The Sports Business Leaders Podcast

Pascal Daoust joined the New York Sirens in 2023 with a franchise to build and just three days to sign its first three players.One of the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s original six teams, the Sirens play at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and are building a following across the New York metropolitan area. Their roster includes Sarah Fillier, whom the club selected first overall in the 2024 PWHL Draft.Pascal joins Jake Voorhees to discuss building the organization, developing players and giving fans a reason to support a new team in a crowded sports market.The conversation covers:▪️ Building the Sirens from scratch, from signing the first players to hiring staff and establishing expectations.▪️ Growing the team’s following through player access, community connections and memorable games at Prudential Center and Madison Square Garden.▪️ Navigating PWHL expansion and roster changes while balancing long-term player development with the pressure to win.Follow the Sports Business Leaders podcast and leave a rating to help more people find these conversations.

More fans don’t always mean deeper engagement. Neil Schwartz, President of SBRnet, returns to the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how teams and brands can better understand their audiences and turn that knowledge into stronger business results.Drawing on more than 25 years of sports consumer research, Neil explains why attendance, viewership, and social media only tell part of the story. We explore how merchandise purchases, sports betting, travel, and other behaviors reveal fan engagement, why winning doesn’t guarantee lasting loyalty, and how teams can build relationships that drive repeat spending. Neil also shares how SBRnet’s Sports Market Analytics platform helps organizations identify audiences and make more informed marketing and sponsorship decisions.Thank you to Neil and SBRnet for proudly sponsoring the SBL Summit, July 20–21, 2027, at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. We appreciate their support as we bring sports executives, founders, and industry leaders together to build relationships and explore innovation in the business of sports.

Chris Phillips, Chief Revenue Officer of Soccer Holdings, and Jeff Garner, President of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, join the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how they run and grow their soccer businesses.Chris oversees revenue for an organization that includes Louisville City FC of the USL Championship, Racing Louisville FC of the NWSL, and Lynn Family Stadium. He explains how the clubs attract different audiences, how his team tailors ticket packages and marketing to each fanbase, and why collaboration across ticketing, sponsorship, and community departments matters.Jeff shares how Pittsburgh is expanding across the Riverhounds, Pittsburgh Riveters SC of the USL W League, its development academy, F.N.B. Stadium, and the AHN Montour Sports Complex. He discusses stadium expansion, growing youth programs, and using fan data and AI to help plan match dates and forecast revenue.The longtime friends also reflect on their careers in minor league baseball, share advice for sports business leaders, and trade a few jokes about their recent USL Championship playoff matchup.

JTCC CEO Martin Blackman and Laurel Springs School’s Jack Dempsey join the Sports Business Leaders Podcast to discuss how their 25-year partnership helps student-athletes succeed on the court, in the classroom, and beyond.Martin shares lessons from his playing career and decade leading player development at the USTA, while Jack explains why partnership deliverables should be “the floor, not the ceiling.” We explore their approach to combining elite tennis training with flexible education, creating college opportunities, and building relationships around shared goals—with practical advice for sports executives and companies looking to create lasting value.

Ted Andrews, Vice President at UNA Sports Group, joins the Sports Business Leaders podcast to discuss how investors evaluate sports teams and emerging leagues.A former Chicago White Sox draft pick, Ted shares his journey from professional baseball to private equity and PwC’s sports advisory practice. He breaks down UNA’s approach to sports investing, its ownership of New York’s summer and winter X Games teams, and how revenue sharing, sponsorships, media rights, and hands-on operations shape long-term value.Ted also shares advice on building relationships in sports and opening doors by helping others.