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Next League
  • 4.4 (7)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

Want to learn more about the most talked about topics and trends in the sports business industry from the sports business executives who run it? Join Next League’s CEO David Nugent, a sports technology industry veteran and thought leader with over 20 years experience in the ever-changing technology services business. Tune in every week for insightful and engaging discussions on everything from artificial intelligence and fan engagement to the changing media landscape and the growth of women’s sports with the sports industry’s leading executives.   For more on Next League, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

  1. 9h ago

    Building Fandom Without a Stadium: Kara Baker on TGL’s Shared-Services Model

    With WTGL preparing to launch this November, TMRW Sports is scaling a shared-services model built to run team operations more efficiently than teams could on their own, and confronting a structural challenge: how do you build fan affinity for a team with no home arena? Kara Baker, VP of Team Marketing and Business Operations at TMRW Sports, joins Dave to talk about her multidisciplinary career, how TMBO evolved as teams scaled, why some teams tap into ownership groups' existing infrastructure while others rely entirely on the league, and what she's learned from teams maturing at different speeds. Kara also discusses the opportunity WTGL creates around women's golf, the international makeup of the LPGA player base, and why the league is betting on player storytelling to build fandom without the benefit of a home stadium. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why fan research shows people are fans of individual golfers first, and what that means for building team loyaltyWhy WTGL is launching in November and December instead of alongside TGLHow Boston Common Golf and Motor City are tapping Fenway Sports Group and the Detroit Lions to build local awarenessWhy TMRW Sports believes WTGL’s international player mix could create a broader global audience than TGLResources and Links: Connect with Kara Baker on LinkedIn and learn more about TMRW Sports on their website. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.

  2. Sep 1

    What Makes a Sports Tech Business “Exitable” with Igor Ulis [REPLAY]

    What REALLY makes a business worth buying, and what should founders actually optimize for?  In this candid conversation, Dave sits down with longtime friend and former business partner Igor Ulis, partner at Hudson Technology Systems. Igor traces his path from “dumb kid in college” who thought writing code was enough to get rich in the dot-com boom, to building and scaling a global sports technology services company that ultimately sold to Infront.  Dave and Igor get into the mechanics of valuation in the real world — multiples on revenue vs. profit, the importance of cash generation, and why buyers care so much about whether the business can run without the founder in the room.  Igor also explains how services businesses live or die on utilization, pricing discipline, hiring, and the “art and science” of estimating complex projects. They dig into the tradeoffs of taking loss-leader work,why “follow your passion,” “fail fast,” and “work on the business, not in the business” are incomplete clichés, and how to avoid underpricing your value just to win logos. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why most founders misunderstand what makes a services business scalable, and the ONE metric Igor would force every operator to masterWhy “loss-leader work” is almost always a trap, and the moments at Omnigon when underpricing nearly cost them bigThe project-estimation approach Igor used to protect margins on massive sports buildsWhat really changes after an acquisition: new accountability, pressure of managing up, and an unexpected “MBA-level” crash courseThe culture challenges that emerge once a service team crosses 100+ peopleResources and Links: Connect with Igor Ulis on LinkedIn. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.

  3. Aug 25

    Can Data Change Who Gets Considered for the Heisman? with Jeff Price

    The Heisman Trophy is one of the most recognizable symbols in college sports. Now, as college athletics undergoes massive structural change, the organization behind the trophy is entering a new era of its own. Jeff Price, CEO of Heisman, joins Dave to share how his background across the NBA, Gatorade, Mastercard, Sports Illustrated, and the PGA of America prepared him to lead an iconic brand through its next phase of growth. Jeff discusses the changing college sports landscape, purpose-driven partnerships, and why philanthropy remains central to Heisman’s long-term vision. He also shares how Heisman is thinking about developing future leaders and creating a broader impact through sport. In this episode, you’ll hear: How Heisman is redesigning the fan vote to make it more meaningful throughout the college football seasonHow Heisman Hopefuls is using EA Sports rankings, analytics, and fan voting to expand the consideration setWhy Heisman is exploring flag football as a new growth and accessibility opportunityWhat Heisman learned from watching schools build their own player campaigns How Heisman is creating entirely new sponsorship inventory beyond trophy weekendResources and Links: Connect with Jeff Price on LinkedIn. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.

  4. Aug 18

    The Human Side of Modern Sports Leadership with Andrew Siegel [REPLAY]

    In an industry being reshaped by NIL, the transfer portal, and private capital, one question is becoming unavoidable: how do leaders make principled decisions when everything feels up for grabs? Investor Andrew Siegel breaks down what leaders in sports and tech often underestimate, like the emotional complexity of teams, the tension between performance and values, and how managing people becomes exponentially harder when competition, money, and public scrutiny intensify. Drawing on his experience spanning venture investing, media, hospitality, and board leadership, alongside his academic background in philosophy and religion, Andrew shares why leadership ultimately comes down to “people peopling,” how he evaluates alignment versus raw talent, and what traits he believes matter most for navigating disruption in modern sports organizations. In this episode, you’ll hear: How Andrew’s background in theology and philosophy helps executives make better “people decisions” during times of disruptionThe Trust–Loyalty–Integrity lens Andrew uses to decide which founders, boards, and companies to back What NIL and the transfer portal reveal about the end of amateur hour in college sports, and why Andrew thinks private capital and commercial incentives are reshaping the systemThe repeatable investing behavior Andrew believes operators and executives need to focus on Resources and Links: Connect with Andrew Siegel on LinkedIn. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.

