Navigating Sports Business

Catie Griggs - President of Business Operations for the Seattle Mariners - shares her experience going undercover at games to gain insight into the fan experience. Griggs discusses the range of experiences available to fans at T-Mobile Park and the reasons for optimism surrounding the Mariners in 2023.    Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=eae566efb0ba3148ea2c7d6dd4415ea8   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Amy Azzi - Senior Director of Sports Marketing and Sponsorships at T-Mobile - describes the strategy behind the brand's sports sponsorship portfolio.   She and AJ also look forward to 2023 to discuss how T-Mobile will be in a strong position to succeed even in the face of a possible recession.   Details: 2:55 - T-Mobile’s portfolio growth 6:55 - Looking forward to 2023 19:50 - T-Mobile's MLB and Seattle Mariners partnerships 28:30 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.  

In this special edition of the Navigating Sports Business Podcast, we're bringing you the audio-recording of our esports and gaming webinar from October 26th, 2022.   Navigate's gaming expert, Ron Li, hosted a panel of executives across different areas of esports and gaming , to share best practices for sports industry leaders looking to create and maximize a gaming strategy.   The full webinar recording can be found here (Passcode: Gaming2023!): https://nvgt.zoom.us/rec/share/2zR6e2iNblFI_uz49so3ob-eLx7zrp6QvhWNd_kh_3Txpgq8Ow8B2I9HU6Y5GTDd.o35LVRlXNen--5jE   Also find a deeper dive in the numbers in our new eBook, Esports & Gaming: Decisions in 2023 & Beyond: https://nvgt.com/blog/deep-dive-into-the-esports-gaming-world/     Panelists: Sean Pate - Brand Communications Officer, Zenni Optical Alyson Walker - Chief Commercial Officer, OverActive Media Group Steve LaCroix - President, Wisdom Gaming Matt Marcou - Former Commissioner of the Madden Championship Series     Details: 1:20 - Introductions  6:30 - The state of esports & gaming 15:10 - Gaming, not esports 21:20 - Gaming partnerships from the brand perspective 31:30 - Is the gaming business model sustainable? 39:00 - Publisher KPIs around esports 51:10 - Simulated sports (FIFA, Madden, 2K, F1, etc.)     For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Mississippi State Head Football Coach, Mike Leach, shares an ambitious plan for a two-tiered college football system: Tier 1 = retain traditional amateurism, and student-athletes that play out their eligibility at one school receive a $150,000 bonus upon graduation. Tier 2 = full on professionalism, with players being drafted, traded, or cut. High school athletes would be able to choose which tier to enter.   This is a bold concept from a unique personality. Listen to the full episode to hear more about Coach Leach's plans for college football, including a 64-team CFP.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=026a19eb25ca6ea439a75e9009579b21   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Ben Abbott - Ph.D scientist and Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Ecology at BYU - joins the show for a special episode as he shares facts behind climate change, and how the sports industry is already being impacted.   As a close friend to AJ, they discuss what we can do as an industry, and as individuals to work towards a more sustainable future.   Details: 1:55 - Sports as a unifier  6:20 - What can be do to fight climate change? 15:45 - Climate Pledge Arena 21:05 - Stadiums and transportation impacting ecology 24:45 - More recommendations for sports 30:50 Rapid Fire Questions   References: Electrify Everything, by Julian Bell Short Circuiting Energy Policy, by Leah Stokes Website: Skepticalscience.com Joule article on economic impact of renewable energy Joro - an app for tracking your carbon footprint   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Kevin Warren - Commissioner of the Big Ten - highlights the recent work of the Big Ten's Equality coalition.   This summer, the coalition's Big Life Series provided 100 student athletes with the chance to travel to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, engaging in an educational opportunity to develop their breadth of experiences outside of sport.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=b85061c576629eb368517f53b165c619   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Patti Phillips - CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports - shares some interesting statistics on diversity in college sports, and what she and her organization are doing to improve those numbers.   She and AJ discuss the factors that lead to hiring decisions at the Athletic Director level, and the cultural biases that tend to impact those decisions.   Details 2:10 - Reasons for the lack of diversity in college athletics 16:05 - The hiring funnel 35:25 - Zone of Possibility, Patti’s TED Talk 39:35 - Rapid Fire Questions   Books: Mindset by Carol Dweck Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Cues by Vanessa Van Edwards Impact Player by Liz Wiseman High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy   Studies: Orchestrating Impartiality: the Impact of “Blind” Auditions on Female Musicians Can Blind Hiring Improve Workplace Diversity?   Other Suggested Content: Patti's TEDx Talk: The Zone of Possibility Oprah's Super Soul Sunday   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Tom Stultz - Special Advisor to the CEO and former President at JMI Sports - breaks down the current MMR marketplace and how it will be impacted by changes to the structure of college sports, such as NIL and conference realignment.   He and AJ also discuss JMI's status as a privately held company, and why that's unique among their competitors.   Details: 7:30 - The future of JMI 20:30 - Tom’s background 31:30 - Changes to college athletics 33:55 - Rapid Fire Questions   Book Recommendations: The New York City Noon Prayer Meeting Burl The Church of Baseball Dreamland Dopesick     For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

If the NBA decides to expand, Oak View Group will be ready with state of the art arenas in Seattle and Las Vegas. However, Tim Leiweke - Chairman & CEO of OVG - breaks down why the business plan in those cities doesn't rely on the NBA.   Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle is already home to the NHL's Kraken, and the WNBA's Storm. The new development in Las Vegas is designed to be the city's first true point of destination built around live entertainment, and will be profitable through concerts, UFC fights, and other events, whether or not it lands a full-time NBA tenant.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=9e7c1d2eaa20d5a4a8ad004e6839afa8   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Catie Griggs - President of Business Operations for the Seattle Mariners - joins the show for an insightful conversation about increasing the popularity of baseball among young fans. She and AJ discuss her time at Atlanta United, the exciting Mariners stars including Julio Rodriguez, and what the MLB All-Star game will mean for the city of Seattle in 2023.   Catie also shares how she went to T-Mobile Park incognito to observe the fan experience when she first joined the organization. AJ points out that Adrian Hanauer, Majority Owner of the Seattle Sounders, takes the same approach to undercover data-gathering, so it's a proven strategy in the Seattle sports market.    Details 1:40 - Catie’s Time at Atlanta United 3:35 - Going undercover at Mariners games 12:10 - The next generation of Baseball fans 14:10 - Catie’s background 17:55 - MLB All-Star Game coming to Seattle 23:15 - Future of the Mariners 27:35 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.