SSAC
163 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsThe official podcast channel of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
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Episodes
No Industry is Safe: The Opioid Epidemic in Sports and Society
July 12, 2020 20:34 - 56 minutes - 104 MBRyan Leaf – Analyst, ESPN & Former NFL Player Seth Moulton – Congressman, United States House of Representatives Corbin Petro – CEO & Co-Founder, Eleanor Health Stephanie Wittels Wachs (Moderator) – Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, Lemonada Media Addiction is now the leading cause of death in America for those under 50. The opioid epidemic has touched all facets of society over the past two decades, with the sports world at greater risk due to heightened exposure to presc...
Pass the Secret Sauce: Learning Across Sports
July 12, 2020 20:32 - 54 minutes - 100 MBRobert Eenhoorn – General Director, AZ Alkmaar Joe Sill – Analytics Consultant, Washington Wizards Luke Bornn – VP of Analytics, Sacramento Kings Monte McNair – Assistant General Manager, Houston Rockets Tom Haberstroh (Moderator) – NBA Insider, NBC Sports Athletes, coaches, analysts, and executives have remained siloed in their respective sports for decades. However, there are advantages that can be gained by understanding and adopting best practices from other sports, w...
A New Arena: Careers After Sports
July 04, 2020 14:45 - 55 minutes - 101 MBJustin Tuck – VP, Goldman Sachs & Former Player, NFL Shawn Johnson East – Former Olympic Gold Medalist Andy Roddick – Former Professional Tennis Player Metta World Peace – Former NBA Player Michele Steele (Moderator) – Studio Anchor & Reporter, ESPN A professional athlete’s lifepath after retiring can be as unpredictable as their career between the lines. So what brings an Olympic gold medalist, Super Bowl champion, NBA Finals winner, and world No. 1 tennis player to the ...
The Path to Greatness
July 04, 2020 14:44 - 52 minutes - 96 MBSue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm Larry Fitzgerald – Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals Ameeth Sankaran (Moderator) – CEO, Religion of Sports Sports are mythic, and a backdrop for life. What does it take to become the greatest of all time? What does it take to sustain it? How is this different based on individual and make-up? Join Religion of Sports CEO, Ameeth Sankaran, to learn how they uncover and bring to life this mythical goal. “The Path to Greatness” panel will highlight...
Save the Data: The Future of Data & Technology
June 28, 2020 15:36 - 56 minutes - 103 MBShelley Pisarra – EVP of Global Insights & Strategy, Wasserman Matt Smith – SVP of CRM, Fanatics Kat Frederick – CMO, Ticketmaster Kelly Ungerman (Moderator) – Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company Technology has transformed how sports organizations engage with their fans and collect information. Investing in new tools, acquiring new companies, and taking a “test and learn” approach to understanding customer needs have been critical to the evolution of key industry players. Lear...
Innovating for the Next Generation of America's Pastime
June 28, 2020 15:36 - 56 minutes - 103 MBGreg Cain – VP of Baseball Data, MLB Caleb Weinstein – Director for Sport, Media, & Entertainment, Google Cloud Lou DePaoli – EVP & CRO, New York Mets Jason Gaetdke – CTO, MLB Cristina Daglas (Moderator) – Senior Deputy Editor, ESPN.com America’s pastime has seen attendance drop in recent years, yet the league set digital ticketing and consumption records in 2019. Learn how Major League Baseball and its teams are leaning into data analytics and machine learning to increas...
Start Me Up: Innovation & Entrepreneurship
June 28, 2020 15:35 - 55 minutes - 102 MBNate Silver – Editor-in-Chef, FiveThirtyEight Dean Kamen – Founder, FIRST Alexis Ohanian – Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Initialized Capital & Co-Founder, Reddit Jason Robins – CEO & Co-Founder, DraftKings Jessica Gelman (Moderator) – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group Reddit, the Segway, Daily Fantasy Sports, and predicting presidential elections. Over the past decade, meet the inventors and entrepreneurs who have created lasting change affecting how consumers engage with infor...
