More than a thousand sports business executives from around the globe gathered at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live for the CAA World Congress of Sports, April 15-17, as leaders discussed industry issues ranging from the continued rise of women’s sports to fan engagement patterns worth watching, among other topics.
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Among the topics that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman discussed were the future of the Arizona Coyotes and the influx of institutional capital and private equity to sports business.
garber-parlow-cone-montagliani MLS Commissioner Don Garber, U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani spoke about the growth of women’s soccer around the world.
SBJ’s 2024 class of Champions: Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business were recognized during the conference. (From left) Mike Aresco, Steve Bornstein, Stan Kasten, Stephanie Tolleson and Peter Johnson. Champions not pictured are Sheila Johnson and Fred Whitfield.
During a discussion with ESPN’s Mina Kimes, AXS President Bryan Perez and DraftKings co-founder Jason Robins stressed how important experiences are to attract younger audiences to sports.
Christian Lau, LAFC and BMO Stadium chief technology officer, spoke about the biometrics program the MLS club will roll out this summer, which “will be driven by our customer sentiment,” he said.
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin said any ambitions the company has in media would be about “connecting and supporting” its businesses in commerce, collectibles and gaming.
Cosm CEO and President Jeb Terry announced onstage that the company’s Hollywood Park venue will open June 29 and debut with an airing of UFC 303, featuring the return of Conor McGregor.
All photos by Tony Florez Underdog Venture Team’s Megan Hughes Allison and civil rights attorney Andrew Stroth
Jennifer Prince of the Los Angeles Rams, Christine Wylie of Verizon and Kimberly Cantor of SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park
Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang, MLB SVP Uzma Rawn and Joe Becher of CAA Search
