SSAC

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
  • 4.9 (16)
  • Sports
  • Updated Daily

The official podcast channel of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

  1. Jul 27

    Building a Legacy: A 1-on-1 with MLS Commissioner Don Garber

    Moderator: Jessica Gelman Panelist: Don Garber Over the past 25+ years, Don Garber has overseen the transformation of the Major League Soccer (MLS) from a small and fragile league into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise with global relevance, soccer-specific stadiums, record franchise valuations, and a landmark global media partnership. In this one-on-one conversation moderated by Jessica Gelman, Garber will reflect on the defining inflection points of his tenure: expansion strategy, investor relations, media innovation, talent development, and navigating moments of existential risk. The discussion will also turn toward the future. As MLS enters a new era shaped by global competition, shifting media economics, data-driven decision-making, and the 2026 World Cup, what should the league’s next chapter look like? What leadership capabilities will matter most in a commissioner transition? And how should MLS balance commercial growth with competitive credibility on the global stage? This conversation offers a rare look at long-term sports leadership: what it takes to build a league, and how to prepare it for what comes next.

  2. Jul 27

    Innovation in Sports Leagues: A Conversation with Jessica Berman and Valerie Camillo

    Moderator: Contessa Brewer Panelist: Jessica Berman, Valerie Camillo Some of the most consequential innovation in sports today isn’t coming from legacy institutions—it’s coming from leagues that are rethinking how sports organizations are built from the ground up. As fan expectations evolve and business models are rewritten, these leagues are setting new standards for governance, growth, and value creation across the industry. In 2024, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was named No. 5 on the World’s Most Innovative Companies list, with team valuations surpassing $100 million. Meanwhile, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is on track to reach pay parity by 2027—an industry-defining milestone reshaping expectations across sports. Together, the NWSL and WTA are redefining how modern sports leagues are built, governed, and monetized. Join NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman and WTA Chair Val Camilo for a conversation on building and scaling next-generation sports leagues. They’ll explore the strategic decisions, operational innovations, and business models fueling growth and what emerging enterprises can learn from these leagues as a blueprint for the future.

  3. Jul 27

    The World Cup at Scale: How FIFA is Rewriting the Rules of Global Soccer

    Moderator: Emily Olsen Panelist: Heimo Schirgi, Paul Caine, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest and most commercially ambitious sporting event ever staged, spanning three countries, sixteen host cities, and an unprecedented footprint across North America. But it is only half of a broader transformation as global soccer experiences a cultural and commercial explosion in the United States across both the men’s and women’s games. This panel brings together Heimo Schirgi (COO, FIFA World Cup 26), Paul Caine (President, On Location), and Carolyn Tisch Blodgett (Governor, NJ/NY Gotham FC) to examine how massive operational scale and high growth investment are reshaping the global soccer economy. The discussion will explore how learnings from the Club World Cup in the United States are informing planning for 2026, and how insights from the men’s tournament may flow into the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Moving beyond broadcast exposure, panelists will discuss the rise of premium hospitality, data driven fan engagement, and new models of commerce rooted in gender equity and long term audience growth. Ultimately, the panel will highlight how FIFA, clubs, and investors are establishing a new blueprint for how mega events can drive both cultural impact and unprecedented commercial returns.

  4. Jul 6

    A Conversation with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver led by Sue Bird

    Moderator: Sue Bird Panelist: Adam Silver In this wide-ranging conversation, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joins moderator Sue Bird to explore how the league is navigating a period of rapid change on and off the court. The discussion will focus on the unique opportunities from player development to fan interactivity to analytics and international expansion. Hear how new player development models and NIL are changing the approach to global talent pipelines. Learn how the league continues to be at the forefront of advanced analytics and AI to enhance decision-making and fan engagement while simultaneously balancing international expansion, driving arena development and creating a potential new league in Europe. With a global talent pipeline reshaping the game and basketball entering a pivotal moment amid emerging challenges, this conversation offers a rare look at how today’s decisions are shaping the future of the league.

  5. 09/19/2025

    Netflix and WWE Team Up: Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Bela Bajaria

    Moderator: Jessica Gelman Panelists: Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Bela Bajaria From Drive to Survive to Quarterback, Netflix has reshaped how fans engage with sports through immersive storytelling. Now, with WWE’s flagship Raw moving to Netflix, the streaming giant is making an even bolder play in live sports entertainment. But what makes for compelling sports storytelling? How do you build anticipation for big events, cultivate new audiences, and sustain engagement beyond the game? This panel brings together two of sport’s most influential content executives, Netflix’s Bela Bajaria and WWE’s Paul “Triple H” Levesque, to explore how sports media is evolving, what it takes to craft narratives that captivate global audiences, and the future of sports entertainment in the streaming era.

  6. 09/19/2025

    The Role of the Storyteller in a Data and AI World

    Moderator: Ben Alamar Panelists: Jackie MacMullan, Jeff Bennett, Rebecca Dyer, Brant Berglund Storytelling plays a vital role in the fan experience. Across the sports landscape, storytellers are relied upon to convey the drama and excitement of sports, bring new fans in, and satisfy fans' hunger for knowledge. The tools available to storytellers have expanded significantly over the last few years with the expansion of new data sets and metrics that provide new insights and perspectives on sports. The recent advances in AI also provide the opportunity for new tools, but also a potential to replace certain types of storytelling through automation. This panel discusses how the role of the storyteller has changed, skills and perspectives needed to tell good stories, and how AI is and will change how fans engage with sports stories.

  7. 09/19/2025

    The Fan Attention Game: How Sports and Data Build Fandom presented by Wasserman Foundation

    Moderator: Valerie Camillo Panelists: Shelley Pisarra, Tim Clark, Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick In 2025, sports are fighting harder than ever for fans’ attention – contending with an unprecedented news cycle, shorter attention spans, and changing modes of content consumption. This panel will discuss how teams and leagues are using data to adapt in this rapidly changing world, and how they can play – and win – the attention game.

  8. 09/19/2025

    Checkmate and Innovate: The Future of Engagement in Chess

    Moderator: Danny Rensch Panelists: Alexandra Botez, Levy Rozman, Daryl Morey, Ella Papanek Chess is experiencing a global renaissance, fueled by emerging innovations in streaming, social media, and format variety, but where does the game go from here? Join Levy Rozman, Alexandra Botez, Ella Papanek, Daryl Morey, and Danny Rensch as they explore how chess is evolving to engage new audiences. This panel will dive into the growth of chess content creation and how the sport is expanding into new mediums and formats.

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4.9
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

The official podcast channel of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Information

  • Creator
    MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    SSAC

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