Episodes

  • The Economics of Fandom: Sports Loyalty Programs Explained
    Feb 19 2026

    00:00 – Intro

    02:30 – From selling attention to building relationships
    Sports has always monetised eyeballs. But what happens when attention alone isn’t enough?

    06:00 – Why loyalty in sport feels underdeveloped
    How a category built on fandom often lacks a proper, year-round engagement layer.

    09:00 – What modern loyalty could look like
    Moving beyond one-off promotions to something that runs 24/7, 365.

    12:00 – Making it simple for fans
    Why any new technology or system has to feel easy for consumers to use - and where blockchain failed to start with

    15:00 – Why “cool” ideas using blockchain aren't enough anymore
    How teams are getting more strategic in their use of blockchain to drive revenue, efficiency and engagement.

    18:30 – How Starbucks & airlines do loyalty
    What sport can learn from preloaded value, points and rewards models that already work in consumer & travel

    22:00 – The Cleveland Cavaliers case study
    How the Cavs approached loyalty — and what the physical and digital experience looks like for fans.

    26:00 – From passive watching to active participation
    How predictions, rewards, and experiences are giving fans a reason to engage beyond game day.

    30:00 – Why sponsors care about this shift
    The move from impressions to measurable participation and attribution, and the commercial value of those metrics.

    34:00 – Owning the fan relationship
    Why long-term value comes from having a direct connection — and how to rebuild that relationship.

    37:30 – What's the commercial potential of loyalty programs?
    The timeline towards loyalty becoming a core revenue line for most sports properties

    40:00 – Final thoughts & wrap up

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    © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

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    41 mins
  • The Clipping Economy: Driving Social Proof at Scale - Yuriy Yarovoy
    Feb 5 2026

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    00:00 – Welcome & the rise of the clipping economy
    Why the way people discover and engage with games is fundamentally shifting - from exposure to advertising to shared moments between friends.

    03:00 – Attention is earned, not bought
    How modern audiences filter out traditional marketing - and what it means for user acquisition when youth audiences are now ad-blind by default.

    06:40 – Belonging as a growth strategy
    Why players who discover a game, sport or film through a friend arrive with higher trust, better retention, and a stronger sense of community from day one.

    10:20 – From funnel to leapfrog
    How socially shared content can short-circuit traditional acquisition steps and land users straight into a community.

    13:45 – The psychology of shared moments
    The rationale behind why small, authentic clips are outperforming polished promos - and how identity is formed through participation, not consumption.

    17:20 – Designing for trust-based discovery
    What it takes to build products and campaigns that facilitate organic sharing without feeling engineered or extractive.

    21:00 – Community building in low-friction environments
    How simplicity and familiarity create more shareable behaviours - and why intentional friction often kills valuable momentum for brands.

    24:15 – The Three R's to measure growth beyond views and clicks
    How to think about retention, resonance, and relationship-building as core metrics in community-led growth.

    28:00 – Designing campaigns that create culture
    The content formats and activations that encourage players to contribute over consume - and how successful brands and game developers are rethinking growth loops.

    32:30 – Rethinking brand presence in gaming
    Why younger audiences reject interruptive formats, and how brands can show up in ways that align with player behaviour and context.

    36:00 – Lessons for anyone building community-led platforms
    Insights into what scales trust, and why growing slowly (but meaningfully) often wins long-term.

    40:20 – Final reflections

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    © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

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    42 mins
  • Inside Dentsu: A CMO's Guide to Investing in Gaming - Brent Koning
    Jan 21 2026

    00:00 – Intro & welcome
    Joe and Tiago introduce the show, and welcome Brent Koning, Global Head of Gaming at dentsu.

    02:00 – Brent’s background & career journey
    From early work with Microsoft and Xbox to EA, FIFA esports, and eventually leading gaming strategy at dentsu.

    08:30 – What dentsu’s gaming role actually looks like
    How gaming fits inside a global agency, what dentsu does differently, and why strategy comes before media.

