SSAC

Changing the Game: How Advanced Data is Enhancing Broadcasts (Presented by ESPN)

Jason Benetti – College Play-by-Play Announcer, ESPN

Mike Petriello – Stats Analyst, MLB Advanced Media

Doug White – Senior Director, Programming & Acquisitions, ESPN

Ariel Kelman – Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Amazon Web Services

Seth Walder (Moderator) – Sports Analytics Writer, ESPN

 

Recent years have seen an uptick in the use of advanced data and analytics to enhance game broadcasts and drive second-screen platforms, creating differentiating viewing experiences for sports fans. The growth of player tracking technology in baseball, basketball and football has fueled opportunities to tell smart, new stories during live game windows. This panel will discuss innovative ways that events have been presented on linear and digital platforms, what is coming soon, and what may be possible in the not-so-distant future.

Creating a Sports Legacy

Josh Harris – Owner, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment

Jonathan Kraft – President, The Kraft Group

Casey Wasserman – Chairman & CEO, Wasserman

Jackie MacMullan (Moderator) – Senior Writer, ESPN

 

Legacies are built when there is a vision for establishing something novel and long-lasting. Today’s industry game changers are learning from multiple avenues to have impact internationally, technologically, and through using data to gain a long-lasting competitive advantage in the front office and on the field. This panel brings sports industry leaders who have turned their business success in other fields to redefining the future of sports. Jonathan Kraft has created a sports dynasty in New England and is actively extending to esports, additional venues, and technology and analytics. Josh Harris trusted the process and has ownership stakes in basketball, hockey, soccer, esports and much more. Casey Wasserman turned an agency into an Olympic Movement and his impact is just beginning. Learn how they approach decision-making, hiring, investing, and what the future holds.

What Does the Fox Say? Analytics in Poker

Scott Blumstein – Poker Player

Sunny Mehta – Former NHL Executive

Bill Chen – Quantitative Researcher, Jagger Analytics

Maria Konnikova – Author, Journalist, and Ambassador, PokerStars Team Pro

Nate Silver – Statistician, Author, and Founder, FiveThirtyEight

 

Given the massive set of possible decision points – 10^14 in Limit Hold ‘em and 10^160 in No-limit Hold ‘em – poker lends itself naturally to the implementation of analytics. Moreover, the rise of analytics’ prominence in poker has somewhat mirrored the rise of analytics in other major professional sports in the 21st century. This panel, led by Nate Silver, brings together a diverse set of backgrounds in analytics and professional gaming that will explore the crossover between these sports and poker – looking into what we can learn from poker that can be applied to sports and sports analytics.

Winning Outside the Game in the Business of Sports

John Collins – CEO, On Location Experiences

Jimmy Pitaro – President, ESPN

Michelle Wilson – President, WWE

Scott O’Neil – CEO, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment

Jessica Gelman (Moderator) – CEO, Kraft Analytics Group

 

The sports industry is changing every day: questions around media rights are more pertinent than ever, consumer interests and desired engagement are evolving quickly, the ticketing industry is undergoing a massive shift, and start-up leagues and technologies are challenging leagues who had a near monopoly on fans attention. Meet the leaders who are shaping the response to external agents of change and crafting visions and strategies that will define the future of sports business. On this panel, industry leaders from some of the most influential companies in sports will share insights on how they’ve transformed their organizations and themselves to keep pace with the sports industry evolution.

An American Analyst in London

Ted Knutson – Owner and Founder, StatsBomb

Daryl Morey – General Manager, Houston Rockets

Roger Bennett (Moderator) – Host, Men in Blazers

 

Soccer, the sport with the largest global fan base, has largely resisted the analytics wave. Despite recent improvements, the game has failed to undergo a major gameplay revolution like basketball, baseball, and football. Daryl Morey questions some of the fundamental assumptions and decision-making in soccer analysis. Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers, will lead a wide-ranging conversation with analysts across soccer and other sports to better understand the big-picture ways soccer should change.

Ticketing Analytics: The Power of Open Distribution

Patrick Ryan – Co-Founder, Eventellect

Brendan Lynch – Enterprise Commercial & Ticketmaster Agency Lead, Ticketmaster

Bobby Gallo – Vice President of Club Business Development, NFL

Gretchen Sheirr – Chief Revenue Officer, Houston Rockets

Abe Madkour (Moderator) – Publisher, SportsBusiness Journal

 

Ticketing is the next frontier of major growth in the sports business. As leagues and teams begin to trend toward a more open ticketing environment, they will be able to leverage multiple distribution channels and data analytics to forge one-on-one relationships with their customers. In turn, fans will become direct beneficiaries of a more streamlined ticket buying process that will reduce the friction and risk of fraud that has plagued it in the past. This panel of executives from teams, leagues, and vendors will explore the challenges that they face in an evolving ticketing landscape and lend insight into some of the questions that wider distribution presents to ticket sellers.

Helping Dream Chasers: Social Justice with Meek Mill and Michael Rubin

Meek Mill – Hip Hop Artist

Michael Rubin – Founder & Executive Chairman, Fanatics

Rachel Nichols (Moderator) – Reporter, ESPN

 

Having been directly impacted by unfairly harsh laws and unexpectedly becoming a voice for criminal justice reform, Philadelphia-raised rapper Meek Mill shares his unique perspective and partnership with close friend and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers Michael Rubin to bring greater awareness to this issue impacting millions without a voice in the US. Together, they sit down with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols to discuss their REFORM Alliance launch and vision for prison reform.

The Performance/Precaution Tradeoff: Player Health

John DiFiori – Director of Sports Medicine, NBA

Casey Smith – Head Athletic Trainer, Dallas Mavericks

Adir Shiffman – Executive Chairman, Catapult

Gretchen Reynolds (Moderator) – “Phys Ed” Columnist, The New York Times

 

The days of rubbing dirt on an injury and returning to the game are over. Fans watch games to see their favorite athletes and teams perform at a high level, and so the processes and technologies in place to maintain player health are paramount to the quality of the product on the field. Consequently, more and more investment is going into both preventative and reactive measures to improve athlete health. What are the key considerations when seeking to maximize performance and stay healthy? What data is available to help illuminate risks and prolong careers? How can teams and players balance exercising caution without being overprotective? This panel brings together the experts working to explore the opportunities in maximizing player performance, extending careers, and keeping athletes healthy.