Know What Is Next

In this Best Of compilation, leaders from AWS, MLB, the PGA TOUR, TGL, the Portland Trail Blazers, and Cosm share what’s actually driving meaningful change across teams, leagues, and live experiences.  From applying generative AI, to scaling immersive venues globally, to building cultures that reward experimentation and learning, these conversations focus on fan-first innovation shaping the future...

The rules of media rights are shifting fast. In this Best Of episode, you’ll learn how leagues are navigating fragmented distribution, how Amazon and other digital players have altered valuation models, how private equity evaluates upside beyond rights fees, and why Nielsen’s new measurement approach is critical for the next decade.  You’ll hear from the following guests: (0:44) Doug Perlman, Spor...

Brian Michael Cooper has operated across nearly every corner of the sports industry: big law, player representation, G League president, XFL team president, senior college athletics administrator, head of an emerging league, and now sports M&A attorney and professor.  He shares what those experiences taught him about how teams, leagues, and media partners really operate, including a sharp look...

In an industry being reshaped by NIL, the transfer portal, and private capital, one question is becoming unavoidable: how do leaders make principled decisions when everything feels up for grabs? Investor Andrew Siegel breaks down what leaders in sports and tech often underestimate, like the emotional complexity of teams, the tension between performance and values, and how managing people becomes e...

What REALLY makes a business worth buying, and what should founders actually optimize for?  In this candid conversation, Dave sits down with longtime friend and former business partner Igor Ulis, partner at Hudson Technology Systems. Igor traces his path from “dumb kid in college” who thought writing code was enough to get rich in the dot-com boom, to building and scaling a global sports technolog...

Billion-dollar track upgrades and next-generation wagering are re-shaping the horse racing industry. But what does it look like when a legacy sport leans hard into tech, data, and global expansion all at once? Justin McDonald, EVP and CMO at the Breeders’ Cup, is here to break down where the money is flowing and why the sport is growing. He shares how digital ticketing with SeatGeek is creating un...

The sports industry is entering one of its most volatile eras. Media models are breaking, new global buyers are emerging, and traditional league structures are under pressure. Few people have a clearer read on these shifts than Leaders in Sport editorial director James Emmett and content director David Cushnan, who spend their days in conversation with the executives shaping what happens next.  Ja...

Sports organizations are under pressure to deliver MORE. Deeper insights, smarter production, and personalized fan experiences. In this episode, AWS Global Head of Sports Julie Souza takes David through 3 high-impact case studies across the NFL, PGA TOUR, and NHL, revealing how each league is tackling its most pressing technology challenges.  You’ll hear about the NFL’s use of data modeling and op...

What does it take to engineer an entirely new sport that fuses live gameplay and virtual environments into a single seamless experience? That’s the challenge Andrew Macauley and the team at TMRW Sports tackled with TGL, the groundbreaking indoor golf league. In this episode, Andrew takes us behind the scenes of building one of the most technologically complex venues in the world: a 5-story, 64’x-5...

What does it take to turn the world’s most famous marathon into a year-round digital platform? Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, is leading the charge, launching an app with 210K+ downloads in its first few months, building an in-house content studio, and forging global partnerships that could redefine what it means to be a “major.” Drawing on a career that’s spanned ESPN’s control ro...

Fan attention is fragmented across platforms, and the race to measure it accurately has never been tougher. Nielsen Sports VP Jessica Forrest joins David to share how the industry’s most trusted data company is redefining what (and who) gets counted in the next generation of sports measurement. Jessica breaks down Nielsen’s hybrid approach to ratings and why person-level panel data still matters i...

Something big is happening in Oklahoma City. Court Jeske, President of Echo Soccer, is redefining what expansion looks like in modern sports, applying lessons from launching Nashville SC to design a new franchise model built on data-driven fan growth. Echo Soccer is developing a 50-acre stadium district with a 10–11K seat Populous-designed venue, backed by an ownership group that includes Russell...

How is technology reshaping where the money flows in sports? Private equity and institutional investors are rewriting the playbook, and Greg Bedrosian, Managing Partner and CEO at Drake Star, joins Dave to break down what that shift means for operations, innovation, and long-term value creation.  Today’s most sophisticated investors are building value beyond media rights by strengthening data stra...

