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Want to learn more about the most talked about topics and trends in the sports business industry from the sports business executives who run it?
Join Next League’s CEO David Nugent, a sports technology industry veteran and thought leader with over 20 years experience in the ever-changing technology services business. Tune in every week for insightful and engaging discussions on everything from artificial intelligence and fan engagement to the changing media landscape and the growth of women’s sports with the sports industry’s leading executives.
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36 Episodes
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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 Westbrook. The goal? Create the busiest outdoor stadium in the U.S., host 80–90 events a year an...
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 strategy, rethinking fan monetization, and turning venues into year-round revenue engines. As t...
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 renowned for its arena, opera season, and visibility tied to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympi...
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 campus and how it’s transforming player development, industry collaboration, and fan engagement...
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 quality and driver sentiment carry as much weight as market dynamics. He also shares how Miami’s ro...
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 partner win. Nicole is also diving into her operator’s playbook: packaging the road to LA28, sequ...
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 systems, stretch capex cycles, and free teams from grunt work so staff can focus on strategy. ...
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 Foundation(5:52) Liz Moore, LPGA(13:19) Mollie Marcoux Samaan, former LPGA Commissioner(20:06) Jon...
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 Entertainment Sports Network after a six-week sprint—so the club could produce live events, orig...
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 rooms to NBC’s direct-to-consumer pivots, Rob shares how those lessons are shaping NYRR’s tech r...
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 golf, and pushed for a more athlete-centered approach that balances performance, mental...
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 into next-gen sports venues, including for Unrivaled, a 3v3 women’s basketball league, and the rap...
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. With a looming centennial in 2026, Keith is leading a massive repositioning effort, expanding into ...
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. Jon was one of the earliest employees at TGL and shares how he helped develop new content...
What happens when you invite 30 employees from every corner of a sports organization to talk about what frustrates them most at work - and then actually build AI solutions around it? At the Portland Trail Blazers, it sparked an AI transformation that’s saving hours, surfacing sales leads, and bringing fans closer to the brand. In this episode, Christa Stout and David Long share how they’ve embedded innovation into the DNA of the Blazers not just through flashy tech, but by empowering ...
We’ve officially hit the midpoint of the year, having released 20 episodes so far - so we thought we’d do something a little different. In this Best Of episode, we’re revisiting some of the most compelling conversations on innovative and emerging technologies in sports. From AI-driven scouting, how leagues are navigating decentralized media consumption, to immersive fan experiences and cutting-edge data platforms, this episode showcases the forward-thinking ideas that are shaping the future ...
What do you get when you launch a brand new women’s hockey league, sell out 19,000 seats mid-flight, and redefine how sports content is created and consumed, all in year 1? Jayne Bussman-Wise, VP of Growth Strategy and New Ventures at the PWHL, is here to discuss what’s driving the PWHL’s explosive growth in its first two seasons. Jayne unpacks the league’s unconventional startup structure and how that nimbleness allows them to test bold ideas, like a 9 city Takeover Tour and live podcast pr...
When you’re producing more live golf coverage than anyone in the world, the technology behind the scenes better be world-class. Enter Luis Goicouria, SVP of Media at the PGA TOUR, who reveals how the league has transformed into a media powerhouse. Think drone-mapped golf courses, patented ball-tracking AI, and a brand-new 165,000-square-foot production hub that rivals any in pro sports. Seven live feeds are produced weekly, including ESPN+’s PGA TOUR LIVE and newly launched global “world fe...
What do you do when Amazon wants your media rights, but not your production headaches? If you’re NASCAR, you build a $60 MILLION dollar, 58,000-square-foot facility from scratch to solve the problem. This week, Brian Herbst, EVP and Chief Media & Revenue Officer at NASCAR is here to share the bold moves behind NASCAR’s $7.7 billion media rights strategy. He shares the inside story of how NASCAR landed Amazon, TNT/Max, and The CW as new media partners, even while simultaneously producing e...
Perkins Miller, CEO of Fandom, is sharing his playbook on digital transformation inside some of the world’s most iconic media and sports organizations: NBC, the NFL, WWE, and now Fandom. Perkins opens up about the balance between speed, scale, and accuracy when delivering enterprise-grade digital experiences. From broadcasting 10,000 hours of Olympic video to building the WWE Network from scratch, he shares why strategic planning and risk tolerance shape organizational success in tech. ...
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