Navigating Sports Business

Terrell Jones - Head of Sports Strategic Partnerships at Flexpower - has had a unique career in sports. He began as a strength coach for the San Francisco 49ers and has worked in athlete representation, and now on the brand side with Flexpower, a CBD and wellness brand founded in 2000.   He's worked directly with 12 NFL Hall of Famers, and brings that experience to Flexpower's sports marketing str...

With the Big East basketball tournaments tipping-off soon, and with March Madness around the corner, we are once again featuring the story of Conference Commissioner, Val Ackerman. She started in her role 10 years ago, after a wave of realignment left the conference in peril, with only 7 schools remaining from the old Big East.   With no real staff in place, she was able to rebuild the Big East in...

"Control the content, control the distribution as much as you can, so you sort of control your own destiny."   Sam Kennedy – President & CEO of the Boston Red Sox and Chief Executive of Fenway Sports Management –on the future of RSNs and broadcast rights when it comes to the Red Sox and the other properties in Fenway's portfolio. Their NESN 360 product is a cutting edge DTC option for fans that se...

Following the news that Disney will be consolidating ESPN and ESPN+, we take a look back at our interview with Burke Magnus - President, Programming & Original Content at ESPN.   He shares his thoughts on current state of broadcasting, and the gradual transition to streaming. He also discusses using ESPN+ and other digital platforms to reach sports fans where they are, and to cover a wider range o...

In celebration of Black History Month, we're featuring three separate highlights from previous episodes that touch on Black history, DEI&B in sports, and where we as an industry still need to improve.   [0:05] Kevin Warren - former Commissioner of the Big Ten - on the Big Life Series that brought 100 student-athletes on a tour of Selma and Montgomery Alabama to learn about the historic demonstrati...

Kim Pegula - President & CEO of Pegula Sports & Entertainment and Co-Owner/President of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres - on the development project for a new stadium in Buffalo. She also discusses the team's plans to market to Toronto and Southern Ontario, part of their Designated Marketing Area (DMA).   She explains why the new stadium will have all of the modern amenities, while maintainin...

Chatri Sityodtong – Founder & CEO of ONE – on the significance of ONE Championship's partnership with Amazon, and how it meshes with their broader global strategy. Their first U.S. event is less than 4 months away, and Chatri hopes to build up to 12 live events a year.   He also compares ONE to UFC, and explains ONE's impressive growth rate which has made them the world's largest martial arts orga...

What are the traits of a successful athletic director?   Heather Lyke - Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh - breaks it down and explains the importance of being in sync with university leadership, especially when it comes to taking risks and making big decisions.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=0df74...

Amy Azzi – Senior Director of Sports Marketing and Sponsorships at T-Mobile – on how to prepare your brand portfolio for an economic downturn.   She explains why telecom services are necessities and are therefore well-positioned to weather the storm. Still, she and her team make sure they are smart with their sponsorship spend, and maintain a focus on measuring ROI.   Listen to the full episode he...

David Cipullo - Principal at Tigertail - spent 14 years working around the world before returning to the U.S. to start his own firm. He draws from that experience to share with our listeners advice for international strategy in both sponsorship and media.   Details: 4:20 - David's 14 years overseas 10:30 - Infront Sports & Media 15:45 - Selling international sponsorships 22:20 - David founds Tiger...

Ben Abbott - Ph. D scientist and Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Ecology at Brigham Young University - explains the ways that the sports industry can help make a positive impact on the ecosystem.   He also highlights a notable study on the effects of air pollution on human performance that showed a decrease in batting average among baseball players in areas with poor air quality.   Listen to the...

Sam Kennedy - President & CEO of the Boston Red Sox and Chief Executive of Fenway Sports Management - on operating a team with a storied history and the challenges of meeting fan demand for a perennial World Series contender.   He and AJ discuss his career evolution from starting in a baseball front office to managing Fenway Sports Group's portfolio of properties including Liverpool FC, and the Pi...

CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports, Patti Phillips, outlines how hiring practices have traditionally focused on the "Four Fs": facilities, fundraising, football, and finance, but in recent years the focus has narrowed in on football and fundraising, plus the addition of NIL experience as a main priority. Phillips shares what Women Leaders in College Sports is doing to help prepare women to lea...

