Sports Loft Podcast

On Wednesday May 8th, we held the Sports Loft Showcase 2024, where we featured twelve incredible tech companies that we believe the industry needs to know about. In this episode, Charlie, Andy and our MC for the day, Yanni, look back at the event and discuss the presentations from the companies that can broadly be defined as operating in the fan engagement space. They are: In part two, we'll dig into the companies that presented in our Content and Immersive sessions.

“The 26.2 miles of London streets from Blackheath to the Mall are, in my opinion, the most incredible experience on the planet,” says Charles Juba, group director of digital & technology at London Marathon Events (LME) and this week’s guest on the Sports Loft Podcast. Our conversation took place shortly after 53,000 people had completed the 2024 TCS London Marathon the previous weekend, raising an unprecedented £67 million for charity, and breaking more than 40 other Guinness World Records. We wanted to find out from Charles what role technology plays in the success of the marathon and LME's other events – which include 10km fundraisers, half marathons, a swim in the capital’s Hyde Park, a cycling race and plenty more. “Innovation for me is a layer cake and you have to have a firm foundation on which you build,” says Charles. “The starting point at London Marathon Events is very much based on our data... because innovation pivots around insight and insight requires quality data.” Timestamps: 09:00 – Introduction to London Marathon Events and its role 14:45 – Innovation and technology in enhancing the participant and fan experience 24:00 – Engaging in the participants journey 30:00 – The Impact of the London Marathon App 37:00 – Harnessing the power of data for engagement and partnerships 44:45 – Future Goals

This week Yanni and co-host Charlie chat with Sam Renouf, CEO of the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO). Sam joined the organisation in 2019 has been central to the organisation’s strategy and development since. We kick off the conversation by setting the scene, with Sam discussing the inception and evolution of PTO, including its recent partnership with World Triathlon. He digs into the organisation's goal of becoming a more consumer-facing brand with its T100 Triathlon World Tour and outlines the strategies for growing a sustainable fan base for triathlon. "It's taken us a couple of years to figure out the right model. But we think that in the T100 we have something unique," he says. "We're like the PGA Tour from a governance structure because we've got the athletes and the pros. We're Formula One with this season long narrative with glamorous locations. And we're the World Marathon Majors with the mass participation. So really it's super exciting." We were keen to chat with Sam about the role technology plays in the roadmap for the T100 series. Tech, Sam explains, will be baked into almost every element of the series – from its broadcast and commentary, to the sponsorship proposition and management of mass participation rankings. Sam also mapped out the PTO's funding model, with the likes of Michael Moritz as a lead investor, alongside Warner Bros. Discovery. And with the prospect of the organisation securing further funding to accelerate the growth of the T100, it's going to be a fascinating journey to watch. Timestamps:

Football in the US is growing – fast. But Major League Soccer has a long way to go to catch up with the likes of the NBA, MLB and, of course, the behemoth of the NFL. To do so, the league is turning to tech in order to supercharge broadcast, boost fan engagement and even get more kids playing the sport. In this episode of the Sports Loft podcast, Yanni and Charlie sit down with Chris Schlosser, the senior vice president of emerging ventures at the MLS and head of the MLS Innovation Lab. They dive into the purpose and goals of the Innovation Lab, and explore how the lab can really contribute to the growth of MLS – from the role of technology in elevating fan engagement to how new tools could speed up player development. Chris opens up about what the Innovation Lab entails from the perspective of the six tech companies in their primary cohort, and breaks down how the initiative provides resources, mentorship and test opportunities to those startups. We also talk about MLS’s selection process, the Lab’s three core areas of focus, and who the cohort taking part in 2024 programme are. Timestamps:

This week’s episode delves into the intersection of sports, technology and sponsorship with industry experts Jason Saiban, a partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, and Sally Moore, the global sponsorship lead at Sage. The conversation focuses on the evolution of sports sponsorship, exploring how new technologies are providing additional rights and diverse activation opportunities for sponsors. Our two guests bring unique perspectives, with Jason specialising in commercial contracts, technology, media and law, while Sally oversees Sage's sponsorship portfolio, including partnerships with MLB, Six Nations rugby and The Hundred cricket. Our favourite bits include Sally explaining the differing strategies behind why Sage is engaged in sports in multiple markets, and Jason’s explanation of how the US and UK contrast when it comes to contract law around such sponsorships.