Sports Gambling Innovation: Betting on the Future
June 28, 2020 15:35 - 58 minutes - 106 MBFrank Frigo – Co-Founder, EdjSports Kip Levin – President & COO, FanDuel Matthew Berry – Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst, ESPN Jeffrey Yass – Founder and Managing Director, SIG Jeff Ma (Moderator) – Co-Host, Bet the Process In the 18 months since the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, revenue generated across states offering legal gambling has reached an astounding $15 billion. This is just a drop in the bucket as the mark...
Finding the Favorite: Engaging Fans and Bettors
June 28, 2020 15:34 - 56 minutes - 103 MBZach Leonsis – SVP of Strategic Initiatives, Monumental Sports Brian Josephs – VP of Digital Sports, Sportradar Scott Kaufman-Ross – SVP of Fantasy & Gaming, NBA Doug Kezirian – Sports Betting Analyst & Daily Wager Host, ESPN Chad Millman (Moderator) – Chief Content Officer, Action Network Daily Fantasy captivated a generation of players that do not consider themselves sports bettors. As legalization continues to sweep across the country, what new game formats will attrac...
Fanalytics 2.0
June 21, 2020 16:00 - 58 minutes - 107 MBRich Gotham – Team President, Boston Celtics Rob King – SVP of Original Content, ESPN Jessica Gelman – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group Jason Robins – CEO & Co-Founder, DraftKings Alison Overholt (Moderator) – VP of Storytelling & Special Projects, ESPN In our first “Fanalytics” panel in 2013, we speculated the ways to collect and use data to improve the fan experience. Back then, we discussed opens and clicks, but now the nuances are much deeper. What has changed? Today custom...
Ticketing Analytics: Secondary to None
June 21, 2020 16:00 - 57 minutes - 104 MBRob Sine – Chief Revenue Officer, AXS Adam Grow – COO, KORE Software Kristin Bernert – SVP of Business Operations, MSG Sports Patrick Ryan – Co-Founder, Eventellect Shira Springer (Moderator) – Sports and Society Reporter, NPR & WBUR Ticketing and game attendance remains the cornerstone of sports organizations. With the push for an open ticketing environment in recent years, technology has increased transparency, improved insights into who is attending a game, and provide...
How Big Is Your Jumbotron: Optimizing the Venue Experience
June 21, 2020 15:59 - 54 minutes - 100 MBJim Nolan – COO, Kraft Sports & Entertainment Kat Harwood – Senior Manager, Deloitte Mike Shane – Chief Business Officer, Comcast Spectacor Peter Feigin – President, Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum Josh Walker (Moderator) – Co-Founder & President, Sports Innovation Lab Over the past decade, 85% of sports venues have invested in significant improvements to meet the changing needs of fans and enhancing the overall experience. With a focus on creating new experiences within...
Making the Right Play: Optimizing the NBA’s Season Structure
June 13, 2020 17:36 - 54 minutes - 99 MBEvan Wasch – SVP of Basketball Strategy & Analytics, NBA Steve Koonin – CEO, Atlanta Hawks Gersson Rosas – President of Basketball Operations, Minnesota Timberwolves Shane Battier – VP of Basketball Development & Analytics, Miami Heat Kevin Arnovitz (Moderator) – NBA Writer, ESPN.com For more than 50 years the NBA has operated with an 82-game regular season, but is this the optimal season structure? Questions around player health and injury prevention have led to scrutiny...
Basketball Analytics: Nothin’ but Net...Rating
June 13, 2020 17:36 - 56 minutes - 103 MBBob Voulgaris – Director of Quantitative Research, Dallas Mavericks Mike Zarren – Assistant GM and Team Counsel, Boston Celtics Tom Thibodeau – Former NBA Head Coach & Executive Zach Lowe – Senior NBA Writer, ESPN Ben Cohen (Moderator) – Sports Reporter, WSJ Analytics has revolutionized the modern game, but there are changes happening off the court that are unseen by the public. In the boardroom, data is used in contract negotiations, scouting, and player evaluation, to n...
