Navigating Sports Business

Sarah Hirshland - CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee -  joins AJ Maestas to discuss the three main priorities of the USOPC.  Supporting their elite athletes holistically. Improving and growing inclusive sports culture. Growing the Olympics with a new generation of fans.  Sarah also serves on the IOC Olympic Programme Commission helping decide which sports and events are held in the Olympic Games. Details: 2:00 - The role of the USOPC 13:20 - Doping in the Olympics 17:40 - Sports doc series 20:50 - LA28 27:30 - The top 3 priorities for the USOPC 28:50 - Gender equity in sports 32:35 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Abe Madkour - Publisher & Executive Editor at Sports Business Journal - shares 3 trends he's following in the sports industry. 1) The growth and excitement behind women's sports 2) The prominence of VC and private equity investment throughout the industry 3) Emerging sports such as Pickleball, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Softball, and others Paul Rabil & the PLL Athlete's Unlimited   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=e730a2ffff039537974accf4b7e4bf32   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

  Christy Hedgpeth - President of Playfly Sports Properties - and Michael Schreiber - Founder & CEO of Playfly - are the guests for our first ever double interview.   They discuss Playfly's role in the marketplace, and its position among the competition. Michael explains how their goal is to provide a national sales network, as well as best-in-class technology and innovation, to teams and clubs at the local level.    Christy provides further detail on how Playfly Sports Properties is advancing the MMR space for collegiate and high school clients.    For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.   Details 1:35 - Breaking down Playfly Sports 18:00 - Christy’s background as a national champion 23:25 - Mike’s background at Hulu and beyond 30:00 - Differentiating Playfly from the competition 35:45 - What’s next 46:15 - Rapid Fire Questions

Our dear friend Roger Valdiserri passed away last week at the age of 95. Roger was a legend in our industry, serving as the Sports Information Director at Notre Dame for 3 decades. Throughout his career, he worked 22 men's basketball Final Fours, 2 Olympic Games, and even a World Cup. He was a part of 2 national championships in football under head coach Ara Parseghian.  We published a podcast with Roger back in January of 2021, and selected some of our favorite moments to include here in honor of such a renowned figure in the world of sports.  Our condolences are with the entire Valdiserri family at this time.    Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=1b442ef51a297a93127e7ad32dba776ahttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/roger-valdiserri-notre-dame/id1544529117?i=1000504498184 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Lorien Parry Luehrs - President & COO of HomeTown Ticketing - on the impact that digital ticketing can have on K-12 sports and events, beyond just the bottom line.    She talks about how Athletic Directors have so many objectives to tend to, and profit is rarely one of them. Therefore, making the transition to digital isn't about increasing revenue, but is about ease of access, improved data capabilities, security, and marketing.    Listen to the full episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lorien-parry-luehrs-hometown-ticketing/id1544529117?i=1000560476378   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Abe Madkour - Publisher & Executive Editor at Sports Business Journal - joins the Navigating Sports Business podcast to discuss the state of the sports industry and his transition from journalist to editor.    He and AJ also highlight their favorite SBJ events throughout the year, and sports business trends they are keeping an eye on.    Details: 3:20 - Abe’s background 9:55 - The transition from journalist to publisher 12:05 - Competition in the sports business news world 16:35 - Balancing objectivity 22:30 - Sports Business Trends 35:30 -  Abe picks some of the best organizations in sports 40:45 Rapid Fire Questions   The Charlotte FC crowd singing the National Anthem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09-E-OwxtI  AJ's 2019 article on downward attendance in college athletics: https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/06/maestas-college-football-attendance-is-down-but-why-we-have-the-data-and-ideas-for-getting-fans-back-to-the-stadiums/   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Earl Santee - Senior Principal & Global Chair at Populous - on the evolution of sports venues from a seated experience to more of a personalized entertainment experience, and a community meeting place.    He and AJ also cover the importance of easy transit as a common friction point among fans, and as a key way that live sports needs to improve in order to compete with the ease of at-home entertainment.    Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=76aabd97d697699a6c7d7ac9e2e47eef   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Lorien Parry Luehrs - President & COO of HomeTown Ticketing - joins the show to discuss how digital ticketing is changing the game for high school sports and other community events. With 865M tickets sold each year, K-12 events (including sports and other events) account for 60% of ticket sales in the U.S. - pro sports sell about 200M for comparison.   HomeTown Ticketing is the market leader in digital ticketing for K-12 schools and colleges, and offers benefits beyond ticketing such as improved security, push notification marketing, and access to important game day data.    Together they dive into the digital ticketing space, and highlight the growth and impact HomeTown Ticketing is making in the space.      Details:  11:00 - COVID as an accelerant  12:55 - Lorien’s background 28:00 - HomeTown Ticketing 42:15 - The impact of technology on high school events 45:20 - Rapid Fire Questions   Books and TED Talks Mentioned: The Hard Things About Hard Things The Obstacle is the Way Brené Brown - The Power of Vulnerability   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

With the WNBA tipping off this week, we're showcasing a highlight from our interview with current client Keia Clarke, CEO of the New York Liberty. She breaks down how her team is working to share the unique story of each of their players, not just the stars.    She also talks about the team's talent and how they'll be able to capitalize on basketball success when it comes to the business side.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=74f86ab7111e99260206d7f845a8c9cb   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Earl Santee - Senior Principal & Global Chairman at Populous - is one of the most most well-known and respected stadium designers in the world. As a founder of Populous, he and his team pioneered practices that we take for granted today, like the "skybox" that led directly to the prevalence of luxury suites in modern stadiums.  He and AJ explore some of his favorite projects he's worked on, and discuss what rapidly-evolving technology means for the future of entertainment gathering spaces likes arenas and ballparks.  Details: 9:40 - Looking back 13:15 - The future of stadiums 24:55 - Food & beverage 31:20 - Collegiate Athletics 36:10 - Rapid Fire Questions   Books mentioned in the show: Future Shock, by Alvin Toffler The Algorithmic Leader by Mike Walsh Age Power by Ken Dychtwald   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page and learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/