In this episode, Yanni and Charlie talk to Tom McDonnell, CEO at Monterosa, the platform that is helping teams and leagues wrestle the fan engagement experience away from social media or third party platforms, and onto their owned and operated websites and apps. We’ve been approached by lots of companies try to nail digital fan experiences, but in the last 12 to 18 months we’ve seen Monterosa’s approach evolve, coinciding with an increase in market demand for compelling digital experiences that keep fans coming back. It was therefore great to catchup with Tom, and really explore what this means for their clients such as Liverpool FC, EA Sports, Six Nations and Formula E. Tom shares his learnings as the company has grown (and changed!) from its days when the BBC was an early client and discusses how teams and leagues can build their audience even if they don’t have the development resources of the big tech giants. One of our favourite sections was when Tom discusses how sponsor brands are using the platform to syndicate experiences across all the different sports properties they work with.

In this episode of our 'Investor's View' series, Yanni and Charlie chat with returning guest Jasmine Robinson. Formerly of Causeway, Jasmine is now co-founder and managing partner at Monarch Collective – a $150 million fund launched in 2023 that invests in women's sports teams and leagues. Jasmine's partner at Monarch is Kara Nortman, who co-founded NWSL club Angel City FC, and the fund has already made its first investment: NWSL Boston – a team which was awarded expansion rights in September 2023. Over the course of the episode, we discuss the founding story of Monarch, its overall thesis and how the Boston investment falls into that. Jasmine explains how she never expected to leave Causeway, but that she felt the opportunity in women's sports were too good to miss out on. And we find out why women's sports is the perfect test bed for innovative new technologies.

Join hosts Yanni Andreopoulos and Charlie Greenwood in conversation with Tom Gayner, CEO and co-founder of Levellr, the platform connecting the world's top musicians, brands, and creators with their fan communities on Discord and Telegram. The growth of community building in sports is one of our trends for 2024, so it was great to catch up with Tom and really dig into the realities of what that means. In this episode, we explore the growth of the business, what Levellr adds to apps like Discord, and the delicate balance between building scalable software which is supported by human-powered services. Tom shares his key learnings and success stories, discussing collaborations with industry giants like Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group and setting out how similar thinking can be applied to sports. We also dig into Levellr's recent £1 million funding.

In the words of host Yanni Andreopoulos, this week on the podcast we gathered “the greatest minds Sports Loft has to offer” (oh dear!) to discuss our 2023 sports, media and entertainment tech predictions. We explore how these predictions have influenced or failed to impact the industry landscape, shaping the year that's now coming to an end. We ask: were memberships re-imagined by sports teams? To what degree did rightsholders become content businesses? And did the industry really get smarter on data? Find out what we think, as Yanni holds Andy and Charlie to account on what we got right and what we got, err, not so right. Warning: contains multiple references to Hull City football club. Show notes: Gerard Pique's new Kings LeagueJuventus' fixtures list reveal videoSports Loft Podcast – The role of machine learning in sports, and how to build an AI startupSports Loft Podcast – BMW, Karta and marketing in the metaverseSports Loft article – From AI to data enrichment: five sports trends to watch in 2024 Timestamps:

This week Yanni and Charlie welcome Paul Hourigan onto the podcast to get his view on the world of sports, media and entertainment investment. Paul is partner at Ryan Sports Ventures, the sports investment arm of the Chicago-based Ryan family, which has a sports portfolio that spans interests in the Chicago Bears and AFC Bournemouth, plus tech businesses like Tagboard. During the episode, we learn the strategy behind RSV’s involvement with Bournemouth and the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, Paul explains why he thinks sport’s reliance on sponsorship and rights sales needs a rethink, and we ask for his hot sectors to watch in 2024. Spoiler: AI gets a mention. Our favourite sections included Paul's reflections on the tailwinds in women's sports, and the growth potential for businesses which are able to take sports data and make it genuinely actionable. Timestamps:

This week's podcast features Yanni and Andy taking a deep dive into the world of gaming with Pia Schörner, head of digital content creation & BMW Metaverse at BMW, and Erik Londré, co-founder and CEO of Karta – the Sports Loft member which works with sports teams and music artists to build experiences in games like Roblox and Fortnite. We dig into how sports organisations and other brands can incorporate gaming as part of their marketing mix, touching on in-game merchandise, measuring success and picking the right platform. Highlights include Pia pushing BMW execs to allow gamers to blow up Bimmers in a game (“the community will like it and they'll talk about it because it's authentic”), Erik on the thrill of live esports events, and how to find the “sweet spot” that allows for both authentic gaming experiences and brand promotion. Our guests also reveal lessons learnt from their recent projects and discuss why engaging with younger audiences on these platforms is so crucial for brands who want to stay relevant – across the world of sports and beyond. Timestamps: 06:30 – Defining the metaverse 13:00 – How sports can utilise the metaverse 15:45 – The pros and cons of e-sports as a marketing tool 23:30 – The process of designing an activation 29:30 – Marrying brands with the gaming platform 36:30 – Using gaming to boost relevancy 40:00 – KPIs and indicators of success

