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

    Feb 19

    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

    Feb 5

    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

    Jan 21

    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
  4. Inside NASCAR: Innovation & Gaming in Sports with Mitch Rasmussen

    Jan 8

    Inside NASCAR: Innovation & Gaming in Sports with Mitch Rasmussen

    Inside NASCAR: Innovation & Gaming in Sports with Mitch Rasmussen 00:00 – Intro & Mitch’s role at NASCAR Mitch Rasmussen joins the show to discuss his role leading interactive strategy at NASCAR, and what “interactive” really means inside a modern sports organisation. 03:10 – The pace of innovation How integrating technology has changed decision-making inside NASCAR, and how Mitch and his team prioritise where to focus amid constant disruption. 06:40 – Small wins vs big swings Balancing incremental improvements with high-risk, high-reward bets, and why both are essential to long-term innovation. 10:15 – Where NASCAR is investing attention right now The platforms, channels and technologies NASCAR is actively exploring, and where Mitch believes brands are still under-investing. 14:20 – Youth audiences vs traditional audiences Why innovation can’t come at the cost of legacy fans, and how NASCAR experiments with new formats while bringing its audience along for the ride. 18:10 – NASCAR’s UGC gaming strategy A deep dive into NASCAR’s history in UGC gaming, including NASCAR Speedhub, Driving Empire and Rocket Racing. 21:30 – Driving Empire: breaking down the numbers Why Driving Empire became such a standout success, the strategies behind it, and what made the experience resonate with younger audiences. 25:40 – Integrating sponsors authentically How NASCAR weaves brand partners into gaming and interactive experiences without breaking immersion, and what most brands get wrong with in-game advertising. 30:05 – NASCAR's Broadcast work with FOX Sports, Meta & Xtadium The evolving role of broadcast partners, experimentation beyond linear TV, and why XR represents a massive opportunity for live sports. 35:10 – How to evaluate disruptive tech Mitch shares a practical framework for evaluating new platforms or technologies - how NASCAR decides what to test, what to scale and what to pass on. 41:20 – Lessons for other brands and rights holders What other organisations can learn from NASCAR’s approach to innovation, audience growth and digital experience design. 44:30 – Closing thoughts Final reflections on the future of sports, fan engagement and where interactive experiences are headed next.  🎧 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.

    48 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.