“3s & Frees”: The Evolving Nature of Basketball
June 13, 2020 17:35 - 55 minutes - 102 MBDanilo Gallinari – Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder Kirk Goldsberry – NBA Analyst, ESPN RC Buford – CEO, Spurs Sports and Entertainment Dave Joerger – Former NBA Head Coach Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm J.A. Adande (Moderator) – Director of Sports Journalism, Northwestern University Basketball is undeniably an evolving sport. From the run and gun in the ‘60s to the physical slugfest in the ‘90s to the “threes and frees” of today, the game has transformed and rei...
Built to Last: The Importance of Inclusion & Diversity in Sports Organizations
June 13, 2020 17:35 - 55 minutes - 102 MBAllison Feaster – Director of Player Development and Personal Growth, Boston Celtics Shelley Pisarra – EVP of Global Insights & Strategy, Wasserman Catherine Carlson – SVP of Revenue & Strategy, Philadelphia Eagles Scott Pioli – Former NFL Executive & Television Analyst Liz Moulton (Moderator) – Co-Leader of the Sports Business Practice, Spencer Stuart Countless studies have shown that diverse teams outperform homogeneous counterparts. Yet in an environment where everyone...
A 1-on-1 with Enes Kanter
June 13, 2020 17:34 - 55 minutes - 102 MBEnes Kanter – NBA Center, Boston Celtics Howard Beck (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Bleacher Report Howard Beck sits down with Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter for a wide-ranging conversation on his unique basketball career and his stance on expressing his beliefs and freedom of speech. Kanter will discuss various ways in which he has used his platform as an NBA star on and off the court. Topics will include Kanter’s basketball successes, challenges he’s faced as an international play...
Player Empowerment: I've Got the Power
June 13, 2020 17:34 - 1 hour - 110 MBKendrick Perkins – NBA Analyst & Former NBA Player, ESPN Stephen A. Smith – Featured Commentator, ESPN Michael Rubin – Founder & Executive Chairman, Fanatics Jackie MacMullan (Moderator) – Senior Writer, ESPN In recent years we’ve seen an undeniable increase in player influence with regards to what they make, where they play, and how they leverage their brand beyond the team. Players entering leagues often have millions of social followers and are using their voice to bring a...
Moneyball to Homerball with Bill James & Tom Tango
May 31, 2020 14:16 - 54 minutes - 99 MBTom Tango – Senior Data Architect, MLB Bill James – Statistician Meghan Chayka (Moderator) – Co-Founder, Stathletes Arguably the two greatest baseball analytics minds of all time will meet on stage for the first time to discuss the Sabermetrics that Bill James created and Tom has revolutionized. Bill James needs no introduction (he has a room at the conference named after him!). Tom Tango is the creator of numerous sabermetrics including Leverage Index and FIP and currently runs ...
Moving the Chains: Advancing Football Analytics
May 31, 2020 14:16 - 1 hour - 110 MBBrian Burke - Senior Analytics Specialist, ESPN Alec Halaby - Vice President of Football Operations and Strategy, Philadelphia Eagles Mike Leach - Head Football Coach, Mississippi State University Mina Kimes (Moderator) - Senior Writer, Podcast Host and Commentator, ESPN Information from player tracking to advanced metrics is shaping how rosters are constructed, players prepare, and coaches call games. Viewers can expect to see Next Gen Stats on every broadcast. Teams continu...
Hockey Analytics: A Faceoff with Data
May 31, 2020 14:16 - 55 minutes - 102 MBDominic Moore - Former NHL Player Sunny Mehta - Former NHL Executive Andrew Thomas - Director of Data Science, SportsMEDIA Technology Corp. Alison Lukan - Writer, The Athletic Michael Mauboussin (Moderator) - Head of Consilient Research, Counterpoint Global The use of analytics to support important decision-making in the NHL has increased significantly over the past few years, but the real revolution is still to come. With the addition of player tracking technology in the...
Defending the Pass: Using Player Tracking Data to Gain New Insights
May 31, 2020 14:15 - 55 minutes - 101 MBKevin Meers - Former Director of Research & Strategy, Cleveland Browns Evan Kaplan - Research Specialist, ESPN Brian Burke - Senior Analytics Specialist, ESPN Domonique Foxworth - Writer & NFL Analyst, ESPN Brian Macdonald (Moderator) - Director of Sports Analytics, ESPN “You have to pass to set up the run.” A far cry from a generation ago, the NFL has experienced a notable trend towards passing over the past 40 years. The league is also collecting and using more detailed...
