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SBJ Unpacks

Sports Business Journalunpacks.sportsbusinessjournal.com
Sports business is facing new global economic, political, and cultural changes. Unpacks is a new series from Sports Business Journal that analyzes how current trends are impacting sports business. Listen as SBJ editors and special guests provide trusted insights to help you navigate these dynamic, complex situations.
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Episodes

SBJ Unpacks: How teams are using Balloon for streamlined collaboration

How do you avoid groupthink? How do you avoid various forms of cognitive bias? How do you make sure that each piece of information is valued and considered? In this episode, we hear how teams are tackling these issues. Balloon co-founder and CEO Amanda Greenberg, Houston Astros Assistant GM Andrew Ball, and Phoenix Suns Assistant GM Ryan Resch join SBJ's Joe Lemire to break this all down.

Mar 25, 202434 minEp. 261

SBJ Unpacks: Return of SlamBall

Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on Friday night will play host to the return of SlamBall, and league co-founder Mike Tollin credits an organic groundswell among fans as a key impetus in bringing the sport back to life in the U.S. Tollin, who also serves as Mandalay Sports Media co-chair, spoke with SBJ’s Austin Karp about the relationship with broadcast partner ESPN, how the funding efforts exceeded expectations, as well as the potential roles both sports wagering and social media could play.

Jul 20, 202312 minEp. 260

SBJ Unpacks: NFL Preview

With opening week quickly approaching, Ben Fischer, Reggie Walker, and Xavier Hunter were joined by Jabari Young of Forbes to preview the upcoming NFL season. Topics discussed included the Deshaun Watson suspension, Denver Broncos ownership, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, and the league’s advancements in media.

Aug 19, 202242 minEp. 259

SBJ Unpacks: USL Soccer

SBJ's Alex Silverman is joined by USL Chief Operating Officer Justin Papadakis to discuss the state of the organization and its ambitious growth plans.

Aug 17, 202226 minEp. 258

SBJ Unpacks: LIV Golf tees off in Portland

Ahead of the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic in Illinois and LIV Golf Invitational Portland, SBJ’s Josh Carpenter, and David Rumsey spoke with Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig and Brendan Porath of The Fried Egg to discuss the current state of golf.

Jul 01, 202256 minEp. 255

SBJ Unpacks: Paul Epstein

Paul Epstein, founder of Purpose Labs, successfully steered business teams that executed billion-dollar NFL campaigns, broke Super Bowl revenue records, and generated league-leading sales results for NBA clubs. He then served as a consultant for the largest brands in business and sports. But after experiencing his own personal and career transformation, Epstein embarked on a mission to tackle a crisis of leadership. In his book, The Power of Playing Offense, Epstein takes a people-first approach...

Apr 12, 202240 minEp. 252

SBJ Unpacks: Ben Sutton and George Pyne

Two college football insiders, Teall Capital’s Ben Sutton and Bruin Capital’s George Pyne, discuss the College Football Playoff expansion, driving more value from the championship game and the future of bowl games in this game day edition of the SBJ Unpacks podcast.

Jan 10, 202226 minEp. 250

SBJ Unpacks: Chris Long

2-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long chats with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about life after football. We hear about his transition from chasing quarterbacks to pursuing media opportunities including a new podcast and much more.

Dec 16, 202131 minEp. 249

SBJ Unpacks: Zach Maurides

Zach Maurides infamously started his business called Teamworks in a Duke University classroom when he was a student. Now, the Chicago native’s organizational and communications platform is used by more than 1,000 college teams and the recent acquisitions of INFLCR and Notemeal have broadened the company into new areas of growth. In this edition of the SBJ Unpacks podcast, Michael Smith talks to Maurides about what has driven him as an entrepreneur and founder, the future of name, image and liken...

Nov 09, 202132 minEp. 248

SBJ Unpacks: Lindsay Arell

Aptim Director of Sustainability Lindsay Arell joined the Sports Business Journal’s Bret McCormick on the Unpacks podcast to discuss the Sustainable Sport Index, a new report she co-authored looking at the industry’s efforts in sustainability, health and wellness, and diversity and inclusion. Arell talked about the report’s results, including novel findings like 53% of the responding teams allow free water bottle refill in their venue, or that only 18% of the respondents have a devoted sustainab...

