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2024 SMIG Outlook: The Volume, Stadium, and Tilemedia

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 15:53:38 GMT

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The start of the year brings a few family traditions. My annual reminder that I have not retired in Boca Raton and that the family trip filled with golf, tennis, and sunshine are indeed a vacation and not a lifestyle. Another trip to Vegas for CES to catch up with friends in the industry and have conversations about the latest trends and technologies. And finally, an opportunity to think ahead- the business challenges and opportunities likely to be presented in the new year.

After leaving Meta in May, I launched Sports Media Innovation Group LLC as a consulting firm. I’m focused on working with companies that are embracing new business models and fan experiences during this moment of disruption in the sports media industry, while assuring that my work is not transactional, but instead a part of building something sustainable. That specifically has brought me to work with Stadium/Bally Live, Tiledmedia, & The Volume. Here are a few highlights and learnings from each:

Stadium / Bally Live : It’s been a pleasure working with long-time friends Stadium CEO Jason Coyle and COO Adam Anshell. We’re aligned on a vision on how sports media companies can develop an affinity economy, ultimately building community with sports fans by leveraging story-tellers and interactive programming. In August I was brought on as an executive advisor. The company has made some great hires including Sharon Fish . Together, we’ve developed a strong talent/creator strategy, and are now building new programming and partnership concepts that I am very excited about deploying in 2024.

Tiledmedia : Tiledmedia is a video solutions company that supports VR. Leveraging that technology, they developed a best-in-class multi-viewing experience on mobile that puts the power in the hands of the sports fan to choose which camera angle or alternative broadcast to watch. I spent a few weeks with founder Rob Koenen, as we presented to the biggest broadcast partners and leagues in the US. It was clear that the product suited their prioritization of user experience and there are many ongoing conversations.

The Volume : Finally, on a catch-up call with my friend Jamie Horowitz , who is doing some of the most interesting work in sports media, I was introduced to The Volume. Jamie connected me with Logan Swaim who provided more insight to the growing company, sharing its strengths and some of its challenges. We aligned on an opportunity to work together helping grow The Volume’s revenue stream on social platforms and broadening its business beyond programmatic advertising. This provided me an opportunity to get to know Matthew Kline , who brought a strong digital acumen from his days at ESPN. He’s a rising star and I’m excited to work closely with him in the days ahead.

I’m fortunate to state that the work I’m doing with Stadium, Tiledmedia, and The Volume is the best work you can find… the kind where it aligns so well with your passions that it doesn’t feel like work at all.

Sportico Converge: How Sports Companies Use Social Media

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:03:30 GMT

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Great conversation with my friends Snap’s Anmol Malhotra, NFL’s Blake Stuchin, and Overtime’s Brandon Rhodes at the Sportico Converge Conference last Thursday in New York City.

Social media elicits a strong reaction from people - some point to it being responsible for some of society’s ills, others point to it as a brainless way younger people spend time. The fact is that it's how younger generations gather news and learn, share experiences with friends and family, and engage with their favorite hobbies and pastimes.

The NFL and Overtime represented on the stage at Converge illustrates the wide range of how publishers use social media. The NFL is strategic on social platforms as a way to maintain relevance with younger audiences and grow its fandom around the globe. Overtime, meanwhile, is a new age media company that uses social media to build its audience, and leverages a diversified business model including merchandise, advertising, and live events to drive revenue. Both companies are extremely successful, though the NFL is heavily reliant on the broadcast business using social media to prepare for the future, while Overtime has built its core business on top of social platforms.

2023 has been a pivotal year for both the NFL and Overtime on social platforms. If not for the NFL’s long-term investments on digital platforms, they likely would have never been in a position to agree to a multibillion dollar deal with Google this winter to bring Sunday Ticket and Red Zone to YouTube and YouTube TV. Meanwhile, Overtime continues to grow by developing its own IP. Just a few years after launching the basketball league Overtime Elite, they have launched a football league with OT7 and most recently boxing with OTX, the brainchild of Brandon Rhodes.

The social platforms including Snap continue to innovate to find new ways for people to engage on their apps. Anmol talked about how there is a growing creator economy that encourages the most talented story-tellers to continue to turn to Snap to grow their businesses and broaden its audiences by leveraging the camera and Snap’s AR publisher tools.

Social media platforms can be very frustrating for its partners with premium IP since they refuse to play by the same business model as the traditional media companies such as broadcasters. Simply put, premium IP is not as valuable for social media companies and for that reason they largely do not believe in media rights fees. If one of the largest leagues or media companies opted to stop posting to social platforms, you wouldn’t see much of an impact at all. That’s because the very nature of a feed-based video platform minimizes the value of an individual publisher. Furthermore, most of the content on these platforms is created by the fans themselves. It explains why companies such as Meta don’t hesitate to threaten to turn off hosting news publishers when legislation they deem unfair is considered in nations such as Australia or Canada.

Of course, you won’t see the biggest sports leagues and media companies stop posting on these platforms because studies have shown that 90% of GenZ and younger people spend their video time on these platforms. Thereby, Facebook, Instagram, Snap, TikTok, and X have replaced NBC, FOX, CBS, and ABC as the free to air video destinations of a generation.

Sportico’s Converge conference gave us a glimpse at how the NFL, Overtime, and Snap program to these audiences while driving its business objectives. It’s an important topic to keep an eye on as younger generations spend more time on the platforms and the technology companies continue to innovate and evolve.

It Was A Great Run...

Wed, 24 May 2023 13:58:21 GMT

Reflecting on my time at Meta

After more than nine years at Meta, most recently as the head of global sports media partnerships, I will be leaving the company as a part of the most recent #metalayoffs.

Those years have been full of innovation and transition within the sports industry, and it was my great pleasure to be a leading advocate for how technology can bring people closer to their passion of sports.

I came to Facebook before the platform had a video player. I recall pitching posting video natively to ESPN, FOX Sports, Bleacher Report, and so many other great publishers in those early days. We now live in a world where people can access highlights of their favorite teams, leagues, and athletes instantly and around the clock. Social media has also broadened the access to sports, allowing for women’s sports to get a strong footing in front of its fan bases, allowing new leagues in niche areas to become more accessible, and allowing fans to congregate virtually to celebrate and debate any sports topic.

When we launched a Live video player, partnerships with FOX Sports and Univision brought live Champions League and Liga MX matches to US Sports fans. A major partnership with CBS Sports unlocked college football and college basketball games for Facebook Watch. My personal highlight was the first exclusive streaming deal with a major US sports league with Major League Baseball (the Mets are 2-0 in exclusive games on Facebook). In hindsight, we were ahead of the curve when bringing live games to a digital audience, something that’s becoming increasingly commonplace today.

The last few years have allowed me to learn a great deal about the metaverse and virtual reality. Our partnership with the NBA has proven that there is an incredible experience to be unlocked by broadcasting live sports in VR. Watching the PGA Tour and Golf Plus partner to make a live sports event interactive- empowering fans to compete against professional athletes is also a recent highlight.

I had the opportunity to see how our technology can influence sports around the globe. The highlights were most definitely the great people I worked with, both in the industry and certainly within the company. Meta is a special company full of great people. However, for the last few years I have had a definite itch to be closer to the sports industry where I can make a broader impact. Over the next few weeks, I will enjoy time with my family and recharge my batteries some. The days after that will be an exciting pursuit of what’s next.