA product has changed each year, most recently with the play-in game playoff format. It is inevitable that the game will continue to change. But how? Is the 4 point line a realistic next step? Will teams have a spot for traditional centers? Will we continue to see the rise of international superstars like Luka and Giannis? Will the WNBA continue to grow at a historic pace? What will the competitive advantage of the next dynasty be? Will the mid-range shot be extinct? Join our panel of expert basketball minds as they opine on the future of the game.
Jeff Price - Chief Commercial Officer, PGA
David Maher - President & Chief Executive Officer, Acushnet Company
Ken Lovell - SVP of Golf Technology, PGA Tour
Suzy Whaley (moderator) - Honorary President, PGA of America
Golf has been booming at all levels in recent years, experiencing the largest net increase in participation in decades as over 500,000 new golfers hit the links in 2020. Golf looks much different than it did 17 years ago, due in large part to a data revolution. Beyond ball speeds and spin rates making Bryson Dechambeau a household name, advances in data collection and analysis are impacting all aspects – how the game is played and broadcasted, how fans are interacting with golf-related content, and how data is being used to attract new players and fans. This panel brings together leaders from the top golf associations and brands to discuss the embrace of data and the path forward from here.
Val Ackerman - Commissioner, BIG EAST Conference
Amy Privette Perko - CEO, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
Elizabeth Lindsey - Managing Partner, Wasserman Michele Steele (moderator) - Reporter, ESPN
While 2020 saw college sports scrambling through the pandemic, 2021 brought about a flurry of changes that reshaped the landscape of college sports. Massive changes to the NIL rules have resulted in college football recruit Travis Hunter receiving $1.5M before he even enrolls at Jackson State, Texas and Oklahoma signaled they are going to make the jump to the SEC in another conference realignment move, and the new NCAA constitution enacted in January gives significantly more autonomy to divisions to develop their own policies. As a result of these changes, schools have an entirely different regime to navigate heading into the next decade. Will there be a super division? How will the concept of scholarships be altered? Which athletes will reap the rewards? Will we still see an overhaul of the college football playoffs? What will the NIL rules mean for the Olympics? This panel brings together the key leaders from different areas of the college ecosystem, including schools, conferences, agencies, and advocacy groups to discuss all of the massive recent changes, and to answer the ultimate question: What is the future of college sports?
Kristin Bernert - President of Business Operations, Columbus Crew
Frances Traisman - Senior Vice President Sales, Seattle Mariners
Jonathan Tillman - SVP Team Marketing & Business Operations, NBA
Patrick Ryan - Co-Founder, Eventellect
Shira Springer (moderator) - Journalist and Lecturer, Boston University and MIT Sloan
The world of ticketing has been front and center to the challenges and changes of live sports over the last two years. As fan preferences change and technology improves, the landscape for ticketing for all parties involved -- teams, leagues, and actual ticketing agencies -- is also rapidly evolving. With contactless and paperless ticketing becoming the norm, teams and leagues are now thinking more critically about their ticketing strategy, which has kicked open the door for deeper integration between ticketing and the fan experience before, during, and after games. This panel brings together executives across teams and leagues and ticketing strategists to discuss the lasting effects of COVID, how new technology will continue to foster innovation, and what ticketing will look like at the end of the decade.
Mark Walker - Head of Sports Business Development & Innovation, ESPN
Marie Donoghue - Vice President of Global Sports Video, Amazon
Dave Abbott - Managing Director, US Sports Media, Sportradar
Stephanie McMahon - Chief Brand Officer, WWE
Shelley Pisarra (moderator) - Executive Vice President of Global Insights and Strategy, Wasserman
“The game is on!” is a refrain that has rung out around the world for over a hundred years. The way in which we experience these contests has evolved dramatically - live viewing, radio, television, streaming - and new innovations promise to continue revolutionizing the viewing experience going forward. Cutting edge analytics and real time data feeds, including live sports betting content, add texture to the action while groundbreaking augmented and virtual reality displays promise to enmesh us in the experience in ways never before possible. Even more, it is not just the viewing that has evolved but also the nature of the contests themselves as sports content is continuously reinvented. Combine all this with increased engagement driven by the advance of legalized sports betting and there is a convergence of data, technology, and interest that promises to reinvigorate the fan experience and capture the imagination of new generations. Join us as key leaders in tech, media, content, and data discuss how their worlds are colliding and what it means for the future of sports business.
Dawn Aponte - Chief Administrator of Football Operations, NFL
John Nisi - COO of Azure Data and Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft
Dejan Mitkovski - VP, Analytics, FanDuel Yael Grushka-Cockayne (moderator) - Professor, Darden School of Business Any type of organization in the sports world -- teams, leagues, and businesses -- needs to be strong in the face of change and adversity. The past few years have taught us how harnessing the power of data is a business imperative and differentiator. With 79 zettabytes of data produced in 2021, lack of data is not an excuse. How are leagues using data to ensure player safety? How are companies using data to develop competitive advantages? This panel will bring together critical thinkers from Microsoft, FanDuel, and the NFL to discuss the power of data in decision-making in the sports world.
Meredith McPherron - CEO & Managing Partner, Drive by DraftKings
Mitch Lasky - Partner, Benchmark / Co-Owner, LAFC
Jeff Ma - VP, Microsoft for Startups
Bruce Smith - Founder & CEO, Hydrow
Corbin Petro (moderator) - Co-Founder & CEO, Eleanor Health
The data doesn’t lie – 90% of start-ups fail, including 65% that raise VC funding, and only 5% of VCs return more than 3x to their LPs. Yet the allure of entrepreneurship and investing drive innovation across industries and sectors, including sports and analytics. This panel brings together successful entrepreneurs from Microsoft and investors and venture capitalists from ARod Corp and Drive by DraftKings to discuss building companies, burgeoning investment trends, and their best advice for emerging founders.
Mark Abbott - President and Deputy Commissioner, Major League Soccer
Jordan Solomon - Partner, Arctos Sports Partners
Benjamin Hesse - COO, J.P. Morgan's Asset & Wealth Management
Ben Fischer (moderator) - Staff Writer, Sports Business Journal
Returns in sports ownership have outpaced public market indices by ~4-6% per year over the last decade. And just recently, leagues have begun allowing institutions to acquire interests in sports teams. These rule changes paved the way for a banner year for sports private equity investments in 2021. Firms invested nearly $2 billion into acquiring stakes in professional teams; namely, Sixth Street Partners and Dell took a 30% stake in the San Antonio Spurs, and Arctos Sports Partners acquired 10% of the Minnesota Wild. This panel convenes titans from JP Morgan and Arctos, NBA ownership in NBA Champion Wes Edens, and the MLS President who opened the league to more diverse ownership structures. This will be a lively discussion on what makes sports teams an attractive investment opportunity, the private equity plan for ownership, how primary team ownership has evolved, and where investors will be looking for alpha in the future.
Calvin Johnson, Co-Founder, Primitiv
Bomani Jones (moderator) - Host and Commentator, ESPN
On the football field, Calvin Johnson took the world by storm; his nine-year career in Detroit ended with his donning a gold jacket in Canton. But since retirement, Calvin has also stood out in the business world, launching a cannabis company and partnering with Harvard to research its impact on CTE. Join Calvin as he sits down with Bomani Jones for a deep-dive into the world of cannabis and athletes' role in its proliferation; how Calvin's football career helped him succeed in the business world; and a reflection on his Hall of Fame career.
John Sheeran - Commercial Director, FanDuel Gene Lee - SVP Data Analytics, Caesars Entertainment
Jeff Ma - VP, Microsoft for Startups
Mike Morrison (moderator) - Vice President, Business Development, ESPN
In New York’s first 12 hours of legal online sports betting, the state recorded an estimated 5.8 million transactions. That’s a lot of demand… and data. How are books using this data to set odds, ideate around new products, and reach new fans? Given betting is inherently risky, what does “safe betting” mean and how are companies using data to promote it? Where do analytics come into play as books partner with regulators to monitor the integrity of markets? And what can gamblers learn from the way books and players use data to manage risk? Go behind the scenes with FanDuel, Caesars, and member of the infamous MIT Blackjack Team, Jeff Ma, to understand The Numbers Behind the Books.
Rachel Jacobson - President, Drone Racing League
Brendan Lynch - EVP Enterprise & Revenue, Ticketmaster
Mickey Maher - SVP of Platform and Blockchain Partnerships, Dapper Labs Sam Rubinroit - Director of Club Business Development, NFL Daryl Morey (moderator) - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
NFTs have redefined asset ownership - for the first time, people can rightfully claim their stake in digital assets. Brands have created NFT sneakers for people to collect and trade while on the metaverse platforms like Decentraland and Sandbox, people can buy, sell, and rent virtual plots of land. Games such as Axie Infinity even allow users to earn money from their owned in-game assets. The promise of NFTs already upended many established industries and has set its sights on truly transforming the sports world. This panel brings together leaders from Dapper Labs, Ticketmaster, The National Football League, and the Drone Racing League to discuss the future of NFTs and the impact they will have on the sports world.
Steve Pagliuca - Co-Owner, Boston Celtics
Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group
Jason Robins - CEO of DraftKings
Mitch Lasky - Partner, Benchmark | Co-owner, LAFC
Saj Cherian (moderator) - Fanatics Chief of Staff & Head of Fanatics Ventures
Promising greater transparency, improved security, and decentralization, blockchain technology has the potential to fundamentally upend the status quo. Some analysts even predict it will be the next multi-trillion dollar opportunity. While the average sports fan may be familiar with the NBA Top Shot’s of the world, the sports industry continues to be at the cutting edge of innovative blockchain technology applications that extend far beyond NFTs. Headed into 2022, organizations are thinking critically about blockchain in their long-term strategy. How will pro sports leagues continue to embrace this new tech? What new products will consumers start seeing? This panel will bring together leaders shaping the blockchain strategy for some of the biggest players in sports, defining future use cases for the technology across ticketing, sponsorships, fan tokens, and much more.
Amy Howe - CEO, FanDuel Renie Anderson - Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President, NFL Partnerships
Sharon Otterman - Chief Marketing Officer, Caesars Entertainment
Chad Millman (moderator) - Chief Content Officer, The Action Network
There’s truly no denying it: sports gambling is big, and it’s here to stay. In just three years since the Supreme Court ruling to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, legal sports betting has quadrupled in the U.S. with nearly half of all U.S. states now live. In New York alone, the state took in over $1.5 billion in bets in its first 23 days. While the sports betting market booms, sportsbooks are intensely focused on taking a bigger piece of the pie. With this shift, gambling companies have been turning over every rock to capitalize on new customers and expand market share. This race has extended into the development of key partnerships, media property acquisition, forays into new technologies, and more. As this race heats up, this panel brings together industry leaders to discuss the current competition to capitalize on market growth and shape the future of the sports gambling space.
Chris Greeley - Head of Esports in North America and Oceania, Riot Games
Alyson Walker - Chief Commercial Officer, OverActive Media
Tricia Sugita - CEO, FlyQuest Sports Doug Watson - Head of Esports Insights, Riot Games Greg Kim (moderator) - Head of CLG, Madison Square Garden Sports As esports rapidly gains popularity, leagues and teams are facing new and exciting challenges engaging their digitally native audiences. The opportunity is huge: 2.5 billion people play online games, generating nearly $1 billion in esports revenue. Leveraging social media, streaming platforms, special in person events, limited merchandise drops, and much more, esports organizations are redefining the approach to fandom. This panel brings together perspectives from CLG, FlyQuest Sports, Riot Games, and OverActive Media to discuss those strategies, what they mean for esports, and the lessons traditional sports can learn to drive better digital fan engagement.
