What does it take to build Team USA in a rapidly changing global, political, and digital landscape? In this Best Of episode, USOPC leaders Sarah Hirshland and Katie Bynum Aznavorian are breaking down how Olympic success is engineered, the road to Milano Cortina and LA 2028, the role of storytelling and personalization, and how they’re evolving fan engagement.

You’ll hear from the following guests:

• (0:41) Sarah Hirshland, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
• (16:17) Katie Bynum Aznavorian, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why personalization and fan data infrastructure are critical to helping fans connect with 1,200+ Team USA athletes
• How the USOPC allocates resources across 60 national governing bodies
• Why the organization views itself like a venture capital firm
• How Making Team USA was built to simplify qualification pathways and create year-round fan engagement
• How the Olympic Games can unify countries and communities during divided moments

Resources and Links:

Learn more about Team USA and the upcoming Olympic Games.

Connect with Sarah Hirshland on LinkedIn.

Connect with Katie Bynum Aznavorian on LinkedIn.

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

How do sports teams achieve faster alignment, fewer reworks, and digital products that move from idea to launch more reliably?

Bora Nikolic’s views of technology in the sports industry have helped shape many of the fan experiences you see from leading sports properties today. And today, he’s challenging the idea that design is about aesthetics, arguing instead that it’s an execution discipline.

Dave and Bora look ahead at what’s changing, from accessibility, to AI accelerating how teams research, prototype, and align across functions. Bora also shares why the next phase of fan experience will be defined by connected, multimodal journeys that span platforms, environments, and moments that matter to fans.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What allows digital products in sports to actually ship on time and at scale
• How teams can modernize digital experiences without losing fan trust
• What friction really looks like across the fan journey, and why clarity and predictability matter more than visual polish
• Why accessibility needs to be embedded into design systems from the start
• How AI-enabled prototypes are changing how stakeholders evaluate and approve digital products

Resources and Links:

Connect with Bora Nikolic on LinkedIn.

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

If your organization is still talking about a “360° fan view,” chances are your technology stack is already working against you. Jordy Leiser, Co-Founder and CEO at Jump, argues most clubs are stuck with disjointed legacy systems that are blocking direct-to-fan experiences, especially in ticketing, identity, and mobile.

Jump was built to unify those layers into a single, seamless ecosystem so clubs can operate with the speed and personalization fans expect today.

Jordy explains what it looks like to move off legacy infrastructure using Jump’s Minnesota Timberwolves rollout as a real-world example: a full transition delivered in just 88 days from contract to first game at Target Center.

He challenges the assumption that transformation requires an ownership change or a multi-year roadmap, and shows how teams can time meaningful change around ticketing renewals instead. He also takes aim at the ticketing business model itself, explaining how per-ticket fees and resale economics can work against team goals, and why unified data is the prerequisite for AI-powered personalization.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why most teams still cannot deliver a true 360-degree fan view, and what the missing layer is
• How “rip and replace” technology transformations can actually happen in under 90 days, using an NBA deployment as proof
• Why the traditional ticketing fee and resale-driven business model is misaligned with how teams generate value
• How artificial intelligence becomes practical in sports ONLY after data silos are eliminated and fan identity is unified

Resources and Links:

Connect with Jordy Leiser on LinkedIn.

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