Oct 18, 202131 minEp. 246

SBJ Unpacks: Larry Lucchino

Longtime sports business leader and innovator Larry Lucchino, a member of the 2021 class of SBJ’s Champions, talks with Senior Writer Bill King about developing new stadiums, why he insisted on being a part of both the business and the baseball sides, and breaking the curse of the Bambino.

Jul 30, 202119 minEp. 245

SBJ Unpacks: Lauren Flanagan

Theorycraft co-founder Lauren Flanagan joins The Esport Observer's Kevin Hitt to discuss OneTeam Partners' acquisition of her organization and what is next for Theorycraft

Jun 28, 202114 minEp. 244

SBJ Unpacks: Gerry Marzorati

Author Gerry Marzorati joins SBJ’s Bret McCormick to talk about his new book, “Seeing Serena,” and how his approach may be the future of sports writing.

Jun 21, 202126 minEp. 243

SBJ Unpacks: Cari Champion

Media personality Cari Champion joins SBJ’s John Ourand to talk about how sports have changed since George Floyd’s death, her career post-ESPN, her love of the Los Angeles Lakers and her new podcast “Naked with Cari Champion.” Recorded May 18, 2021

May 19, 202129 minEp. 242

SBJ Unpacks: Will Ahmed

Whoop founder and CEO Will Ahmed joins SBJ’s Eric Prisbell to discuss the massive growth with the company and how the pandemic played a role in that growth.

May 18, 202124 minEp. 241

SBJ Unpacks: Jed Corenthal

Phenix Real-Time Solutions' Chief Marketing Officer Jed Corenthal joins SBJ’s Eric Prisbell to delve into the sports betting space. It is the three year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case overturning the federal ban on sports betting. Where does the industry currently stand, and how will technology play a vital role in the growth of sports betting? *Recorded 5/13/21

May 14, 202126 minEp. 240

SBJ Unpacks: Stacie de Armas

Nielsen Senior VP/Diverse Insights & Initiatives Stacie de Armas joins SBJ’s Andrew Levin to delve into the power of female athletes as social media and broadcast influencers, offering her examination of our industry’s commitment to gender equality, namely, within the context of this year's NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. *Recorded 4/15/21

Apr 16, 202124 minEp. 238

SBJ Unpacks: Tim Katz

Tim Katz -- who is YouTube Director and Head of News & Sports Partnerships -- joins SBJ’s Andrew Levin to discuss year three of the MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube, which he believes exemplifies the video platform’s strategic vision for its live-sports business overall.

Apr 14, 202132 minEp. 237

SBJ Unpacks: Joe Favorito

Sports communications consultant Joe Favorito and SBJ’s Andrew Levin turn their attentions toward media engagement and adapting for content in a post-pandemic sports world, namely, via the hybrid event model, which embraces both in-person and virtual experiences simultaneously.

Apr 12, 202131 minEp. 236

SBJ Unpacks: Ashley Robinson

Jackson State AD Ashley Robinson joins SBJ’s Andrew Levin to discuss dynamics related to the SWAC’s spring football season, namely, myriad impacts the school has experienced from its hiring of head coach Deion Sanders, media exposure on ESPN, and an eventual transition back to a traditional fall sports season, plus more. *Recorded 4/7/21

Apr 09, 202127 minEp. 235

SBJ Unpacks: Alex Honnold

American rock climber Alex Honnold is best known for his free solo ascents of big walls, in particular, El Capitan, chronicled in the 2018 biographical documentary “Free Solo,” which won a BAFTA and an Academy Award. Recently, Honnold launched his latest media project, “Climbing Gold,” a narrative podcast. He joins SBJ’s Andrew Levin to discuss that, plus other business dynamics surrounding rock climbing. *Recorded 4/6/21

Apr 07, 202133 minEp. 234

SBJ Unpacks: Caryn Seidman Becker

CLEAR Chair & CEO Caryn Seidman Becker’s company has significantly deepened its ties in sports amid the pandemic. She joins SBJ’s Andrew Levin to discuss the implications of, and growth plans for, CLEAR’s technology, including its Health Pass platform, which allows fans to quickly and securely confirm their identity via biometrics. *Recorded 4/1/21

Apr 02, 202126 minEp. 233
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