Bo Han - Founder & CEO, Buzzer
Omar Raja - Commentator, Digital and Social Content, ESPN
Tim Clark - SVP & Chief Digital Officer, NASCAR
TJ Adeshola (moderator) - Head of U.S. Sports, Twitter
For generations sports have relied on children inheriting their fandom from their parents or from participation in youth sports. For Gen Z, however, that may not be the case. According to a recent study, 23 percent of respondents ages 25 and below said they are passionate sports fans, compared to 42 percent of millennials. Yet, not all hope is lost, as some companies have thrived in reaching this younger demo. As sports compete for Zoomers' screens, successful marketers are turning to behavioral science and analytics to reach the youngest sector of sports fans before it's too late. Learn how leaders from Twitter, Buzzer, NASCAR, and ESPN entice young fans and engage with GenZ.
Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
Paul Caine - President, On Location
Tom Garfinkel - Vice Chairman, President & CEO, Miami Dolphins
Kim Pegula - President of Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, President and CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment
Abe Madkour (moderator) - Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal
A sports fan is an enthusiastic devotee with an intense, and occasionally overwhelming, enthusiasm. Sports continue to dominate our mindshare, whether that be watching, reading, listening, or playing. This past year led to some of the most significant disruption of fandom from sports consumption to interactivity via NFTs and gambling to an ever-evolving game-day experience. With more ways to consume sports than ever before, what is the future of the fan? Is it at home with AR/VR, or is it an interactive and high-tech experience at venues? Is it more of a premium offering, or a simple get in the door membership at events? Is the season ticket dead, or will loyalty programs be even more critical moving forward? This panel brings together industry thought leaders who are leading change through entertainment, content, experiences, data, and fan interactivity. What fans want is changing - hear from those changing the game on their behalf.
Michael Rubin - CEO, Fanatics
Gary Vaynerchuk - CEO, VaynerMedia
Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
Serial entrepreneurs Michael Rubin and Gary Vaynerchuk are two of the most prolific disruptors in sports and entertainment. From an early embrace of technology and a focus on how customers want to engage with sports, Michael and Gary have rewritten the ecommerce, social media, and now NFT landscape while growing global brands and movements. Their shared drive for embracing the “new” has led both entrepreneurs into the NFT world and to each other with the creation of Candy Digital, a next-generation digital collectible company. Join Michael and Gary as they sit down with Jessica Gelman to discuss how the blueprint for succeeding in business has changed over time and how technological innovations are on the horizon will upend the sports ecosystem.
Dominic Moore - NHL Analyst on ESPN, Former NHL Player Namita Nandakumar - Senior Quantitative Analyst, Seattle Kraken Meghan Chayka - Co-Founder/CEO of Stathletes Brant Berglund - Senior Director of Coaching & GM Applications, NHL
Greg Wyshynski (moderator) - Senior NHL Writer, ESPN
It may not have been obvious to those watching NHL opening night, but there were more cameras than ever pointed towards the ice. And they weren’t from your local newspaper. Over the offseason, the NHL implemented and outfitted each area with cameras that could track player and puck movement to the millisecond. With this move, the NHL fully ignited a race to find key, meaningful insights like it never had before. With the amount of data available to teams at an all-time high, and as the number of analytical GMs continues to rise, this panel brings together team analysts, analytics experts, and league executives in order to explore the current state of hockey analytics, how puck tracking has already started to shape decisions, and what it will mean even further down the road.
Bill James - Former Senior Baseball Operations Advisor Boston Red Sox
Doug Fearing - Co-founder and President, Zelus Analytics
Cole Figueroa - Director of Baseball Operations, Tampa Bay Rays
Nate Silver (moderator) - Statistician, Author and Founder FiveThirtyEight
It’s been 45 years since Bill James started publishing the quintessential Baseball Abstract series in 1977. In that time, the use of data has transformed the game of baseball. Yet, despite how long analytics have been a part of baseball, there are always new questions that data can help answer. How will the new, supposedly less live baseball impact lineup construction? How will it impact swing style? With the introduction of robot umps, what will be the impact for catchers who are great at pitch-framing? This panel brings together baseball analytics experts, including the legendary founder of Moneyball Bill James, to discuss the current state of the game.
Sarah Mallepalle - Player Personnel Analyst, Baltimore Ravens
Kevin Demoff - Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles Rams
Mitch Schwartz - Former Offensive Tackle, Kansas City Chiefs
Brian Burke - Senior Analytics Specialist, ESPN
Kevin Clark (moderator) - Staff Writer, The Ringer
Although NFL executives may have been slower to embrace the analytics movement than their counterparts in MLB and NBA, 2021 marked the first year that every team in the league had a dedicated analytics staffer and was capped with the first GM hire from a true analytics background in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. With every passing year, there are cutting-edge statistics being developed: Completion Percentage Over Expectation, Pass and Run Block Win Rate, among others. Join former All-Pro lineman Mitchell Schwartz, LA Rams COO Kevin Demoff, Ravens analyst Sarah Mallepalle and ESPN analytics expert Brian Burke to explore the different ways NFL teams are using analytics from roster-building to playcaling, with a special emphasis on what has for a long time been very tough to quantify: line play.
Allison Feaster - VP of Player Development & Organizational Growth, Boston Celtics
Haralabos Voulgaris - Former Director of Quantitative Research and Development, Dallas Mavericks
Katherine Evans - VP of Research and Information Systems, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Kirk Goldsberry - NBA Analyst, ESPN
Kevin Arnovitz (moderator) - NBA Writer, ESPN.com
The NBA analytics revolution has happened: big men are shooting more three-pointers, mid-range shots have declined, and small ball lineups have seen their heyday. Now, the pace of change is slower; in fact, the number of made three-pointers and number of free-throws per game has actually declined this year. How is analytics movement evolving and why? This panel brings together high-profile figures in the basketball analytics community to discuss what further insights can be derived from the ever-increasing amounts of data available to teams.
Ross Tucker - Sports Scientist
Katie Barnes - Feature Writer, ESPN
Joanna Harper - PhD, Loughborough University
Malcolm Gladwell (moderator) - Author
Data brings important insights to better ground discussions, especially the conversation of transgender athletes. Transgender athletes are increasingly competing at the highest levels, raising the need for data to define fair play. More nuanced discussions around regulation, legislation, and overall competition are becoming commonplace. Recently, the IOC released new guidelines on Olympic participation and US states have shifted their policy under the Biden Administration further resurfacing tough conversations. Access to sports is vital for key learnings: experiencing a team, the empowerment one feels in times of triumph, and the lessons we learn in times of failure. Join Malcolm Gladwell as he leads a conversation on the path forward for the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports.
Miguel Cardona - U.S. Secretary of Education
Maura Healey - Massachusetts Attorney General
Laurie Hernandez - American Artistic Gymnast
Sue Bird - Point Guard, Seattle Storm
Shira Springer (moderator) - Journalist and Lecturer, Boston University & MIT Sloan
Sports inspire us to fight harder, train longer, and continuously strive to be the best. The lessons learned through sport are often the foundation for success later in life. Since Title IX passed in 1972, women have increasingly gained traction in leadership positions across the United States. As a law rooted in equal opportunity and prohibiting discrimination based on sex, Title IX has changed the landscape in sports and across industries. Yet, the fight for equality in sports is not over and battles continue over the law. Hear from government and policy leaders Miguel Cardona and Maura Healy alongside professional athletes Sue Bird and Laurie Hernandez on the impact to date, the current fight for law protection, and why the future of Title IX is more important than ever.
Josh Harris - Co-Founder, Apollo Global Management, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Billy Beane - Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, Oakland A's
John Collins - CEO, SEAH
Jason Robins - Chief Executive Officer, DraftKings
Saj Cherian (moderator) - Partner, Kynetic
As sports values continue to accelerate, the interest and opportunities to invest in organizations around sports has intensified. From SPACs to team valuations to minority investments, the money around sports in 2021 already rivals all of 2020. As digital engagement grows, the value and means to capitalize on sports as owners, leagues, and investors identify new ways to raise funds. Sports are looking to take advantage of a high performing Wall Street despite major challenges on Main Street. Learn from the experts who are early adopters of SPACs, buying assets, creating investing arms, or going public to take advantage of this frothy market. Billy Beane, John Collins, Josh Harris, and Jason Robins will discuss their strategies and the future of sports as an alternative investment vehicle.
Mark Cuban - Owner, Dallas Mavericks
Andy Slavitt - Senior Advisor, White House COVID Response Team
Nate Silver - Editor-in-Chief, FiveThirtyEight
Of all the aspects of everyday life that data has transformed, perhaps nowhere was the impact more deeply felt than in healthcare. As friends and two leading public voices, Andy Slavitt and Mark Cuban will discuss healthcare and the role data has had, and will continue to have, in improving care and society at large. While data has revolutionized health for everyone, Andy and Mark will narrow in what data has taught us about the health of athletes, who come from diverse backgrounds, experience higher physical and mental health risks, and are exposed to inconsistent healthcare experiences.
Meghan Chayka - Co-Founder & CEO, Stathletes
Alexandra Mandrycky - Director of Hockey Strategy and Research, Seattle Kraken
Hilary Knight - Professional Hockey Player, US Women's National Ice Hockey Team
John Buccigross (moderator) - SportsCenter Anchor, ESPN
The amount of data available to NHL teams has exploded over the last year as player and puck tracking officially entered the rink. By some estimates, tracked players and pucks produce a total of 2,200 data points per second. Will this be data overload for a sport that has only recently embraced the use of analytics to drive on-ice value? And how do video analytics complement - or compete with - tracking data? How are expansion teams emphasizing data from day one to build a franchise? And what will it take to convince players, many of whom pushed back on the quality of pucks with tracking technology, to embrace analytics? This panel will dive into the world of hockey analytics, examining how teams are using the abundance of new information to help inform player personnel decisions, in-game coaching strategy, and scouting, amongst other things.
Bill James - Former Senior Baseball Operations Advisor, Boston Red Sox
Meg Rowley - Managing Editor, FanGraphs
Sarah Gelles - Director of Research and Development, Houston Astros
Josh Ruffin - Advanced Scouting Analyst, Minnesota Twins
Ben Lindbergh (moderator) - Staff Writer, The Ringer
Soon after the 2020 World Series, fundamentalist fans were quick to point to baseball’s overreliance on analytics as one of the reasons the Tampa Bay Rays lost. Baseball has always been on the bleeding edge of sports analytics, but where does the edge end? This panel aims to examine the fine line between when to make managerial decisions on gut feel, versus when to stick to the data. Did the 2020 World Series serve as a catalyst for changes to the game going forward, or will managers shrug off pressure from the media?
David Fizdale - Former Head Coach, New York Knicks
Shane Battier - Vice President Basketball Development & Analytics, Miami Heat
Zach Lowe - Senior Writer, ESPN
Adrian Wojnarowski (moderator) - Senior NBA Insider, ESPN
Analytics have revolutionized sports to identify new strategies and help evaluate players, but what about intangibles? How do we evaluate the ‘glue’ players that play a pivotal role in the locker room, but whose names are not necessarily atop the stat sheet, or the hustle that does not get marked down but leads to a steal breakaway? This panel examines how teams try to put numbers on these vital moments for teams. Hear from coaches, players, and the journalists who report out on the ‘culture codes’ of teams as they discuss the analytics behind culture and the potential to measure these ‘glue’ players.
Nate Silver - Editor-in-Chief, FiveThirtyEight
Andrew Yang - New York City Mayoral Candidate
New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang likes MATH. So does Nate Silver. In this special one-on-one conversation, hear from Yang as he reflects on life since his 2020 presidential campaign, the role of data in reaching voters, and what it was like to be a Knicks fan in the Jeremy Lin era.
