Navigating Sports Business

Sponsorship budgets often compete with digital and social advertising that offer clear, measurable conversion rates. Rather than treating sponsorships like a pure media buy, experienced marketers understand the downstream impact on sales, employee morale, brand perception, and reach across markets. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=762f59b100fb41de395e620e77eea263 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Special predictions episode: AJ and Charles give their thoughts on the next 12-months in sports business. What will be the price tag for Seattle Seahawks? Will the NBA expand? Will the NFL add an 18th game? How many private capital deals reach college athletics? We'll revisit these predictions next year to see what we got right and what surprised us. Timestamps: 0:45 - The next NFL media deal & an 18th game 4:40 - Netflix's sports portfolio 7:40 - Will a tech company buy a team? 11:40 - World Cup 16:35 - Collegiate Athletics 21:30 - Private Capital 27:15 - NCAA Tournament Expansion 31:45 - Franchise sales 44:20 - MLB lockout 51:05 - NBA expansion For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Mike Dillon - CFO of the Pittsburgh Penguins - leads a duel role overseeing both finance and strategy for one of the most iconic franchises in the NHL. He and his team work closely with Navigate on advanced fan segmentation and custom research. He discusses the things NHL teams do well from a revenue standpoint and where there is room for increased sophistication and growth. He also talks about maintaining positive momentum from major moments like the winter Olympics and the success of Heated Rivalry. Timestamps: 1:15 - Mike's Background 6:30 - Achieving positive outcomes regardless of team success 12:30 - The Penguins outperforming expectations 15:35 - Hockey taking over the conversations 20:30 - Mike's dual role as CFO and head of strategy 23:20 - What hockey gets right 25:30 - Advanced fan segmentation 31:05 - NHL growth in the next decade 36:20 - Rapid Fire Questions Mike's Pittsburgh Restaurant Recommendations: DiAnoia's Eatery Alla Famiglia For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

How are teams and leagues approaching partnerships with prediction markets? Jeff and Charles are having frequent conversations with property clients around how to handle this emerging category. For most, the priorities are to monetize the category while respecting existing sports better partners. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=88ebc0133d153220edab58c5877f6f83 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

What is the most common mistake athletic departments are going to make as private capital enters college sports? AJ and Charles give their thoughts: 1) How are you spending the money? 2) Are you maintaining optionality for the future? 3) Are incentives properly aligned? Private equity is looking for a return on investment, so schools are going to need to optimize their revenues, and not use the funds to cover up short-term gaps. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=0274a79bbace9aa1eff963137011a31e For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Katie Bynum Aznavorian - Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee - dives into the metrics behind a very successful Milan Cortina games, and how she's able to pivot quickly to planning for LA28. The USOPC has a funding model that's different from how all other peer nations pay for the athletes to participate in the Olympic Games. Receiving no money at all from federal sources, they rely on sponsorship, media, and philanthropic donations. They are forced to operate as an intelligent, profitable business, and Katie and her team continue to prove that the model works. Timestamps: 1:10 - The success of Milan Cortina 7:30 - Katie's time at the games 9:50 - The funding model for USOPC 18:30 - Venue naming rights in LA28 20:25 - If you were to create the Olympic brand from scratch 24:35 - Making Team USA 28:20 - Do NCAA changes threaten the Olympic pipeline? 31:10 - Rapid Fire Questions For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

David Dunn – Founder of Athletes First – worked with Leigh Steinberg before separating to start his own agency. He shares the story of the legal battle that followed. Dunn and Athletes First ultimately won on appeal, but he still faced an 18-month NFLPA suspension from negotiating contracts. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=706ad15465bd624d2f547436740fa742 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

If your sponsorship budget was about to be cut, what data would you cite to defend it? AJ & Charles share insights & ROI data from Navigate's 20+ years of sponsorship consulting to explore why sponsorship works, how it compares to other marketing channels, and how to spend strategically to see true ROI. Will you be at NSF in St. Louis? Make sure to say hi to Charles while you're in town. Get in touch at Charles@NVGT.com Timestamps: 3:40 - Do sponsorships work? 7:00 - Brands that should steer clear of sponsorships 11:25 - Sponsorship is not purely a marketing investment 17:25 - Trends & growth 21:00 - Using sponsorship to reach a fragmented, global audience 22:30 - Predictions for the next 12-24 months Revisit our podcast with T-Mobile's Amy Azzi: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=c2641669c5f08ef945885ff03fea24f1 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

AJ and Charles share sympathy for athletic directors and administrators who are trying to plan for the future while being pulled in a dozen different directions by forces largely beyond their control. They discuss this "two timeline" issue of having to tackle the short-term problems while also battling increasing uncertainty about the future. This was part of a larger conversation about the path forward for college sports amid talks of super leagues, athlete employment, and other major shakeups. Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=1e977ebc536a4f7840f232ca6e253547&ppepisode=03ae512e3bd76f81902c00ae647b4017 For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/ .

There's a 100% chance we're talking about prediction markets this week. Jeff Nelson and Charles Rolston offer advice to sports marketers on the property side wondering how aggressively to pursue prediction market partnerships, if sports betting partners maintain exclusivity, and how changing regulation will complicate the signing of these deals. Many leagues and clubs have already established partnerships with Polymarket, Kalshi, and other players in the prediction market space. Timestamps: 3:40 - Are prediction markets the new crypto? 9:00 - Has the money dried up from traditional sports betting platforms? 12:45 - Deals that have already been signed 19:35 - What % of teams will have a prediction market partner in the next 12 months? 26:14 - Placing trades on the Swift-Kelce wedding For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.