Chris Bevelaka, a partner at Smash Sports, discusses the $5 billion annual deficit threatening the sustainability of college sports and the role of private capital, real estate, and artificial intelligence in reshaping the college sports model. The conversation also delves into the legislative process, media rights, and the impact of AI on college sports.

Takeaways

• Private Capital
• Legislative Process

Chapters

• 00:00 The Role of Artificial Intelligence in College Sports

The podcast episode features Jordan Goldstein, Co-CEO of Gensler, discussing Gensler's impact and involvement in sports and entertainment districts. The conversation covers Gensler's background, expansion into sports and entertainment, employee ownership, evolution of sports districts, community impact, innovation, sustainability, technology integration, data analytics, future trends, and leadership priorities at Gensler.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Background of Gensler
• 15:15 Evolution of Sports and Entertainment Districts
• 22:40 Integration of Technology and Immersive Experiences
• 29:27 Future Trends in Sports and Entertainment Districts

Discover how NBA veteran Scott Sonnenberg has helped craft one of the most innovative sports venues with cutting-edge technology, unique fan experiences, and impactful partnerships — all while harnessing data and AI to elevate the game.

• Scott Sonnenberg’s journey from the Chicago Bulls to Chief Commercial Officer of the LA Clippers.
• Key innovations at the Intuit Dome: seamless entry, tailored fan experiences, and high-tech features like Gameface ID.
• How the venue's design enhances gameplay, impacts opponent performance, and creates a significant home-court advantage.
• The strategic approach to global branding, partnerships, and community engagement within the LA market.
• The role of data, analytics, and AI in personalizing fan interactions and optimizing venue operations.
• Insight into premium experiences, premium seating design, and how LA’s competitive market shapes them.
• The future of sports venues: embracing AI, maintaining the essence of live sports, and creating memorable experiences.

00:00 - Building the greatest NBA arena from scratch
01:21 - Scott Sonnenberg’s NBA career timeline
02:47 - Innovations at Intuit Dome: Restroom design, Halo Board, and fan experience
04:03 - Building a global brand while focusing on local fan base
06:41 - Leveraging international partnerships and global NBA reach
08:11 - Competition with Lakers and industry leadership in venue design
10:17 - Creating ROI-driven, innovative sponsorships and partnerships
12:02 - Sustainability and environmental initiatives at Intuit Dome
15:04 - Seamless entry, personalized fan experience, and fan engagement technology
17:04 - Early partner engagement during venue construction
18:36 - Use of technology partners like Clear and AT&T within the venue
20:29 - Interactive fan experiences driven by Candy Crush partnership
26:53 - Personalization of fan experiences using data and analytics
33:07 - Impact of venue design, the "Wall," and home atmosphere
35:53 - Premium seating options and creating unique experiences
41:16 - The role of AI in transforming sports and fan engagement
44:11 - The future of sports venues: technology enhancement without replacing live elements

Craig Sloan, CEO of PlayFly Sports, discusses the evolution of sports media, the impact of non-traditional providers, and the seismic changes in the industry. He shares insights on the journey in sports media, the evolution of local media, and the role of multimedia rights in college sports. The conversation delves into the innovation in college sports sponsorship and media rights, the challenges and opportunities in college sports, and the impact of NIL on college sports.

It explores the dynamic nature of multimedia rights, the need for sustainable revenue growth, and the role of technology and data in enhancing fan engagement and game day experiences. Additionally, it discusses the complexities of working with student-athletes in the context of NIL and the influence of artificial intelligence on the sports industry.

Takeaways

• Evolution of Media
• Seismic Changes in Sports Media Innovation in sponsorship and media rights
• Challenges and opportunities in college sports
• Impact of NIL on college sports

Chapters

• 00:00 Journey in Sports Media
• 10:05 Impact of Non-Traditional Providers
• 19:28 Multimedia Rights in College Sports
• 26:00 Innovation in College Sports Sponsorship and Media Rights
• 31:33 Challenges and Opportunities in College Sports
• 40:26 Impact of NIL on College Sports

This episode marks a significant transformation for the podcast, as it evolves from "Revenue Above Replacement" to the "Roar Podcast." The hosts, Brice Clinton, Adam Grossman, and new co-host Caroline Valvardi, discuss the podcast's new direction, focusing on sports real estate, mixed-use developments, and community impact.

They explore how these elements are reshaping cities and communities globally, emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships and the role of AI and data analytics in sports business outcomes. Caroline brings her expertise in public affairs and community development to the table, highlighting the potential for sports to drive economic and social benefits.

The episode also delves into the global perspective on sports development, the rise of sports tourism, and the creation of vibrant communities that extend beyond game days. The hosts express excitement about future episodes featuring diverse voices and perspectives, aiming to engage listeners with insightful conversations about the intersection of sports, real estate, technology, and community building.

Jamie Litoff is the Executive Director of Partnership Marketing for the Chicago Bulls, where she leads the team responsible for bringing the organization's corporate partnerships to life. In her nearly five years with the Bulls, Jamie has grown from Senior Manager to Executive Director — building out a restructured activation team and helping shape the franchise's approach to global partnerships, sustainability initiatives, and authentic brand collaboration at one of the most recognized sports organizations in the world.

Jamie's path to the Bulls spans nearly two decades of sports marketing experience across media, agency, and brand roles. She began her career at CBS Interactive and CBS Sports, where she managed digital sponsorship sales and some of the network's largest cross-platform programs. From there, she moved into the agency world at Intersport and later 160over90 — part of Endeavor — where she led sponsorship activation and content strategy for global brands including Audi, KPMG, Invesco, and National Car Rental across properties ranging from the PGA Tour to Major League Soccer. A stint on the brand side at Guaranteed Rate, managing the White Sox naming rights partnership, rounded out a career arc that gave her fluency in every seat at the table before she ever joined a team.

