Sportradar Connect will feature conversations with a range of prominent thought leaders and executives organized by Sportradar, while also utilized as a platform for bespoke sessions designed for specific customer and partner groups throughout 2021.

The first leadership session will be a digital event on February 23, 2021, featuring Ted Leonsis, the founder, chairman, principal partner and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment in Washington, D.C. (which owns the NHL's Capitals, NBA's Wizards and WNBA's Mystics and Capital One Arena) and co-founder and partner of Revolution Growth, an investor in Sportradar.

Sportradar Global CEO Carsten Koerl will introduce Leonsis, and the event will be moderated by Sportico business reporter Eben Novy-Williams.

Leonsis will discuss the impact the global pandemic has had on the sports industry and larger sports ecosystem, sharing his unique perspective on the way forward and how sports enterprises and sports tech start-ups are utilizing technology and unique fan experiences to power their recovery and to propel growth.

Over the course of the session, Leonsis will cover the following: 

• The road to recovery – there are challenges ahead in 2021, but the accelerated adoption of diverse fan experiences in streaming/OTT, sports betting and esports gives cause for optimism    


• Engaging Generation Z – their complex digital and entertainment consumption habits create unique opportunities for developing the next generation of sports fans  


• Fan experience – as sports and technology continue to converge, fans today enjoy more content and access to players, more data and analytics, and more visually compelling news from the athletes and sports they love – which provides sports enterprises multiple platforms on which to display creativity and innovation


• Esports – the pandemic expedited the growth of esports and now professional sports leagues, clubs and players are using it to connect with younger and more global fans, creating major commercial opportunities      

"At Sportradar, we set the industry agenda by continuously pushing the boundaries of the work we do. Sportradar Connect is an opportunity to highlight the key technology and innovation trends to partners and the wider industry at large, while stimulating conversation and debate," said Koerl. "We're excited to welcome Ted as our first guest speaker. He is one of the pre-eminent business brains at the intersection of sports and innovation and it is an honor for Sportradar to have him launching our new event series."

Sportradar Connect will be launching several events (first digitally due to current restrictions and then eventually in-person) in 2021. Attendance will be invite-only. Register your interest by clicking https://sportradar.com/connect/