Navigating Sports Business

Tim Leiweke - Chairman & CEO of Oak View Group - details some of his team's most exciting projects in the works. He and AJ discuss the new arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, Moody Center in Austin, and plans for a dozen new arenas around the world. Tim also shares the process that went into building Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, and the challenge of turning a historic landmark into a state of the art, carbon neutral arena. Details: 3:30 - Tim's brother, Tod Leiweke 6:30 - Building Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) 13:00 - Climate Pledge Arena 30:10 - New OVG Projects (including Las Vegas) 51:40 - Dan Griffis and OVG Global Partnerships 58:15 - The entertainment industry's impact on the climate 1:08:20 - Rapid Fire Questions For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/. You can find AJ's interview with Tim's brother, Tod Leiweke here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=59f0ef14b6b667427c867918556676b7

Sarah Hirshland - CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee - breaks down how new sports and events are chosen by the IOC Olympic Programme Commission. Driven by the ultimate goal of creating the best value for the games, the potential additions are evaluated on factors like popularity, participation rates, universality, and gender equality. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=5f0408bba0cd6dfb12c6327825d3178b For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

David Cutcliffe - Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Football Relations at the SEC, and former Duke Head Football Coach - sat down with Jeff Nelson on this week's episode. He shares his experience under former Duke AD Kevin White, reminisces on the challenges he faced trying to lead the team to success, and shares his experience with Peyton, Eli, and the whole Manning family. Details: 2:15 - The special assistant to the commissioner role 10:40 - David's background 23:45 - the Manning family 29:40 - Leaving Ole Miss & Advice for working in college sports 36:05 - The challenges of succeeding at basketball school like Duke 46:50 - Rapid Fire Questions For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

In recognition of last night's MLB All-Star Game, we're showcasing this highlight from MLB Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, Chris Marinak, on how Gen Z is redefining sports fandom, particularly when it comes to baseball. He mentions the league's Play Ball campaign, which brought the Capital One PLAY BALL PARK to LA for All-Star Week, and is aimed at increasing youth baseball participation of all kinds. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast/?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=2851a5f7dea5f6aea766ed8b766e71fd For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Nina King - Vice President and Director of Athletics at Duke University - joins AJ Maestas to discuss finding a successor to the legendary Coach K in her first year as AD. She explains why Jon Scheyer was the best choice, and how Duke basketball is poised for continued success with him coaching the men's team, and Kara Lawson coaching the women's team. She also highlights the importance of Title IX, along with her thoughts on the future of college athletics. Details: 1:35 - Title IX and diversity in college athletics 9:55 - Coach K 21:20 - The future of college athletics 33:05 - Sports Betting 36:40 - Rapid Fire Questions 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 - discuss the opportunities they can create for partners, as the largest independent national sales organization in sports. Michael highlights their deal with Take 5 that encompassed 11 unique sports markets across MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and college sports, all in a single transaction. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=75d40cc2a6596091177ebc3da0c9f441 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

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/.