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Josh Harris - Co-Founder, Apollo Global Management, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment   Billy Beane - Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, Oakland A's   John Collins - CEO, SEAH   Jason Robins - Chief Executive Officer, DraftKings   Saj Cherian (moderator) - Partner, Kynetic   As sports values continue to accelerate, the interest and opportunities to invest in organizations around sports has intensified. From SPACs to team valuations to minority investments, the money around sports in 2021 already rivals all of 2020. As digital engagement grows, the value and means to capitalize on sports as owners, leagues, and investors identify new ways to raise funds. Sports are looking to take advantage of a high performing Wall Street despite major challenges on Main Street. Learn from the experts who are early adopters of SPACs, buying assets, creating investing arms, or going public to take advantage of this frothy market. Billy Beane, John Collins, Josh Harris, and Jason Robins will discuss their strategies and the future of sports as an alternative investment vehicle.

Mark Cuban - Owner, Dallas Mavericks   Andy Slavitt - Senior Advisor, White House COVID Response Team   Nate Silver - Editor-in-Chief, FiveThirtyEight   Of all the aspects of everyday life that data has transformed, perhaps nowhere was the impact more deeply felt than in healthcare. As friends and two leading public voices, Andy Slavitt and Mark Cuban will discuss healthcare and the role data has had, and will continue to have, in improving care and society at large. While data has revolutionized health for everyone, Andy and Mark will narrow in what data has taught us about the health of athletes, who come from diverse backgrounds, experience higher physical and mental health risks, and are exposed to inconsistent healthcare experiences.

Meghan Chayka - Co-Founder & CEO, Stathletes   Alexandra Mandrycky - Director of Hockey Strategy and Research, Seattle Kraken   Hilary Knight - Professional Hockey Player, US Women's National Ice Hockey Team   John Buccigross (moderator) - SportsCenter Anchor, ESPN   The amount of data available to NHL teams has exploded over the last year as player and puck tracking officially entered the rink. By some estimates, tracked players and pucks produce a total of 2,200 data points per second. Will this be data overload for a sport that has only recently embraced the use of analytics to drive on-ice value? And how do video analytics complement - or compete with - tracking data? How are expansion teams emphasizing data from day one to build a franchise? And what will it take to convince players, many of whom pushed back on the quality of pucks with tracking technology, to embrace analytics? This panel will dive into the world of hockey analytics, examining how teams are using the abundance of new information to help inform player personnel decisions, in-game coaching strategy, and scouting, amongst other things.

Bill James - Former Senior Baseball Operations Advisor, Boston Red Sox   Meg Rowley - Managing Editor, FanGraphs   Sarah Gelles - Director of Research and Development, Houston Astros   Josh Ruffin - Advanced Scouting Analyst, Minnesota Twins   Ben Lindbergh (moderator) - Staff Writer, The Ringer   Soon after the 2020 World Series, fundamentalist fans were quick to point to baseball’s overreliance on analytics as one of the reasons the Tampa Bay Rays lost. Baseball has always been on the bleeding edge of sports analytics, but where does the edge end? This panel aims to examine the fine line between when to make managerial decisions on gut feel, versus when to stick to the data. Did the 2020 World Series serve as a catalyst for changes to the game going forward, or will managers shrug off pressure from the media?

David Fizdale - Former Head Coach, New York Knicks   Shane Battier - Vice President Basketball Development & Analytics, Miami Heat   Zach Lowe - Senior Writer, ESPN   Adrian Wojnarowski (moderator) - Senior NBA Insider, ESPN   Analytics have revolutionized sports to identify new strategies and help evaluate players, but what about intangibles? How do we evaluate the ‘glue’ players that play a pivotal role in the locker room, but whose names are not necessarily atop the stat sheet, or the hustle that does not get marked down but leads to a steal breakaway? This panel examines how teams try to put numbers on these vital moments for teams. Hear from coaches, players, and the journalists who report out on the ‘culture codes’ of teams as they discuss the analytics behind culture and the potential to measure these ‘glue’ players.

Nate Silver - Editor-in-Chief, FiveThirtyEight   Andrew Yang - New York City Mayoral Candidate   New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang likes MATH. So does Nate Silver. In this special one-on-one conversation, hear from Yang as he reflects on life since his 2020 presidential campaign, the role of data in reaching voters, and what it was like to be a Knicks fan in the Jeremy Lin era.

Scott O'Neil - Chief Executive Officer, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment   Erika Nardini - CEO, Barstool Sports   Jason Robins - Chief Executive Officer, DraftKings   Chad Millman (moderator) - Chief Content Officer, The Action Network   Sports betting organizations have changed the way fans experience games from opening dedicated lounges in stadiums to including fantasy stats on ticker tapes. Leagues and front offices have capitalized on this wealth of fan behavior to see what piques fans’ interests and to discuss potential rule changes. Looking forward, what's the next big thing for the sports betting industry, and how will businesses adapt in order to meet their customer's needs? Tune in to hear Erika Nardini, Scott O’Neil, and Jason Robins wager on what’s ahead.

