Tech Week

The sports industry turned its attention to SBJ’s Tech Week at The Times Center in Manhattan on May 19-20 as executives shared expertise on topics including venue innovation, ticketing strategies and ownership priorities.

Sports organizations are beginning to view AI as a necessary foundational tool capable of reimagining everything from personalizing the fan journey and reshaping venue operations to workplace productivity and decision-making, leaders across the space discussed on Wednesday at SBJ Tech Week.

A short time ago, personalization was still much more aspiration than execution. “Artificial intelligence” was still the buzziest of buzz words — that has now likely been usurped by either “agent” or “future proof” — but there’s now much more to point to as real deployments make noticeable impacts.

As new sports leagues emerge, technology leadership plays a critical role in shaping live broadcasts, managing digital platforms, supporting sports betting and safeguarding cybersecurity. UFL SVP Innovation and Media Scott Harniman, TMRW Sports CTO Andrew Macaulay and Athletes Unlimited CTO John Spa...

As professional sports leagues and entertainment companies accelerate their digital transformation, a shared reality is emerging across organizations to modernize fan engagement and operations using a new wave of scalable technology.

I speak for the whole SBJ Tech crew when I share some serious excitement for next week in New York City. We have the SBA: Tech ceremony Monday evening, then two days of SBJ Tech Week programming, followed by the biggest celebration of the sports industry on Wednesday evening: Sports Business Awards.

This year’s class, selected by the SBJ Tech editorial team, used technology to push the sports industry forward and project to continue doing so — whether by solving an old business problem or creating something new.

Harbinger Sports Partners, the private equity firm that recently closed the first $466M of its debut fund, is close to making its first franchise investment in one of what it calls the “big three” leagues: MLB, NBA and NFL.

SBA: Tech returns for its fourth year with a new spot in the calendar. The event will kick off a three-day stretch that will recognize the best the sports industry has to offer.

Dan Reed, who joined Meta in 2014 after a decade at the NBA, announced on social media that he will soon leave the tech giant.

More than 500 people attended the third annual SBJ Tech Week in New York on March 4-6, hearing from league and team leaders and tech providers about how technology, especially AI, can transform sports business.

Faces & Places from Tech Week

The SBA: Tech ceremony always feels like a celebration of innovation. As I watched the acceptance speeches this year, I heard one theme resonate again and again: collaboration.

It might have been surprising to see Ndamukong Suh sitting on the SBJ Tech Week stage if you hadn’t scanned the agenda. The engineer and entrepreneur is every bit the imposing figure he was in the NFL, spending 13 seasons in the league with multiple teams and winning a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers...

Rob Bence, vice president, technology and cybersecurity, Tepper Sports & Entertainment

In a refreshing example of using the psychology of the fan experience to drive innovation, Karri Zaremba, MLB’s senior vice president of product — ballpark experience and ticketing, gave an insightful presentation at Tech Week about how MLB developed its well-received Go-Ahead Entry facial recogniti...

The stage at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York hosted some of the most forward-thinking tech minds advancing the sports industry as the third annual Sports Business Awards: Tech were presented on March 4.

Another theme that emerged from AI and fan engagement-related conversations was the paramount importance of data.

Innovation is a key focus for many leagues and governing bodies in the booming sports landscape. Now, sports industry leaders must examine their top priorities and strategies as they look to modernize digital practices and reinforce relationships with fans and athletes through new technologies and e...

This week’s SBJ Tech Week wrapped up today from New York. The three-day event featured speakers such as the NHL’s Gary Bettman (who broke news onstage Wednesday on the future of the league’s alt casts), Meta Reality Labs COO Dan Reed and NBA President/New Business Ventures Amy Brooks digging into th...