Scott O'Neil - Chief Executive Officer, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Erika Nardini - CEO, Barstool Sports
Jason Robins - Chief Executive Officer, DraftKings
Chad Millman (moderator) - Chief Content Officer, The Action Network
Sports betting organizations have changed the way fans experience games from opening dedicated lounges in stadiums to including fantasy stats on ticker tapes. Leagues and front offices have capitalized on this wealth of fan behavior to see what piques fans’ interests and to discuss potential rule changes. Looking forward, what's the next big thing for the sports betting industry, and how will businesses adapt in order to meet their customer's needs? Tune in to hear Erika Nardini, Scott O’Neil, and Jason Robins wager on what’s ahead.
Kathy Carter - CEO, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties
DeMaurice Smith - Executive Director, NFLPA
Sue Bird - Athlete, Seattle Storm
Michele Steele (moderator) - Correspondent, ESPN
The Return to Play faced unprecedented competing priorities and needs. From player safety to business continuation to sponsor obligations to maintaining Fan Interest to ensuring our 2028 Olympians can train to brand launches. New processes like daily testing were created and validated and changed. New approaches to messaging were deployed. Learn how key leaders were impacted personally, fought for business imperatives and ensured their perspectives were understood.
Dana White - President, UFC
Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group
Jackie MacMullan - Senior Writer, ESPN
Sports businesses were not spared as COVID brought the entire world to a grinding halt in 2020, forcing businesses to adapt quickly to the new environment. Seasons were cancelled, stadiums were turned into vaccination sites, and fans looked forward to a new ‘Opening Day’: a day when sports would return. As the sports industry works towards a new normal, this panel of sports business titans will discuss the pandemic and what has changed. We will examine lessons learned around player training/safety and what the future of the sports world will look like in the new normal for organizations and fans alike.
Renie Anderson - Chief Revenue Officer & Vice President Partnerships, NFL
Catherine Carlson - Senior Vice President Revenue and Strategy, Philadelphia Eagles
Brendan Lynch - Global Executive Vice President Enterprise & Revenue, Ticketmaster
Kat Frederick (moderator) - Former CMO, Live Nation
As COVID forced game play to a screeching halt requiring innovation to deliver sports to fans virtually, the traditional sports sponsorship model had to be re-invented too. Learn how the leading sports properties adjusted, created new value as their assets disappeared, managed long-term partnerships, and identified new assets and data to maximize impact. As we continue our return to fans in venues, learn how sports sponsorship has changed forever and, as importantly, what historical assets are more valuable than before. The leading executives from the NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, and Ticketmaster will discuss the increasing role of analytics, ROI, and sponsors who became partners in surviving the pandemic together.
Alexis Ohanian - Founder, Seven Seven Six
Cathy Engelbert - Commissioner, WNBA
Kate Johnson - Director and Head of Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing Partnerships, Content, and Media, Google
Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
There is a misconception that people do not want to view women’s sports, driving the notion that women’s sports cannot make money and are a bad investment. This perpetuates a cycle that puts down the industry, but is based on faulty logic. This March women’s games in the NCAA basketball tournament have outpaced men’s games in head to head slots in terms of social media impressions, and last summer social justice protests in the WNBA Wubble cast reverberations with profound impacts on national politics. This panel brings together fierce advocates of equality in sport who will discuss why NOW is the time for investment in women’s sports based on evidence from impressions, viewership, and other overlooked data.
Lil Dicky - Artist
Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
Kevin Negandhi (moderator) - SportsCenter Anchor and College Football Studio Host, ESPN
From Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack to T-Swift’s Girl Gang, many a backroom legend has been told about exclusive celebrity supergroups. But only a select few have been deemed worthy enough to have picked up whispers of an ultra-elite group of superfans – until today. This unlikely squad is not bound by underground poker games, lavish parties, or even a literal friendship, but rather by their undying love for Philadelphia sports. The panel will discuss what exactly connects fans so deeply to their teams and what levers teams and fans can pull when engaging with one another.
Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag - CEO, 100Thieves
Omar Raja - Commentator Digital and Social Content, ESPN
Blake Stuchin, Vice President Digital Media Business Development, NFL
Christine Wixted - Senior Partner Manager Global Content Partnerships, Twitter
Jordan Solomon (moderator) - Partner, Arctos Sports Partners
Social media platform users and usage have skyrocketed over the past year, and every industry wants to get in on the action. Twitch viewers watched approximately 17 billion hours of content in 2020, up 83% from 2019. Over 1 billion people use Instagram a month, making it the sixth most visited website. Sports fans are consuming content in new ways by moving to social media and other platforms, and sports businesses are faced with a decision: adapt, find trends through analytics or risk losing this new demographic of sports fans. This panel brings together experts who have tapped into the Gen-Z psyche on a myriad of platforms to grow engagement through social media.
Valerie Camillo - President of Business Operations, Comcast Spectacor
Marie Donoghue - VP of Global Sports Video, Amazon
Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
Alison Overholt (moderator) - General Manager, Oprah Daily
In 2021, precedent is not a predictor of who fans are or what they want. Learn how leading executives from the most forward thinking organizations in sports (Amazon, Comcast and KAGR) are using data to understand how to attract new fans, create new experiences, and take advantage of lessons learned during the pandemic. In the past year, the in-person and viewing experience has been forced to accelerate 5 years. Teams, leagues, and media companies are innovating to cater to the next generation while continuing to attract their longstanding supporters. At Amazon, Marie Donoghue has accelerated product innovation for viewers and creatively built rights deals with the EPL, NFL, teams, and more. A savvy and impactful team president of the Flyers, Valerie Camillo is resetting how teams in the NHL approach fans and use data. And, KAGR is the technology and strategic backbone helping industry leaders like the NFL and HBSE understand their fans, create new data, and define changing fan dynamics.
Michael Lewis - Author
Adam McKay - Film Director
People have been telling stories about the lives of athletes for centuries. More recently, it seems that athletes have taken a more active role in telling their own stories. In this panel, we bring together director/producer Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) and author Michael Lewis (The Big Short, Moneyball) to discuss this changing industry paradigm. Together, McKay and Lewis will discuss a variety of topics from how they bring athlete stories to life, both in parody and through documentary, to how sports media was the precursor to political media. How do they know when to insert artistic license, as opposed to letting the athlete or the story shine?
Clay Luter - EVP & Co-Head of Sports, Ticketmaster
Mike Markovich - VP of Business Development, NFL
Stevie Gray - Vice President Ticket Operations, Golden State Warriors
Kristin Bernert (moderator) - Executive Vice President, Madison Square Garden Sports
A multi-billion dollar industry reliant on live events, evaporated overnight in March 2020. Fans had tickets to games that might never happen or happen in a year. Teams and leagues held money for games they would need to refund. The secondary ticket market's easy flow of tickets and fees were reliant on games happening. Event cancellation was virtually non-existent. Learn how the foundation of ticketing was rocked to its core and how partners worked together to do right by the customer and by their shared goal and partnership to ensure a safe and expedient return to venue. As the sports world’s recovery continues, industry giants will share how they navigated the pandemic, the impact of new technologies & data, how analytics is driving fans' return, and how their partnerships have been strengthened to overdeliver on the fan experience.
Mark Cuban - Owner, Dallas Mavericks
Leore Avidar - Founder and CEO, Alt
Roham Gharegozlou - CEO, Dapper Labs
Nicolas Julia - CEO, Sorare
Daryl Morey (moderator) - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
Over two weeks in February, the value of a pristine condition Michael Jordan rookie card went from $215,000 to $738,000. The value of sports memorabilia - ranging from cards, to sneakers, to even digital highlights - has reached an all time high despite a pandemic and recession. How did we get here, and what is memorabilia’s role as an alternative investment? What are the analytical strategies deployed by players in this industry rife with subjection around nostalgia and art? With six and seven figure price tags, are the days of collecting as a childhood hobby behind us? The panel brings together experts with a wide range of experience to debate the past, present, and future of the memorabilia business.
Greg Kim - Director of Esports, Evil Geniuses
Tal Shachar - Former Chief Digital Officer, Immortals
Emily Rand - Analyst, League Championship Series
Doug Watson - Head of Esports Insights, Riot Games
Ryan Friedman (moderator) - Former Chief of Staff, Dignitas
The Moneyball mentality has expanded from baseball to most traditional sports, as teams look for any edge that they can get on the field. Esports leagues and teams are no different. Coaches and players fight over seemingly small details such as 8 or 40 ping and teams have built departments dedicated to player assessment and health. Initial esports rosters formed as friends who wanted to play together but esports has evolved to a more calculated approach when evaluating and signing talent. At the same time, player salaries have grown from mousepads to multi-million-dollar contracts. In this panel, industry leaders will discuss the growth of competitive analysis in esports and how teams have advanced their roster building strategies.
Stephanie McMahon - Chief Brand Officer, WWE
Steve Pagliuca - Co-Chairman, Bain Capital
Burke Magnus - Executive Vice President Programming and Original Content, ESPN
Scott Soshnick (moderator) - Editor-in-Chief, Sportico
From engineering interactive viewing experiences to orchestrating virtual drafts, the production value of live sports skyrocketed when watching from home was the only option for most fans. While fans love the new changes, we rarely get a peek behind the curtain at what leagues and teams do to drastically shift their traditional production methods. This panel highlights the behind-the-scenes work of leagues and their broadcast partners to produce engaging live events when confronted with COVID.
Jordan Palmer - Quarterback Coach and Former NFL Quarterback, QB Summit
Kevin Meers - Zelus Analytics, Football Strategy Fellow
Field Yates (moderator) - Insider & Co-Host, ESPN
In 2020, we witnessed the emergence of unexpected NFL quarterback stars alongside a carousel of moves. Listen in for an in-depth, end-to-end analysis on what it means to be a quarterback and what the role entails. Our panel of football experts will look at how analytics can be used to evaluate, scout, and improve quarterbacks, as well as make the ever-important decision of whether to tag or move on from a player.
Isa Guha - Presenter & Commentator, BBC Sport
Gary Kirsten - International Cricket Coach
Rahul Dravid - Director of Cricket Operations, National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru
Alok Singh - Director Global Strategy & Transformation, Dell Technologies
Cricket has grown in popularity as a sport throughout the years. In 2020, the Indian Premier League (IPL) became the first sports tournament to surpass 400 billion viewing minutes and new leagues continue to be created in new markets. But can this old sport catch up to less-tenured leagues that have leaned on analytics and advanced technologies to elevate their level of play? Hear from players and change agents from the world of cricket discuss how this globally beloved sport is playing catch up by using data and in-game technology to further develop the sport.
Wendell Holland - Founder, Beve Unlimited
Rick Devens - Former Contestant, Survivor
Sophie Clark - Former Winner, Survivor
Christian Hubicki - Roboticist and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Rob Cesternino (moderator) - Host and Creator, Rob Has a Podcast
Since it first aired on American television screens in 2000, Survivor has captivated audiences. With over 40 seasons and nearly 600 episodes, Survivor boasts 7 Emmys on 63 nominations, and was listed as one of Time magazine’s 100 greatest TV shows of all time. The show has gone to incredible lengths to ensure that previously successful strategies aren’t repeated - but what does the data say? From finding immunity tokens to forming alliances, this panel brings together some of the most famous Survivor players to examine what it takes to be Sole Survivor.
