Featured Speaker: Christen Press, US Women’s National Team
Covering Cam
Cam Newton’s MVP season was nothing short of spectacular and transformative. Despite the success and accolades, his campaign was marred by controversy and, at times, latent racism with social mediaarmchair quarterbacks questioning everything from his dress to his dance to his leadership abilities. His polarity was never more on display as it was in his Super Bowl showdown with the “Sheriff” Peyton Manning, who shortly thereafter was met by his own character coming into question. Our panel explores the nuances and prejudices of sports coverage in the digital age where everyone has a microphone, and social tensions run high.
- Mod: Michael Tillery (The Starting Five)
- Eric Edholm (Yahoo! Sports)
- Yussuf Khan (The Shadow League)
- Ron Glover (The Starting Five)
- Shana Renee Stephenson (All Sports Everything)
Treatment of Women in Sports Media
A discussion on the treatment of women in sports media from double standards to glass ceilings to unhinged harassment on social media. The discussion will be lead by
- Amy Guth (WGN)
- Sarah Spain (ESPN)
- Andrea Hangst (Sports on Earth)
- Maggie Hendricks (USA Today Sports)
Live Podcast: Pardon My Take
- Big Cat
- PFT Commenter
Distributed Content vs. Content Distribution
This discussion brings together some influential individuals from some ofthe biggest local, national and global outlets to discuss the fact that platforms and consumer behavior has changed the way publishers push content.
- Jamie Mottram (Gannett)
- Dylan MacNamara (Bleacher Report)
- TK Gore (CSN Chicago)
Making a Living at This Sh*t
Some young guys have been cutting their teeth and managed to make a respectable living while keeping an edge that sometimes dissolves when a massive media conglomerate signs your checks. Hear their stories. Ask them questions.
- Mod: Adam Best (FanSided)
- Ryan Glasspiegel (The Big Lead)
- Maurice Peebles (Complex)
- Kevin Draper (Deadspin)
- Robert Littal (BSO)
Betting on Live Video
Whether it’s Facebook Live or Thursday Night Football streaming on Twitter, live video is a reality. Fresh off the announcement of JRSportBrief’s recent partnership with Al Roker to form Roker Media, JR Jackson will discuss the future of live streaming and how it relates to programming, commerce, and content creation.
Teams + Digital
While teams have morphed into their own media outlets through a direct line to fans via social, the influx of new – and changes in existing – platforms require a keen voice from team reps to be relevant, interesting and legitimate in real-time. Team digital reps across sports will join us to talk about their strategies on not just connecting with fans, but working with their respective leagues, players, partners and sponsors alike.
• Mod: Diana Klochkova (Rebel Ventures)
• Adam Kempenaar (Chicago Blackhawks)
• Melissa Proctor (Atlanta Hawks)
• Brad Boron (Chicago White Sox)
Snapchat as a Sports Publishing Platform
With 8 billion views a day, its hold on millennials and an increasing number of media partners, we look at how publishers, teams, brands and athletes are leveraging the medium in the sports space.
• Mod: Kyle Bunch (BWB, R/GA)
• Scott Warfield (NASCAR)
• Kelsey McManus (Sports Media Challenge)
• Brooke Weisbrod (ESPN, Big Ten Network)
• Brian Reich (Thinking About Sports)