Know What Is Next

Power in sports is becoming more distributed, and Pete Vlastelica has seen that shift from nearly every angle: early digital media, league operations, esports, and now venture investing. In this conversation, Pete reflects on how operating through multiple cycles of disruption shapes judgment, partnerships, and long-term strategy in sports and technology. You’ll hear about the operating lessons he carried from building Yardbarker in the early days of user-generated sports content, scaling digital platforms at Fox Sports, and helping professionalize esports at Activision Blizzard.Pete and Dave also explore what those experiences signal for the industry today, including how creator-led distribution and NIL are changing where influence and leverage live, and what leagues, teams, and technology partners need to rethink as power continues to decentralize.In this episode, you’ll hear:How Pete reshaped his thinking on risk, identity, and leadership after losing his home in the Pacific Palisades fireWhy NIL and creator platforms are changing who controls distribution and monetization in sportsHow Yardbarker’s SEO-driven blog network anticipated the creator economy years before social platforms scaledHow esports introduced city-based franchises, global leagues, and fully remote broadcasts without centralized venuesResources and Links:Connect with Pete Vlastelica on LinkedIn and learn more about Elysian Park Ventures on their website.Check out Pete’s book recommendations: Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank and The Lean Startup by Eric Ries.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

AI is hitting consumers faster in sports than almost anywhere else, and PGA of America GM Rob Smith argues that’s exactly why the industry has become a real-world testing ground for emerging technology. In this episode, Rob digs into how AI is already reshaping day-to-day work, what “anticipatory” AI could look like when it earns a seat at the event-ops table, and why the real shift is carving out time to train these tools.Rob also walks through how the PGA of America brought digital media rights in-house and built a modern digital org from scratch: websites, apps, social, YouTube, and championship coverage—into a lean team operating across major moments like the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup, and how their next wave of innovation centers on the attending fan journey.In this episode, you’ll hear:What AI is changing in day-to-day roles inside of sports organizationsThe ripple effects of bringing media rights in-house for the PGA of America’s digital teamHow the Ryder Cup pulls off a single digital experience across two continents, multiple broadcasters, and competing teamsWhy fan experiences are shifting toward a “concierge model,” powered by AI-driven planning and recommendationsWhat younger audiences expect from modern sports content, and how automation and short-form distribution are reshaping golfResources and Links:Connect with Rob Smith on LinkedIn.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

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 of sports.You’ll hear from the following guests:(0:39) Julie Souza, Global Head of Sports at AWS (6:33) Devin Poolman, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Cosm(8:22) Andrew Macauley, CTO of TMRW Sports and TGL(13:14) Christa Stout and David Long, the Portland Trail Blazers (17:36) Chris Marinak, former Chief Operations and Strategy Officer at MLB(24:16) Luis Goicouria, SVP of Media at the PGA TOURIn this episode, you’ll hear:How MLB are using generative AI to translate content, personalize experiences, and reach global audiences at scaleWhat it takes to design immersive venues that can be replicated across dozens of markets without losing local relevanceHow TGL used Season 1 data to redesign its playing surface, virtual holes, and broadcast experience for season 2Why the Portland Trail Blazers believe innovation only works when teams are empowered to try, fail, pivot, and move onResources and Links:Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital 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, Sports Media Advisors(5:50) Greg Bedrosian, Drake Star(10:28) Brian Herbst, NASCAR(16:36) Jessica Forrest, Nielsen Sports(22:03) Mike Conley, Rock Entertainment Group and the Cleveland CavaliersIn this episode, you’ll hear:The explosion of bidders, from Amazon to Apple to Netflix — and how it has made media-rights valuation more complex for leaguesHow institutional capital is fueling sports investment and why PE firms see untapped value beyond media rights A look at NASCAR’s $7.7B rights deal while adding Amazon, TNT, Max, and the CWHow Nielsen captures streaming viewership, and what early data reveals about audience shifts across platformsHow the Cleveland Cavaliers built their own network to prepare for the collapsing local media rights model (and why teams must now operate like media companies)Resources and Links:Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

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 at the rapid professionalization of college athletics. Brian breaks down the ripple effects of NIL, the Alston decision, and the House settlement, why more schools must now think like pro properties, and what this shift means for non-revenue and Olympic sports. He also flags the risk he sees in the growing world of unregulated NIL “managers” and agent standards.Zooming out, Brian explores emerging leagues (especially in women’s sports), the influx of institutional capital, guidance on choosing markets, and building indispensable fan relationships. We wrap up with the tech trends he’s watching, the uncertain future of predictive markets, and their overlap with sports betting.In this episode, you’ll hear:How NIL, Alston, and the House settlement are forcing college athletic departments to rethink their entire revenue mixThe upside and danger in today’s NIL marketplace, including Brian’s concern about college athletes signing long-term deals at 10–20%Why Brian thinks the growth ceiling of women’s and emerging sports leagues is still far from being reached New tech trends, like touchless concessions and biometric entry that remove friction from the live experienceResources and Links:Connect with Brian Michael Cooper on LinkedIn.Learn more about GreenbergTraurig.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