Jennifer Shahade - Chess Grandmaster and Director, US Chess Women
Hikaru Nakamura - Chess Grandmaster
Robert Hess - Chess Grandmaster, Coach, and Commentator
Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
Danny Rensch (moderator) - Chief Chess Officer, Chess.com
The queen is arguably the most important piece on the chess board, and The Queen’s Gambit has been the sport’s MVP in a year of surging popularity. More than the flavor of the moment, strategic nuances have kept chess relevant for centuries while an institutional embrace of technology has transformed competition for the 21st century. New formats bring new opportunities for strategies and analytics while the current momentum begs us to ask, what’s next? And even more importantly, what can other sports learn from chess? Hear from the most forward thinkers in chess as they discuss these issues.
Mark Walker - Senior Vice President Content Business Development and Innovation, ESPN
Jeff Bennett - VP Stats and Information, ESPN
Dayveon Ross - Co-Founder and President, Shot Tracker
Kevin Lopes (moderator) - Senior Director of Content Business Development & Innovation, ESPN
Data analysis and presentation is an increasingly important part of fan expectation and sports consumption. This discussion will be rooted in how ESPN can create new high-quality analyses to enhance fan experience powered by low latency player tracking tech. Tune in to hear our executive panel discuss how they plan to innovate the presentation of live sports leveraging partnerships with industry leading technology companies.
Rob Smedley - Director of Data Systems, Formula One Management Ltd.
Jennifer Langton - Senior Vice President of Health and Safety Innovation, NFL
Priya Ponnapalli - Senior Manager and Principal Scientist, Amazon Machine Learning Solutions Lab
Will Lopes - CEO, Catapult
Ben Fischer (moderator) - Writer, Sports Business Journal
How are advances in technology and data changing the sports world? In this panel, we dissect the impact of improvements in data technology on sports innovation. We will dive deeper into how advances such as NFL Next Gen have allowed for improved strategy and how advancements in digital products allow for better fan experiences. Sports teams and organizations are ingesting more data than ever and at a faster pace -- what does this mean for the future of sports?
Brian Burke - Senior Sports Analyst, ESPN
Nick Caserio - General Manager, Houston Texans
Kevin Demoff - Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles Rams
Kevin Clark (moderator) - NFL Reporter, The Ringer
With COVID nearly cancelling the college football season and ruling out pro-days for many schools, NFL front offices were left scrambling to fill out their draft boards. However, the rise of tracking data in college football, as well as indications that traditional metrics, such as the 40 yard dash time, may not be as predictive of pro success as once thought, has changed the way front offices evaluate talent. Our panel of analytics writers, coaches, and front office executives provide their unique perspectives on the current and future states of analytics for player evaluation and development in the NFL.
Sonia Raman - Assistant Coach, Memphis Grizzlies
Elton Brand - General Manager, Philadelphia 76ers
Mike Zarren - VP of Basketball Ops and Team Counsel, Boston Celtics
Kirk Goldsberry (moderator) - NBA Analyst, ESPN
Everyone loves a highlight, and NBA players and fans are no exception. With the rise of social media platforms, athletes openly share their amazement about others’ moves or shots. But, do the experts believe these moves are true game-changers? Listen in on our panelists determining what is fact and what is fiction when evaluating player and team talent. We bring together coaches and GMs with a variety of experiences to break down these rumors.
Nate Silver - Editor-in-Chief, FiveThirtyEight
Andrew Friedman - President of Baseball Operations, LA Dodgers
Sue Bird - Athlete, Seattle Storm
Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers
Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
15 years ago, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference was launched and massively accelerated the phenomenon of sports analytics. As we look ahead 15 years, this panel of analytics leaders and luminaries will make bold predictions about the future of sports analytics...all with a side of Trash Talking. Joined by Nate Silver, Andrew Friedman, and Sue Bird, SSAC Co-Founders and Trash Talking podcast hosts Jessica Gelman and Daryl Morey will bring the fun with predictions, games, and finally settling, which sport has the best rules.
Sue Bird - Athlete, Seattle Storm
Stephen A. Smith - Sports Radio Host, Television Analyst, and Journalist, ESPN
Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
From Walkouts to Masks with Names to Influencing Elections -- 2020 will be remembered as an awakening for just how significantly sports influences society. Athletes, leagues, teams and media embraced their collective voice in raising awareness and combating social issues to drive societal change and raise awareness. This panel brings athletes and media members together to discuss the evolution of activism in sports, personal journeys, and the increased integration and future of sports-led social initiatives.
Jason Wright - President, Washington Football Team
Amy Howe - President, FanDuel Group
Rob King - Senior Vice President and Editor-At-Large, ESPN
Lindsay Kagawa-Colas - Executive Vice President Talent and the Collective, Wasserman
Shira Springer - Journalist, Sports Business Journal and Lecturer, Boston University
The year 2020 presented a number of challenges for business to overcome, with sports and live event industries facing crises head on. The issues leaders are working to solve range from operational changes due to COVID, to re-examining what it truly means to be a workplace that promotes equity. We bring together leaders from the FanDuel, Washington Football Team, and ESPN to sit down and discuss the difficult decisions they made when faced with the new normal, and how they were able to lead their companies through these challenging times using available data available to guide decision making.
Alex Rodriguez - Founder, A-Rod Corporation
Michael Rubin - Executive Chairman, Fanatics
Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
As teenagers, Michael Rubin and Alex Rodriguez took different paths to learning the skills which would one day lead each of them to redefine the sports industry. In 1993, A-Rod was the #1 MLB draft pick. Talented and self-made. That same year, Michael’s 3rd venture in sports was generating $1mm in annual sales. Fearless and self-made. Fast forward nearly 30 years, and listen in as these industry luminaries share lessons learned from their experiences in the field and in the boardroom. From creating brands to starting movements like the “All-in-Challenge” to building real estate empires, hear how analytics influenced their decisions, how they learn & adapted, and what they think is next for the industry.
TJ Manotoc - North American News Bureau Chief, ABS-CBN
Shane Battier - Vice President Basketball Development & Analytics, Miami Heat
Kevin Warren - Commissioner, Big Ten Conference
Corbin Petro (moderator) - CEO, Eleanor Health
The data doesn't lie, we have a major problem: one in five Americans has a mental health illness and over 50,000 US deaths each year are attributable to suicide. The sports community is especially vulnerable with 35% of elite athletes experiencing a mental health crisis at some point in life. We bring together a diverse set of panelists to discuss their personal stories dealing with mental health and share lessons learned from their journey. On this vulnerable and evidence-based panel, we are calling the sports community to action to de-stigmatize mental health and to do more to support one another.
JJ Watt - Defensive End, Arizona Cardinals
Rich Eisen - TV Host, NFL Network
J.J. Watt is the 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a 5-time First-team All-Pro selection. His journey is not without its trials and tribulations. J.J. has battled back from multiple injuries and surgeries. In 2016, J.J.’s season ended after rushing back from a herniated disc injury. In 2019, after the Texans earned a playoff berth, J.J. once again rushed back to play, waiting only half of the recommended time for a left pectoral injury, but J.J. successfully played in both the Texans’ playoff games. For his off-field contributions when he raised $41.6m for Hurricane Harvey relief for the city of Houston, J.J. was awarded as the 2017 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. How does J.J. decide when to return to play after an injury or a natural disaster? How has J.J.’s perspective on playing changed throughout his career? Join this panel as Rich Eisen deep dives into J.J. Watt’s thought process and decision making.
Joe Peta – Head of Performance Analytics, Point72
Aaron Schatz – Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Football Outsiders
Daryl Morey – General Manager, Houston Rockets
Ken Jennings (Moderator) – Author & Game Show Contestant
The Sloan Sports Analytics Conference is proud to present Sports & Analytics Trivia Blitz, an hour-long sports trivia game played in the style of ‘Jeopardy!’ Hosted by the recently-crowned “Greatest of All Time” Jeopardy! player, Ken Jennings, Trivia Blitz will bring together three conference experts to test their sports knowledge, but only one will be win the title of SSAC Trivia Blitz champion. Listen to these experts face off, and follow along to test your own sports knowledge!
Ken Jennings – Author & Game Show Contestant
Nate Silver (Moderator) – Editor-in-Chef, FiveThirtyEight
Hot off his crowning as the greatest Jeopardy player of all time, Ken Jennings sits down with statistics guru and fellow author Nate Silver to discuss podcasts, comedy, maps, and how analytics has made arenas like game shows and politics a numbers game. What is “the next field to be transformed by analytics”? Tune in to hear the clue.
Neil Paine – Senior Sportswriter, FiveThirtyEight
Robert Hess – Chess Grandmaster, Coach, Commentator & Writer
John Urschel – Mathematician & Former NFL Player
Daryl Morey – General Manager, Houston Rockets
Danny Rensch (Moderator) – Chief Chess Officer, Chess.com
What happens in Chess will eventually happen in all sports. Chess was the first sport to incorporate a theoretically sound rating system, Elo, that has been the foundation of most rating systems in other sports such as soccer, tennis, esports ladders, and more. In addition, AI came to chess well before any other sport and it is now changing the foundation of nearly every sport. Chess has also been first with automated cheat detection which may have been useful in another hardball sport recently. Hear chess Grandmasters, athletes, and enthusiasts weigh in on these topics and discuss the lessons the sports industry will untap in the future from chess. Additionally, don’t miss out on attendees challenging a chess Grandmaster in a live chess simulation.
Daryl Morey – General Manager, Houston Rockets
Bill James – Statistician
Sashi Brown – Chief Planning & Operations Officer, Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Dick Thaler (Moderator) – Nobel Prize Winning Economist, University of Chicago - Booth School of Business
Let’s face it, despite decades of data and statistical analysis to lean on, players, coaches and GMs alike continue to fall into predictable behavioral traps when it comes to decision making – whether it’s wasting timeouts, being overly conservative on 4th down, or overpaying for a high draft pick. Hear from a Nobel Prize winning economist, a baseball historian and statistician, an NBA General Manager and a seasoned sports executive as they discuss and debate some of the most common decision making pitfalls made by teams and how they can be avoided.
Mitch Lasky – Co-Owner, LAFC
Scott O'Neil – CEO, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Wyc Grousbeck – Lead Owner and Governor, Boston Celtics
Warren Zola (Moderator) – Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club
While wins and losses are paramount, learn how owners and team leaders of some of sports’ most beloved teams – Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and the emerging celeb-favorite Los Angeles FC – are extending their sports property investments in creative and meaningful ways. From incubators to esports investments to the creation of funds around sports, this panel explores how owners are leveraging the brand to other business areas as well as to community impact. This panel will highlight the hidden challenges of an owner, how long-tenured executives drive an owner’s vision, and how the landscape of sports-business is evolving.
Steve Pagliuca – Co-Chair/Managing General Partner, Bain Capital
Josh Harris – Owner, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Eric Chemi (Moderator) – Sports Business Reporter, CNBC
Not only has the popularity of sports investing increased in recent years, but the value of sports franchises has grown by 3-5x in the past decade. Learn how industry leaders, Josh Harris, Co-Founder of Apollo Global Management, and Steve Pagliuca, Co-Chairman of Bain Capital, successfully turned their financial investing expertise towards sports investing. With returns of 8-10x in their initial investments in the Sixers and Celtics, respectively, both will articulate their shared principles for success that translate across industries. In addition, they’ll touch on the rationale for acquiring a team, the unique opportunities in each league, the additional sports assets they maintain in their portfolio, and the new growth areas they’re interested in pursuing.
Ryan Leaf – Analyst, ESPN & Former NFL Player
Seth Moulton – Congressman, United States House of Representatives
Corbin Petro – CEO & Co-Founder, Eleanor Health
Stephanie Wittels Wachs (Moderator) – Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, Lemonada Media
Addiction is now the leading cause of death in America for those under 50. The opioid epidemic has touched all facets of society over the past two decades, with the sports world at greater risk due to heightened exposure to prescription painkillers. This recent public health crisis has broadened the discourse to explore the underlying mental health issues regarding substance abuse and addiction in general, while acknowledging how pervasive addiction is across all walks of life. This panel will shed more visibility into the prevalence of substance abuse and the lessons sports can learn from other industries, data analytics, and public policy leaders.
