Bloomberg Business of Sports

Apollo's Josh Harris and Blackstone's David Blitzer this week established Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, a holding company that'll guide their sports investments. The man in charge at HBSE is Chief Executive Officer Scott O'Neil, who talks about a host of topics, including cable television and new media, what presiding over ``Linsanity'' taught him and whether the Philadelphia 76ers strategy of stockpiling draft picks was a good one. O'Neil also discusses esports and his penchant for being first. 

O'Neil oversees HBSE, which includes the 76ers, NHL's New Jersey Devils, the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where the hockey team plays, English Premier League team Crystal Palace and an eSports team. He joined the 76ers as CEO in 2013, and was charged with rejuvenating the franchise's business operations. 

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New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft talks about the business of the National Football League, including whether owners are concerned about declining television ratings. The chairman of the league's digital committee, Kraft discusses how Amazon, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter and other companies are disrupting the traditional media model and what it means for the bottom line. The son of Robert Kraft also talks about working the early shift, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the growth potential of Major League Soccer. 

Jonathan Kraft is president of the Kraft Group, the holding company that includes the NFL's Patriots and MLS's Revolution. As president of the football team, he oversees the management and strategic planning of each department. He also works with his father to represent the Patriots in all league matters and serves on multiple owner committees. 

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Laura Froelich, global head of sports partnerships at Twitter, covers a host of topics, including her global search for content -- and the accompanying frequent flyer miles. She also discusses  Twitter's portfolio of sports assets, how the company monetizes sports and whether the platform is a friend or foe to linear TV. Froelich also talks about social media's place in enhancing traditional sports broadcasts and why a younger demographic is appealing to advertisers. 

Froelich joined Twitter in 2014 and became global director of sports partnerships early this year. Prior to that she spent five years at CBS Interactive, developing marketing programs for advertisers. The native New York also touches on her affinity for the New York Jets.

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National Football League Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice discusses a host of topics, including what he calls the league's mismanagement of player discipline for members like Tom Brady and Ezekiel Elliott. Smith also talks about the league's declining television audience, whether there's too much football on TV and, of course, the issue of head trauma and player safety. He also touches on the biggest myths about the NFL, which is the most-watched U.S. sports league. 

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Boston Red Sox Chief Executive Officer Sam Kennedy talks about the business behind the Major League Baseball team, including how management has sought to make historic Fenway Park not only more welcoming, but profitable. He also discusses the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry and how the baseball team fits into owner John Henry's global sports and entertainment holdings: Liverpool FC, the New England Sports Network and Roush Fenway Racing. Kennedy also talks about diversifying the events at Fenway, and what it was like going to high school with former Red Sox executive Theo Epstein.

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Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, talks about Players Weekend, during which his membership will wear nicknames on the back of their jerseys. They'll sport alternate jerseys inspired by youth league designs. MLB has also allowed the players to wear custom-designed flashy equipment that shows personality in the sport's latest attempt to reach and connect with a younger audience. Clark also talks about his union's history of labor strife, technology and, of course, his too-hard, not-hard-enough hit in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2004 American League Championship Series at Fenway Park. 

Clark is the first former player to head the MLB Players Association. A former player representative while active, Clark joined the union in 2010 after a 15-year playing career in which he hit .262 with 251 home runs and 824 runs batted in. 

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UFC President Dana White says the Aug. 26 megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor will smash records in revenue and viewership. White also discusses the league's next television contract, which may include a nontraditional broadcast partner such as Facebook or Amazon. White took over as president of UFC when his friend Lorenzo Fertitta bought the company in 2001 for $2 million. The company was sold to a group led by WME/IMG last year for $4 billion.

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Andre Iguodala of the NBA's Golden State Warriors talks about how professional athletes are more than ever seeking to become successful investors off the field or court. A number of active athletes have taken their cues from retired jocks like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, who both joined the ownership ranks. Iguodala also discusses how playing near Silicon Valley has helped him to become an investor in a number of technology-related companies. He also delves into next week’s The Players Technology Summit by Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry, which will bring together leaders in technology, venture capital and sports to share ideas and expertise. The event in San Francisco is presented by Bloomberg.

Iguodala has spent 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association, the last four with the defending champion Warriors. A 2012 All-Star, he was also the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 NBA Finals. He recently re-signed with the Warriors for three years and $48 million.

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Casey Wasserman, chairman of the bid group that brought the 2028 Olympics to Los Angeles, addresses the International Olympic Committee's changing approach to awarding the Games. He also addresses a host of financial issues surrounding the Olympics, including how L.A.'s existing infrastructure will prevent the kinds of white elephants and exploding spending that has marred previous bids. He also talks about the city's privately financed Games, and how the Olympics will actually help to ease the city's much-maligned traffic. 

Wasserman is the founder and chairman of Wasserman Media Group, a sports and entertainment agency he founded in 2002.

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FC Barcelona President Josep Bartomeu discusses how the club is trying to gain traction in the U.S., buoyed by stars like Lionel Messi and Neymar, whom reports say may leave Spain for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Bartomeu, who took over in 2014, has held a number of positions at Barcelona, including the top post in the club’s handball and basketball sections.

Prior to that, Major League Soccer Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott talks about expansion, revenue growth and team valuations as the league heads toward its Aug. 2 All-Star game in Chicago, where MLS’s best will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid.

Abbott, a native of England, was MLS’s first employee in 1993. He runs the league’s expansion plans and is also spearheading MLS’s video review, which debuts Aug. 5.

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