The NBA, nominated for multiple SBA: Tech, sent a particularly strong contingent Monday night, taking over two tables on the first floor.
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment VP/Data, Analytics and Insights Darolyn Pierce got a huge round of celebration as the second annual Rising Woman of the Year. After the event on a quiet stage, Pierce and the NBA’s EVP and Head of Direct to Consumer Products, Technology and Operations Chris Benyarko (our Technology Executive of the Year) got a picture together.
Along with the food at the event, the NBA also called in a slew of pizzas for its 20-plus employees.
Clippers CTO George Hanna, the 2025 tech exec winner who presented the award this year, recalled a stop in the TSA line to investigate his SBA: Tech trophy as he was catching his flight home last March. After explaining the crystal, the intrigued agent celebrated with him. “You, too, may get a fist bump from the TSA,” Hanna deadpanned before announcing the winner.
Andrew Hawkins, whose company StatusPro received the Best in Immersive Technology award last year, prefaced this year’s announcement with a warning for the eventual winner, MLB App in XR. He suggested the reps may want to get an agent “because the endorsement deals are going to start flowing in.”
TGL’s tech stack, which includes 11 companies, won Best Technology Collaboration and thus was up for Sports Technology of the Year at the end of the evening. The recurring role call was whooped up by TGL’s Andrew Macaulay, who shouted “Keep going!” in the middle of the contingent’s intro. He also was heard shouting “Say it again!” when SBJ’s Dan Kaufman finished rattling off the honorees.
The Famous Group’s Eric Burak and Ravens’ Jay O’Brien, whose companies were up for the tech collab award, got into town a day early to watch their beloved Mets cap off the Subway Series by staging a late-inning comeback against the Yankees at Citi Field on Sunday.
NHL VP/IT Carol Dann worked extensively on the league’s Watch Comms App, which was nominated for Best Technology Collaboration, and was looking forward to seeing whether it might win an award. Only problem: She lives on Long Island and couldn’t easily get to the Tech awards on Monday because of the LIRR strike. So she drove to the ferry station and took a boat across Long Island Sound to Conneticut, then took a Metro North train into the city in a remarkable show of personal dedication.
Bolt6 CCO James Japhet, UFL Senior VP/Innovation & Media Scott Harniman and Sportable SVP/Strategic Partnerships Blaine Scully, were seen chatting together at the Monday event, as well as Edge Sound Research CEO Val Salomaki, ASB GlassFloor America CEO Chris Thornton and Sports Tech HQ Head of Marketing Brian Alkire.
Several folks made international trips from Canada, the UK and elsewhere for SBJ Tech week. Applaudo Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs Karla Rivas traveled from El Salvador. Applaudo works with the Clippers and Heat.
At our State of the Industry on Tuesday, Mets President of Business Operations Lewis Sherr stuck around to support the club’s SVP/Head of Technology Oscar Fernandez and watch his session.
Genius Sports Chief Product and Technology Matt Fleckenstein, who previously worked at ESPN, was in the green room chatting it up with current ESPNers Phil Orlins and Michael “Spike” Szykowny. They hadn’t met before.
All speakers received Next League CEO Dave Nugent’s new book, “The Business of Sports Technology: How to Make Smart Decisions That Drive Your Organization Forward.”
While moderating a session, Nugent was asked by a member of the audience if he was wearing Next League-branded sneakers. The answer? Yes. His wore custom shoes from handmade sneaker maker My Mancini of Florence, Italy.
Speaking of Next League, the company’s Tuesday night dinner at The Palm featured a list of approximately 70 sports tech-heavy hitters. Attendees included Jets Chief Data and Analytics Officer Iwao Fusillo, NBA CTO Krishna Bhagavathula, Apple Segment Marketing/WWDR Larry Moss, New York Road Runners CEO Rob Simmelkjaer, Oak View Group CTO Katee LaPoff, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland and Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Katie Aznavorian, Hometown Soccer Holdings CEO Tom Glick, Heisman Board of Trustees Chair Dan Reed, USGA Managing Director Anthony Santora and Senior Director/Global Media Dave Giancola, TMRW Sports’ Jon Kropp, and a four-person NASCAR group consisting of Director of AI Richard Bowman, VP and CTO John Martin, VP/Interactive & Emerging Platforms Nick Rend and VP/Performance Marketing Cara Verwholt.
The Knicks’ Game 1 absolutely epic comeback in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals produced heavy chatter around the Times Center on Wednesday. It was particularly exciting for MLB CTO Sean Curtis, who is a Knicks fan and — like crucial Knicks roster pieces Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges — a Villanova alum. Go, Cats!
Wednesday morning’s hour of Tech Connect programming featured a strong mix of team/league operators and tech vendors. They discussed whether the at-home/mobile experience would become more attractive than in-venue experiences, among other topics.