  5. Aug 11

    The $1.3B Stadium Strategy: Personalization, Friction, and Fan Engagement

    Bank of America Stadium is undergoing a $1.3 billion renovation, but Tepper Sports & Entertainment isn’t just thinking about new seats. The bigger question is, what will get fans off the couch and into a stadium in 2030? Bryan Lodigiani, VP of Business Strategy and Analytics, talks to Dave about why personalization and creating experiences fans can’t get at home are shaping the renovation. He also shares how TSE uses data to understand the surprisingly different audiences behind the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. Bryan breaks down where AI is already creating value across ticket sales, partnerships, and marketing, why not every business problem requires an AI solution, and how Charlotte’s rapid growth is creating new opportunities for sports and entertainment. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why some “AI problems” are actually process or automation problems in disguiseHow TSE is designing stadium products specifically to create an entry point for younger fansWhat Bryan learned trying to break into sports after a career in banking, consulting, and retailThe new Sales Experience Center that can pull up the exact game you attended and the moment that made you a fanResources and Links: Connect with Bryan Lodigiani on LinkedIn and learn more about Tepper Sports & Entertainment on their website. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.

  6. Aug 4

    How a College Project Became SBJ's Sports Tech of the Year with Antyush Bollini

    A tablet that turns basketball into vibrations sounds like a novelty. Today, roughly half the NBA carries one, and Ticketmaster is footing the bill. In this conversation, OneCourt co-founder and COO Antyush Bollini explains how a college project became Sports Business Journal’s Sports Technology of the Year, and how partnerships with leagues, clubs, and brands helped the company reach the market.  Antyush also shares what OneCourt learned from its earliest pilot with the Portland Trail Blazers, how the company is approaching media and tracking-data rights, and why founders must validate not only whether a solution works, but whether customers will actually pay for it. In this episode, you’ll hear: How OneCourt moved from hand-built prototypes and 3D-printed parts to preparing a scalable consumer productThe feature that inspired a fan to check the score and game clock 700 times during one gameWhat the Portland Trail Blazers risked by becoming OneCourt’s first in-venue pilot partnerHow a viral fan video helped OneCourt move from cold outreach to inbound interest from NBA teamsThe three tests Antyush believes every startup idea must pass Resources and Links: Connect with Antyush Bollini on LinkedIn and learn more about OneCourt on their website. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.

  7. Jul 28

    From Game Day Utility to Lifelong Fandom: George Scott on the Future of College Sports Apps

    Sidearm Sports powers the digital experience for the vast majority of major college athletics programs, but George Scott believes the next challenge is much bigger than publishing scores, schedules, and game recaps.  With roughly 85% of Power Four schools and 90% of Division I programs in its network, Sidearm occupies a unique position in the college sports landscape. George joins Dave to trace his path from Fans Only and the NFL to YinzCam and Sidearm, and explains how those experiences shaped his view of digital fandom. George offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of serving major programs alongside the Division II and Division III schools, what the changing economics of football and basketball could mean for smaller sports, and why uncertainty around NIL and athlete compensation makes long-term planning difficult. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why an 18-year old will download a college app (and keeps it for life), but not an NFL team appWhat sports organizations risk getting wrong when they prioritize data collectionHow Sidearm uses Learfield for ticketing, content production, and licensing to create more revenue opportunitiesHow Sidearm's AI partner Noda turns raw game video into written stories in each school's own voiceResources and Links: Connect with George Scott on LinkedIn and learn more about Sidearm Sports on their website. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.

  8. Jul 21

    Curling's $11.2M Bet: How Nic Sulsky Bought a Sport to Rebuild It

    What happens when an entrepreneur recognizes that one of the world’s most-watched Olympic sports has never been built to maximize its global audience? Nic Sulsky saw an established sport with elite international athletes and a premier competition that fans outside Canada could not easily watch. After acquiring the Grand Slam of Curling, his team launched Rock Channel, created the mixed-gender Rock League, built a live data infrastructure, and raised $11.2 million to begin connecting the sport’s media, events, athletes, sponsors, and fans. In this conversation, Nic explains why The Curling Group operates as a media company, how it tripled Grand Slam revenue while remaining focused primarily on Canada, and how localized broadcasts, athlete-driven storytelling, and international distribution could turn curling into a far larger global sports property. In this episode, you’ll hear: How a single Instagram data point is shaping where The Curling Group decides to expand nextWhy Rock League tested its concept with a 1 week preview season instead of launching at full scaleWhat makes curling suited to a mixed-gender league where women and men compete together How virtual in-ice advertising could allow sponsors to see market-specific broadcastsNic's "95% instinct" rule, and the chainsaw story that explains why he built a team to challenge his ideasResources and Links: Connect with Nic Sulsky on LinkedIn. Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future. Dave’s book is available now! Get your copy of The Business of Sports Technology: How To Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Want to learn more about the most talked about topics and trends in the sports business industry from the sports business executives who run it? Join Next League’s CEO David Nugent, a sports technology industry veteran and thought leader with over 20 years experience in the ever-changing technology services business. Tune in every week for insightful and engaging discussions on everything from artificial intelligence and fan engagement to the changing media landscape and the growth of women’s sports with the sports industry’s leading executives.   For more on Next League, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

Information

  • Creator
    Next League
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    81
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 © Dave Nugent
  • Show Website
    Know What Is Next

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