Press Any Key to Start: How to Build an Esports Brand
May 31, 2020 14:15 - 57 minutes - 106 MBCasey Chafkin - Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder, Skillz Inc. David Higdon - Global Head of Communications, Esports for Riot Games Nicole LaPointe Jameson - CEO, Evil Geniuses Saj Cherian (Moderator) - Partner, Kynetic In 2019, The Overwatch League was the only major sports league to show a rise in television viewers from the 18 to 34-year-old demographic. However, despite Esports’ exponential year-over-year growth, it has struggled with cultivating strong and lasting bra...
Tackling the Name, Image, and Likeness Issue in College Sports
May 31, 2020 14:15 - 52 minutes - 95.3 MBGerry Cardinale - Founder and Managing Partner, RedBird Capital Partners Saquon Barkley - Running Back, New York Giants Stan Wilcox - Executive VP Regulatory Affairs, NCAA Martin Jarmond - Athletic Director, Boston College Warren Zola (Moderator) - Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club California’s passing of the Fair Pay to Play Act in late 2019 reignited the longstanding, nationwide debate over collegiate athlete compensation. Given the complexity of ...
Sports in 2040: Hindsight is 2020
May 30, 2020 16:02 - 57 minutes - 106 MBDaryl Morey - General Manager, Houston Rockets Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group Bill James - Former Sr. Baseball Operations Advisor, Boston Red Sox Nate Silver - Editor-in-Chef, FiveThirtyEight Katie Nolan (Moderator) - Host, ESPN In 2040, the NBA has a 5-point line, NFL stadiums seat 40,000 as fans watch via VR, Amazon will own MLS, and MLB games finish in less than an hour. This panel will make bold predictions on what’s to come. Sports have radically changed...
Sponsorship in the 2020s: Leveraging Technology to Uncover Gems
May 23, 2020 16:59 - 56 minutes - 103 MBRobert Hofmann - Vice President, Account Director & Club Sponsorship Lead, Club Business Development, NFL Lauren Riker - Global Marketing Analytics Manager, New Balance Scott Tilton - CEO & Co-Founder, Hookit Tiffany Frits (Moderator) - Business Operations Manager, ESPN Stats and Information Group From headphones to tennis shoes, sponsorship influences buying decisions because of one simple reason: fans want to be like their sports idols. Though sponsorships improve sales, th...
MLS Growth Story: A Conversation with Don Garber and Jonathan Kraft
May 23, 2020 16:59 - 54 minutes - 99.6 MBDon Garber - Commissioner, MLS Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group Taylor Twellman (Moderator) - Soccer Analyst, ESPN Today, Major League Soccer (MLS) is one of the most successful growth stories in American sports history. The average MLS team is valued at $313mm (30% growth from last year) and team valuation growth outpaces every major US league team valuation growth by at least 2x. During its evolution, MLS has used creative concepts to bring in talent (the Designate...
Soccer Analytics: The Beautiful Game Meets the Analytics Edge
May 23, 2020 16:59 - 55 minutes - 101 MBVosse de Boode - Head of Sports Science, AFC Ajax Devin Pleuler - Director of Analytics, Toronto FC Ted Knutson - CEO & Founder, StatsBomb Tyler Heaps - Director of Sporting Analytics, U.S. Soccer Federation Grant Wahl (Moderator) - Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated The arms race is on – more teams from FC Barcelona to Liverpool are using analytical tools to influence and inform their technical decisions, transfer market game plan, and scouting strategies. Learn how c...
Reinventing a Business: The Future of Sports Business
May 23, 2020 16:58 - 54 minutes - 99.8 MBPaul Caine - President, Endeavor/NFL On Location Experiences Amy Latimer - President, TD Garden Jimmy Pitaro - President, ESPN Amy Howe - President and COO, Ticketmaster Abe Madkour (Moderator) - Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal 50% of the leading companies in S&P 500 will be replaced in the next 10 years. Industry leaders in sports (ESPN and Ticketmaster), new entities spun out of leaders (On Location), and companies at the frontline of venue exp...