Robert Eenhoorn – General Director, AZ Alkmaar
Joe Sill – Analytics Consultant, Washington Wizards
Luke Bornn – VP of Analytics, Sacramento Kings
Monte McNair – Assistant General Manager, Houston Rockets
Tom Haberstroh (Moderator) – NBA Insider, NBC Sports
Athletes, coaches, analysts, and executives have remained siloed in their respective sports for decades. However, there are advantages that can be gained by understanding and adopting best practices from other sports, which has been manifested in non-traditional hires and new ways of operating. This panel brings together experienced leaders with multi-faceted backgrounds to share how they applied learnings from one sport to another and how this type of thinking will evolve moving forward.
Justin Tuck – VP, Goldman Sachs & Former Player, NFL
Shawn Johnson East – Former Olympic Gold Medalist
Andy Roddick – Former Professional Tennis Player
Metta World Peace – Former NBA Player
Michele Steele (Moderator) – Studio Anchor & Reporter, ESPN
A professional athlete’s lifepath after retiring can be as unpredictable as their career between the lines. So what brings an Olympic gold medalist, Super Bowl champion, NBA Finals winner, and world No. 1 tennis player to the same stage in Boston? Learn what makes these successful athletes tick and what excites them about their new arenas. Panelists will share how they think about business decisions and opportunities, and how their playing days have impacted their post-sports life.
Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm
Larry Fitzgerald – Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
Ameeth Sankaran (Moderator) – CEO, Religion of Sports
Sports are mythic, and a backdrop for life. What does it take to become the greatest of all time? What does it take to sustain it? How is this different based on individual and make-up? Join Religion of Sports CEO, Ameeth Sankaran, to learn how they uncover and bring to life this mythical goal. “The Path to Greatness” panel will highlight both brilliant athleticism and more importantly, share life lessons that come from sports – physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. Sue Bird and Larry Fitzgerald will weigh in on their paths, learnings, and what remains to be done. Content from other Religion of Sports athletes’ stories will be woven in to uniquely share nuances by sport and subject.
Shelley Pisarra – EVP of Global Insights & Strategy, Wasserman
Matt Smith – SVP of CRM, Fanatics
Kat Frederick – CMO, Ticketmaster
Kelly Ungerman (Moderator) – Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
Technology has transformed how sports organizations engage with their fans and collect information. Investing in new tools, acquiring new companies, and taking a “test and learn” approach to understanding customer needs have been critical to the evolution of key industry players. Learn how organizations think about data creation when building new products, how they incorporate that information into their broader ecosystem, and how analyzing vast customer information supports the increasing demand for the instant gratification of a personalized digital experience. Additionally, panelists will discuss how the new data privacy laws are creating shifts to technology and creation of new processes. Executives from the leading ticketing, wearables, marketing, and merchandise organizations will share how they are leveraging technology to meet changing customers needs, regulations, and data capture.
Greg Cain – VP of Baseball Data, MLB
Caleb Weinstein – Director for Sport, Media, & Entertainment, Google Cloud
Lou DePaoli – EVP & CRO, New York Mets
Jason Gaetdke – CTO, MLB
Cristina Daglas (Moderator) – Senior Deputy Editor, ESPN.com
America’s pastime has seen attendance drop in recent years, yet the league set digital ticketing and consumption records in 2019. Learn how Major League Baseball and its teams are leaning into data analytics and machine learning to increase entertainment value and accessibility for fans around the world. This panel will dive deep into how technology is driving innovation across the league and the fan experience and helping grow the game for the next generation. Hear from Google Cloud’s Director for Sport, Major League Baseball’s CTO and VP of Baseball Data, and the Mets’ Chief Revenue Officer about how they are driving the game forward.
Nate Silver – Editor-in-Chef, FiveThirtyEight
Dean Kamen – Founder, FIRST
Alexis Ohanian – Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Initialized Capital & Co-Founder, Reddit
Jason Robins – CEO & Co-Founder, DraftKings
Jessica Gelman (Moderator) – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
Reddit, the Segway, Daily Fantasy Sports, and predicting presidential elections. Over the past decade, meet the inventors and entrepreneurs who have created lasting change affecting how consumers engage with information, data, and the world. How did they conceive of their ideas? What challenges did they face in their journey to create the product and build the business? How would today’s technology accelerate their original ideas? While some have made their mark in the sports industry by identifying changing consumer preferences and technological advances, others find inspiration from other industries. This panel will share learnings across industries, analyze how serial entrepreneurs build innovative ideas and ideate on where they see opportunities in sports.
Frank Frigo – Co-Founder, EdjSports
Kip Levin – President & COO, FanDuel
Matthew Berry – Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst, ESPN
Jeffrey Yass – Founder and Managing Director, SIG
Jeff Ma (Moderator) – Co-Host, Bet the Process
In the 18 months since the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, revenue generated across states offering legal gambling has reached an astounding $15 billion. This is just a drop in the bucket as the market for illegal sports gambling has been estimated upwards of $150 billion. As gambling comes closer to being completely legalized across the United States, businesses and leagues are taking innovative approaches to make betting interesting and more mainstream to maximize the seemingly limitless revenue pool. This panel will discuss the mechanics behind the legislation, technology, and implementation.
Zach Leonsis – SVP of Strategic Initiatives, Monumental Sports
Brian Josephs – VP of Digital Sports, Sportradar
Scott Kaufman-Ross – SVP of Fantasy & Gaming, NBA
Doug Kezirian – Sports Betting Analyst & Daily Wager Host, ESPN
Chad Millman (Moderator) – Chief Content Officer, Action Network
Daily Fantasy captivated a generation of players that do not consider themselves sports bettors. As legalization continues to sweep across the country, what new game formats will attract the ever expanding pie of potential players? Industry trailblazers are working to create and enrich the gambling experience for fans through innovative stadium experiences, daily games, podcasts and television shows that can be consumed wherever you are. During this panel, leaders from across the gambling landscape will share their vision of fan experience that would excite anyone from the hardcore gambler to the newbie.
Rich Gotham – Team President, Boston Celtics
Rob King – SVP of Original Content, ESPN
Jessica Gelman – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
Jason Robins – CEO & Co-Founder, DraftKings
Alison Overholt (Moderator) – VP of Storytelling & Special Projects, ESPN
In our first “Fanalytics” panel in 2013, we speculated the ways to collect and use data to improve the fan experience. Back then, we discussed opens and clicks, but now the nuances are much deeper. What has changed? Today customer insights are gained throughout the fan lifecycle and are informing improvements to the end product and customer experience. Learn how industry leaders such as Amazon, ESPN, DraftKings, and the many organizations KAGR works with are striving to better understand fan needs. Listen to business leaders across the sports landscape discuss how organizations are quantifying fan behavior, better understanding customers, and approaching the future.
Rob Sine – Chief Revenue Officer, AXS
Adam Grow – COO, KORE Software
Kristin Bernert – SVP of Business Operations, MSG Sports
Patrick Ryan – Co-Founder, Eventellect
Shira Springer (Moderator) – Sports and Society Reporter, NPR & WBUR
Ticketing and game attendance remains the cornerstone of sports organizations. With the push for an open ticketing environment in recent years, technology has increased transparency, improved insights into who is attending a game, and provided more customized ticketing options. Season ticket holders remain the key to sustained success, but the definition of what they get and how they engage with their team is shifting. Listen in as industry leaders from ticketing giants to beloved teams to marketing platforms discuss the strategies they are using to fill their stadium and extend season tickets, while using the secondary market to gain new customers and test pricing.
Jim Nolan – COO, Kraft Sports & Entertainment
Kat Harwood – Senior Manager, Deloitte
Mike Shane – Chief Business Officer, Comcast Spectacor
Peter Feigin – President, Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum
Josh Walker (Moderator) – Co-Founder & President, Sports Innovation Lab
Over the past decade, 85% of sports venues have invested in significant improvements to meet the changing needs of fans and enhancing the overall experience. With a focus on creating new experiences within the venue, including new premium locations, all- you-can-eat options, or simply entry into the game, venue owners and operators are rethinking and redefining the in-venue experience. Increased investments in upgrades include UltraHD video boards, escalators for aging populations, improved communication in apps, better wifi, and optimized traffic flow. This panel brings together industry leaders with diverse perspectives to discuss the current trends and best practices.
Evan Wasch – SVP of Basketball Strategy & Analytics, NBA
Steve Koonin – CEO, Atlanta Hawks
Gersson Rosas – President of Basketball Operations, Minnesota Timberwolves
Shane Battier – VP of Basketball Development & Analytics, Miami Heat
Kevin Arnovitz (Moderator) – NBA Writer, ESPN.com
For more than 50 years the NBA has operated with an 82-game regular season, but is this the optimal season structure? Questions around player health and injury prevention have led to scrutiny over season length for several years, but the subject has gained momentum recently as the conversation has shifted to considering how the league can better optimize its format for fans. Could a new season structure and competition format actually lead to a more healthy ecosystem for owners, players, broadcast partners, and sponsors? On this panel, league and team executives will examine the most pressing topics surrounding the NBA schedule conversation.
Bob Voulgaris – Director of Quantitative Research, Dallas Mavericks
Mike Zarren – Assistant GM and Team Counsel, Boston Celtics
Tom Thibodeau – Former NBA Head Coach & Executive
Zach Lowe – Senior NBA Writer, ESPN
Ben Cohen (Moderator) – Sports Reporter, WSJ
Analytics has revolutionized the modern game, but there are changes happening off the court that are unseen by the public. In the boardroom, data is used in contract negotiations, scouting, and player evaluation, to name a few. New data sources are also emerging from biometrics, wearables, and video footage, which may transform the next generation of the modern game and front office decision making. This panel will look to demystify how analytics is used behind the scenes with perspectives from coaches, analysts, and members of the front office.
Danilo Gallinari – Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kirk Goldsberry – NBA Analyst, ESPN
RC Buford – CEO, Spurs Sports and Entertainment
Dave Joerger – Former NBA Head Coach
Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm
J.A. Adande (Moderator) – Director of Sports Journalism, Northwestern University
Basketball is undeniably an evolving sport. From the run and gun in the ‘60s to the physical slugfest in the ‘90s to the “threes and frees” of today, the game has transformed and reinvented itself over and over again. On the court, the adoption of big data and advanced analytics have changed the game forever – a change debated for better or for worse. Off the court, the globalization of the game and the emphasis on load management have altered how fans view the league. On this panel, NBA executives, front office insiders, coaches and players will discuss these themes and explore what’s next in this ever-evolving game.
Allison Feaster – Director of Player Development and Personal Growth, Boston Celtics
Shelley Pisarra – EVP of Global Insights & Strategy, Wasserman
Catherine Carlson – SVP of Revenue & Strategy, Philadelphia Eagles
Scott Pioli – Former NFL Executive & Television Analyst
Liz Moulton (Moderator) – Co-Leader of the Sports Business Practice, Spencer Stuart
Countless studies have shown that diverse teams outperform homogeneous counterparts. Yet in an environment where everyone is looking for a competitive edge, why is the sports industry so far behind? Today, champions of diversity are having significant impact in their organizations. In 2019, Adam Silver publicly wished for half of NBA coaches and referees to be women. The number of NBA female coaches has more than doubled since then. Scott Pioli has long been a supporter as shown by the creation of fellowships through the Women’s Sports Foundation and hiring one of the first female coaches in the NFL. Learn how organizations are removing hiring biases and what organizations must do to create success for underrepresented minorities. Panelists will lend their insights and experiences to how diversity has fostered an environment in which unheard voices can be heard and also led to better overall performance.