    14:30 – Why gaming has been misunderstood by marketers
    Generational shifts, education gaps, and why gaming is finally being taken seriously as a channel.

    21:00 – Gaming’s role in the modern marketing mix
    Why gaming should sit alongside TV, social and sport — and why time spent matters more than formats.

    27:30 – How brands should think about entering gaming
    Segmentation, platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, and avoiding surface-level activations.

    34:30 – Brand integrations, culture & UGC
    Examples that work (and don’t), Fortnite, Minecraft, and why culture fit is everything.

    41:00 – IP, fandom & the future of games
    UGC platforms, transmedia storytelling, GTA VI, and where attention is heading next.

    47:30 – Final advice for brands & CMOs
    Why “test and learn” isn’t enough anymore, and the importance of real commitment.

    50:00 – Wrap-up & closing
    Final thoughts and sign-off.

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    © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

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    51 mins
  • Inside NASCAR: Innovation & Gaming in Sports with Mitch Rasmussen
    Jan 8 2026

    Inside NASCAR: Innovation & Gaming in Sports with Mitch Rasmussen

    00:00 – Intro & Mitch’s role at NASCAR
    Mitch Rasmussen joins the show to discuss his role leading interactive strategy at NASCAR, and what “interactive” really means inside a modern sports organisation.

    03:10 – The pace of innovation
    How integrating technology has changed decision-making inside NASCAR, and how Mitch and his team prioritise where to focus amid constant disruption.

    06:40 – Small wins vs big swings
    Balancing incremental improvements with high-risk, high-reward bets, and why both are essential to long-term innovation.

    10:15 – Where NASCAR is investing attention right now
    The platforms, channels and technologies NASCAR is actively exploring, and where Mitch believes brands are still under-investing.

    14:20 – Youth audiences vs traditional audiences
    Why innovation can’t come at the cost of legacy fans, and how NASCAR experiments with new formats while bringing its audience along for the ride.

    18:10 – NASCAR’s UGC gaming strategy
    A deep dive into NASCAR’s history in UGC gaming, including NASCAR Speedhub, Driving Empire and Rocket Racing.

    21:30 – Driving Empire: breaking down the numbers
    Why Driving Empire became such a standout success, the strategies behind it, and what made the experience resonate with younger audiences.

    25:40 – Integrating sponsors authentically
    How NASCAR weaves brand partners into gaming and interactive experiences without breaking immersion, and what most brands get wrong with in-game advertising.

    30:05 – NASCAR's Broadcast work with FOX Sports, Meta & Xtadium
    The evolving role of broadcast partners, experimentation beyond linear TV, and why XR represents a massive opportunity for live sports.

    35:10 – How to evaluate disruptive tech
    Mitch shares a practical framework for evaluating new platforms or technologies - how NASCAR decides what to test, what to scale and what to pass on.

    41:20 – Lessons for other brands and rights holders
    What other organisations can learn from NASCAR’s approach to innovation, audience growth and digital experience design.

    44:30 – Closing thoughts
    Final reflections on the future of sports, fan engagement and where interactive experiences are headed next.

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    © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

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    48 mins
  • Inside Abstract: Fans, Culture & Consumer Crypto with Michael Lee
    Sep 25 2025

    0:00 - Intro and Michael's background
    An insight into Michael's career and his journey to Abstract.

    12:00 - Building a blockchain and the UX & UI problems in web3
    Why the industry has struggled to onboard retail consumers and how to design a consumer-facing platform.

    14:00 - Abstract's early traction
    Where Abstract is finding success since launch, and the audiences and markets they are targeting.

    19:00 - Oracle Red Bull Racing collaboration and fan engagement
    Michael discusses how Red Bull Racing used Abstract to launch the 'In the Moment' digital collectible series

    21:00 - Consumer brands and their approach to web3
    What are the three key things that brands care about, and how to get buy-in to innovate

    32:00 - Web3's killer use case: loyalty and rewards
    How ORBR and consumer brands are using digital collectibles to reward fandom, understand their fanbase and engage new audiences.