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 exponentially harder when competition, money, and public scrutiny intensify.Drawing on his experience spanning venture investing, media, hospitality, and board leadership, alongside his academic background in philosophy and religion, Andrew shares why leadership ultimately comes down to “people peopling,” how he evaluates alignment versus raw talent, and what traits he believes matter most for navigating disruption in modern sports organizations.In this episode, you’ll hear:How Andrew’s background in theology and philosophy helps executives make better “people decisions” during times of disruptionThe Trust–Loyalty–Integrity lens Andrew uses to decide which founders, boards, and companies to back What NIL and the transfer portal reveal about the end of amateur hour in college sports, and why Andrew thinks private capital and commercial incentives are reshaping the systemThe repeatable investing behavior Andrew believes operators and executives need to focus on Resources and Links:Connect with Andrew Siegel on LinkedIn.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

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 technology services company that ultimately sold to Infront. Dave and Igor get into the mechanics of valuation in the real world — multiples on revenue vs. profit, the importance of cash generation, and why buyers care so much about whether the business can run without the founder in the room. Igor also explains how services businesses live or die on utilization, pricing discipline, hiring, and the “art and science” of estimating complex projects. They dig into the tradeoffs of taking loss-leader work,why “follow your passion,” “fail fast,” and “work on the business, not in the business” are incomplete clichés, and how to avoid underpricing your value just to win logos.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why most founders misunderstand what makes a services business scalable, and the ONE metric Igor would force every operator to masterWhy “loss-leader work” is almost always a trap, and the moments at Omnigon when underpricing nearly cost them bigThe project-estimation approach Igor used to protect margins on massive sports buildsWhat really changes after an acquisition: new accountability, pressure of managing up, and an unexpected “MBA-level” crash courseThe culture challenges that emerge once a service team crosses 100+ peopleResources and Links:Connect with Igor Ulis on LinkedIn.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

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 unified fan data, why AI is becoming central to decision-making, and how new equine and jockey performance tracking initiatives are reshaping their training and storytelling. The Breeders’ Cup was able to move from initial conversation to a full WHOOP partnership in less than 3 weeks! And this rapid turnaround resulted in real-time biometric data from jockeys, owners, and trainers being integrated into NBC’s coverage.You’ll also hear how the Breeders’ Cup navigates rotating venues, massive event logistics, weather contingencies, and an increasingly competitive wagering landscape. Justin’s perspective offers a sharp, inside look at a historic sport that’s reinventing itself through innovation, investment, and global fandom.In this episode, you’ll hear:How nearly $1 billion in racetrack reinvestment is changing what fans can expect at major racing venuesWhy shared wallets inside sports betting apps (and FanDuel’s role) are a gateway for introducing new audiences to horse racingHow equine-rich datasets from Equibase and Daily Racing Form are starting to fuel “light” AI toolsWhat it really takes to rotate a major championship to a different venue each year, and why they are already planning host sites through 2030How the growing popularity of women’s sports and emerging pro leagues is shaping how leaders like Justin think about the next decade of sports fandomResources and Links:Connect with Justin McDonald on LinkedIn.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

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. James and David unpack why the market’s top properties continue to surge while everyone else fights for attention in a fragmented, algorithm-driven landscape. They explore how fan behavior, discovery challenges, and shifting consumption habits are now forcing rights holders to think far beyond “distribution” and start thinking like long-term customer-acquisition businesses. They also dive into why European structures resist change, and how ownership models are colliding culturally as U.S. investors take deeper stakes in global sport.From Saudi Arabia’s acceleration strategy to relocation battles, media disruptions, and the race to build talent pipelines, James and David offer a clear, unfiltered view of the forces that will define the next decade.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why the middle tier of global sports is at a crossroads, and what James and David think will separate the properties that break throughThe unexpected ripple effects of Saudi Arabia’s investment strategy and why its influence will reshape multiple sports far fasterHow the rise of American owners in European football is changing club culture, commercial strategy, and even fan expectationsWhat the U.S. sports world is getting shockingly right about building spectacle and fan engagementThe leadership traits and skill sets James and David see in the most future-ready sports executives Resources and Links:Connect with James Emmett on LinkedIn and connect with David Cushnan on LinkedIn.Learn more about Leaders In Sport on their website.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

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 optical tracking, which has contributed to the lowest concussion rate on record and a 79% spike in kickoff returns. Julie shares how the PGA TOUR captures every single tournament shot using AI, and on the production front, how the NHL executed its first fully cloud-delivered broadcast.Julie and David also get into the realities of rights fragmentation, the demand for personalized primary-screen experiences, the future role of AI in officiating, and the pressure to scale production without ballooning costs. In this episode, you’ll hear:How the NFL used data from 500M+ optical tracking points per week to model rule changes that reduced injuries Why the PGA TOUR built “Every Shot Live,” turning only ~15% of televised shots into 100% cloud-captured coverage that localizes broadcasts for global audiencesHow cloud production enabled the NHL to avoid ~2.05 metric tons of CO₂ on a single game and spin up data-driven alternate feedsA pragmatic vision for streaming where fantasy, betting, merch, food delivery, polls, and custom stat overlays live inside the primary feedHow AWS and the NFL navigate one quadrillion schedule permutations across 26,000+ constraints to produce a balanced slate every seasonResources and Links:Connect with Julie Souza on LinkedIn.Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.