Enes Kanter – NBA Center, Boston Celtics
Howard Beck (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Bleacher Report
Howard Beck sits down with Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter for a wide-ranging conversation on his unique basketball career and his stance on expressing his beliefs and freedom of speech. Kanter will discuss various ways in which he has used his platform as an NBA star on and off the court. Topics will include Kanter’s basketball successes, challenges he’s faced as an international player, and the initiative he is taking to promote gender equality in sports and educational equality in the United States.
Kendrick Perkins – NBA Analyst & Former NBA Player, ESPN
Stephen A. Smith – Featured Commentator, ESPN
Michael Rubin – Founder & Executive Chairman, Fanatics
Jackie MacMullan (Moderator) – Senior Writer, ESPN
In recent years we’ve seen an undeniable increase in player influence with regards to what they make, where they play, and how they leverage their brand beyond the team. Players entering leagues often have millions of social followers and are using their voice to bring awareness to issues impacting their day-to-day life as professional athletes and society at large. With the increased influence of players, how are agents, team owners, and businesses tied to athletes ensuring an ongoing focus on the health of the sport? How are leagues balancing the focus on the team while protecting the individual? Hear how players’ voices are changing the game, impacting league economics, and affecting how organizations embrace the new norm. Panelists represent a wide range of perspectives, including athletes, owners, business partners, and media.
Tom Tango – Senior Data Architect, MLB
Bill James – Statistician
Meghan Chayka (Moderator) – Co-Founder, Stathletes
Arguably the two greatest baseball analytics minds of all time will meet on stage for the first time to discuss the Sabermetrics that Bill James created and Tom has revolutionized. Bill James needs no introduction (he has a room at the conference named after him!). Tom Tango is the creator of numerous sabermetrics including Leverage Index and FIP and currently runs the highly influential tangotiger.com website.
Brian Burke - Senior Analytics Specialist, ESPN
Alec Halaby - Vice President of Football Operations and Strategy, Philadelphia Eagles
Mike Leach - Head Football Coach, Mississippi State University
Mina Kimes (Moderator) - Senior Writer, Podcast Host and Commentator, ESPN
Information from player tracking to advanced metrics is shaping how rosters are constructed, players prepare, and coaches call games. Viewers can expect to see Next Gen Stats on every broadcast. Teams continue to pass more, RPOs are rampant, and defenses are loaded with hybrid positions. So if the analytics revolution finally arrived, how did the Tennessee Titans almost make the Super Bowl with an offense circa 1980? The true transformation may take longer than we think. An offensive mastermind, an analytics expert, and a front-office innovator share their insights on how teams are reacting to the newly available data and what it means for the future of the game.
Dominic Moore - Former NHL Player
Sunny Mehta - Former NHL Executive
Andrew Thomas - Director of Data Science, SportsMEDIA Technology Corp.
Alison Lukan - Writer, The Athletic
Michael Mauboussin (Moderator) - Head of Consilient Research, Counterpoint Global
The use of analytics to support important decision-making in the NHL has increased significantly over the past few years, but the real revolution is still to come. With the addition of player tracking technology in the near future, teams will have access to far more information than ever before. This panel aims to tackle the key questions NHL teams will need to address to be successful in this rapidly changing environment. How must teams adapt their front office organizations to handle this influx of data effectively? Which widely accepted conventional hockey wisdoms could end up being disproved in the future? Will the introduction of player-tracking information lead to the same degree of stylistic changes in hockey, as seen recently in the NBA and MLB?
Kevin Meers - Former Director of Research & Strategy, Cleveland Browns
Evan Kaplan - Research Specialist, ESPN
Brian Burke - Senior Analytics Specialist, ESPN
Domonique Foxworth - Writer & NFL Analyst, ESPN
Brian Macdonald (Moderator) - Director of Sports Analytics, ESPN
“You have to pass to set up the run.” A far cry from a generation ago, the NFL has experienced a notable trend towards passing over the past 40 years. The league is also collecting and using more detailed, granular data, such as player and ball location data, which has opened the door to countless new statistics, advanced metrics, and detailed analyses that can be leveraged to inform decisions at both the league and team level. This panel will focus on the intersection of these two trends, particularly how tracking data can be used to answer new questions about player performance and coaching strategies, and how they impact a team’s success at defending the pass.
Casey Chafkin - Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder, Skillz Inc.
David Higdon - Global Head of Communications, Esports for Riot Games
Nicole LaPointe Jameson - CEO, Evil Geniuses
Saj Cherian (Moderator) - Partner, Kynetic
In 2019, The Overwatch League was the only major sports league to show a rise in television viewers from the 18 to 34-year-old demographic. However, despite Esports’ exponential year-over-year growth, it has struggled with cultivating strong and lasting brands. In order to do so, Esports businesses must build solid and sustainable brands to endure rapid shifts in game popularity and determine how to leverage their platforms, both online and offline. As the industry is still evolving, there is no one right answer on how to go about creating, maintaining and growing a brand in the Esports industry. In this panel, industry thought leaders from a variety of Esports businesses will discuss how they have chosen their unique path for their brand, how they generate success, and how they attract and maintain fans and customers.
Gerry Cardinale - Founder and Managing Partner, RedBird Capital Partners
Saquon Barkley - Running Back, New York Giants
Stan Wilcox - Executive VP Regulatory Affairs, NCAA
Martin Jarmond - Athletic Director, Boston College
Warren Zola (Moderator) - Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club
California’s passing of the Fair Pay to Play Act in late 2019 reignited the longstanding, nationwide debate over collegiate athlete compensation. Given the complexity of the issue, the vast number of stakeholders, material financial implications and multitude of potential resolutions, it is no surprise that this debate has captured the attention of the sports world and beyond. California’s groundbreaking legislation has also placed the spotlight firmly on the NCAA which is actively revisiting its related rules and policies. Hear from a varied group of stakeholders in the college space as they discuss and debate some of the most pressing issues surrounding this topic, including the potential ramifications for players, schools and athletic programs, the attractiveness of name, image and likeness opportunities, as well as ethical and regulatory challenges.
Daryl Morey - General Manager, Houston Rockets
Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
Bill James - Former Sr. Baseball Operations Advisor, Boston Red Sox
Nate Silver - Editor-in-Chef, FiveThirtyEight
Katie Nolan (Moderator) - Host, ESPN
In 2040, the NBA has a 5-point line, NFL stadiums seat 40,000 as fans watch via VR, Amazon will own MLS, and MLB games finish in less than an hour. This panel will make bold predictions on what’s to come. Sports have radically changed over the last 20 years, from how teams manage their players to how sports media delivers content to how fans watch games. As we look toward the future, the only thing that is certain is that change will continue at a rapid pace. With that in mind, our brave panelists will predict the future landscape of sports and attempt to defend their wild speculations.
Robert Hofmann - Vice President, Account Director & Club Sponsorship Lead, Club Business Development, NFL
Lauren Riker - Global Marketing Analytics Manager, New Balance
Scott Tilton - CEO & Co-Founder, Hookit
Tiffany Frits (Moderator) - Business Operations Manager, ESPN Stats and Information Group
From headphones to tennis shoes, sponsorship influences buying decisions because of one simple reason: fans want to be like their sports idols. Though sponsorships improve sales, they have historically been difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. But with increasing ways to measure fan engagement, can we use data to truly understand and predict the value of sponsorship? This panel will examine how brands are utilizing machine learning, targeted advertising, and incentive-based sponsorships to predict successful athlete and league partnerships. Brands, leagues and sponsor tech will weigh in on how to succeed in this emerging and exciting space heading into the new decade.
Don Garber - Commissioner, MLS
Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group
Taylor Twellman (Moderator) - Soccer Analyst, ESPN
Today, Major League Soccer (MLS) is one of the most successful growth stories in American sports history. The average MLS team is valued at $313mm (30% growth from last year) and team valuation growth outpaces every major US league team valuation growth by at least 2x. During its evolution, MLS has used creative concepts to bring in talent (the Designated Player Rule adopted in 2007) and witnessed impressive surges in attendance across the league (Atlanta United averaged 70,000+/game last year). Having launched with 10 teams in 1996, the league plans to expand to 30 teams by 2022. Learn how Commissioner Don Garber has shepherded the growth of MLS and soccer in the United States and how the guidance and partnership with one of the founding MLS investors, Kraft Group President Jonathan Kraft, has helped shape the opportunities, overcome adversity, and align the US to host the World Cup in 2026.
Vosse de Boode - Head of Sports Science, AFC Ajax
Devin Pleuler - Director of Analytics, Toronto FC
Ted Knutson - CEO & Founder, StatsBomb
Tyler Heaps - Director of Sporting Analytics, U.S. Soccer Federation
Grant Wahl (Moderator) - Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated
The arms race is on – more teams from FC Barcelona to Liverpool are using analytical tools to influence and inform their technical decisions, transfer market game plan, and scouting strategies. Learn how coaches, players, and executives are incorporating data and analytics into their decision-making process. This discussion will dive into the competitive advantages that can be unlocked through soccer analytics in the Manager’s office, on the pitch, and in the boardroom.
Paul Caine - President, Endeavor/NFL On Location Experiences
Amy Latimer - President, TD Garden
Jimmy Pitaro - President, ESPN
Amy Howe - President and COO, Ticketmaster
Abe Madkour (Moderator) - Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal
50% of the leading companies in S&P 500 will be replaced in the next 10 years. Industry leaders in sports (ESPN and Ticketmaster), new entities spun out of leaders (On Location), and companies at the frontline of venue experience (Delaware North) are facing increasing competition. New entrants to the field, alternative entertainment options, and shifts in customer behavior require aggressive shifts. On this panel, leaders of some of the world’s most prominent companies driving the sports ecosystem discuss their proactive approach to understand customer needs, the changing business dynamics and the challenges keeping their businesses as industry leaders.
Sensei Nick Theodorou – Owner & Founder, Theodorou Academy
Deepak Malhotra – Professor, Harvard Business School
When it comes to excellence and superior performance in the martial arts, sports, business or any other endeavor, how does one exceed the limits of science and truly become an “artist”? Are experts simply outstanding practitioners of their sport, or do they go beyond “practice” and develop their own philosophies? What are the limits of exceptional technique, and how do you go farther by mastering underlying principles? In a dynamic and wide-ranging conversation on the essence of mastery, Sensei Nick Theodorou (a 35-year practitioner of the martial arts and 6th degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu) and Professor Deepak Malhotra (a Negotiations Professor of 17 years at Harvard Business School and an advisor on deals and conflicts around the world) will discuss what accounts for greatness in the martial arts, in the worlds of negotiation and diplomacy, and in everything from sports to the performing arts to leadership. Come learn as well as participate in a conversation that will enhance your own game, whatever skill or domain you are trying to master.
Mike Leach – Head Football Coach, Washington State University
Michael Lewis – Author & Journalist
Coach; Author; Innovator; Eccentric; Brilliant; Unconventional. All these and more have been used to describe Mike Leach, who will sit down with bestselling author Michael Lewis for a one-on-one conversation on being arguably the most innovative coach in football history and how he has changed the way the game is played. Coming off an 11-2 season at the helm of the Washington State Cougars football program, Leach will take a moment to reflect on where he’s been, where he’s going, and why he might be the most misunderstood man in college football.