Chatri Sityodtong - Founder & CEO of ONE - explains the strategy and excitement around ONE Championship launching in the U.S. and what that means for U.S. fans of combat sports, and sports fans in general. Their first event in the States will be May 5, 2023 at 1STBANK Center near Denver.   ONE Championship generated 13.8B organic video views on social media in 2021, and has one of the largest glob...

Tom Stultz - Former President at JMI Sports, now Special Advisor to the CEO - on JMI's role in the shifting multimedia rights marketplace.   He explains how due to long-term contracts and the infrequency of MMR rights becoming available, we might not see as much of a shakeup in the space as many (including some of us at Navigate) are expecting.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/p...

Heather Lyke - Director of Athletics at the University of Pittsburgh - breaks down the current landscape in collegiate athletics. She explains why the ACC's combination of strong academics, as well as athletics, positions them to compete nationally despite the larger budgets found in the SEC and Big Ten.   Details: 4:10 - Heather's experience as a student-athlete at the University of Michigan 8:30...

Catie Griggs - President of Business Operations for the Seattle Mariners - shares her experience going undercover at games to gain insight into the fan experience. Griggs discusses the range of experiences available to fans at T-Mobile Park and the reasons for optimism surrounding the Mariners in 2023.     Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12...

Amy Azzi - Senior Director of Sports Marketing and Sponsorships at T-Mobile - describes the strategy behind the brand's sports sponsorship portfolio.   She and AJ also look forward to 2023 to discuss how T-Mobile will be in a strong position to succeed even in the face of a possible recession.   Details: 2:55 - T-Mobile's portfolio growth 6:55 - Looking forward to 2023 19:50 - T-Mobile's MLB and S...

In this special edition of the Navigating Sports Business Podcast, we're bringing you the audio-recording of our esports and gaming webinar from October 26th, 2022.   Navigate's gaming expert, Ron Li, hosted a panel of executives across different areas of esports and gaming , to share best practices for sports industry leaders looking to create and maximize a gaming strategy.   The full webinar re...

Mississippi State Head Football Coach, Mike Leach, shares an ambitious plan for a two-tiered college football system: Tier 1 = retain traditional amateurism, and student-athletes that play out their eligibility at one school receive a $150,000 bonus upon graduation. Tier 2 = full on professionalism, with players being drafted, traded, or cut. High school athletes would be able to choose which tier...

Ben Abbott - Ph. D scientist and Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Ecology at BYU - joins the show for a special episode as he shares facts behind climate change, and how the sports industry is already being impacted.   As a close friend to AJ, they discuss what we can do as an industry, and as individuals to work towards a more sustainable future.   Details: 1:55 - Sports as a unifier  6:20 - What...

Kevin Warren - Commissioner of the Big Ten - highlights the recent work of the Big Ten's Equality coalition.   This summer, the coalition's Big Life Series provided 100 student athletes with the chance to travel to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, engaging in an educational opportunity to develop their breadth of experiences outside of sport.   Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podca...

Patti Phillips - CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports - shares some interesting statistics on diversity in college sports, and what she and her organization are doing to improve those numbers.   She and AJ discuss the factors that lead to hiring decisions at the Athletic Director level, and the cultural biases that tend to impact those decisions.   Details 2:10 - Reasons for the lack of diversit...

Tom Stultz - Special Advisor to the CEO and former President at JMI Sports - breaks down the current MMR marketplace and how it will be impacted by changes to the structure of college sports, such as NIL and conference realignment.   He and AJ also discuss JMI's status as a privately held company, and why that's unique among their competitors.   Details: 7:30 - The future of JMI 20:30 - Tom's back...

If the NBA decides to expand, Oak View Group will be ready with state of the art arenas in Seattle and Las Vegas. However, Tim Leiweke - Chairman & CEO of OVG - breaks down why the business plan in those cities doesn't rely on the NBA.   Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle is already home to the NHL's Kraken, and the WNBA's Storm. The new development in Las Vegas is designed to be the city's first tru...