Rob Schaefer
Verified
tech/racket sports reporter @SBJ • as seen @NBCSChicago NBA.com @TheAthletic @suntimes_sports @FortuneMagazine @ringer • 📩 rschaefer@sportsbusinessjournal.com
Articles by Rob Schaefer
Business storylines to watch at the 2026 U.S. Open
1. Fan Week keeps growing The USTA continues to bill the U.S. Open as a three-week event on the strength of its robust slate of “Fan Week” programming, when the grounds are free to enter and qualifying matches are played. New for this year: • The USTA stretched its tendrils even further than three weeks by hosting a Lumineers concert at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Aug. 21 to kick things off.
IBM adds U.S. Open app features for 2026
As part of its longstanding sponsorship of the U.S. Open, IBM annually rolls out technology innovations within the tournament’s mobile app and other digital channels. For 2026, IBM VP/Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships Kameryn Stanhouse said the focus is on bringing fans “closer to courtside” through the addition of new metrics and personalization features.
Big Ten Network rolls out enhancements to B1G+ streaming app
Ahead of the 2026-27 college football season, Big Ten Network has rolled out several new design and technology elements within its B1G+ streaming service app.
Swish Basket raises $3.2M pre-seed, seeks additional funding
Swish Basket, an AI-powered basketball data tracking firm selected to the 2026 NBA Launchpad cohort, has raised a $3.2M pre-seed. The round was led by Aristagora VC and included participation from Peter Kadas, Nika Capital and RGE Group. Swish co-founder & CEO Joel Bar-El told SBJ the company has also begun raising a seed round, for which it is targeting $8M and an October close date.
TMRW Sports hires ex-Sony Sports CEO Rufus Hack to lead golf
TMRW Sports has hired former Sony Sports CEO Rufus Hack as its first president of golf. Reporting to CEO Mike McCarley, Hack will lead the operation of TMRW’s golf businesses, including TGL, the soon-to-launch WTGL and SoFi Center. Elevate Talent handled the search, as it did for TMRW’s recent hire of sports industry veteran Brendan Donohue as president of flag football.
One year after renovations, Cincinnati Open seeing growth
After unveiling sweeping renovations to the Lindner Family Tennis Center in 2025, the Cincinnati Open set a new attendance high of more than 285,000. The 2026 edition of the combined ATP/WTA 1000, which sees its main draw begin today, got off to an inauspicious start, with inclement weather impacting two days of qualifying and Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing due to injury.
Forty Under 40: Zohar Ravid, Fanatics
Zohar Ravid President, Specialty Businesses and New Ventures Fanatics Age: 39 Born: Haifa, Israel Education: University of Kansas, B.S., finance; minor in international business Family: Spouse, Korrin; children, Eloise (7) and River (4) Zohar Ravid calls his life story “a journey of stages.” The first was in a kibbutz in northern Israel, where, as a basketball-obsessed kid in a soccer-crazed country, he remembers waking up in the pre-dawn hours to watch NBA games, and imploring his mom to...
Genius Sports raises revenue guidance after strong Q2
Genius Sports raised its year-end revenue guidance to a range of $1.005B-$1.025B, and EBITDA expectation to $285M-$295M, on the back of strong second-quarter financial results. The company reported $196M in revenue for the period, up 65% year-over-year and beating guidance by $11M, and $53M in adjusted EBITDA.
USTA Ventures invests in recreational sports platform Rec
USTA Ventures, the investment arm of the U.S. Tennis Association, has formalized its fifth investment since launching in 2023: Rec, an AI-infused technology platform that connects people with local parks and recreations facilities to rent court time, book lessons or enroll in sports programs. Financial terms of the deal were not available, but USTA Ventures’ investments are typically for small, minority stakes in emerging technology companies the USTA sees value aligning with.
Building a marathon man: Selecting the tech stack
The Ochy app analyzes running stride, form and more, and it's going to be a key asset in SBJ Tech's Rob Schaefer's training for the New York City Marathon. Rob Schaefer/SBJ Sometimes, when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity knocks, you have to drop everything and answer. That’s how I felt when New York Road Runners reached out to SBJ Tech last month with an invitation to apply for the “Media Runners Program” at this year’s TCS NYC Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 1.
MSE’s ‘tech stack transformation’ at Capital One Arena
On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I swung by Capital One Arena, which is undergoing a $1 billion renovation that will remake the near-30-year-old venue by the start of the 2027-28 NBA and NHL seasons. I’ll have a full report on the progress — and aims — of that project in a magazine story later this month. But here, I wanted to zoom in on the parts of my visit that touched on how Monumental Sports & Entertainment is thinking about integrating technology into the refurbished venue.
