Navigating Sports Business

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/.

Michael Alford - Vice President and Director of Athletics at Florida State - on the current and future challenges surrounding college sports.   He discusses the role of analytics in projecting future revenue streams, and the possibility of private equity investment into athletic departments.   Details: 3:55 - The role of analytics in collegiate athletics 6:35 - Pro sports vs. college sport 9:40 - Private Equity in college athletics 15:35 - Mixed-use development 18:05 - How to build a successful athletic department 21:30 - Performance-based incentives 29:40 - Rapid Fire Questions   Books Recommendations: Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson Taking London Tallahassee Restaurant Recommendations: Blue Halo Shell Oyster Bar   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Greg Sankey - Commissioner of the SEC - on balancing what’s best for his conference with the long-term goals of Division I at large.   He emphasizes the role of automatic March Madness bids as a key motivator for conferences wishing to maintain the current system.   His opinion is that the responsibility to guide college athletics into the next era doesn’t rest solely on the SEC and Big Ten.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=0412aa087274a120752cd355ef29f8ad   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Umar Hussain - Head of Media at Navigate - joins our second ever internal podcast. He shares stories from his previous roles at ESPN and the NBA, along with predictions for the next era of sports media.   He and Anne also discuss the biggest stories of the day including the NFL on Netflix and the NBA/WBD lawsuit.   Details: 1:50 - Umar’s background 11:35 - A new role at Navigate 14:35 - The value of live sports media rights 18:00 - Outlook on traditional broadcasters 20:40 - The biggest sports media stories 31:25 - Sports betting companies getting more involved in media rights? 34:10 - Rapid Fire Questions   Umar's Restaurant Rec: Le Great Outdoor   For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.