Navigating Sports Business AJ Maestas

Sarah Hirshland - CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee -  joins AJ Maestas to discuss the three main priorities of the USOPC. 
Supporting their elite athletes holistically. Improving and growing inclusive sports culture. Growing the Olympics with a new generation of fans.  Sarah also serves on the IOC Olympic Programme Commission helping decide which sports and events are held in the Olympic Games.
Details:
2:00 - The role of the USOPC
13:20 - Doping in the Olympics
17:40 - Sports doc series
20:50 - LA28
27:30 - The top 3 priorities for the USOPC
28:50 - Gender equity in sports
32:35 - Rapid Fire Questions
 
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Abe Madkour - Publisher & Executive Editor at Sports Business Journal - shares 3 trends he's following in the sports industry.
1) The growth and excitement behind women's sports
2) The prominence of VC and private equity investment throughout the industry
3) Emerging sports such as Pickleball, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Softball, and others
Paul Rabil & the PLL Athlete's Unlimited  
Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=e730a2ffff039537974accf4b7e4bf32
 
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

 
Christy Hedgpeth - President of Playfly Sports Properties - and Michael Schreiber - Founder & CEO of Playfly - are the guests for our first ever double interview.
 
They discuss Playfly's role in the marketplace, and its position among the competition. Michael explains how their goal is to provide a national sales network, as well as best-in-class technology and innovation, to teams and clubs at the local level. 
 
Christy provides further detail on how Playfly Sports Properties is advancing the MMR space for collegiate and high school clients. 
 
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.
 
Details
1:35 - Breaking down Playfly Sports
18:00 - Christy’s background as a national champion
23:25 - Mike’s background at Hulu and beyond
30:00 - Differentiating Playfly from the competition
35:45 - What’s next
46:15 - Rapid Fire Questions

Our dear friend Roger Valdiserri passed away last week at the age of 95. Roger was a legend in our industry, serving as the Sports Information Director at Notre Dame for 3 decades. Throughout his career, he worked 22 men's basketball Final Fours, 2 Olympic Games, and even a World Cup. He was a part of 2 national championships in football under head coach Ara Parseghian. 
We published a podcast with Roger back in January of 2021, and selected some of our favorite moments to include here in honor of such a renowned figure in the world of sports. 
Our condolences are with the entire Valdiserri family at this time. 
 
Listen to the full episode here: https://nvgt.com/podcast?ppplayer=98f56b6dd6dca41729f186d12a4d1251&ppepisode=1b442ef51a297a93127e7ad32dba776ahttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/roger-valdiserri-notre-dame/id1544529117?i=1000504498184
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Lorien Parry Luehrs - President & COO of HomeTown Ticketing - on the impact that digital ticketing can have on K-12 sports and events, beyond just the bottom line. 
 
She talks about how Athletic Directors have so many objectives to tend to, and profit is rarely one of them. Therefore, making the transition to digital isn't about increasing revenue, but is about ease of access, improved data capabilities, security, and marketing. 
 
Listen to the full episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lorien-parry-luehrs-hometown-ticketing/id1544529117?i=1000560476378
 
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.

Abe Madkour - Publisher & Executive Editor at Sports Business Journal - joins the Navigating Sports Business podcast to discuss the state of the sports industry and his transition from journalist to editor. 
 
He and AJ also highlight their favorite SBJ events throughout the year, and sports business trends they are keeping an eye on. 
 
Details:
3:20 - Abe’s background
9:55 - The transition from journalist to publisher
12:05 - Competition in the sports business news world
16:35 - Balancing objectivity
22:30 - Sports Business Trends
35:30 -  Abe picks some of the best organizations in sports
40:45 Rapid Fire Questions
 
The Charlotte FC crowd singing the National Anthem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09-E-OwxtI  AJ's 2019 article on downward attendance in college athletics: https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/06/maestas-college-football-attendance-is-down-but-why-we-have-the-data-and-ideas-for-getting-fans-back-to-the-stadiums/  
For more insights, visit our LinkedIn page or learn more about Navigate at https://nvgt.com/.