Tom Garfinkel – President & CEO, Miami Dolphins
Amy Latimer – President, TD Garden
Brian Mirakian – Senior Principal & Populous Activate Director, Populous
Pete Giorgio – Leader, US Sports Consulting, Deloitte
Angela Ruggiero (Moderator) – CEO & Co-Founder, Sports Innovation Lab
With increasing options for when, where, and how fans are able to watch their favorite teams play, legacy venues are trying to accommodate newer technologies and comforts to encourage fans to come to live games and engage with their team. Creating a new venue experience offers organizations the opportunity to incorporate state-of-the-art technology, local and gourmet food and beverage options, and more ways for fans to interact with each other and the game itself. But, it is also a long and expensive process. On this panel, executives will discuss how they are redefining the “street to seat” experience to fill their seats and create an unparalleled experience for longtime and new fans alike.
Darcy Norman – Performance Coach, US Men’s National Soccer Team
Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm
Jason Robins – Founder & CEO, DraftKings
Pablo Torre – Host, ESPN
Mike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel – Boston Celtics
Mike Maughan – Head of Global Insights, Qualtrics
Stephen J. Dubner (Moderator) – Author & Journalist
Jason Concepcion (Moderator) – Senior Creative, The Ringer
In the age of camera phones and social media, athletes and league officials can hardly do anything without it being captured and reported on. But what about the stories that have been passed along from generation to generation or unnamed source to blogger about people doing seemingly impossible or improbable things? Our panelists will run the numbers to prove or disprove the possibility of a number of famous sports myths and legends that have stuck around despite lack of evidence or unwillingness of participants to discuss. The veracity of those same myths though? That part is up to you. In this panel, Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics and Jason Concepcion from The Ringer will co-host, posing questions that help us separate fact from fiction.
Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm
Steve Magness – Performance Coach/Author, University of Houston
George Karl – Former NBA Head Coach
Matt Mayberry – Chief Operating Officer, Boundless Mind
Tom Haberstroh (Moderator) – NBA Insider, NBC Sports
Every league has, at least to some degree, embraced social media outlets like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook as critical channels to connect fans more closely to the sports they watch. Players view these communities as opportunities to engage with fans, build their personal brands, and control their stories. However, these benefits to the teams and players come with costs. While phones have become inescapable to many of us, this growing obsession could be particularly detrimental in the context of a professional sports team. This panel will discuss the impact social media and phone dependence may have on team performance, ways ill effects can be mitigated, and whether these networks ultimately bring more harm than good.
Adam Grow – COO, KORE Software
Scott Tilton – Co-Founder & CEO, Hookit
Joe Ruggiero – VP, Strategy & Business Development
Rahul Kadavakolu – Executive Director of Global Branding & Marketing, Rakuten
Ian Fitzpatrick – Head of Global Content & Digital Marketing
Warren Zola (Moderator) – Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club
With most aspects of our daily lives featuring advertising or sponsorships of some kind, it is increasingly difficult for brands to quantify and attribute the value that they get out of specific sponsorships. Traditional metrics like sales and clicks have become complicated by both improved technology and bad actors, and the time it takes to see meaningful results can vary widely. With more organizations focusing on data to drive strategic decisions, sports organizations seeking partners need to provide more than simply anecdotal evidence of what brands can stand to gain. This panel will feature discussion of what outcomes matter most to brands, how sports organizations value partnerships, and how more robust data can help inform decisions on both sides of the table regarding who they choose to partner with and in what way.
Zach Lowe – Senior Writer & NBA Columnist, ESPN
Mike Zarren – Assistant General Manager & Team Counsel, Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce – NBA Analyst, ESPN
Bob Myers – GM & President of Basketball Operations, Golden State Warriors
Howard Beck (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Bleacher Report
The game of basketball changes quickly – so in an era of three-point shooting, floor spacing, and versatility, it’s natural to wonder what the next iteration of the game will look like. Forecasting the relative value of future player types will be of the utmost significance for any franchise looking for that one special player to take the next step in their evolution. This panel will examine the ways in which teams are leveraging analytics to answer these questions and address other top-of-mind issues such as lineup optimization, “position-less basketball”, as well as finding and exploiting inefficiencies in an increasingly intelligent NBA.
Brian Bilello – President, New England Revolution
Kristine Lilly – Former United States Women’s National Soccer Team Member
Ben Mackriell – Head of OptaPro
Isaac Guerrero – Technical Director, FC Barcelona Football School
Grant Wahl (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated
As the beautiful game continues to adapt to the rise of analytics, player positions are evolving in accordance with these changes. With the rise of data collection at the back of this impending revolution, new methods of evaluating player value, contracts, and incentives are coming to the forefront. While the game moves away from formal positional roles, teams uncover what skillsets were previously under- or overvalued. As the sport sits at the precipice of thrilling analytical revolution, every element of the sport from training to game strategy stands to change. This panel brings together perspectives from across the sport to discuss the state of the game today and where soccer goes from here.
Maryann Turcke – COO, NFL
Amy Howe – President of Ticketmaster, North America
Jessica Gelman – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
Mike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel, Boston Celtics
Michele Steele (Moderator) – Studio Anchor & Reporter, ESPN
Traditional management principles need to be revised—data is shaping the way in which best-in-class organizations build teams, drive strategy, maximize revenue, and create culture. What are the challenges in acquiring and analyzing data in sports? How can organizations be best structured to ensure consistency of data across the organization and the ability sift through endless quantities of information to define impactful insights about their businesses? This panel brings together industry leaders who have led, are leading, and are at the forefront of redefining how data can be the heart of decision-making and innovation.
David Epstein – Science Writer & Investigative Reporter
Malcolm Gladwell - Author
Authors Malcolm Gladwell and David Epstein meet again, five years since their initial 10,000 Hours vs. The Sports Gene talk, to resurface the important and long-standing question of whether nature or nurture determines one’s athletic success. In this one-on-one discussion, Gladwell and Epstein sit down to evaluate what has changed, including Epstein’s latest argument that contrary to popular belief, generalists are the ones who actually succeed in a specialized world.
Kat Frederick – CMO, Ticketmaster
John Forese – Chief Product & Data Officer, Rakuten Intelligence
Portia Archer – VP of Direct to Consumer Services, NBC Sports
Jennifer Ferron – Chief Marketing Officer, Kraft Sports & Entertainment
Carolyn Tisch Blodgett – Senior VP & Head of Global Brand Marketing, Peloton
Kristen Bernert (Moderator) – SVP Business Operations, MSG Sports
The ability to create and view content on-the-go has changed how fans engage with their favorite teams on game days and beyond. With closer access and more real-time insights, the amount of data available to personalize and customize the fan experience has evolved as quickly as the emerging technologies giving teams, media companies, partners, and brands unparalleled consumer insights. Learn how companies are broadening their content offerings and define how best to engage an audience accustomed to microtargeted suggestions and on-demand experiences. This panel will explore how companies are differentiating themselves through their content offerings, fostering customer loyalty, and using a growing fan desire to be continuously engaged to generate revenue, subscriptions, and sales.
Kevin Demoff – COO & EVP of Football Operations, Los Angeles Rams
Warren Sharp – Founder, Sharp Football Analysis & Sharp Football Stats
Karim Kassam – Analytics Coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mina Kimes (Moderator) – Senior Writer & Columnist, ESPN
Football is rapidly shedding its reputation for being slow in the uptake and application of advanced analytics, as today’s teams are more readily harnessing the power of data to inform their decision making. Hear from some of the brightest minds in the game as they tackle today’s most pressing topics, including how newly available league-wide tracking data is shaping in-game strategy and team building, what mechanisms are being put in place by teams to handle today’s onslaught of information flow, and of course debate over which stats matter most for player evaluation in the modern game.
Nicole Pike – Global Managing Director, Nielsen Esports
Sebastian Park – Vice President of Esports, Clutch Gaming
Doug Watson – Head of Esports Insights, Riot Games
Kasra Jafroodi – Senior Business Analyst, Strategy & Analytics, Activision Blizzard
Ed Chang – Director of Business Strategy, EA
Ryan Garfat (Moderator) – Senior Editor – Esports, ESPN
A multitude of esports leagues and tournaments are thriving globally across various blockbuster games. With the start of another exciting year for the esports industry, sponsorship, marketing, and activation agreements with the leading games continue to grow. Getting visibility into the performance and ROI of these partnerships isn’t always simple. Esports leagues and teams navigate performance metrics in unique ways in the online digital space – coming up with creative, but fair methods of measuring value and league health. In this panel, industry thought leaders will shine a light on how esports league work with sponsorship partners to generate insights, establish trust, and help brands find the best opportunities to engage with fans.
Larry Fitzgerald – Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
Jeanie Buss – Owner, Los Angeles Lakers
Adam Hansmann – Founder, The Athletic
Katie Nolan – Host, ESPN
Jack McCallum (Moderator) – Special Contributor, Sports Illustrated
Until recently, athletes were completely reliant on journalists to communicate with fans, and consequently their stories were told through someone else’s lens. Today, the media landscape has fundamentally shifted. Athletes own and curate their image, leading to many channels of direct interaction and unprecedented proximity to fans. A number of athletes have clearly reaped the benefits, making their personalities and the work they do on and off the field more visible than ever. However, it is not just the good side that has become more visible, and the absence of the media’s filter has led to regretful mistakes and miscommunication. While athletes today have more ways to tell their own stories, does that replace the role of traditional sports media? This panel brings together the pioneers of this movement and those that leverage the new paradigm to its fullest.
Patrick Lucey – Vice President of Artificial Intelligence, STATS
Kirk Goldsberry – NBA Analyst, ESPN
Rachel Marty Pyke – Data Scientist, Noah Basketball
Chris Capuano – Former MLB Pitcher
Shira Springer (Moderator) – Sports and Society Reporter, NPR & WBUR
Player tracking technologies in the past decade have provided information that was once unattainable—the distance and speed a player runs in a game, effectiveness against certain defenders, the game situations which are most likely to produce a fast break, and so much more. As the technologies behind player tracking improve, much more information can now be captured: the skeleton of every player in every frame; tracking data for every college or high-school game; or data from historical games (e.g. comparing the performance of Jordan, Gretzky or Maradonna against the current greats). What does this evolving category of information mean for sports? How can teams, leagues, media and fans benefit from the next generation and scale of data being captured? This panel brings together thought leaders across sports and the tracking-data space to discuss these questions and explore the implications of this rapidly expanding industry.
Sharon Otterman – Chief Marketing Officer, William Hill
Doug Kezirian – Sports Betting Analyst, ESPN
Matteo Monteverdi – President, Sportradar US
Andrew Ashenden – CCO, Perform
Kip Levin – President and COO, FanDuel
Jeff Ma (Moderator) – SVP, Product & Analytics, Duetto
The moment millions of fans have been waiting for is finally here: sports betting is legal in a few of the 50 U.S. states and is only expected to become more widely accepted. The implications of this new era for fans and leagues are massive. This panel will explore the opportunities and pitfalls that legalized sports betting has for organizations including how the growth of gambling will impact the fan experience, its effectiveness at increasing engagement in low-viewership sports, how entities will keep gambling democratic, and who the winners and losers will be after the dust settles.
Chris Greeley – Commissioner of the LCS & Head of League Operations, Riot Games
Rafael Stone – General Counsel, Houston Rockets
Evan Wasch – SVP of Basketball Strategy & Analytics, NBA
Damani Leech – Senior Vice President, Football Strategy & Business Development, NFL
Alison Overholt (Moderator) – Editor-in-Chief, ESPN The Magazine, espnW, and the ESPYs, ESPN
The ecosystem of a sports league is unique, and league offices are given the difficult task of bringing together a set of disparate teams and pointing them towards the best interests of the collective whole. That process presents many challenges, both common across leagues and unique to each sport, and the balance of power between all parties is tenuous. In a game of cat and mouse, teams seek to exploit loopholes while the leagues seek to close them and maintain a level playing field. Still, all leagues hold substantial influence and can utilize a variety of levers to enact change, maintain competitive balance, and ultimately steer their respective sports to shared popularity. However, pulling on one lever too much or ignoring others can lead to unforeseen consequences detrimental to not just leagues and teams, but fans as well. This panel comprised of league and team executives will shed light on the decisions that leagues make to execute their vision and improve their sports.