In this month's Investor's View episode, Yanni sits down with Andrew Costa, partner at RX3 Growth Partners, a consumer growth equity firm co-founded by NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers. To kick off, Andrew gives us an overview of RX3's operational strategy, which focuses on investments in consumer wellness and sports companies. The unique part of the model is the way the group draws on the networks, knowledge and insights of their athlete and celebrity backers to benefit the consumer focused companies they invest in. Later in the discussion, Andrew sheds light on RX3's meticulous decision-making process and their focus within the consumer wellness and fitness sector. He elaborates on the skills and traits RX3 looks for in founders and shares insights into the growth areas that are exciting him, and shares his take on the state of the market. With a successfully deployed first fund of $50 million across 19 portfolio companies, RX3 is now looking for opportunities to invest in from its second fund, a $150 million vehicle. Timestamps: 06:00 – Moving from one-off investments to building a fun? 09:00 – Onboarding athletes as LPs14:00 – Deciphering fad trends versus long-term shifts 21:00 – Managing sponsor clashes 26:00 – Estimating growth returns on investments 31:00 – Backing big brands versus high growth startups 38:00 – Where RX3 add value beyond dollars 44:00 – Regretting missed opportunities

This week we’re discussing the intersection of sports, media and artificial intelligence. Join our host Yanni and founder Charlie, as they sit down with Don White, CEO and co-founder of Satisfi Labs, and Jamie Wilde, head of technology & data science at Greenfly. The main focus of this episode is the transformative impact of AI in the sports and media industry. We'll explore how companies like Greenfly (which recently acquired machine learning startup Miro, which Jamie co-founded) and Satisfi Labs are utilising AI to enhance fan engagement, streamline sports operations, and create compelling sports-related content. Together, we'll uncover the challenges faced in training AI models using vast and complex sports data, and how these challenges are being overcome. Our panel also dive into the intricacies of running an AI company. From the hurdles of budgeting and talent retention to the evolving business models and staying ahead of commoditisation, our guests will share their insights into the dynamic world of AI startups. Join us as we unravel the potential of AI in sports and media, and discover how these innovations are reshaping the future of the industry. Timestamps: 08:00 – How mature is AI usage in sports today? 13:00 – The role of AI in the Satisfi proposition 20:00 – The Greenfly acquisition of Miro 31:45 – The impact of AI on human personnel 35:00 – How AI startups can retain the best talent 42:00 – How to avoid commoditisation 50:00 – The applicability of AI between sports

In the latest episode of the Sports Loft Podcast, Yanni is joined by Konrad von Moltke, principal of New York-based investment group, WISE Ventures. Within the WISE portfolio, you'll find familiar names like Sports Loft member companies Tagboard and FEVO, plus former member Slate, and many more across the sports, media and entertainment space. Konrad takes us behind the scenes at WISE, revealing why the firm likes to assume board positions in their investments, the art of crafting a robust cap table, and his secret for juggling numerous moving parts and projects (hint: you've just got to stay impeccably organised!).In September's 'Investor's View' episode Konrad also explains that for him, one of the most important skills for a founder to have is the ability to sell a vision. Timestamps: 08:30 – Tech adoption in sports organisations 14:00 – The WISE thesis and strategic approach 19:30 – Active deployment in 2023 23:00 – Why take board positions 25:00 – Tagboard and building a great cap table 28:00 – What do you look for in founding teams? 35:00 – The strength of being organised ‍‍

This week on the podcast, Yanni is joined by a trio of industry experts, including Kristen Rodgers, the sports and media partnerships lead at Tagboard, Matt Gentry, 77 Sports Management’s managing director and Andy Selby, Sports Loft’s very own head of strategy. Our first discussion kicks off with a deep dive into how leagues that sit outside of Europe’s top tier are using star signings to grow their fanbases. Our guests examine the Messi transfer to Inter Miami and the arrivals of Ronaldo, Benzema, and Henderson in the Saudi Pro League, exploring their impact on the league's popularity. Moving on, we dig into the changing consumption habits in sports media, fueled by the rise of short-form content. With YouTube execs expressing concern that Shorts is cannibalising its core product, Matt, Kristen and Andy discuss what’s driving the shift to bitesize formats and what it means for sports. Plus, they examine the evolving strategies of young athletes, as they navigate the world of content and find themselves becoming influencers and content creators. Timestamps:

In the fourth episode of this summer's Investor's View series, we welcome Anthony Bontrager, managing director of West River Group. Anthony's 25 years of experience spans founding his own businesses, holding board positions at a number of portfolio companies, and leading the technology investment practice at West River. Tech is just one of the four sectors the 'investment platform' focuses on, with experience (ie. entertainment), decarbonisation, and life sciences being the rest. Sport intersects with those in a number of interesting ways, which is why we had to invite Anthony on the podcast. Over the course of our conversation Anthony explains what he's looking for when founders approach West River for funding, what he and the group can offer once a deal is done, and how entrepreneurs should be operating in the current economic landscape. It's a fascinating chat with tens of takeaways for those looking to build their own businesses. Timestamps:

This week Yanni is joined by Nick Shaw, managing director of EMEA at Greenfly, and Keegan Pierce, managing director for the UK and Ireland at La Liga, as they dissect the dynamic world of sports social media and global pre-season tours. In part one, our guests explain how they’re navigating the fast-changing social media landscape. Nick Shaw outlines Greenfly's role in fan engagement and his tips for operating in this period of flux. While Keegan Pierce shares La Liga's innovative social strategies, which involves managing accounts across 20 different social media platforms and has resulted in it being the most followed football league on social media. Later in the episode, we delve into how teams and leagues are changing their approaches to pre-season tours – from visiting new territories to trying out new broadcast solutions. Plus, Yanni revisits his Women’s World Cup prediction and takes another bite at the cherry. Timestamps

This week Yanni welcomes Jordan Fliegel, managing director of Techstars NYC and Techstars Sports. Over the course of the conversation, Jordan details how Techstars identifies promising startups, and the ways it works with successful applicants to help their businesses develop. The pair also cover the equity terms and ongoing support offered by the accelerator. As well as Jordan's search for “the Topgolf of fishing”, the discussion touches on what qualities Techstars looks for in its founders, their teams, and products, plus the sectors and areas that are exciting Jordan in 2023. This leads to the unlikely story of how Jordan became an early investor in Lemon Perfect. Founded by former basketball coach Yanni Hufnagel, the hydration company has since raised more than $70m. Jordan is a former managing partner at Founders First, an angel fund and syndicate. He was co-founder and CEO of CoachUp, a platform to connect athletes with coaches. Among other ventures, he was co-CEO of Draft.com – a fantasy sports site which sold to Paddy Power Betfair in 2017 for ~$48m. Timestamps 04:30 – What does an accelerator like Techstars do? 09:30 – How does Techstars attract and vet companies? 14:00 – The decision process of admitting a company 23:00 – What the end goal for each company they bring in? 18:30 – What makes a company too mature for Techstars? 31:15 – Where Jordan expects to find the next big opportunity 38:15 – How the economic landscape has shifted 43:20 – What makes a good founder or team? 56:00 – Lemon Perfect

In this week’s Sports Loft Podcast, we explore the broadcast and sponsorship landscape surrounding the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, NWSL and Super League. To unpick it all, we’ve called upon Jenny Mitton, director and women’s sport lead at M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment, who’s worked on some of the biggest sports sponsorships of recent times. Joining Jenny and host Yanni Andreopoulos are returning guests Tom Read, chief commercial officer of Spalk, and FEVO’s chief revenue officer, Josh Rose. Our panel assesses the state of play when it comes to broadcast infrastructure, sponsorship activations, commercial opportunities and more. And in the second part, we switch gears to explore the fascinating landscape of sports content streaming. As Netflix hints at venturing into live sports, potentially launching a new golf competition, we ponder its implications for the industry and ask whether some sports need Netflix more than Netflix needs sport. Answers on a postcard please. Timestamps This episode references: The Drum – The Orange Women’s World Cup ad is dividing the internet

Our most recent episode of ‘An Investor’s View’ features Michael Spirito, a founding partner and lead investor of Sapphire Sport, the $300m venture firm that counts City Football Group, adidas and AEG among its limited partners. With its first fund, deployed between 2018 and 2021, Sapphire invested in Sports Loft member company FEVO, among others. Now, having raised $180m from many of its original partners, plus some new names, Michael and the team are on the hunt for new opportunities. Yanni and Michael explore where Sapphire Sport hopes to find its next round of investments, how the firm’s thesis is being employed in the current market, and what advice Sapphire is giving to founders across its portfolio. ----- This episode was recorded in May 2023