From the Martial Arts to the Art of Negotiation – Sport, Science, Art, or Philosophy?
August 06, 2019 16:56 - 1 hour - 110 MBSensei Nick Theodorou – Owner & Founder, Theodorou Academy Deepak Malhotra – Professor, Harvard Business School When it comes to excellence and superior performance in the martial arts, sports, business or any other endeavor, how does one exceed the limits of science and truly become an “artist”? Are experts simply outstanding practitioners of their sport, or do they go beyond “practice” and develop their own philosophies? What are the limits of exceptional technique, and how do you ...
Michael Lewis – Going Deep with Mike Leach – The Most Innovative Mind in Football
August 06, 2019 16:55 - 59 minutes - 109 MBMike Leach – Head Football Coach, Washington State University Michael Lewis – Author & Journalist Coach; Author; Innovator; Eccentric; Brilliant; Unconventional. All these and more have been used to describe Mike Leach, who will sit down with bestselling author Michael Lewis for a one-on-one conversation on being arguably the most innovative coach in football history and how he has changed the way the game is played. Coming off an 11-2 season at the helm of the Washington State Cougars ...
Competing with the Couch: Improving the Venue Experience
August 06, 2019 16:54 - 56 minutes - 104 MBTom Garfinkel – President & CEO, Miami Dolphins Amy Latimer – President, TD Garden Brian Mirakian – Senior Principal & Populous Activate Director, Populous Pete Giorgio – Leader, US Sports Consulting, Deloitte Angela Ruggiero (Moderator) – CEO & Co-Founder, Sports Innovation Lab With increasing options for when, where, and how fans are able to watch their favorite teams play, legacy venues are trying to accommodate newer technologies and comforts to encourage fans to come to live gam...
Sports Mythbusting
August 06, 2019 16:54 - 1 hour - 114 MBDarcy Norman – Performance Coach, US Men’s National Soccer Team Sue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm Jason Robins – Founder & CEO, DraftKings Pablo Torre – Host, ESPN Mike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel – Boston Celtics Mike Maughan – Head of Global Insights, Qualtrics Stephen J. Dubner (Moderator) – Author & Journalist Jason Concepcion (Moderator) – Senior Creative, The Ringer In the age of camera phones and social media, athletes and league officials can hardly do anythin...
It’s Complicated: Athlete Relationships with Social Media
August 06, 2019 16:53 - 57 minutes - 105 MBSue Bird – Point Guard, Seattle Storm Steve Magness – Performance Coach/Author, University of Houston George Karl – Former NBA Head Coach Matt Mayberry – Chief Operating Officer, Boundless Mind Tom Haberstroh (Moderator) – NBA Insider, NBC Sports Every league has, at least to some degree, embraced social media outlets like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook as critical channels to connect fans more closely to the sports they watch. Players view these communities as opportuniti...
Scoring Sponsorships: Metrics to Maximize Brand Value (Presented by Hookit)
August 06, 2019 16:00 - 52 minutes - 95.9 MBAdam Grow – COO, KORE Software Scott Tilton – Co-Founder & CEO, Hookit Joe Ruggiero – VP, Strategy & Business Development Rahul Kadavakolu – Executive Director of Global Branding & Marketing, Rakuten Ian Fitzpatrick – Head of Global Content & Digital Marketing Warren Zola (Moderator) – Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club With most aspects of our daily lives featuring advertising or sponsorships of some kind, it is increasingly difficult for brands to quantify an...
Basketball Analytics: Hunting for Unicorns
August 06, 2019 15:59 - 55 minutes - 101 MBZach Lowe – Senior Writer & NBA Columnist, ESPN Mike Zarren – Assistant General Manager & Team Counsel, Boston Celtics Paul Pierce – NBA Analyst, ESPN Bob Myers – GM & President of Basketball Operations, Golden State Warriors Howard Beck (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Bleacher Report The game of basketball changes quickly – so in an era of three-point shooting, floor spacing, and versatility, it’s natural to wonder what the next iteration of the game will look like. Forecasting the rel...