    39:00 - Simplifying the fan experience of using web3
    Streaming, social and the creator economy, and how consumers discover apps and experiences through the Abstract terminal.

    47:00 Advice for Global Brands
    Michael shares his thoughts on how major brands should (re)enter the space, and the right approach for anyone experimenting with emerging tech.

    55:00 - Close

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    © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

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    56 mins
  • Inside Coca-Cola: The Key to Culture Marketing with Stefan Rothenbuehler
    Sep 11 2025

    00:00 – Intro & Stefan’s background
    Career journey and the path to Coca-Cola.

    03:20 – Coke’s philosophy on partnerships
    How the brand decides which properties, music, and cultural moments to get behind.

    07:45 – Balancing heritage with staying relevant
    What it means to future-proof one of the world’s most iconic brands.

    12:10 – Activating partnerships authentically
    Blending life, digital and product experiences, and his view on gaming and emerging tech's role in future campaigns.

    18:35 – Case Study: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice x Fanta
    Behind the scenes of the Warner Bros. Discovery collaboration.

    25:15 – Why Halloween matters
    Making Fanta central to a cultural moment and engaging Gen Z & youth audiences.

    31:40 – Chalk Talk
    What rights holders, event organisers and IP need to know to attract a partnership with Coca-Cola.

    38:50 – Closing thoughts
    Final reflections and key takeaways.

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    © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

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    37 mins
  • Inside Major League Soccer: Growing Fandom through Technology & Innovation with Chris Blivin
    Aug 28 2025

    Soccer’s booming in the US - and with the World Cup on the horizon and momentum building toward the 2028 Olympics, Major League Soccer is right at the heart of it.

    On this episode of The Speakeasy, we’re joined by Chris Blivin, VP of Consumer Products at MLS, to talk about the league's approach to technology, innovation & gaming.

    Chris takes us through:

    - MLS’ world first with Apple & EA – live-streaming matches straight into EAFC mobile

    - How the MLS is taking its IP beyond soccer and into pop culture

    - Their partnerships across gaming, collectibles & web3

    - Their fan engagement strategy for the 2026 World Cup

    - What tech businesses really need to know to succeed in the sports industry

    - His career journey from Sportfive to PGA Tour to Major League Soccer

    - And plenty more along the way…

    So if you’ve ever wondered how sports, culture and gaming intersect, or how a league builds global fandom without copying legacy models, this is the episode for you!

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    © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

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    51 mins
  • Inside Roblox: Growing the World's Largest Gaming Platform with Lisa Willett
    Aug 14 2025

    Roblox & Growing the World's Largest Gaming Platform – Lisa Willett

    With over 100 million daily players, Roblox isn’t just a game — it’s where millions of people hang out, create and shape culture every day. From building worlds with friends to joining virtual concerts and sports events, it’s become a playground for imagination and a powerful stage for brands looking to connect with the next generation.

    In this episode, Lisa Willett, Roblox’s Director of Global Partnerships, lifts the lid on how the platform works to integrate global brands — from NFL and Netflix to Lionsgate and Warner Bros. — and why UGC gaming is becoming one of the most important tools in the marketing playbook. Exploring how brands can show up authentically, the strategies driving fandom, and how Roblox is professionalising into a billion-dollar creator economy, as well as:

    • Lisa’s journey to leading partnerships at Roblox
    • How brands get started on Roblox and the role of dev studios
    • The many ways brands can show up: integrations, ads, owned experiences, IP licensing, immersive commerce etc
    • Why the Roblox creator economy is becoming more professional (and more profitable)
    • How the platform is delivering on brand safety, measurement and return on investment
    • Step-by-step advice for brands wanting to win over youth audiences

    🎬 Filmed at Sky Guild Gaming Centre in the Ginx TV Studio

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    © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

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    33 mins