Halftime Snacks

The last Halftime Snack episode features Prantik Mazumdar. Prantik is an entrepreneur, true expert in digital growth, and venture investor who’s passionate about the business and technology of sports and angel investing.

Prantik has provided consultancy in sponsorships, rights, digital marketing, law, and much more to high-quality brands in sports such as IMG, ESPN, Fox Sports, and Top Golf.

He is a strategic advisor at RevSportz, a sports tech venture focusing on multi-sports, multi-language video content, sports NFTs, sports education & sports crowdfunding solutions across APAC.

Prantik is also the managing partner at Happy Marketer – a leading regional digital marketing consulting firm.

In this episode, we discover Prantik's passion for sports and tech. We’ll hear some entrepreneurial lessons on building and selling Happy Marketer and learn about Prantik's mental frameworks toward venture investing, scaling businesses, and the future of sports.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon

- Starting next week, my content output through Sports-Tech Biz and Halftime Snacks will come to a hiatus. I will focus and publish all my creative output through FOS, so make sure you bookmark the website to find me and my content there.

Lior Tor is an expert in NFTs and Blockchain technology.

He's the Co-founder of Boyo – a platform that bridges the digital and physical worlds through NFTs, bringing utility to brands and creators.

Boyo works with clients in sports, providing collectible experiences, merchandise, ticketing, and exclusive access to clubs through NFTs.

In this episode, we learn about Boyo’s features and uniqueness. We then discussed the hype behind NFTs and their utility for sports companies. Lastly, we discussed the adoption and future of the NFT space in sports.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon

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- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.

This Halftime Snack features Adam Davis. Adam was one of the executives that built Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE) and ran as their Chief Commercial Officer for over four years. He also worked for the NY Yankees, The Madison Square Garden Company, Prudential Center, and the New Jersey Devils.

Today, Adam is the Managing Director in North America for Two Circles – a data-focused sports marketing firm that helps sports leagues, teams, and governing bodies monetize their data. They work with world-class organizations worldwide, such as the IOC, UEFA, Formula One, English Premier League, Learfield, and the NFL.

In this episode, we discover Adam's lessons and insights from his background and his current work at Two Circles. We also discussed data as a business model and its value in understanding sports fans/consumers. Finally, we learn about the strategy for Two Circles, the 'why' behind their business verticals, and how Adam thinks about community.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon

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- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.

Zac Litwack joins this Halftime Snack to discuss the sports betting market, growth hacking, and scaling startups.

Zac is a partner at Savage Ventures and helps grow their portfolio companies, primarily as their CMO. Savage Ventures is a venture operator that invests, acquires, and operates high-growth businesses within different industries, including sports.

Zac is also the CEO at Savage Sports, which is the top sports betting and online gambling marketing affiliate in North America.

We learn about Zac's story and current work as head of Savage Sports, CMO, and growth hacker. We also discussed Zac's rationale behind scaling companies, the outlook for the sports betting market, and the Savage Sports affiliate business.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon

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Doug Holtzman is a legend in the sports business who has over 20 years of experience in sponsorship sales and has worked for world-class brands in the NBA, the NFL, the MLB, NCAA, and NBAG. He also worked on diverse sports tech and media projects at companies like Learfield, Media Brokers, and the OnTrac Sports app.

Doug has been working at Sportsdigita for about four years, where he was recently promoted to Senior Vice President (SVP) of Sports.

Doug works with professional teams worldwide to help them improve their storytelling through great presentations.

In this episode, we decode Doug's craft & expertise in sales – mastering the skills needed, finding mentors, lessons, insights, and main takeaways from failures and tips for starters. We also discussed 'storytelling as a service' – differentiating between good and bad stories, mental models for brands who want to crush their storytelling, and sources of inspiration. Finally, we learn why Doug works on Sportsdigita, his next steps as the SVP, and how he grows from here.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon

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- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.

Jacob Feldman is a Harvard Alumni with +10 years of experience writing for brands in sports such as the NFL, Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated.

Today, Jacob is a sports business reporter at Sportico – a digital content and media company that brings high-quality data, information, news, and strategy from what's hot and relevant in the sports business.

Besides being an expert in sports tech and media and having broad experiences as a content creator, Jacob also teaches sports journalism at Brandeis University.

We discussed the evolution of content and media in sports, Jacob's process, style, and tactics for writing, sports journalism, Sportico, and what the industry needs in the future.

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- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google

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Adam Bates began his career as an investment banker, then worked for +3 years as the Director of International Strategy for Topgolf Entertainment, where he led all investments and strategic operations for Topgolf’s international business units.

Today, Adam leads the investments in sports & entertainment for SuRo Capital Sports. SuRo Capital is a venture capital fund that seeks capital gains from private equity investments.

SuRo has an investment philosophy based on promising high-growth, venture-backed investments across different industries – including sports & entertainment.

In this episode, you’ll learn more about Adam's story, his experiences at SuRo, and how he finds great investments and entrepreneurs in sports. We also discussed how inflation, rising interest rates, and disrupted supply chains influence the VC business & Adam's work at SuRo.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google

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This episode features the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) commissioner – T.J. Baumbaugh.

T.J. is a former pro racquetball player who has been the active commissioner for the LPRT since 2016.

She organizes, manages, and promotes women’s professional racquetball, consisting of a 10-month touring schedule,  executive and broadcast teams, and a board of directors.

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour is an event-driven governing body of a growing number of the highest-level professional women players in the world. These elite women athletes represent over a dozen countries, including the United States, Mexico, Chile, Canada, Colombia, Ireland, and Japan.

During our conversation, we discussed TJ's vision for the future and growth of the sport and how technology helps them grow. We also discussed the value of sponsorships, culture, and values of a new sport. Towards the end, we discussed how the LPRT envisions and practices diversity, inclusion, and equity for sports.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google

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- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.

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Greg Tomchick is a former professional baseball player, book author, and cybersecurity expert.

He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the Minor League, published "Growing Into You," where he shares some of the lessons he's had in his career, and now devotes his life to cybersecurity.

Greg is the CEO of Valorr – a team of cybersecurity experts that helps sports and entertainment organizations tackle their most challenging cybersecurity risks and capture their greatest competitive advantages.

At Valorr, they deal with cyber threats, privacy and security, workforce shortages, compliance, and other complex implementations.

In this episode, we discover what’s similar and different between professional sports, cybersecurity, and being an author. We discussed the diverse cyber threats sports organizations might be facing and ended up learning best practices, tools, and guidance for sports organizations to start taking action on their cybersecurity.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google

- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!

- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.

- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.

Dan Healy is a serial entrepreneur who builds solutions with technology for diverse industries, including sports.

Dan's the Co-Founder and CEO of PickUp – an incentivized fan engagement platform that lies at the intersection of sports media and betting.

PickUp transforms content into interactive experiences that deliver insights and revelations about their partner's businesses. Its mission is to validate the fans' opinions and, in the process, make sports content more fun.

During the episode, we discussed the value of fans' opinion & how it plays a key role in Pickup's formula for engagement. We also learn about what it means (from an operational view) for PickUp to partner with relevant brands in sports like NASCAR, FloSports, and Comcast. Lastly, we discover the alternative opportunities for PickUp in media, betting, and other adjacent segments in the "engagement" economy.

Come snack with us!

- This episode is available on Apple | Spotify | Google

- Follow The Halftime Snacks Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get all future updates on the show!

- Apply to be a guest on the Halftime Snacks Podcast here.

- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

- Learn more about the intersection between sports, business, and technology by subscribing to the Sports-Tech Biz newsletter.