Soccer Analytics: Shaping the Future of the Game (Presented by OptaPro)
August 06, 2019 15:57 - 55 minutes - 101 MBBrian Bilello – President, New England Revolution Kristine Lilly – Former United States Women’s National Soccer Team Member Ben Mackriell – Head of OptaPro Isaac Guerrero – Technical Director, FC Barcelona Football School Grant Wahl (Moderator) – Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated As the beautiful game continues to adapt to the rise of analytics, player positions are evolving in accordance with these changes. With the rise of data collection at the back of this impending revolution, n...
Data is the New Black: Building Data-Driven Organizations
August 06, 2019 15:32 - 57 minutes - 105 MBMaryann Turcke – COO, NFL Amy Howe – President of Ticketmaster, North America Jessica Gelman – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group Mike Zarren – Assistant GM & Team Counsel, Boston Celtics Michele Steele (Moderator) – Studio Anchor & Reporter, ESPN Traditional management principles need to be revised—data is shaping the way in which best-in-class organizations build teams, drive strategy, maximize revenue, and create culture. What are the challenges in acquiring and analyzing data in sports? ...
Making the Modern Athlete: A Conversation with David Epstein and Malcolm Gladwell
August 06, 2019 15:32 - 56 minutes - 103 MBDavid Epstein – Science Writer & Investigative Reporter Malcolm Gladwell - Author Authors Malcolm Gladwell and David Epstein meet again, five years since their initial 10,000 Hours vs. The Sports Gene talk, to resurface the important and long-standing question of whether nature or nurture determines one’s athletic success. In this one-on-one discussion, Gladwell and Epstein sit down to evaluate what has changed, including Epstein’s latest argument that contrary to popular belief, genera...
Direct-to-Consumer: Disrupting & Engaging Today’s Sports Fans (Presented by Rakuten)
August 06, 2019 15:31 - 57 minutes - 105 MBKat Frederick – CMO, Ticketmaster John Forese – Chief Product & Data Officer, Rakuten Intelligence Portia Archer – VP of Direct to Consumer Services, NBC Sports Jennifer Ferron – Chief Marketing Officer, Kraft Sports & Entertainment Carolyn Tisch Blodgett – Senior VP & Head of Global Brand Marketing, Peloton Kristen Bernert (Moderator) – SVP Business Operations, MSG Sports The ability to create and view content on-the-go has changed how fans engage with their favorite teams on game ...
Metrics are the Mike: Football Analytics
August 06, 2019 15:30 - 57 minutes - 105 MBKevin Demoff – COO & EVP of Football Operations, Los Angeles Rams Warren Sharp – Founder, Sharp Football Analysis & Sharp Football Stats Karim Kassam – Analytics Coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers Mina Kimes (Moderator) – Senior Writer & Columnist, ESPN Football is rapidly shedding its reputation for being slow in the uptake and application of advanced analytics, as today’s teams are more readily harnessing the power of data to inform their decision making. Hear from some of the brighte...
Achievement Unlocked: Esports Analytics
August 06, 2019 15:29 - 56 minutes - 104 MBNicole Pike – Global Managing Director, Nielsen Esports Sebastian Park – Vice President of Esports, Clutch Gaming Doug Watson – Head of Esports Insights, Riot Games Kasra Jafroodi – Senior Business Analyst, Strategy & Analytics, Activision Blizzard Ed Chang – Director of Business Strategy, EA Ryan Garfat (Moderator) – Senior Editor – Esports, ESPN A multitude of esports leagues and tournaments are thriving globally across various blockbuster games. With the start of another exciting...
Do Athletes Need the Media?
August 06, 2019 15:29 - 53 minutes - 98.8 MBLarry Fitzgerald – Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals Jeanie Buss – Owner, Los Angeles Lakers Adam Hansmann – Founder, The Athletic Katie Nolan – Host, ESPN Jack McCallum (Moderator) – Special Contributor, Sports Illustrated Until recently, athletes were completely reliant on journalists to communicate with fans, and consequently their stories were told through someone else’s lens. Today, the media landscape has fundamentally shifted. Athletes own and curate their image, leading to man...
