2025 Agenda
7:30 AM
Registration Opens
Astor Foyer — 7th Floor
Registration Hosted by:
7:30 AM
Breakfast
7th Floor
Breakfast Hosted by:
Gen Z Rapid Fire
Throughout the day you will hear from Gen Z attendees who will share how, they consume sports, which platforms they trust, and what keeps them coming back.
8:40 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:00 AM
Gen Z Rapid Fire Segment 1
9:05 AM
What Wall Street Thinks of the Media Landscape – Who Will Make It Out Alive
9:05 AM
Part One
• Robert Cui, Sports Consulting Leader, PwC
9:20 AM
Part Two
• David Karnovsky, Senior Research Analyst, Media, Entertainment & Advertising, J.P. Morgan
• Naveen Sarma, Sector Lead, U.S. Telecommunications & Cable/Media & Entertainment, S&P Global Ratings
Moderator: Austin Karp, Sports Media Reporter, Sports Business Journal
9:45 AM
All in on Streaming – Setting the Strategy for the Future
• Tony Billetter, Senior Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, FOX Direct to Consumer
• Alex Gruber, Chief Product Officer, Deltatre
• Walker Jacobs, Chief Revenue Officer, DAZN Group & President, DAZN USA
• John Lasker, Senior Vice President, Direct to Consumer, ESPN
• Charlie Neiman, Head, Sports Partnerships, Amazon Prime Video
Guest Moderator: Rob Freeman, Partner, Proskauer
10:15 AM
Industry Insights: Maximizing Revenue Opportunities in Live Sports Streaming
• Brad Friedman, Founder & CEO, FanServ
• Craig Sloan, CEO, Playfly Sports
Moderator: Dan Kaufman, Managing Director, Sports Technology, Sports Business Journal
10:30 AM
Networking Break
11:00 AM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Astor Main Ballroom
11:00 AM
Partnerships and Platforms that Drive Fan Engagement and Build Audience
• Danielle Carney, Head, Live Sports & Video Sales, Amazon Ads
• Mike Raffensberger, President, Sports, FanDuel
• Eric Ratchman, CRO, FanDuel Sports Network
Moderator: Joe Lemire, Senior Writer, Sports Business Journal
Soho Complex
11:00 AM
Digital Media: Monetizing Sports Content Fans Actually Want
• Leanda Helms, Vice President, Creative & Content, Boston Celtics
• Alex Kopilow, Director, Media Partnerships, N.Y. Mets
• Jason Lavine, Senior Vice President, Brand Creative & Content, L.A. Chargers
Moderator: Rob Schaefer, Staff Reporter, Sports Business Journal
11:30 AM
Astor Main Ballroom
Gen Z Rapid Fire Segment 2
11:35 AM
The CW’s Programming Strategy: A New Era of Storytelling with Sports
• Brad Schwartz, President, The CW Network
Moderator: Austin Karp, Sports Media Reporter, Sports Business Journal
12:05 PM
TikTok and The Future of Sports Fandom
• Kenny Yansen, Lead, North American Sports Broadcasters, TikTok
12:20 PM
Empire Complex
LUNCH
12:20 PM
Workshop - Invitation Only
Hosted by:
Learn more about the topics discussed here
- Manik Bambha, President & Co-Founder, ViewLift
- Gabriel Sauerhoff, Senior Vice President, New Ventures & Business Development, Monumental Sports Network
Inquire to attend: jtong@sportsbusinessjournal.com
1:45 PM
How AI is Impacting the Delivery of Media Content
• Bob Carney, Senior Vice President, Social & Digital Content, NBA
• Matt Fleckenstein, Chief Product Officer, Genius Sports
• Scott Gutterman, Senior Vice President, Digital & Broadcast Technologies, PGA Tour
• Ryan Zander, Senior Vice President, Broadcasting, MLB
Moderator: Joe Lemire, Senior Writer, Sports Business Journal
2:15 PM
Disruption & Opportunity: Media Reinvented
• Matt Hong, President, USA Sports
Moderator: Abraham Madkour, Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal
2:40 PM
Gen Z Rapid Fire Segment 3
2:45 PM
Networking Break
Hosted by:
3:25 PM
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Astor Main Ballroom
3:30 PM
From Platform to Prime Time: Evolving Pathways for Media Talent
• Kevin Belbey, Sports Media Agent, CAA Sports
• John Fanta, Play-by-Play Broadcaster & Reporter, NBC Sports
• Josh Levy, Partner, Head, Sports Broadcasting, WME
• Nate Smeltz, Senior Vice President, Talent Relations, Global Communications, Client Events & Partnerships, TNT Sports
Moderator: Austin Karp, Sports Media Reporter, Sports Business Journal
Soho Complex
3:30 PM
The Business of the Broadcast: The Evolving Playbook for Commercial Distribution
• Neema Ghazi, Executive Vice President, Business Development & Strategy, Joe Hand Promotions
• Bryan Icenhower, Chief Marketing Officer, EverPass Media
Moderator: Ben Fischer, Staff Writer, Sports Business Journal
4:00 PM
Astor Main Ballroom
Gen Z Rapid Fire Segment 4
4:05 PM
Legendary February: Producing Sports' Biggest Moments in One Epic Month
• Justin Byczek, Executive Vice President, Programming & Rights Management, NBC Sports
• Jim Denney, Chief Product Officer, NBCUniversal Media Group & Global Streaming
• Molly Solomon, Executive Producer & President, NBC Olympics Production
• Jenny Storms, Chief Marketing Officer, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming
Moderator: Abraham Madkour, Publisher & Executive Editor, Sports Business Journal
4:35 PM
The YouTube Playbook: Growing Younger Audiences Through Smart Content
• Andrew Karson, Executive Vice President, Sports & Corporate Marketing, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment
• Omar Raja, Commentator, Digital & Social Content, ESPN
• Bill Voth, Managing Director, Digital Production, NASCAR
• Andrew Yaffe, CEO, Dude Perfect
Moderator: Chris Smith, Staff Writer, Sports Business Journal
5:05 PM
Gen Z Rapid Fire Segment 5
5:25 PM
Media Innovators & Dealmakers Joint Networking Reception
SBJ Connect: Structured Networking
Connect will be held during the cocktail reception. SBJ Connect: Structured Networking is a facilitated networking experience focused on:
- Connecting attendees through guided conversations and topic-driven discussions
- Sharing insights and exchanging ideas
- Building lasting professional relationships in a structured yet relaxed setting
Hosted By:
