How Flywheel Economics Are Reshaping Sports Businesses with Steve Mitzenmacher

How Flywheel Economics Are Reshaping Sports Businesses with Steve Mitzenmacher

Steve Mitzenmacher spent 25 years inside Apple, Oracle, Google, and Salesforce. Now he's helping sports organizations stop thinking like event businesses and start operating like platforms. Steve and Dave get into the Disney flywheel, and why it’s the most useful mental model for sports executives right now, the “buy vs. build” trap, why "greenfield development" is basically a myth, and what it means to own the critical control points between fans, sponsors, and partners. Steve also explains why leadership styles are changing inside technology companies, why Scott Galloway's "don't follow your passion" advice is underrated, and how he thinks about the increasingly chaotic fight over AI governance. In this episode, you’ll hear: * What Steve learned from Disney, Salesforce, and the platform era about building recurring engagement * Why the next generation of sports businesses will be built around flywheel economics * Why today’s ownership groups are reshaping how teams think about monetization and infrastructure * The career advice Steve wishes he'd heard earlier, and why he's glad he ignored his own instincts for 25 years * Why Steve compares the future of AI to a choice between Star Trek and Terminator Resources and Links: Connect with Steve Mitzenmacher on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/smitzenmacher/] and learn more about Zumaya Advisors. Learn more about Next League on our website [https://nextleague.com/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-league/]. 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 [https://www.amazon.com/Business-Sports-Technology-Decisions-Organization/dp/B0G4XMKTDS].

Why the NFL and PGA Tour Are Betting on TMRW Sports to Build New Fandom

The NFL didn't build the next professional flag football league. The PGA Tour didn't build TGL. They handed those assignments to a startup called TMRW Sports [https://tmrwsportsgroup.com/] - a signal of how leagues are rethinking fan engagement, media, and product development. Chief Marketing Officer Pete Jung is on the show to share what changes when leagues stop treating technology as a layer on top of the product and start building the experience around data, immersion, team identity, and modern media behavior from day one.  In this conversation, Pete draws on his 11 years at NASCAR to explain what building fandom requires when you're starting from zero, and why he sees WTGL as one of the most underrated storytelling opportunities in women's sports right now. In this episode, you’ll hear: * What Pete noticed when his 18-year-old son and his friends discovered TGL for the first time * How TMRW Sports is preparing to launch the NFL’s new professional flag football league * Why TGL sponsors are integrated directly into gameplay, broadcast technology, and the fan experience itself * What NASCAR taught Pete about changing perceptions around who a sport is “for” * Why Pete believes media rights fragmentation will reshape sports economics and distribution  Resources and Links: Connect with Pete Jung on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-jung/] and learn more about TMRW Sports on their website [https://tmrwsportsgroup.com/]. Learn more about Next League on our website [https://nextleague.com/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-league/]. 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 [https://www.amazon.com/Business-Sports-Technology-Decisions-Organization/dp/B0G4XMKTDS].

500 Live Events a Month: What Jon Slusser Has Learned About AI, Mixed Reality, & Sports Tech

When The Famous Group was getting started, arenas were buying million-dollar video boards with nothing meaningful to put on them. That gap became a business — and 25 years later, that business now powers more than 500 live sports events a month across nearly every major team in the country. In this conversation, Jon shares how The Famous Group evolved from a creative production shop into mixed reality, virtual fan experiences, and Vixi, and how they built a scalable platform without taking on outside investment. He also offers a grounded take on where AI genuinely helps in live production workflows and where it still breaks down. In this episode, you’ll hear: * What Jon learned moving between startup culture and large media organizations like MTV and Viacom * How Vixi transformed “getting on the video board” into a scalable sponsorship and engagement product * What The Famous Group learned building virtual fan experiences for the NFL Draft and WWE * Why Jon believes AI is still a creative tool and not a replacement for production workflows * What mixed reality enables for personalized viewing experiences and dynamic sponsorship inventory Resources and Links: Connect with Jon Slusser on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonslusser/] and learn more about The Famous Group on their website [https://thefamousgroup.com/]. Learn more about Next League on our website [https://nextleague.com/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-league/]. 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 [https://www.amazon.com/Business-Sports-Technology-Decisions-Organization/dp/B0G4XMKTDS].

What It Takes to Turn a Women's Soccer Club Around with Ryan Dillon of Gotham FC

When Ryan Dillon joined Gotham FC [https://www.gothamfc.com/] as Chief Business Officer 2.5 years ago, he walked into what he describes as a distressed asset. A fully remote workforce, a league starved of investment, and a club with no real product discipline to speak of.  What followed was 2 championships in 3 years and triple the revenue, all built on a framework Ryan carried over from 6 years at Peloton: obsess over the product, track NPS, and make winning the foundation everything else sits on. In this episode, Ryan breaks down how they use first-party data and tentpole moments like the Queens Classic at Citi Field to punch above their weight, and why matching players to partners by genuine interest has changed the way they build sponsorships. In this episode, you’ll hear: * How Ryan’s experience scaling Peloton informs his approach to building demand in a low-awareness sports market * How Gotham FC uses Net Promoter Score as an operating metric to improve the fan experience * What it takes to operate a turnaround while rebuilding staffing models, processes, and in-market presence * What goes into executing a championship rematch at Citi Field that could set a New York City women’s attendance record Resources and Links: Connect with Ryan Dillon on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-dillon-1783b141/]. Learn more about Next League on our website [https://nextleague.com/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-league/]. 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 [https://www.amazon.com/Business-Sports-Technology-Decisions-Organization/dp/B0G4XMKTDS].

How CAA Sports Navigates Talent Value, Creators, and Streaming Platforms with Matt Kramer

Sports media is becoming defined by the people who keep fans engaged between games: the insiders breaking news, athletes building their own platforms, and creators turning digital audiences into real media businesses. Matt Kramer, Co-Head of Sports Media Group at CAA Sports, shares how an unexpected call from Adrian Wojnarowski helped launch his career as a sports media agent, why he sees representation as a relationship-driven service business, and how CAA evaluates talent across broadcasters, athletes, streamers, and creators like Dude Perfect.  He also explains why the next wave of NFL media rights could reshape opportunities across the broader sports media ecosystem. In this episode, you’ll hear: * What the day-to-day operating model of a sports media agent looks like * How athletes and creators like Dude Perfect are entering the same talent market as traditional broadcasters * Why the same on-air talent can be valued at $4M, $12M, or $18M depending on the network’s rights portfolio * Why a 3 year rights deal vs. a 7 year deal can change how talent chooses between competing offers * How Netflix and Amazon are reshaping talent demand Resources and Links: Connect with Matt Kramer on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kramer-2050b95/]. Learn more about Next League on our website [https://nextleague.com/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-league/]. 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 [https://www.amazon.com/Business-Sports-Technology-Decisions-Organization/dp/B0G4XMKTDS].