Sam Bankman-Fried (top left), Roham Gharegozlou (right), Kris Marszalekgetty images (3)
— Top Influencers —
Sam Bankman-Fried
Chief Executive Officer, FTX
Roham Gharegozlou
Chief Executive Officer, Dapper Labs
Kris Marszalek
Chief Executive Officer, Crypto.com
The value at the intersection of the blockchain and sports is just starting to be mined. Digital currency exchanges like Crypto.com and FTX this year looked to build awareness with pricey sports sponsorships and naming-rights deals at top-shelf properties in Los Angeles and Miami. Led by NBA Top Shot creator Dapper Labs, the first half of 2021 was dominated by news about the skyrocketing value of NFTs — digital art, which in some cases sold for tens of millions.
Azania Andrews, Marcel Marcondes, Matt Davis
Azania Andrews
Vice President, Connections, Anheuser-Busch InBev
Marcel Marcondes
Chief Marketing Officer, Anheuser-Busch InBev
Matt Davis
Head of U.S. Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch InBev
The world’s largest brewer remains a sugar daddy to U.S. sports properties for media and sponsorship. To maintain that, it will have to fight off the inroads from wine and spirits with its own hard seltzer and ready-to-drink beverages. Andrews, Marcondes and Davis also use more sports assets to support their expanding direct-to-consumer business, now well over $1 billion.
John Donahoe (top), John Slusher
John Donahoe
President and Chief Executive Officer, Nike
John Slusher
Executive Vice President of Global Sports Marketing, Nike
As has often been the case, Nike emerged from a tough time looking even more dominant. With brick-and-mortar retail — including its own — shuttered during the pandemic, Nike’s prior shift to direct-to-consumer proved remarkably prescient. Nike’s top retailer for years was Footlocker. Now, it’s Nike — a switch that is likely permanent. “These are times when strong brands can get stronger,” Donahoe said.
Adam Harter (top), Brett O’Brien
Adam Harter
Senior Vice President, PepsiCo
Brett O’Brien
Senior Vice President and General Manager, Gatorade, PepsiCo
Pepsi is still one of the most visible brands across sports, but like every consumer-product company, it is contending with pandemical legacies. Demand for its salty snacks and sodas is spiking, but supply chain snafus and increasing prices of ingredients present difficulties. Gatorade’s ubiquity is being challenged by Coke’s acquisition of BodyArmor, and BioSteel’s growing collection of athlete and property sponsorships.
Chris Holdren (top), Eric Hession
Chris Holdren
Co-President, Caesars Digital
Eric Hession
Co-President, Caesars Digital
Caesars flipped the switch on its entry into sports betting late in the summer, backed by a now familiar national ad blitz featuring comic actor JB Smoove as Caesar that debuted during the Olympics. Caesars has ground to make up in market share, but with an NFL league sponsorship, a high-profile deal with Madison Square Garden and a deep war chest of advertising and promotional dollars, it’s building brand in a hurry.
Amy Howe
Chief Executive Officer, FanDuel
Formerly COO of Ticketmaster, Howe left for sports’ hottest growth track in February, when she assumed the newly created role of president at FanDuel. In October, she ascended to the helm of the company, filling a vacancy created by the departure of Matt King. Howe now runs the U.S. market share leader, with the possibility of an IPO spinoff from parent Flutter still on the table.
Mark Locke (top), Carsten Koerl
Mark Locke
Chief Executive Officer, Genius Sports
Carsten Koerl
Chief Executive Officer, Sportradar
The world’s two leading sports data distributors underwent transformational years, as Genius Sports went public via SPAC in April and Sportradar launched its IPO in September, setting up both to include equity as part of massive exclusive deals with the leagues. Genius’ six-year, $700 million deal with the NFL and Sportradar’s eight-year, $1 billion deal with the NBA established both products as must-takes for U.S. sportsbooks.
Michael Rapino
Chief Executive Officer, Live Nation
Live Nation has emerged from a difficult 2020 in a strong position. The company’s stock price hit an all-time high in November and all business segments have returned to profitability. The company also debuted Live Stubs, its digital NFT collectible program, this fall, and supports the NFL’s offering of NFT-appended tickets through Ticketmaster for select games.
Jason Robins
Chief Executive Officer, DraftKings
A familiar face in U.S. sports circles going back to his early days securing DraftKings investments, Robins has only gained stature. He successfully took the company public during the worst days of the pandemic and guided it to a market cap of $28 billion at its peak in March. A solid No. 2 in the U.S., DraftKings may take the lead if sports betting and social media converge, as Robins predicts.
