In this episode of On Stage, Matt Hong, President of USA Sports at Versant, joins Abe Madkour, Publisher & Executive Editor of Sports Business Journal, for an insightful conversation on how the sports media landscape is being rebuilt in real time. Recorded on November 18, 2025, at SBJ’s Media Innovators in New York City, the discussion captures Hong at the center of a fast-evolving ecosystem. Versant operates at the intersection of content, technology, and distribution—helping shape how sports are produced, packaged, and consumed across platforms.

Key themes include:

• Media Disruption: How changing consumer behavior, platforms, and technology are redefining sports media models.
• Versant’s Role: What Versant does, how it partners across the industry, and where Hong sees the greatest opportunity ahead.
• Leadership & Strategy: Hong’s approach to navigating uncertainty, building teams, and making long-term bets in a volatile market.
• Innovation at Scale: How data, distribution, and product thinking are reshaping how fans engage with sports content.
• What’s Next: A look at where sports media is headed—and what leaders should be paying attention to now.

It’s a forward-looking, practical discussion for anyone navigating disruption across sports, media, and technology.

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