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🚀 Retention Unplugged: Expert Insights on Streaming, AI, and Subscriber Growth 🚀 The digital subscription landscape is evolving faster than ever, and staying ahead means learning from the best. Check out these insights from 4 industry leaders featured on our Retention Zone podcast. Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll discover: 🎙️ Chris Redmond ©️®️, OTTRED Hint: What if you could predict churn before it even happens? 🎙️ Gilles Domartini, Cleeng Hint: Who’s really competing with Netflix and other streaming giants? (Spoiler: It’s not Disney.) 🎙️ Jeffrey Gilbert, Streaming Consultant Hint: Is churn always a bad thing? The answer might surprise you. 🎙️ Bhavesh Upadhyaya, Streaming Expert Hint: Quality used to be king—but what’s the new focus in the streaming world? These are just a few of the gems you’ll find in the carousel. Whether you’re in streaming, SaaS, or any subscription-based business, these insights are a must-read to stay competitive and drive growth. Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf 👉 Swipe through the carousel to hear directly from the experts. 🔗 Links to full episodes in the comments! #Retention #Streaming #AI #SubscriberGrowth #DigitalTransformation #Netflix #ChatGPT #ContentStrategy #RetentionZone #LinkedInCarousel

⏱️ Real-Time Data is Revolutionizing Triathlon Fan Engagement 🏊♂️🚴♂️🏃♂️ I recently had the pleasure of hosting a fireside chat with Sam Renouf, CEO of the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) at the Ably event in London hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Following my opening keynote on Realtime Fan Engagement and an introduction by Matthew O'Riordan (Ably CEO), Sam shared fascinating insights on building a technology-first sports organization. The Challenge They've Solved: 📺 Triathlon broadcasts were once "like watching paint dry" with data delays up to 30 minutes. Imagine watching tennis without knowing the score for three rallies! Their Technology-First Solution: 🏊♂️ Backed by Sir Michael Moritz (Sequoia Capital) with the mandate to "fix triathlon's technology problem" 🚴♂️ Borrowed from F1's playbook by making real-time data central to storytelling 🏃♂️Creatively adapted equestrian tracking technology for triathletes ❤️ Now displays normalized heart rate data as "rev counters" for human performance The Results Speak Volumes: 🏊♂️ Half a billion viewers across platforms 🚴♂️ Engagement rates 5-10x higher than established sports properties 🏃♂️ 7,500 amateur participants in their London event alone What I find most compelling is their business model: using broadcast as a "shop window" for participation rather than relying on media rights revenue. They're potentially creating a Bamtech-like technology service that could serve 35,000+ global mass participation events. This is a perfect case study of how the right technology investment can transform an "unwatchable" sport into compelling content with multiple revenue streams. Anthony Scammell Hannah Smallman Jodie Pinkowski Madeleine Quinn Alex Buhaenko Faye McClenahan Chiavazza Alberto Stephen Cockett Andrea Fanfani A guy with a scarf Realtime Fan Engagement #SportsInnovation #RealTimeData #FanEngagement #Triathlon #SportsTech #DigitalTransformation

📺 Retention Zone No. 60 with Bhavesh Upadhyaya 🎙️ 🤖 The first time you are hearing the term "Churn and Retention" for AI tools 🤖 2008 NBC Olympics live streaming was a pivotal moment and the start of my streaming career. I still have meaningful bounds with many people involved, and Bhavesh was the video architect on the NBC side, he then went on a multi-dimensional career touching many aspects of streaming (vendor and client side) and winning an Emmy while doing so. A deep techie to these days, experimenting with AI LLMs local deployments in his studio. Key highlights from our discussion: 🔹 From "science experiment" to expectation: How streaming quality evolved from a differentiator to table stakes. "If you've got bad quality, you're out the door anyway." 🔹 The subscription economy challenge: Understanding the three types of subscribers - loyalists, strategic viewers, and content-specific bingers. 🔹 Platform architecture: "Product platform should have all the basic services... then everything can be instantiated, and that's where the differentiation can happen." 🔸 AI's DUAL IMPACT: How AI is revolutionizing audience data analysis: "One day we're going to have something that's going to look at all this data... guess what, one day is now!" EXCLUSIVE: We're breaking new ground discussing "Churn and Retention" for AI tool subscriptions! 🔹 A fresh perspective on AI tool pricing: "This is not like entertainment... This is 'I need it right now, then I'm done.'" Could day-to-day subscriptions be the future? Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Full video and audio episode inside the article. Benedicte Guichard Alexis Gaï Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Kamila Palka Simo Gilles Domartini Alex Zambelli Mark Holland Dave Gabel Christiano Coraglia Perkins Miller Dan Hogan Jason Suess Chiavazza Alberto David Faulknor Shujaat Ali Tom Sheffield Peter Rosenberg Darryl Jefferson Reaves Carrington #RetentionZone #Streaming #OTT #SubscriptionEconomy #AI #MediaTech #ContentDelivery

