Next Play: The Business of Sports powered by Playfly Sports
Playfly Sports
Next Play: The Business of Sports powered by Playfly Sports podcast network features a lineup of engaging shows that dive into the latest trends, insights, and innovations across the sports industry: 1. JohnWallStreet’s Business of College Sports powered by Playfly Sports takes you inside the boardrooms and locker rooms where the future of college athletics is being shaped. Hosted by Mike Schreiber, Founder and Executive Chairman of Playfly Sports, the show features candid conversations with the leaders transforming the business of college sports—from NIL and media rights to realignment, revenue models, and beyond. 2. Playmakers, hosted by Playfly Sports CEO Craig Sloan, brings exclusive insights and perspectives from industry-leading executives across the full sports ecosystem — college athletics, professional sports, and brands. Through candid conversations, we dive into the biggest challenges and opportunities shaping the future of sports business and fan engagement. 3. On The Fly by Playfly Sports offers a front-row seat to the evolving world of college athletics. Hosted by NACDA Hall of Famer Gene DeFilippo, this podcast brings together industry experts to explore the trends, leadership insights, and growth opportunities shaping the future of college sports. Playfly Sports is the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company serving 2,000+ brands, 100+ professional teams, 65+ college athletic departments, and U.S. local sports networks. Its fan engagement platform reaches over 85% of U.S. sports fans. With proprietary data, technology, and storytelling, Playfly drives growth across media, sponsorship, premium experiences, ticketing, and fan engagement. Founded in 2020, Playfly’s 1,000-strong team operates across 43 U.S. states and internationally, earning recognition as a Best Place to Work in Sports by major industry publications.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Sports & Recreation Podcasts
Networks:
Playfly Sports
Description:
Next Play: The Business of Sports powered by Playfly Sports podcast network features a lineup of engaging shows that dive into the latest trends, insights, and innovations across the sports industry: 1. JohnWallStreet’s Business of College Sports powered by Playfly Sports takes you inside the boardrooms and locker rooms where the future of college athletics is being shaped. Hosted by Mike Schreiber, Founder and Executive Chairman of Playfly Sports, the show features candid conversations with the leaders transforming the business of college sports—from NIL and media rights to realignment, revenue models, and beyond. 2. Playmakers, hosted by Playfly Sports CEO Craig Sloan, brings exclusive insights and perspectives from industry-leading executives across the full sports ecosystem — college athletics, professional sports, and brands. Through candid conversations, we dive into the biggest challenges and opportunities shaping the future of sports business and fan engagement. 3. On The Fly by Playfly Sports offers a front-row seat to the evolving world of college athletics. Hosted by NACDA Hall of Famer Gene DeFilippo, this podcast brings together industry experts to explore the trends, leadership insights, and growth opportunities shaping the future of college sports. Playfly Sports is the sports industry’s leading revenue maximization company serving 2,000+ brands, 100+ professional teams, 65+ college athletic departments, and U.S. local sports networks. Its fan engagement platform reaches over 85% of U.S. sports fans. With proprietary data, technology, and storytelling, Playfly drives growth across media, sponsorship, premium experiences, ticketing, and fan engagement. Founded in 2020, Playfly’s 1,000-strong team operates across 43 U.S. states and internationally, earning recognition as a Best Place to Work in Sports by major industry publications.
Language:
English
Website:
https://www.playfly.com/
Episodes
Playfly FanScore: Modernizing the Business of College Sports
7/3/2025
“Playfly FanScore: Modernizing the Business of College sports” presents a comprehensive overview of the challenges and necessary modernizations within college athletics. It argues that college athletic departments must adopt a corporate business and media company mindset to navigate financial pressures and evolving fan engagement. It highlights key areas for revenue maximization, including robust sales infrastructure, diversified revenue streams, and strategic innovation in sponsorships and ticketing. The report also emphasizes the importance of enhanced fan engagement through digital strategies, technology, and data utilization to build strong brands and increase commercial value in a rapidly changing landscape.
Duration:00:15:58
Playfly FanScore: College Basketball Edition 2025
7/3/2025
“Playfly FanScore: College Basketball Edition 2025” focuses on college basketball in 2024-25, offering insights into fan engagement, viewership, and attendance trends. It examines the demographics and dedication of college basketball fans, highlighting their regional distribution and emotional connection to the sport. The report also discusses viewing patterns for both men's and women's college basketball, detailing how on-court success influences university applications and offering strategies for marketing to fans through sponsorships and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.
Duration:00:16:53
Playfly FanScore: NHL Edition 2024
7/3/2025
"Playfly FanScore: NHL Edition 2024," is a report from Playfly Insights, powered by Vision Insights, focusing on the National Hockey League (NHL) fandom. It highlights the NHL's growing popularity, revenue, and technological advancements such as digitally enhanced dasherboards and player tracking, which aim to enhance the fan experience. The report also identifies the unique characteristics of NHL fans, describing them as passionate, young, educated, affluent, and tech-savvy, with significant regional variations in their values.