Demonstrable, addressable fanbases are now the foundation of media value, sponsorships, and sustainable revenue. Sean Foley and Italo Zanzi are here from Hellas Verona FC to outline their competitive DNA in player development and culture designed to be “the club everyone wants to play for.” They highlight a fervent regional base and the importance of aligning the club with civic leaders and a city...

What does it take to grow golf from 26 million to 45 million players in just a few years while adapting to shifting fan expectations?  Jeff Price, Chief Commercial Officer at the PGA of America, chats with David to explore the evolving role of technology, media, and partnerships in shaping the future of this 2 billion dollar industry. Jeff shares insights into the PGA’s massive Frisco, Texas campu...

Few sports venues get a second shot at hosting a championship, but Homestead-Miami Speedway just did. President Guillermo Santa Cruz sits down with Dave to discuss what it takes to win back NASCAR’s biggest weekend, and how Miami’s global market, fan base, and drivers themselves shaped the decision. Drawing on his experience across media and motorsports, Guillermo unpacks why Homestead’s racing qu...

Big brands aren’t buying “spots & dots” anymore. In this conversation, Nicole Jeter West traces a path from the Knicks and US Open to Legends and LA28 to show how partnerships actually create value now, beyond stacking impressions. She explains why a primetime NWSL championship mattered, what it takes to design “assets beyond the rings,” and how to frame outcomes so both the property and the p...

Shripal Shah is back on the show to map the maturity spectrum of AI in sports and how data governance must come first to avoid ugly surprises. Most importantly, Shripal explains why AI won’t be the great equalizer – it will be the great divider. You’ll hear a plain-English take on MCP (Model Context Protocol) as the “air traffic control” for AI across vendors, plus how AI agents can bridge legacy...

Women’s sports are surging. Participation is climbing, purses are growing, arenas are selling out, and today, we’re spotlighting the people and ideas powering that momentum: from the LPGA and USGA, fast-rising leagues like the PWHL, tech-forward formats like TGL, and iconic brands like the Harlem Globetrotters.  You’ll hear from the following guests: (0:40) Danette Leighton, Women’s Sports Foundat...

The Cleveland Cavaliers EVP & CIO Mike Conley turned the Cavs’ digital channels from a cost center into a multimillion-dollar revenue engine. And that shift laid the groundwork for their boldest move yet: standing up a 24/7 sports network inside the organization. With RSN economics wobbling, Mike explains how the Cavs built optionality and formed a joint venture with Gray Media to launch Rock...

What does it take to turn the world’s most famous marathon into a year-round digital platform? Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, is leading the charge, launching an app with 210K+ downloads in its first few months, building an in-house content studio, and forging global partnerships that could redefine what it means to be a “major.” Drawing on a career that’s spanned ESPN’s control ro...

Mollie Marcoux Samaan has led some of the most complex and high-stakes organizations in sports, and she’s done it with vision, grit, and results, all while challenging the status quo.  As the former LPGA Commissioner, Princeton Athletic Director, and EVP at Chelsea Piers, Mollie shares how she helped grow average player earnings at the LPGA by over 100%, navigated the global logistics of women’s g...

Jean Manuel Jimenez has helped grow soccer in one of the toughest U.S. markets without a stadium, a team legacy, or a roster of stars. As SVP of Commercial Partnerships at Mediapro, he shares how he’s brought bold ideas to life at the intersection of tech, culture, and sports, from launching Inter Miami CF to redefining how fans engage with emerging leagues. Mediapro is transforming soundstages in...

The Harlem Globetrotters are approaching their 100th anniversary, and President Keith Dawkins is here to unpack the high-stakes strategy behind reintroducing the Globetrotters to a new generation, and the urgency driving it. Keith brings his deep background in media, from Viacom to Nickelodeon, to explain why the Globetrotters can’t rely on a tour-only model in today’s content-saturated world. Wit...

What happens when you combine PGA Tour superstars, a massive custom-built golf simulator, and real-time team competition, all under one roof?  You get TGL, a next-generation indoor golf league that’s redefining the sport. In this episode, Dave sits down with Jon Kropp, VP of Digital Media at TGL, who shares how this new format came to life and why it’s captivating fans, athletes, and tech partners...