Jeanie Buss – Owner, Los Angeles Lakers
Wyc Grousbeck – Managing Partner, Governor & CEO, Boston Celtics
Jackie MacMullan (Moderator) – Senior Writer, ESPN
The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is one of the most storied in all of sports. From Russell vs. Chamberlain, Bird vs. Magic, to the “Big Three” vs. Kobe and Gasol, the matchup has defined eras throughout the history of the NBA. It’s been almost ten years since their most recent matchup in the NBA finals, as each team has transitioned on from its last slate of superstars and are now looking to write another chapter of the rivalry. This panel will explore each team’s approach to rebuilding over the past decade, featuring the two respective owners of the Celtics and Lakers, Wyc Grousbeck and Jeanie Buss. The panelists will discuss their similarities and differences regarding team-building strategies, and the relevant implications they have on fan engagement, business operations, and the odds of another Finals matchup in the near future.
Matt Wolf – Senior VP, Team Marketing & Business Operations, NBA
Michelle Wang – Director of Strategy, Ticketmaster
Erin Golden – Manager – Express Lane, Nike
Brandon Shore – VP, Football Administration, Miami Dolphins
Hana Peljto Cluff – VP, Applied Analytics Solutions, WarnerMedia
Liz Moulton (Moderator) – Co-Leader of Sports Business Practice, Spencer Stuart
The Career Panel provides a lively discussion on the skills vital in today’s sports industry and what analytical and business leaders are looking for in talent. Those interested in transitioning into or moving up in the sports industry will hear unique stories of breaking into, navigating, and succeeding in the sector from accomplished individuals with diverse backgrounds.
Nate Silver – Statistician, Author, and Founder, FiveThirtyEight
Daryl Morey – General Manager, Houston Rockets
Jessica Gelman – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
Adam Grant (Moderator) – Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
The availability of data today is rapidly expanding, and while this promises to unlock valuable insights for all businesses, many organizations find themselves at a crossroads. While some leaders will boldly turn over all decision-making to AI, others will confidently eschew analytics for gut instinct. There remains a wide spectrum between these extremes, and all leaders need to decide where they stand. How these leaders choose to balance the role of data vs. judgment in their teams will fundamentally shape their organizational culture going forward. On this panel, Adam Grant, Nate Silver, and the SSAC Co-Chairs, Jessica Gelman and Daryl Morey will debate their philosophies on data, organizational culture, and the best way to approach decisions.
Saj Cherian – Partner, Kynetic
Amy Brooks – Chief Innovation Officer & President of TMBO, NBA
Jason Robins – Founder & CEO, DraftKings
Steve Pagliuca – Co-Owner, Boston Celtics
Eric Chemi (Moderator) – Sports Business Reporter, CNBC
Sports has been a bastion for innovation and change. Today, with vertical integration, new partnerships, gambling, esports and direct-to-consumer opportunities, the pace of innovation has accelerated. For those at the leading edge of the sports industry, no lead is safe. Learn how leading sports executives are developing new products, altering their business models, or creating inventive ways to access and serve customers. This panel will dive deep into how innovative environments can be built and where the future growth will come in sports.
George Postolos – President & CEO, The Postolos Group
Kevin LaForce – Senior Vice President, Media Strategy & Business Development, NFL
Cole Gahagan – Chief Commercial Office, Fanatics
Patrick Keane – CEO, The Action Network
Jennifer Van Dijk – Executive Vice President, Marketing, Wasserman
Saj Cherian (Moderator) – Partner, Kynetic
The sports industry has experienced tremendous growth over the last ten years—but the growth hasn’t come from a single source. New companies, industries, and entire sports leagues have entered the fray, and transformed an already burgeoning industry. What does it take to succeed as an entrepreneur in sports? How can ideas attract capital in a more-competitive-than-ever environment? This panel will discuss the existing and emerging field of sports entrepreneurship, new areas of innovation, challenges entrepreneurs face, attractive areas for investments, and techniques for building successful sports businesses.
Ariel Kelman – Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Amazon Web Services
Frank Marcos – Product Manager, Scouting Technology, LBi Dynasty
Chris Young – Vice President, On-Field Operations, Initiative & Strategy, MLB
Joe Posnanski – National Columnist, The Athletic
Ben Lindbergh (Moderator) – Writer, The Ringer
Baseball has been a constant through the years with limited innovation while the world of sports shifts around it. Many MLB teams led the analytics movement at the beginning, but the game has been tethered to tradition. Despite recent efforts to make the game faster and more fun, baseball has struggled to keep pace with the NBA and the NFL in terms of TV rating and share of fan attention. So what changes can be made to ensure baseball stays America’s Pastime? How will baseball be played 5, 10, and 20 years down the road? Some of the most analytical and creative baseball minds will debate what the MLB product should look like in the future as it struggles to separate from the past.
Nate Silver – Statistician, Author, and Founder, FiveThirtyEight
Gov. Charlie Baker – Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Anne Milgram – Professor of Practice & Distinguished Scholar in Resident, NYU School of Law
Corbin Petro (Moderator) – CEO & Co-Founder, Eleanor Health
Data use and misuse has emerged as an area of focus as organizations collect and use data in new and innovative ways, ahead of regulatory and ethical frameworks. The emergence of data use in decision-making has exposed unintended consequences and biases that only push us to replicate the past, not move forward. These misuses are widespread: Facebook’s use of data experiments and selling data to third parties revealed how a lack of ethics could lead to unintended consequences. Examples of biases in data have exposed faulty hiring algorithms. What is appropriate or inappropriate use of data? Does this vary by industry? How do we improve biases and continue to progress? This panel will debate the ethical challenges different industries face in using data with leaders in healthcare, gambling, sports, politics, government, and social media.
Adam Silver – Commissioner, NBA
Bill Simmons – Founder & CEO , The Ringer
Nearing the end of the regular season, Bill Simmons sits one-on-one with commissioner Adam Silver to discuss various basketball – and, in typical Bill fashion, a couple non-basketball – related topics. As Silver enters his sixth year as commissioner, he reflects back on his tenure, discusses the current NBA landscape, and talks about the future of the league. Among other topics they will address tampering in the NBA, tanking, the one-and-done rule, and basketball’s continually increasing world-wide popularity.
Sunny Mehta – Former NHL Executive
Christopher Boucher – VP Sports Development, Analytics & Hockey Operations, Sportlogiq
Bill Zito – Associate General Manager, Columbus Blue Jackets
Meghan Duggan – Forward, US Women’s National Hockey Team
Tyler Dellow (Moderator) – NHL Columnist, The Athletic
The Hockey ecosystem is in the midst of widespread change. The analytics revolution is taking hold as an increasing number of teams lean on analytics to support important decision making. But, key questions remain unanswered. Why have some teams not yet “bought in”? With tracking data soon to become available at a league-wide level, what specific steps are teams taking to prepare? How will the abundance of new information help inform player personnel decisions, in-game coaching strategy, video preparation, and scouting? This panel dives into these questions – and more – as we approach the next era of hockey analytics.
Jason Benetti – College Play-by-Play Announcer, ESPN
Mike Petriello – Stats Analyst, MLB Advanced Media
Doug White – Senior Director, Programming & Acquisitions, ESPN
Ariel Kelman – Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Amazon Web Services
Seth Walder (Moderator) – Sports Analytics Writer, ESPN
Recent years have seen an uptick in the use of advanced data and analytics to enhance game broadcasts and drive second-screen platforms, creating differentiating viewing experiences for sports fans. The growth of player tracking technology in baseball, basketball and football has fueled opportunities to tell smart, new stories during live game windows. This panel will discuss innovative ways that events have been presented on linear and digital platforms, what is coming soon, and what may be possible in the not-so-distant future.
Josh Harris – Owner, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Jonathan Kraft – President, The Kraft Group
Casey Wasserman – Chairman & CEO, Wasserman
Jackie MacMullan (Moderator) – Senior Writer, ESPN
Legacies are built when there is a vision for establishing something novel and long-lasting. Today’s industry game changers are learning from multiple avenues to have impact internationally, technologically, and through using data to gain a long-lasting competitive advantage in the front office and on the field. This panel brings sports industry leaders who have turned their business success in other fields to redefining the future of sports. Jonathan Kraft has created a sports dynasty in New England and is actively extending to esports, additional venues, and technology and analytics. Josh Harris trusted the process and has ownership stakes in basketball, hockey, soccer, esports and much more. Casey Wasserman turned an agency into an Olympic Movement and his impact is just beginning. Learn how they approach decision-making, hiring, investing, and what the future holds.
Scott Blumstein – Poker Player
Sunny Mehta – Former NHL Executive
Bill Chen – Quantitative Researcher, Jagger Analytics
Maria Konnikova – Author, Journalist, and Ambassador, PokerStars Team Pro
Nate Silver – Statistician, Author, and Founder, FiveThirtyEight
Given the massive set of possible decision points – 10^14 in Limit Hold ‘em and 10^160 in No-limit Hold ‘em – poker lends itself naturally to the implementation of analytics. Moreover, the rise of analytics’ prominence in poker has somewhat mirrored the rise of analytics in other major professional sports in the 21st century. This panel, led by Nate Silver, brings together a diverse set of backgrounds in analytics and professional gaming that will explore the crossover between these sports and poker – looking into what we can learn from poker that can be applied to sports and sports analytics.
John Collins – CEO, On Location Experiences
Jimmy Pitaro – President, ESPN
Michelle Wilson – President, WWE
Scott O’Neil – CEO, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Jessica Gelman (Moderator) – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group
The sports industry is changing every day: questions around media rights are more pertinent than ever, consumer interests and desired engagement are evolving quickly, the ticketing industry is undergoing a massive shift, and start-up leagues and technologies are challenging leagues who had a near monopoly on fans attention. Meet the leaders who are shaping the response to external agents of change and crafting visions and strategies that will define the future of sports business. On this panel, industry leaders from some of the most influential companies in sports will share insights on how they’ve transformed their organizations and themselves to keep pace with the sports industry evolution.
Ted Knutson – Owner and Founder, StatsBomb
Daryl Morey – General Manager, Houston Rockets
Roger Bennett (Moderator) – Host, Men in Blazers
Soccer, the sport with the largest global fan base, has largely resisted the analytics wave. Despite recent improvements, the game has failed to undergo a major gameplay revolution like basketball, baseball, and football. Daryl Morey questions some of the fundamental assumptions and decision-making in soccer analysis. Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers, will lead a wide-ranging conversation with analysts across soccer and other sports to better understand the big-picture ways soccer should change.
Patrick Ryan – Co-Founder, Eventellect
Brendan Lynch – Enterprise Commercial & Ticketmaster Agency Lead, Ticketmaster
Bobby Gallo – Vice President of Club Business Development, NFL
Gretchen Sheirr – Chief Revenue Officer, Houston Rockets
Abe Madkour (Moderator) – Publisher, SportsBusiness Journal
Ticketing is the next frontier of major growth in the sports business. As leagues and teams begin to trend toward a more open ticketing environment, they will be able to leverage multiple distribution channels and data analytics to forge one-on-one relationships with their customers. In turn, fans will become direct beneficiaries of a more streamlined ticket buying process that will reduce the friction and risk of fraud that has plagued it in the past. This panel of executives from teams, leagues, and vendors will explore the challenges that they face in an evolving ticketing landscape and lend insight into some of the questions that wider distribution presents to ticket sellers.