Digital transformation in sports only works when the fan journey is treated as a SYSTEM. And what does it actually look like inside a multi-team, multi-venue sports organization?

In this episode, Keia Cole shares how Brooklyn Sports + Entertainment operates when one leader owns cybersecurity, data and insights, web and mobile, AND venue systems across the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Barclays Center.

We also dive into how they adopted Wicket facial recognition technology and why embedding AI into their daily workflows is reshaping roles faster than ever.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How shifts in consumer behavior, from Waymo to biometric payments, are redefining what fans expect inside arenas
• What responsible AI governance looks like inside Brooklyn Sports + Entertainment
• How Keia’s career across cybersecurity, data, and digital shaped her approach to transformation at scale
• When digital leaders should demand measurable ROI and when experimentation is a smarter bet

Resources and Links:

Connect with Keia Cole on LinkedIn and learn more about Wicket Facial Recognition.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

Youth sports operates at a scale few people realize, with millions of games, volunteer-run teams, and technology that has to work for everyone from coaches to grandparents.

GameChanger CEO Sameer Ahuja is here to walk through how the company approaches those challenges, and how that thinking shaped their most significant product update in its 15-year history.

He shares how GameChanger has leaned into a mobile-first, automation-driven approach to serve millions of teams, how AI is being applied in practical ways, the long-term vision for athlete profiles, and how privacy and trust shape every product decision.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Sameer’s background shaped his approach to building trust and making long-term product bets
• Why youth sports creates a paradox of massive scale and tiny audiences, and how that reality forces different decisions
• How GameChanger thinks about reducing labor when building tools for volunteer coaches and families
• How the company decides when AI-driven automation is “good enough” to ship

Resources and Links:

Connect with Sameer Ahuja on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

What does it take to build Team USA in a rapidly changing global, political, and digital landscape? In this Best Of episode, USOPC leaders Sarah Hirshland and Katie Bynum Aznavorian are breaking down how Olympic success is engineered, the road to Milano Cortina and LA 2028, the role of storytelling and personalization, and how they’re evolving fan engagement.

You’ll hear from the following guests:

• (0:41) Sarah Hirshland, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
• (16:17) Katie Bynum Aznavorian, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why personalization and fan data infrastructure are critical to helping fans connect with 1,200+ Team USA athletes
• How the USOPC allocates resources across 60 national governing bodies
• Why the organization views itself like a venture capital firm
• How Making Team USA was built to simplify qualification pathways and create year-round fan engagement
• How the Olympic Games can unify countries and communities during divided moments

Resources and Links:

Learn more about Team USA and the upcoming Olympic Games.

Connect with Sarah Hirshland on LinkedIn.

Connect with Katie Bynum Aznavorian on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.