Live from London at the Ably event a summary of my keynote speech for A guy with a scarf and Realtime Fan Engagement: 🏟️ 📺 📱 Untangling Fan Engagement in 2025: Beyond Engagement to Value Creation ⚽ 🎶 Drawing from conversations with industry leaders and insights from innovative implementations across sports, the piece examines how fan engagement is evolving from mass broadcasting to personalized, real-time experiences that foster true loyalty. Some key insights: 1️⃣ Premium communities generate 3x more revenue per user than broad-based approaches 2️⃣ Strategic content moments drive 40% higher retention than constant updates 3️⃣ Owned platforms consistently outperform third-party channels in value creation 4️⃣ Real-time experiences, when thoughtfully implemented, can transform passive viewers into active participants The future belongs to organizations that can build meaningful relationships with fans, not just accumulate followers. As I concluded in my keynote: "The organizations that win in 2025 won't be those with the most followers or the biggest databases – they'll be those who build the most valuable fan relationships." Special thanks to Ably for hosting this inspiring gathering of sports and media innovators. The conversations and insights shared there shaped much of this piece. Also, it was fun to meet so many colleagues and friends from the industry, good vibes and chats after the event. Matthew O'Riordan Madeleine Quinn Hannah Smallman Alex Buhaenko Jodie Pinkowski Faye McClenahan Chiavazza Alberto Stephen Cockett Steve Boulton Richard Craig-McFeely Sophie Thomas Christopher Dix Andrew Hall Peter Cassidy Andrea Fanfani Dave Lipp #SportsBusiness #FanEngagement #DigitalTransformation #SportsTech #Innovation

[Reposting as video 📺 - because.. it's LinkedIn] ⚽ Inside VAR: 5 Game-Changing Facts 🎯 At SPOBIS GmbH in Hamburg, I got an exclusive look at how VAR really works. Special thanks to Christian Holzer and Tom Janicot from Sportec Solutions AG, who operate VAR for DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and Major League Soccer, plus Matthias Engelhardt from vieww GmbH. Here's what I learned: 📱 Every Bundesliga match has its own VAR van - a mobile tech command center 🖥️ Refs use smart dual screens: live game + 4-angle instant replay 🎧 Special push-to-talk system keeps communication crystal clear 🎥 Frame-by-frame analysis helps get every call right ☁️ Coming soon: Cloud-based VAR bringing pro-level tech to smaller leagues #SportsInnovation #FootballTechnology #VAR #SportsTech #Bundesliga #MLS More sports tech insights in my newsletter - A guy with a scarf

5️⃣ Inside VAR: 5 Things You Never Knew About Football's Most Advanced Officiating Technology ⚽ In case you didn't know: VAR = Video Assistant Referee As I was at SPOBIS GmbH in Hamburg I had the occasion to interview the team at Sportec Solutions AG operating the VAR system for DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and Major League Soccer (amongst others) and was demoed their system in place at the Tech park that was part of the event in Hamburg. Thanks to Christian Holzer and Tom Janicot, plus Matthias Engelhardt from vieww GmbH . I also was able to listen to two German referee explaining the evolution of VAR and their experience: Patrick Ittrich and Harm Osmers. 📱 Mobile Command Centers: Every Bundesliga match has its own high-tech van processing real-time data from pitch to screen 🖥️ Dual-Screen Magic: VARs use split-screen technology - live action above, 4-angle instant replay below for precise decisions 🎧 Smart Communication: VARs hear everything on pitch but use push-to-talk technology to avoid disrupting match flow 🎥 Instant Replay Power: Dedicated operators can zoom, rewind, and analyze frame-by-frame in real-time for maximum accuracy ☁️ Future is Here: New cloud-based VAR technology making professional-level officiating accessible to smaller leagues worldwide #SportsInnovation #FootballTechnology #VAR #SportsTech #Innovation #Bundesliga #MLS Another deep dive from A guy with a scarf - subscribe to the newsletter for more.

🎤 "The greatest champions I know are incredibly knowledgeable about football" - Giorgio Chiellini ⚽ 🇮🇹 From the latest episode of my TORINO e CULTURA channel, where I had the honor of interviewing Giorgio Chiellini, a figure who perfectly embodies the integration of sports and culture. Former captain of Juventus Football Club and the Italian National Team, Economics graduate, and now Head of Football Institutional Relations at Juventus, Chiellini offers profound insights into how great champions are, first and foremost, students of their craft. In the full interview, Giorgio takes us on a 360° journey through fundamental themes: ⚽ The symbiotic relationship between sports and academic education ⚽ Turin's transformation through his eyes over 20 years ⚽ Leadership and management of multicultural teams ⚽ The transition from athlete to executive His valuable testimony challenges the common stereotype of footballers being focused solely on the pitch, showing us how sporting excellence often goes hand in hand with deep analytical and study capabilities. 🎬 For those who know me from SportsTech with my signature scarf - yes, I also run a cultural channel in Italian! It's called "Torino e Cultura," featuring black and white interviews exploring the rich cultural fabric of Turin. A guy with a scarf Massimo Tucci Paola Marinone Alessandro Veroli 🎬 Full episode link in comments #TorinoeCultura #Leadership #Sport #Juventus #Management #SportBusiness #Football #Education #ChielliniLeader What are your thoughts on the relationship between sports and culture? Share your experiences! PS: If you'd like to practice your Italian, these interviews offer a perfect opportunity! 🇮🇹

📊 ⚽ Key insights from SPOBIS 2024: How US Soccer is Revolutionizing Sports Data 🇺🇸 I moderated a panel with the gotha of US Football: MLS, NWSL, and Sportec Solutions, discussing how American soccer is setting new standards in sports technology and data control. Here's what I learned: ⚽ MLS has achieved sub-second data latency in stadiums (faster than most European leagues!) ⚽ NWSL's rapid growth includes $100M expansion fees for new teams ⚽ VAR implementation in MLS shows surprisingly high fan acceptance ⚽ Centralized data operations and ownership are becoming crucial for future fan experiences Key takeaway: While European football traditionally led the sport's evolution, US soccer leagues are pioneering new approaches to data ownership and technological innovation. As Chris Schlosser (MLS) noted, "All the other American leagues control their systems... This is one of the strange areas where European football is often well behind." Special thanks to: Christopher Schlosser (SVP, Emerging Ventures, MLS) Tatjana Haenni (Chief Sporting Director, NWSL) Christian Holzer (Managing Director, Sportec Solutions AG) Major League Soccer National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga SPOBIS GmbH Stefan Schuster Mario Hanus Oscar Andrzej Ponti Ably Matthew O'Riordan Madeleine Quinn Hannah Smallman Realtime Fan Engagement A guy with a scarf Untangling AI #SportsInnovation #SoccerTechnology #SportsBusiness #MLS #NWSL #SPOBIS2024 #SportsTech #DataAnalytics What are your thoughts on the future of data in sports? Let's discuss in the comments! 💭 P.S. DM me if you'd like to explore more about how leagues are transforming their data strategies.

📊 ⚽ Key insights from SPOBIS 2024: How US Soccer is Revolutionizing Sports Data 🇺🇸 I moderated a panel with the gotha of US Football: MLS, NWSL, and Sportec Solutions, discussing how American soccer is setting new standards in sports technology and data control. Here's what I learned: ⚽ MLS has achieved sub-second data latency in stadiums (faster than most European leagues!) ⚽ NWSL's rapid growth includes $100M expansion fees for new teams ⚽ VAR implementation in MLS shows surprisingly high fan acceptance ⚽ Centralized data operations and ownership are becoming crucial for future fan experiences Key takeaway: While European football traditionally led the sport's evolution, US soccer leagues are pioneering new approaches to data ownership and technological innovation. As Chris Schlosser (MLS) noted, "All the other American leagues control their systems... This is one of the strange areas where European football is often well behind." Special thanks to: Christopher Schlosser (SVP, Emerging Ventures, MLS) Tatjana Haenni (Chief Sporting Director, NWSL) Christian Holzer (Managing Director, Sportec Solutions AG) Major League Soccer National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga SPOBIS GmbH Stefan Schuster Mario Hanus Oscar Andrzej Ponti Ably Matthew O'Riordan Madeleine Quinn Hannah Smallman Realtime Fan Engagement A guy with a scarf Untangling AI #SportsInnovation #SoccerTechnology #SportsBusiness #MLS #NWSL #SPOBIS2024 #SportsTech #DataAnalytics What are your thoughts on the future of data in sports? Let's discuss in the comments! 💭 P.S. DM me if you'd like to explore more about how leagues are transforming their data strategies.

🏈 Super Bowl LIX shatters all-time viewership records! Here are the known numbers that made history: 📺 127.7M total viewers across all platforms 🔝 Peak viewership: 137.7M during Q2 🌟 Halftime show: 133.5M viewers (all-time record) The streaming revolution is here: - Tubi broke records with 13.6M average viewers - Peak of 15.5M concurrent streaming viewers - 24M unique viewers across game day programming - First-ever 4K live stream delivery Most fascinating stat: 77% of Tubi viewers report not having cable, showing how streaming is transforming sports viewership. Despite being a one-sided game (Eagles 40-22), these numbers prove the Super Bowl remains America's premier media event, now reaching audiences in entirely new ways. Notable firsts: - First sitting president to attend (Donald Trump) - First shoppable Super Bowl red carpet experience - First nationwide out-of-home viewing measurement The future of sports broadcasting is changing before our eyes. Traditional TV + Streaming + Social = The new media trifecta. Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Full video and audio episode inside the article. National Football League (NFL) #SuperBowlLIX #Broadcasting #Streaming #DigitalTransformation #SportsBusiness #MediaTrends