Kathy Carter - CEO, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties   DeMaurice Smith - Executive Director, NFLPA   Sue Bird - Athlete, Seattle Storm   Michele Steele (moderator) - Correspondent, ESPN   The Return to Play faced unprecedented competing priorities and needs. From player safety to business continuation to sponsor obligations to maintaining Fan Interest to ensuring our 2028 Olympians can train to brand launches. New processes like daily testing were created and validated and changed. New approaches to messaging were deployed. Learn how key leaders were impacted personally, fought for business imperatives and ensured their perspectives were understood.

Dana White - President, UFC   Jonathan Kraft - President, The Kraft Group Jackie MacMullan - Senior Writer, ESPN   Sports businesses were not spared as COVID brought the entire world to a grinding halt in 2020, forcing businesses to adapt quickly to the new environment. Seasons were cancelled, stadiums were turned into vaccination sites, and fans looked forward to a new ‘Opening Day’: a day when sports would return. As the sports industry works towards a new normal, this panel of sports business titans will discuss the pandemic and what has changed. We will examine lessons learned around player training/safety and what the future of the sports world will look like in the new normal for organizations and fans alike.

Renie Anderson - Chief Revenue Officer & Vice President Partnerships, NFL   Catherine Carlson - Senior Vice President Revenue and Strategy, Philadelphia Eagles   Brendan Lynch - Global Executive Vice President Enterprise & Revenue, Ticketmaster   Kat Frederick (moderator) - Former CMO, Live Nation   As COVID forced game play to a screeching halt requiring innovation to deliver sports to fans virtually, the traditional sports sponsorship model had to be re-invented too. Learn how the leading sports properties adjusted, created new value as their assets disappeared, managed long-term partnerships, and identified new assets and data to maximize impact. As we continue our return to fans in venues, learn how sports sponsorship has changed forever and, as importantly, what historical assets are more valuable than before. The leading executives from the NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, and Ticketmaster will discuss the increasing role of analytics, ROI, and sponsors who became partners in surviving the pandemic together.

Alexis Ohanian - Founder, Seven Seven Six   Cathy Engelbert - Commissioner, WNBA   Kate Johnson - Director and Head of Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing Partnerships, Content, and Media, Google   Jessica Gelman (moderator) - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group   There is a misconception that people do not want to view women’s sports, driving the notion that women’s sports cannot make money and are a bad investment. This perpetuates a cycle that puts down the industry, but is based on faulty logic. This March women’s games in the NCAA basketball tournament have outpaced men’s games in head to head slots in terms of social media impressions, and last summer social justice protests in the WNBA Wubble cast reverberations with profound impacts on national politics. This panel brings together fierce advocates of equality in sport who will discuss why NOW is the time for investment in women’s sports based on evidence from impressions, viewership, and other overlooked data.

Lil Dicky - Artist   Daryl Morey - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers   Kevin Negandhi (moderator) - SportsCenter Anchor and College Football Studio Host, ESPN   From Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack to T-Swift’s Girl Gang, many a backroom legend has been told about exclusive celebrity supergroups. But only a select few have been deemed worthy enough to have picked up whispers of an ultra-elite group of superfans – until today. This unlikely squad is not bound by underground poker games, lavish parties, or even a literal friendship, but rather by their undying love for Philadelphia sports. The panel will discuss what exactly connects fans so deeply to their teams and what levers teams and fans can pull when engaging with one another.

Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag - CEO, 100Thieves   Omar Raja - Commentator Digital and Social Content, ESPN   Blake Stuchin, Vice President Digital Media Business Development, NFL   Christine Wixted - Senior Partner Manager Global Content Partnerships, Twitter   Jordan Solomon (moderator) - Partner, Arctos Sports Partners   Social media platform users and usage have skyrocketed over the past year, and every industry wants to get in on the action. Twitch viewers watched approximately 17 billion hours of content in 2020, up 83% from 2019. Over 1 billion people use Instagram a month, making it the sixth most visited website. Sports fans are consuming content in new ways by moving to social media and other platforms, and sports businesses are faced with a decision: adapt, find trends through analytics or risk losing this new demographic of sports fans. This panel brings together experts who have tapped into the Gen-Z psyche on a myriad of platforms to grow engagement through social media.

