Navigating Sports Business AJ Maestas

Rich Franklin – VP of ONE Championship – on his transition from elite MMA fighter to executive, and how his mindset as an athlete has helped him succeed.
 
His current role involves working with sports commissions to pave the way for ONE to host events in those locations.
 
Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=dd737148b64032b84f53bedb88b0002c
 
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Bob Thurman - Global VP, WIlson R&D & GM, Global Golf at Wilson - shares the process behind designing and producing high-quality sporting goods, from the classics to the ground-breaking new technologies.
 
He gives our listeners a behind-the-scenes tour of Wilson's famous Innovation Center, including the file cabinet that contains the specs for personalized golf clubs for everyone from Michael Jordan to Gerald Ford.
 
He also discusses his background in aerospace engineering and how it led him to his current career. As far as we know, he's the first guest on Navigating Sports Business to hold a patent (and he owns several)!
 
Details:
2:15 - Bob’s engineering background 6:00 - Wilson’s patents 13:50 - The R&D process 18:50 - Wilson Golf 19:45 - The Wilson Innovation Center 28:20 - Working with youth sports 30:05 - Rapid Fire Questions  
Links:
ARC'TERYX Brand Bob and Wilson's list of Patents  
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Mike Buckley – Co-Owner & CEO of the United States SailGP Team – shares his excitement upcoming New York Sail Grand Prix, now less than a month away.
 
Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=bd72917e7532c2539a4ce4e7783f67b5
 
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

J.J. Gottsch - CEO of the Austin Gamblers - explains how he transitioned to running a Professional Bull Riders team after more than two and a half decades working in baseball.
 
The team-based model of PBR aligns more closely with other professional sports, so that new fans feel a familiar atmosphere despite many being previously unacquainted with bull riding.
 
Details:
1:40 - J.J.’s baseball background 11:25 - Moving to the Austin Gamblers 18:20 - The Ride docuseries 20:15 - Who are the bull riders? 22:15 - The team model 27:20 - The outlook for season 3 31:45 - Rapid Fire Questions  
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

"We have the largest video and stats database in sports ever created."
 
Sameer Ahuja – President of GameChanger and SVP at DICK’S Sporting Goods – reveals plans for new video-based AI features that will allow fans and coaches to film games and have stats and data be automatically recorded.
 
He and Jeff Nelson also discuss the benefits of building this kind of feature in-house, and why data is the key to a successful AI model. With 40 million games logged in GameChanger, their dataset is unrivaled.
 
Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=21d0de0b7c3b0e9dff2212531f0d32a1
 
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Rich Franklin - VP of ONE Championship - describes his transition from elite MMA fighter to executive at Asia's largest sports property, and his role in ONE's expansion into the U.S.
 
A lot has changed since we published our interview ONE Founder Chatri Sityodtong, including their debut U.S. event last May. An important part of Rich's role is working with cities to get new events approved, including upcoming showcases in Denver and Atlanta.
 
Details:
3:15 - ONE Championship is not just an MMA company
5:35 - Last year’s U.S. debut in Denver
10:50 - Getting the rule set approved
12:20 - The Amazon Prime streaming deal
13:50 - Goals for the future
14:45 - Rich’s background in martial arts
21:00 - The shift from athlete to executive
27:55 - Rapid Fire Questions
 
Listen to our Chatri Sityodtong interview: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=00fc4b4c5f1a52e93d212ebc4391651b
 
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.