Beyond her day-to-day role with the Bulls, Jamie spent five years leading the Chicago chapter of WISE — Women in Sports and Events — first as President and then as Chairwoman. Under her leadership, the chapter hosted sold-out events including a panel at NBA All-Star 2020 and continued to grow as a resource for women building careers in the sports and events industries.

Jamie holds a degree from the University of Michigan and a Master's in Sports Administration from Northwestern University. She lives in the Chicago area with her family.

Hannah Berregaard is the Director of League Operations at Chicago Fire FC, where she oversees the operations and growth of the Chicagoland Indoor Soccer League — a youth indoor league acquired by the Fire in 2025 that serves approximately 14,000 players across roughly 1,000 club teams in the greater Chicago area. In this role, Hannah is responsible for the day-to-day logistics of the league, expanding its footprint into new markets and facilities, and connecting the league to the broader Fire organization as the club builds toward its new purpose-built stadium opening in 2028.

Hannah's path into professional sports is anything but conventional. After earning her undergraduate degree in General Studies and Spanish from the University of Northern Iowa, she spent several years in residential real estate in Iowa — consistently exceeding sales goals and developing the client relationship and business management skills that would later prove central to her work in sports operations. When COVID prompted a career pivot in 2020, Hannah enrolled in Northwestern University's Master of Sports Administration program, graduating in June 2022, while simultaneously returning to the game she grew up playing through a coaching role at a local youth soccer club.

That coaching role opened the door to Chicago FC United, one of the largest youth soccer clubs on Chicago's North Shore, where Hannah joined as Assistant Girls Director. In under two years, she advanced to Director of Club Operations — overseeing all programs across the club's boys, girls, and academy levels — by developing operational, marketing, and organizational capabilities that distinguished her in a field dominated by coaching backgrounds. Her deep knowledge of the youth soccer ecosystem in Chicagoland became the foundation for her transition to the professional side of the sport.

A passionate advocate for growing women's presence in soccer — both on and off the field — Hannah has made it a priority to increase the visibility of women coaches, directors, and players at every level of the game. She holds a Master of Arts in Sports Administration from Northwestern University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa.

Joey Graziano is the Chief Business Officer of the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, where he leads the organization's commercial strategy, mixed-use real estate development, data and analytics initiatives, and fan experience innovation. Under his leadership, the Pacers organization is developing one of the most ambitious sports entertainment districts in the country — a 60-acre mixed-use development surrounding Gainbridge Fieldhouse anchored by a Ritz-Carlton and a Live Nation music venue — with a vision to become a model for public-private sports development that can be replicated across American cities.

In this episode of the Revenue Above Replacement podcast, Brice and Adam dig into one of the most timely topics in sports business right now: prediction markets, and what Giannis Antetokounmpo’s recent equity stake in Kalshi might signal about where this space is headed.

They start by breaking down what prediction markets actually are and how they differ from traditional sports betting. Instead of wagering against a sportsbook like FanDuel or DraftKings, prediction markets operate through event contracts that trade on binary outcomes — essentially “yes or no” questions. The price of a contract reflects the market’s implied probability of an outcome occurring, which makes the experience feel closer to a financial market than a typical betting product. From there, they discuss why that structural difference matters, especially as these platforms evolve and expand into sports-focused contracts that look and feel a lot like wagering.

The conversation then shifts to regulation and why prediction markets have become controversial. Because they’re structured as event contracts, platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket fall under the oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rather than the state-by-state regulatory systems that govern sports betting. Brice and Adam talk through the growing debate about whether that’s appropriate, what it means for the future of the category, and why the answer could shape how leagues, teams, and athletes choose to engage with these markets.

They also take a step back to the origins of prediction markets, including their history in academic and political forecasting, and the “wisdom of crowds” idea: when lots of people make independent decisions with real stakes, markets can aggregate information in a way that produces surprisingly accurate predictions. But they’re clear that sports isn’t just about “better forecasts,” and the episode explores the tradeoffs that come with financial incentives in sports contexts. They dig into concerns around manipulation risk, low-liquidity markets, insider information, and where leagues should draw the line on participation by athletes, coaches, and team personnel in any market connected to on-field outcomes.

From there, they zoom back in on the Giannis-Kalshi relationship and what Adam’s research suggests so far. Adam explains the framework behind his article, using data to evaluate brand sentiment, audience behavior, and partnership fit. While Giannis’ fanbase does over-index on interest in sports betting compared to the general public, it appears less aligned than broader NBA fandom, and early online sentiment around the partnership is mixed. That leads to a broader conversation about what “success” looks like for these partnerships: short-term sentiment versus long-term awareness, whether “all press is good press,” and how athlete investments in emerging categories can create value even if the immediate reaction is complicated.

They close by widening the lens again to the bigger trajectory of sports wagering and prediction markets. They discuss how leagues are experimenting with relationships in this space, why new categories often trigger a fresh wave of sponsorship and marketing dollars, and how prediction markets might ultimately evolve beyond entertainment into legitimate hedging tools for sports organizations. The episode ends with an open question that sits at the heart of the conversation: are we moving toward a world where you can trade a market on anything in life, and if so, should we?

Overall, Brice and Adam frame prediction markets as a fast-moving, still-early industry that’s blurring the line between finance and sports gambling. And as regulation, league strategy, and consumer adoption continue to develop, they make the case that understanding how these markets work — and what risks and opportunities they create — is quickly becoming essential for anyone in the sports business ecosystem.