Valerie Camillo - President of Business Operations, Comcast Spectacor   Marie Donoghue - VP of Global Sports Video, Amazon   Jessica Gelman - CEO, Kraft Analytics Group   Alison Overholt (moderator) - General Manager, Oprah Daily   In 2021, precedent is not a predictor of who fans are or what they want. Learn how leading executives from the most forward thinking organizations in sports (Amazon, Comcast and KAGR) are using data to understand how to attract new fans, create new experiences, and take advantage of lessons learned during the pandemic. In the past year, the in-person and viewing experience has been forced to accelerate 5 years. Teams, leagues, and media companies are innovating to cater to the next generation while continuing to attract their longstanding supporters. At Amazon, Marie Donoghue has accelerated product innovation for viewers and creatively built rights deals with the EPL, NFL, teams, and more. A savvy and impactful team president of the Flyers, Valerie Camillo is resetting how teams in the NHL approach fans and use data. And, KAGR is the technology and strategic backbone helping industry leaders like the NFL and HBSE understand their fans, create new data, and define changing fan dynamics.

Michael Lewis - Author   Adam McKay - Film Director   People have been telling stories about the lives of athletes for centuries. More recently, it seems that athletes have taken a more active role in telling their own stories. In this panel, we bring together director/producer Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) and author Michael Lewis (The Big Short, Moneyball) to discuss this changing industry paradigm. Together, McKay and Lewis will discuss a variety of topics from how they bring athlete stories to life, both in parody and through documentary, to how sports media was the precursor to political media. How do they know when to insert artistic license, as opposed to letting the athlete or the story shine?

Clay Luter - EVP & Co-Head of Sports, Ticketmaster   Mike Markovich - VP of Business Development, NFL   Stevie Gray - Vice President Ticket Operations, Golden State Warriors   Kristin Bernert (moderator) - Executive Vice President, Madison Square Garden Sports   A multi-billion dollar industry reliant on live events, evaporated overnight in March 2020. Fans had tickets to games that might never happen or happen in a year. Teams and leagues held money for games they would need to refund. The secondary ticket market's easy flow of tickets and fees were reliant on games happening. Event cancellation was virtually non-existent. Learn how the foundation of ticketing was rocked to its core and how partners worked together to do right by the customer and by their shared goal and partnership to ensure a safe and expedient return to venue. As the sports world’s recovery continues, industry giants will share how they navigated the pandemic, the impact of new technologies & data, how analytics is driving fans' return, and how their partnerships have been strengthened to overdeliver on the fan experience.

Mark Cuban - Owner, Dallas Mavericks   Leore Avidar - Founder and CEO, Alt   Roham Gharegozlou - CEO, Dapper Labs   Nicolas Julia - CEO, Sorare   Daryl Morey (moderator) - President of Basketball Operations, Philadelphia 76ers   Over two weeks in February, the value of a pristine condition Michael Jordan rookie card went from $215,000 to $738,000. The value of sports memorabilia - ranging from cards, to sneakers, to even digital highlights - has reached an all time high despite a pandemic and recession. How did we get here, and what is memorabilia’s role as an alternative investment? What are the analytical strategies deployed by players in this industry rife with subjection around nostalgia and art? With six and seven figure price tags, are the days of collecting as a childhood hobby behind us? The panel brings together experts with a wide range of experience to debate the past, present, and future of the memorabilia business.

Greg Kim - Director of Esports, Evil Geniuses   Tal Shachar - Former Chief Digital Officer, Immortals   Emily Rand - Analyst, League Championship Series   Doug Watson - Head of Esports Insights, Riot Games   Ryan Friedman (moderator) - Former Chief of Staff, Dignitas   The Moneyball mentality has expanded from baseball to most traditional sports, as teams look for any edge that they can get on the field. Esports leagues and teams are no different. Coaches and players fight over seemingly small details such as 8 or 40 ping and teams have built departments dedicated to player assessment and health. Initial esports rosters formed as friends who wanted to play together but esports has evolved to a more calculated approach when evaluating and signing talent. At the same time, player salaries have grown from mousepads to multi-million-dollar contracts. In this panel, industry leaders will discuss the growth of competitive analysis in esports and how teams have advanced their roster building strategies.

Stephanie McMahon - Chief Brand Officer, WWE   Steve Pagliuca - Co-Chairman, Bain Capital   Burke Magnus - Executive Vice President Programming and Original Content, ESPN   Scott Soshnick (moderator) - Editor-in-Chief, Sportico   From engineering interactive viewing experiences to orchestrating virtual drafts, the production value of live sports skyrocketed when watching from home was the only option for most fans. While fans love the new changes, we rarely get a peek behind the curtain at what leagues and teams do to drastically shift their traditional production methods. This panel highlights the behind-the-scenes work of leagues and their broadcast partners to produce engaging live events when confronted with COVID.

Jordan Palmer - Quarterback Coach and Former NFL Quarterback, QB Summit   Kevin Meers - Zelus Analytics, Football Strategy Fellow   Field Yates (moderator) - Insider & Co-Host, ESPN   In 2020, we witnessed the emergence of unexpected NFL quarterback stars alongside a carousel of moves. Listen in for an in-depth, end-to-end analysis on what it means to be a quarterback and what the role entails. Our panel of football experts will look at how analytics can be used to evaluate, scout, and improve quarterbacks, as well as make the ever-important decision of whether to tag or move on from a player.