Unlocking Potential: The Next Generation of Tracking Data (Presented by STATS)
August 06, 2019 15:28 - 56 minutes - 104 MBPatrick Lucey – Vice President of Artificial Intelligence, STATS Kirk Goldsberry – NBA Analyst, ESPN Rachel Marty Pyke – Data Scientist, Noah Basketball Chris Capuano – Former MLB Pitcher Shira Springer (Moderator) – Sports and Society Reporter, NPR & WBUR Player tracking technologies in the past decade have provided information that was once unattainable—the distance and speed a player runs in a game, effectiveness against certain defenders, the game situations which are most likely...
Skin in the Game: Sports Gambling’s Emergence in the US
August 06, 2019 15:27 - 1 hour - 114 MBSharon Otterman – Chief Marketing Officer, William Hill Doug Kezirian – Sports Betting Analyst, ESPN Matteo Monteverdi – President, Sportradar US Andrew Ashenden – CCO, Perform Kip Levin – President and COO, FanDuel Jeff Ma (Moderator) – SVP, Product & Analytics, Duetto The moment millions of fans have been waiting for is finally here: sports betting is legal in a few of the 50 U.S. states and is only expected to become more widely accepted. The implications of this new era for fans...
Managing the Big League Levers
August 06, 2019 15:27 - 53 minutes - 97.5 MBChris Greeley – Commissioner of the LCS & Head of League Operations, Riot Games Rafael Stone – General Counsel, Houston Rockets Evan Wasch – SVP of Basketball Strategy & Analytics, NBA Damani Leech – Senior Vice President, Football Strategy & Business Development, NFL Alison Overholt (Moderator) – Editor-in-Chief, ESPN The Magazine, espnW, and the ESPYs, ESPN The ecosystem of a sports league is unique, and league offices are given the difficult task of bringing together a set of disp...
Rebooting the Lakers/Celtics Rivalry
August 06, 2019 15:26 - 56 minutes - 104 MBJeanie Buss – Owner, Los Angeles Lakers Wyc Grousbeck – Managing Partner, Governor & CEO, Boston Celtics Jackie MacMullan (Moderator) – Senior Writer, ESPN The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is one of the most storied in all of sports. From Russell vs. Chamberlain, Bird vs. Magic, to the “Big Three” vs. Kobe and Gasol, the matchup has defined eras throughout the history of the NBA. It’s been almost ten years since their most recent matchup in the NBA finals, as each team has transitioned on fr...
Career Kickoff
August 06, 2019 15:24 - 55 minutes - 103 MBMatt Wolf – Senior VP, Team Marketing & Business Operations, NBA Michelle Wang – Director of Strategy, Ticketmaster Erin Golden – Manager – Express Lane, Nike Brandon Shore – VP, Football Administration, Miami Dolphins Hana Peljto Cluff – VP, Applied Analytics Solutions, WarnerMedia Liz Moulton (Moderator) – Co-Leader of Sports Business Practice, Spencer Stuart The Career Panel provides a lively discussion on the skills vital in today’s sports industry and what analytical and busine...
The People Advantage: Culture Analytics
August 06, 2019 15:23 - 1 hour - 112 MBNate Silver – Statistician, Author, and Founder, FiveThirtyEight Daryl Morey – General Manager, Houston Rockets Jessica Gelman – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group Adam Grant (Moderator) – Professor, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania The availability of data today is rapidly expanding, and while this promises to unlock valuable insights for all businesses, many organizations find themselves at a crossroads. While some leaders will boldly turn over all decision-making to AI, oth...
No Lead Is Safe: Innovation in Sports
August 06, 2019 15:22 - 56 minutes - 104 MBSaj Cherian – Partner, Kynetic Amy Brooks – Chief Innovation Officer & President of TMBO, NBA Jason Robins – Founder & CEO, DraftKings Steve Pagliuca – Co-Owner, Boston Celtics Eric Chemi (Moderator) – Sports Business Reporter, CNBC Sports has been a bastion for innovation and change. Today, with vertical integration, new partnerships, gambling, esports and direct-to-consumer opportunities, the pace of innovation has accelerated. For those at the leading edge of the sports industry, ...