Duration:00:22:34
Playfly FanScore: NBA Edition 2024
7/3/2025
“Playfly FanScore: NBA Edition 2024” offers a comprehensive examination of the NBA's fan base and its value. It highlights the league's distinctive cultural influence, global appeal, and diverse, younger audience.
Duration:00:11:36
Playfly FanScore: College Football Edition 2023
7/3/2025
"Playfly FanScore: College Football Edition 2023” examines the state of college football fandom in 2023, highlighting that fan sentiment is very positive and growing. It notes a 15% increase in viewership during the early 2023 season, attributing this to factors like marquee matchups, star players, the transfer portal, and conference realignment. The source also points out that college football attendance more than doubles NFL attendance and details how fan loyalty is deeply tied to geography. Furthermore, it explores brand sponsorship receptivity, indicating that Group of 5 conferences surprisingly outperform Power 5 conferences in this area, and discusses the generational awareness of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.
Duration:00:19:26
Playfly FanScore: MLB Edition 2023
7/3/2025
“Playfly FanScore: MLB Edition 2023” focuses on the popularity and unique characteristics of Major League Baseball (MLB) fans in 2023. It aims to demonstrate that MLB is a highly popular sport with a devoted fanbase, often underestimated compared to other major sports leagues.
Duration:00:17:05
One Year Out: How Cities & Brands Win the World Cup Moment
6/30/2025
With less than 12 months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we’re diving into what it will take for host cities and global brands to make the most of this generational opportunity.
Playfly Sports CEO Craig Sloan sits down with John Kristick, Co-Head of Playfly Sports Consulting and a global soccer veteran that has had a hand in every World Cup since 1994.
From city readiness and infrastructure to brand storytelling and fan engagement, this episode is packed with insights on how to activate locally and think globally.
Topics include:
- Why 2026 will be the most commercially powerful World Cup ever
- How the Club World Cup serves as a “dress rehearsal”
- Why brands must build cultural relevance now
- And, More!
Duration:00:18:42
Playmakers by Playfly Sports feat. Jason Frandi and Jon Bishop
6/9/2025
The House v. NCAA settlement has forever altered the landscape of college athletics — and in this episode of Playmakers, we dive headfirst into what that means for properties, brands, and the future of NIL. Playfly CE Craig Sloan sits down with Jon Bishop and Jason Frandi to break down how schools can adapt, how brands can authentically engage, and how Playfly is uniquely positioned to lead in this new era.
You’ll hear about:
Whether you’re on campus, in the boardroom, or building a brand, this conversation unpacks what it takes to thrive in the professionalization of college sports.
Duration:00:31:36
Sports & Media Exec Rob Thompson on Leading Change in Sports: Football, the Walter Camp Foundation, and more
6/2/2025
In this episode of On the Fly, host Gene DeFilippo is joined by Rob Thompson, Sports & Media executive who is the current commercial director of the Walter Camp Foundation. Rob discusses his extensive career that began as a football player at the University of New Haven, transitioned into coaching and recruiting, and led to significant roles within NFL Properties, Disney, and the Arena Football League. Rob shares insights on how he founded the East Coast Recruiting agency, contributed to the growth of flag football, and the creation of grassroots sports programming including the popular NFL “Play 60” campaign. The conversation also delves into the history and significance of Walter Camp's contributions to American football, as well as the ongoing efforts of the Walter Camp Foundation to honor young student-athlete innovators and entrepreneurs.
Duration:00:28:03
Playmakers by Playfly Sports feat. Nick Cartan and Paul Asencio
5/30/2025
In this episode of Playmakers, Playfly Sports CEO Craig Sloan sits down with two of the company’s top commercial minds — Nick Cartan and Paul Asencio — for a candid conversation on what it really means to connect with sports fans. They challenge the outdated notion that simply buying into sports guarantees engagement, and instead focus on what it takes to create authentic, high-impact brand experiences. Nick shares how Playfly’s commercial strategy is helping brands move from passive exposure to intentional activation, while Paul reflects on his first 90 days at the company and why he believes Playfly is uniquely positioned in the marketplace. Together, they explore the role of local audiences, the evolution of partnership expectations, and how the sports industry must evolve to meet the moment.
Duration:00:32:27
Playmakers by Playfly Sports feat. Chad Copher, SVP GM of Playfly Media
5/30/2025
In Episode 3 of Playmakers, titled “Certainty in the Uncertain,” Playfly Sports CEO Craig Sloan sits down with Chad Copher, SVP General Manager of Playfly Media, for a candid conversation about how brands can find clarity amid today’s fragmented media landscape. Chad shares his perspective on why local sports fans represent a powerful yet underleveraged opportunity for national advertisers, how live sports continues to serve as one of the last true reach vehicles, and the evolving role of streaming in media strategy. The episode also explores how Playfly Media is driving measurable impact through integrated campaigns and what brands need to rethink in 2025 to stay relevant and effective.
