Women’s sports are surging. Participation is climbing, purses are growing, arenas are selling out, and today, we’re spotlighting the people and ideas powering that momentum: from the LPGA and USGA, fast-rising leagues like the PWHL, tech-forward formats like TGL, and iconic brands like the Harlem Globetrotters.

You’ll hear from the following guests:

• (0:40) Danette Leighton, Women’s Sports Foundation
• (5:52) Liz Moore, LPGA
• (13:19) Mollie Marcoux Samaan, former LPGA Commissioner
• (20:06) Jon Podany, USGA
• (24:05) Amy Scheer, PWHL
• (27:18) Jon Kropp, TGL
• (30:44) Jayne Bussman-Wise, PWHL
• (35:06) Keith Dawkins, Harlem Globetrotters

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why the current boom in women’s sports is decades in the making: “five generations” of Title IX turning access into audience and investment
• How the U.S. Women’s Open doubled its purse to $12M in just three years and landed prime-time coverage at Pebble Beach
• PWHL’s breakout with sold-out arenas (including a rapid 19,000 seat sellout), single-entity agility, and expansion to eight teams
• How TGL’s tech format lets men and women compete side by side, and why expansion to new venues is next
• The Globetrotters’ co-ed future, from Lynette Woodard’s trailblazing role to today’s strategy that treats inclusion as smart audience growth

Resources and Links:

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

The Cleveland Cavaliers EVP & CIO Mike Conley turned the Cavs’ digital channels from a cost center into a multimillion-dollar revenue engine. And that shift laid the groundwork for their boldest move yet: standing up a 24/7 sports network inside the organization.

With RSN economics wobbling, Mike explains how the Cavs built optionality and formed a joint venture with Gray Media to launch Rock Entertainment Sports Network after a six-week sprint—so the club could produce live events, original programming, and distribute across both linear and streaming footprints. That mix already reaches ~2.4M Ohio households!

You’ll also hear Mike’s tactical thoughts around why every team needs media DNA, what a club-side broadcast stack looks like now, where in-house production makes sense (and where it doesn’t!) and how governance and culture drive execution.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How the Cavs and Gray Media stood up Rock Entertainment Sports Network before the ’24-’25 season to protect against RSN volatility
• The omnichannel footprint behind 2.4M households: OTA (22.1 NE Ohio), Spectrum/Charter, NCTC, plus new signals in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton
• Why broadcast now sits with IT/BI under the CIO, moving to IP video and Dante audio, and what that unlocks
• The early Cavs mandate to shift web from PR to revenue, from $900K to $6.7M in two years
• Mike’s honest view on going in-house, and lessons from peers like the Pelicans, Suns, Jazz, Rangers, and Stars

Resources and Links:

Connect with Mike Conley on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

What does it take to turn the world’s most famous marathon into a year-round digital platform?

Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, is leading the charge, launching an app with 210K+ downloads in its first few months, building an in-house content studio, and forging global partnerships that could redefine what it means to be a “major.”

Drawing on a career that’s spanned ESPN’s control rooms to NBC’s direct-to-consumer pivots, Rob shares how those lessons are shaping NYRR’s tech roadmap and growth strategy. He also pulls back the curtain on serving 200,000+ youth, managing 40 races a year, and navigating unprecedented demand for NYC Marathon spots, all while keeping community impact at the core.

Plus, you’ll hear how storytelling through projects like Final Finishers is helping NYRR capture the emotional heart of the sport.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Rob’s front-row view of ESPN’s evolution, and what today’s rights holders should copy (and avoid) as direct-to-consumer finally goes all-in.
• How NYRR turned a race-day utility into a year-round product with 210,000+ downloads since March
• NYRR’s approach to redesigning registration, adding Strava-powered virtuals, and expanding member value
• Why NYRR invested in an in-house studio (East 89th Street Productions) to own its narrative, create sponsor-friendly assets, and showcase runners’ most emotional moments
• Sydney’s addition, Cape Town and Shanghai on track, and why a nine-star medal might be coming (plus what that means for runners and host cities)

Resources and Links:

Connect with Rob Simmeljkaer on LinkedIn.

Learn more about the New York Road Runners on their website and tune in to their podcast, Set the Pace, co-hosted by Rob.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.