The Speakeasy

SEG3

The Speakeasy is a podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at your favourite sports, entertainment and gaming brands - giving you a glimpse into the deals, strategies & innovations that are helping to keep you entertained. Whether you’re a die-hard fan, part of the industry, or just curious about how the biggest brands in sport, entertainment and gaming do what they do, The Speakeasy is your all-access pass to the stories behind the moments that are defining pop culture.

  1. The Economics of Fandom: Sports Loyalty Programs Explained

    19 Feb

    The Economics of Fandom: Sports Loyalty Programs Explained

    00:00 – Intro 02:30 – From selling attention to building relationships Sports has always monetised eyeballs. But what happens when attention alone isn’t enough? 06:00 – Why loyalty in sport feels underdeveloped How a category built on fandom often lacks a proper, year-round engagement layer. 09:00 – What modern loyalty could look like Moving beyond one-off promotions to something that runs 24/7, 365. 12:00 – Making it simple for fans Why any new technology or system has to feel easy for consumers to use - and where blockchain failed to start with 15:00 – Why “cool” ideas using blockchain aren't enough anymore How teams are getting more strategic in their use of blockchain to drive revenue, efficiency and engagement. 18:30 – How Starbucks & airlines do loyalty What sport can learn from preloaded value, points and rewards models that already work in consumer & travel 22:00 – The Cleveland Cavaliers case study How the Cavs approached loyalty — and what the physical and digital experience looks like for fans. 26:00 – From passive watching to active participation How predictions, rewards, and experiences are giving fans a reason to engage beyond game day. 30:00 – Why sponsors care about this shift The move from impressions to measurable participation and attribution, and the commercial value of those metrics. 34:00 – Owning the fan relationship Why long-term value comes from having a direct connection — and how to rebuild that relationship. 37:30 – What's the commercial potential of loyalty programs? The timeline towards loyalty becoming a core revenue line for most sports properties 40:00 – Final thoughts & wrap up ---- 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy 🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com 📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/ 📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3 💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: info@seg3.com   © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

    41 min
  2. The Clipping Economy: Driving Social Proof at Scale - Yuriy Yarovoy

    5 Feb

    The Clipping Economy: Driving Social Proof at Scale - Yuriy Yarovoy

    --- 00:00 – Welcome & the rise of the clipping economy Why the way people discover and engage with games is fundamentally shifting - from exposure to advertising to shared moments between friends. 03:00 – Attention is earned, not bought How modern audiences filter out traditional marketing - and what it means for user acquisition when youth audiences are now ad-blind by default. 06:40 – Belonging as a growth strategy Why players who discover a game, sport or film through a friend arrive with higher trust, better retention, and a stronger sense of community from day one. 10:20 – From funnel to leapfrog How socially shared content can short-circuit traditional acquisition steps and land users straight into a community. 13:45 – The psychology of shared moments The rationale behind why small, authentic clips are outperforming polished promos - and how identity is formed through participation, not consumption. 17:20 – Designing for trust-based discovery What it takes to build products and campaigns that facilitate organic sharing without feeling engineered or extractive. 21:00 – Community building in low-friction environments How simplicity and familiarity create more shareable behaviours - and why intentional friction often kills valuable momentum for brands. 24:15 – The Three R's to measure growth beyond views and clicks How to think about retention, resonance, and relationship-building as core metrics in community-led growth. 28:00 – Designing campaigns that create culture The content formats and activations that encourage players to contribute over consume - and how successful brands and game developers are rethinking growth loops. 32:30 – Rethinking brand presence in gaming Why younger audiences reject interruptive formats, and how brands can show up in ways that align with player behaviour and context. 36:00 – Lessons for anyone building community-led platforms Insights into what scales trust, and why growing slowly (but meaningfully) often wins long-term. 40:20 – Final reflections --- 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy 🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com 📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/ 📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3 💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: info@seg3.com   © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

    42 min
  3. Inside Dentsu: A CMO's Guide to Investing in Gaming - Brent Koning

    21 Jan

    Inside Dentsu: A CMO's Guide to Investing in Gaming - Brent Koning

    00:00 – Intro & welcome Joe and Tiago introduce the show, and welcome Brent Koning, Global Head of Gaming at dentsu. 02:00 – Brent’s background & career journey From early work with Microsoft and Xbox to EA, FIFA esports, and eventually leading gaming strategy at dentsu. 08:30 – What dentsu’s gaming role actually looks like How gaming fits inside a global agency, what dentsu does differently, and why strategy comes before media. 14:30 – Why gaming has been misunderstood by marketers Generational shifts, education gaps, and why gaming is finally being taken seriously as a channel. 21:00 – Gaming’s role in the modern marketing mix Why gaming should sit alongside TV, social and sport — and why time spent matters more than formats. 27:30 – How brands should think about entering gaming Segmentation, platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, and avoiding surface-level activations. 34:30 – Brand integrations, culture & UGC Examples that work (and don’t), Fortnite, Minecraft, and why culture fit is everything. 41:00 – IP, fandom & the future of games UGC platforms, transmedia storytelling, GTA VI, and where attention is heading next. 47:30 – Final advice for brands & CMOs Why “test and learn” isn’t enough anymore, and the importance of real commitment. 50:00 – Wrap-up & closing Final thoughts and sign-off. 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy 🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com 📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/ 📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3 💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: info@seg3.com   © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

    51 min

About

The Speakeasy is a podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at your favourite sports, entertainment and gaming brands - giving you a glimpse into the deals, strategies & innovations that are helping to keep you entertained. Whether you’re a die-hard fan, part of the industry, or just curious about how the biggest brands in sport, entertainment and gaming do what they do, The Speakeasy is your all-access pass to the stories behind the moments that are defining pop culture.