Duration:00:24:03
Playmakers by Playfly Sports feat. Gregg Liebman, Playfly's Head of Insights
5/30/2025
In our second episode, Craig Sloan, Playfly Sports CEO, sits down with Gregg Liebman, Head of Insights at Playfly Sports, to unpack the recent release of the Playfly FanScore: College Basketball Edition. Gregg breaks down the untapped marketing potential of the college basketball regular season, how brands can more effectively invest in the space, and some of the most surprising—and telling—insights uncovered in the report. Together, they explore how data is reshaping fan engagement strategies and opening up new opportunities across the collegiate sports ecosystem.
Duration:00:29:53
Playmakers by Playfly Sports feat. Christy Hedgpeth, President of Playfly Sports Properties
5/30/2025
In our first Playmakers by Playfly Sports episode, Craig Sloan, Playfly Sports CEO sits down with Christy Hedgpeth, President of Playfly Sports Properties, to break down her personal journey in sports, leadership values, and the underlying foundation and reason behind the exponential growth of Playfly Sports Properties. She also provides an inside look on the challenges - and opportunities – that face college athletics today, and the secret to successfully navigating this constantly-evolving landscape.
Duration:00:24:45
Fairfield AD Paul Schlickmann on Commitment to Comprehensive Excellence
5/5/2025
In this episode of On the Fly, host Gene DeFilippo is joined by Paul Schlickmann, the Director of Athletics at Fairfield University. We two discuss Paul’s career journey to his current role, the trajectory and growth of Fairfield University both academically and athletically, being recognized as a Front Office Sports Best College Athletic Department of 2024, and more.
Duration:00:22:06
Central Michigan AD Amy Folan on Leadership, Fundraising, and Community
4/28/2025
Host Gene DeFilippo is joined by Amy Folan, the Director of Athletics at Central Michigan University. They dive into Amy's career journey from a student-athlete at UConn to her current role at CMU. Amy shares her impactful experiences in compliance, fundraising, and the various leadership roles she assumed at institutions like Georgia and Texas. The discussion also covers the qualities she looked for in hiring CMU's new football coach, preparing for the upcoming House Settlement, the importance of innovation and community in her leadership approach, and more.
Duration:00:26:00
Pat Kraft on Sustaining Excellence at Penn State
4/7/2025
In this episode of On the Fly, host Gene DeFilippo is joined by Pat Kraft, the Director of Athletics at Penn State. They discuss the success of Penn State's football program, including their recent achievements and coaching hires. Pat also gives an in-depth look at the $700 million renovations for Beaver Stadium, the dominance of Penn State in collegiate wrestling, and the remarkable story of Katie Schumacher-Cawley and the women's volleyball team. They touch on challenges in the new era of college athletics and how everyone at Penn State, from administrators to coaches and student-athletes, are aligned for continued success. Pat emphasizes the importance of academics and a strong, united culture in achieving excellence in athletics.
Duration:00:26:03
USF Athletics Director Michael Kelly on Facilities and Expansion, Managing Growth, and more
3/10/2025
In this episode of On the Fly, host Gene DeFilippo is joined by Michael Kelly, the Director of Athletics at the University of South Florida (USF), for an in-depth discussion about the developments and strategic initiatives happening at USF. Michael shares insights into the financial strategy behind funding the new football stadium, the importance of new revenue streams in the face of revenue-sharing models, adding lacrosse, and more.
Duration:00:31:58
JMU Athletics Director Matt Roan on Strategic Growth, Leadership, and more
2/24/2025
Host Gene DeFilippo is joined by Matt Roan, Director of Athletics at James Madison University, for a wide ranging discussion about his career progression to his current role, the growth and transformation of JMU, and the strategic decisions that have positioned JMU to compete at a high level. Matt also talks about the advantages of having a legal background in athletics, the impact of collegiate athletics changes, and the supportive community at JMU.
Duration:00:25:54
Denver AD Josh Berlo on Advancing Sports, Academics, and Culture
2/10/2025
In this episode of On the Fly, host Gene DeFilippo interviews Josh Berlo, Director of Athletics at Denver University. They discuss Josh's career journey from the University of Massachusetts to his current role at Denver. Josh shares insights on building successful athletic programs, creating a culture of academic excellence, and navigating challenges unique to non-football institutions. They also highlight Denver's remarkable achievements, including multiple national championships across various sports.
Duration:00:16:31
Craig Sloan, CEO of Playfly Sports, on Leadership, Strategic Revenue Growth, and more
2/3/2025
In this episode of On The Fly, host Gene DeFilippo is joined by Craig Sloan, CEO of Playfly Sports, for an engaging conversation about Craig's career journey and the growth of Playfly Sports. Craig discusses his experiences from his early days after graduating from the University of Iowa to his current role and Playfly's strategic approach to maximizing sports revenue through media rights, technology, and fan engagement. He also shares insight into Playfly's expansion into international markets, his views on the evolving landscape of college athletics, and the importance of maintaining a strong work culture.
Duration:00:35:52