Navigating Sports Business

Jared Orton - President of the Savannah Bananas - shares the team's evolution from college summer baseball team to international entertainment sensation!   The mission has always been to make baseball fun. That has led to a tidal wave of ticket sales, merchandise, and new revenue streams like televised games and even a fan cruise. As they continue to scale, they are launching an entire league of Banana Ball teams that will compete in cities across the U.S. and beyond.   Details: 1:30 - The Origins of the Savannah Bananas 6:45 - Distinction from the Harlem Globetrotters 7:30 - The Globetrotters model at scale vs. having just one team 14:40 - The secondary ticket market 18:20 - Banana Ball on TV 21:00 - Recruiting talent 23:00 - Business operations 27:25 - The Fan Cruise 30:25 - Building out a league of Banana Ball teams 32:05 - Rapid Fire Questions     For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Tim Zulawski – President of AMB Sports & Entertainment – explains how AMBSE collaborates with brand partners to solve their business problems. AMBSE's perspective: Ultimately it starts with sourcing partners that you know you can positively impact with the tools available to you.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=8414c1e30131e9e15dd33a38c05e3c4d   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Jeremy Bloom - Former NFL & Olympic Athlete, and the Founder of Integrate - discusses his public battle with the NCAA, his sister's underground poker game that spawned a Hollywood movie, and the lessons he learned in football and skiing that turned him into a successful founder.   Jeremy also teases a major career announcement that will be coming the day after this episode's release!   Details: 2:45 - Reaching elite levels in two sports 7:40 - Jeremy’s dispute with the NCAA 15:45 - The NFL experience 18:25 - Molly’s Game 21:00 - Lessons from the transition from sports to business 27:05 - What’s next for Jeremy? 31:30 - Rapid Fire Questions     For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Daniel Lamarre – Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board at Cirque du Soleil – tells the story of the chance meeting with The Beatles that led to a powerful artistic collaboration.   "There is no pitch. You're a creative force. We're a creative force. We're here to see if we can work together."   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=7692d2a2f75fc07daf409f2d40d29cd7   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Eddie Hearn - Chairman of Matchroom Sport - leads the only global boxing promotional company in the world. However, his empire expands beyond boxing to basketball, darts, snooker, gymnastics, and many other sports.   He discusses his groundbreaking $1 Billion deal with DAZN that brought the biggest fights in the world to streaming, and his thoughts on YouTubers getting in the ring.   Details: 4:05 - Fan experience in professional darts 5:20 - Lessons for life and business 7:45 - Matchroom Boxing 12:15 - YouTuber Boxers 14:50 - Women’s Boxing 18:55 - The largest boxing broadcasting deal in history with DAZN 26:55 - Rapid Fire Questions   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Michael Alford – Vice President and Director of Athletics at Florida State – on the national brand that is FSU athletics, and how they're able to compete for market share with NFL teams, without having to follow the same regional restrictions.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=d673c4611a03e742750bbd3c18d30857   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Tim Zulawski, President of AMB Sports & Entertainment, has over 20 years of experience in sports management. He discusses the exciting data-driven strategies Atlanta United is implementing ahead of the 2026 Men's FIFA World Cup. Zulawski reveals how lowering concession prices can boost both revenue and fan satisfaction. He also highlights the growth of the Atlanta sports market and its potential as an NHL destination, emphasizing community engagement and innovative approaches to enhance the overall fan experience.

Umar Hussain – Head of Media at Navigate – on his experience negotiating multibillion dollar deals down to the smallest detail. He also talks about launching ESPN+ and the direct-to-consumer platform for NBA TV.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=85a49c2005d45c7def8aca7dbc9d0504   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Daniel Lamarre - Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board at Cirque du Soleil - on the origins of one of the world's most creative performances and the challenges they've overcome, including going from $1B in annual revenue to $0 overnight during the pandemic in 2020.   He also discusses the meeting with Paul, George, and Ringo that led to Cirque's collaboration with the Beatles.   Details: 2:00 - Cirque’s origin 6:00 - Taking the reigns 8:10 - Working with The Beatles 12:30 - The largest employer of former Olympians 14:10 - Taking private equity financing 15:30 - The crisis during the pandemic 18:25 - Shifting into his current role 20:40 - Continuing to push the envelope 23:55 - The One Drop Foundation 25:00 - Rapid Fire Questions   Shownotes: One Drop Foundation Ferreira Café   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Alex Martins – CEO of the Orlando Magic – on leading both the business and basketball sides of an organization.     The mission statement for the Magic is "to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way." But due to the cyclical nature of the NBA, you have to be find ways to succeed as a business, even when the team is isn't competing for a championship.     One area where the Magic has found success, is in group ticket sales, where they've led all NBA teams for nine consecutive seasons. Now that their young team is emerging as a threat in the Eastern Conference, the sky is the limit.     Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=86be8dbe20a590a9ef9422581400fac8     For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.