Women on Innovation in Sports at Sportel

?? Women on Innovation in Sports at SPORTEL

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and guests are hosting a special event in honour of ladies in sports media and innovation, of networking, lunch and panel debate.

The panel focusing on: How Awesome Women are Driving Innovation in Sport - featured a lively panel of passionate experts discussing the trends in innovation which are inspiring women in leadership roles and enabling a more diverse, inclusive ecosystem within the sports broadcast and tech industry.

??? Aarti Dabas (Chief Media Officer Formula E )

? Melissa Lawton (Chief Content Officer SailGP )

?? Julie Neenan Souza (Global Head of Sports, Amazon Web Services (AWS))

?? Diana Ustymenko (Head of Product OTT, Sportradar)

The Future of Sports Innovation: Breaking New Ground in Content, Technology and Fan Engagement

As sports continues its rapid digital transformation, industry leaders gathered at a recent panel to discuss how innovation is reshaping the landscape of sports media and fan engagement. The discussion brought together an impressive lineup of women executives who are driving change at the intersection of sports and technology: Aarti Dabas (Formula E), Melissa Lawton (SailGP), Julie Neenan Souza (AWS), and Diana Ustymenko (Sportradar).

The Evolution of Sports Content Production

The panelists reflected on how technological advances have fundamentally changed sports content creation and distribution. Melissa Lawton, Chief Content Officer at SailGP, highlighted three major transformations that have shaped the industry: "The shift to HD production, the move to non-linear editing, and the emergence of digital data analytics have revolutionized how we create and distribute sports content."

These changes haven't just improved technical quality – they've democratized content creation and enabled more diverse storytelling approaches. "When we moved to non-linear editing and HD production, it revolutionized the type of people who could get involved," Lawton explained. "Storytelling suddenly became this huge part of sports because you could spend the time and effort making the content that people wanted to see."

Data-Driven Fan Engagement

A key theme that emerged was how data analytics has transformed understanding of audience preferences. The traditional model of relying on programmer assumptions or occasional viewer feedback has been replaced by precise analytics that reveal actual viewing patterns and preferences.

Diana Ustymenko from Sportradar emphasized how streaming platforms have created direct connections with fans: "It completely opened the doors and gave us a direct line to fans. We can now deliver immersive, personalized experiences and tap into on-the-go consumption patterns."

Breaking Free from Traditional Models

Aarti Dabas, Chief Media Officer at Formula E, offered a compelling perspective on how newer sports properties are challenging conventional wisdom about media rights and distribution. "Traditional sports are built on media rights revenue – it's like a drug," she observed. "Now it's about how do you get away from that drug so that you can cater to the future audience who's not necessarily consuming content on traditional platforms."

This is particularly relevant for Formula E and SailGP, both relatively young sports properties that can shape their distribution strategies around current consumption patterns rather than legacy models. Dabas noted that Formula E's audience is notably diverse, with "50% women, 50% men, 40% under the age of 40."

Innovation with Purpose

A crucial insight from the discussion was that technology should never be pursued simply for its own sake. As Julie Neenan Souza emphasized, "Tech for tech's sake is not terribly interesting. Tech that enables innovation and real business impact – whether it's engaging new fans or bringing new people into our industry – that's super valuable."

This philosophy is evident in how Formula E approached remote production. Dabas explained that while the move to 40% remote production was partially driven by sustainability goals, it had unexpected positive impacts on diversity and inclusion. "We didn't have many women in production before. The remote production facility allowed producers who couldn't travel weekly to stay involved, leading to more diverse perspectives in our content creation."

The Future of Sports Media

Looking ahead, the panelists identified several key trends shaping the future of sports media:

• Personalization: Both SailGP and Formula E are exploring ways to offer customized viewing experiences, with SailGP developing apps that allow fans to access boat data and view races from different perspectives.
• Multi-Platform Strategy: Content needs to be tailored for each platform rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. As Lawton noted, "We don't make one piece of content and just plop it everywhere."
• Data Integration: Sportradar is working on connecting various data points – from purchasing behavior to viewing patterns – to create more targeted and engaging experiences.

Conclusion

The discussion revealed how sports media is evolving beyond traditional broadcast models toward more dynamic, data-driven, and personalized experiences. However, the panelists emphasized that successful innovation must be purposeful and aligned with clear business objectives rather than following trends blindly.

As Lawton summarized, "We have to absolutely prioritize what's going to get us the most awareness and what's meaningful to our fans." This focus on meaningful innovation, coupled with the increasing diversity of perspectives in leadership roles, suggests an exciting future for sports media and technology.

The expertise and insights shared by these leaders demonstrate how the integration of technology, content, and data is creating new opportunities to engage fans and grow sports properties in ways that weren't possible just a few years ago.

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