WTA Ventures taps IMG for managed production services
WTA Ventures, the commercial arm of the Women’s Tennis Association, has tapped IMG as the tour’s new managed production services partner in a multiyear deal that begins in 2027.
Nassar, Winners Alliance dropped from PTPA lawsuit
The ongoing legal fight within the Professional Tennis Players Association saw a meaningful development over the weekend. According to a notice filed with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on Sunday, the plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit levied by PTPA members Saisai Zheng and Marco Trungelliti in late June voluntarily dismissed claims against Ahmad Nassar, the PTPA’s former executive director, and Winners Alliance, the PTPA’s commercial arm (for which Nassar is the founder and CEO).
AI soccer platform Marquee raises $4M seed round
Marquee, an artificial intelligence-powered insights platform for soccer data, has raised a $4M seed round led by AnD Ventures and with participation from Axel Springer SE, Welltech Ventures, Apex Capital, 97212 Ventures and JCP.
DC Open’s Ein talks facility upgrades, commercial momentum
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Mubadala D.C. Open owner Mark Ein spent a considerable portion of his mid-tournament press conference Tuesday afternoon holding court about an ongoing saga surrounding renovations to the event’s host site, the Rock Creek Tennis Center. Earlier this month, D.C. officials approved a $9.6M carve-out in the city budget to renovate the property, which sits within the publicly owned Rock Creek Park.
First entry list announced for 2026 U.S. Open mixed doubles
The U.S. Tennis Association on Monday announced the initial entry list for its 2026 U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Championship, the second edition of the event since it was rescheduled to the U.S. Open’s pre-main draw Fan Week, and reformatted to accommodate more popular singles players, in 2025. The initial 2026 entry list (listed in full below) is undoubtedly star-studded but also features some notable absences.
New AI platform helping small schools scale sports coverage
Peter Fitzpatrick has a long history in youth and amateur sports, founding high school-focused marketing firms Home Team Marketing in 2001 and DistrictWon in 2019. His latest venture, under the DistrictWon umbrella, is a new technology platform called uReport.
‘Nothing Major’ tennis podcast joins The Volume
“Nothing Major,” the tennis podcast hosted by former ATP players John Isner, Sam Querrey and Stevie Johnson, has signed a multiyear licensing deal to join Colin Cowherd’s podcast network, The Volume. The agreement will see The Volume take over “Nothing Major’s” sponsorship and advertising sales (which had been managed by Athletes First) and provide expertise in other areas like production, creative strategy and marketing as needed.
Upshot League taps AirPLAi Sports for AI, stats
Upshot League, the new professional women’s basketball league co-founded by former WNBA President Donna Orender that launched earlier this year, has signed artificial intelligence startup AirPLAi Sports to power several of its workflows, including the public-facing statistics experiences on its website. The deal designates AirPLAi as Upshot League’s “official AI partner.” Financial and duration terms were not disclosed.
World Team Tennis announces cities, adds Range Sports
World Team Tennis, which after a five-year hiatus announced its return under new ownership in May, is continuing preparations for its 2026 season this December. On Wednesday, WTT will announce three city-based teams for the campaign, hailing nominally from N.Y., Miami and Toronto. The locations tease the venues WTT has lined up for a six-event schedule in 2026 -- Brooklyn’s Barclays Center; Sunrise, Fla.’s Amerant Bank Arena; and Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Thorns, Fire sign Treasure AI to expansive sponsorship
RAJ Sports has signed a wide-ranging sponsorship with AI-infused customer data platform Treasure AI that will include assets and technology deployments with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and WNBA’s Portland Fire. Financial terms were not disclosed but it is a multiyear agreement, according to RAJ Sports EVP/Commercial Strategy & Business Development John Torris.
Jason Hehir dishes on directing new Djokovic documentary for Prime Video
When Prime Video’s, Words + Pictures’ and Sadoux Productions’ Novak Djokovic documentary, “The Wolf in Winter,” releases on Aug. 20, it will close the book on a production nearly 10 years in the making. Jason Hehir, the director of “The Last Dance” and “Andre the Giant,” was brought on in 2024.
Memphis’ Tennis Revival: New tournament at Leftwich Tennis Center puts city back on the map
After an eight-year hiatus from professional tennis, Memphis is back in the game. The Memphis Classic, a 250-level WTA tournament, is set for July 25-Aug. 2 at the Leftwich Tennis Center, a public facility that completed a $33 million rebuild three years ago with an eye on bringing big names back to the city.
Pitaro: ESPN “super interested” in housing NBA’s future streaming hub
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was emphatic Thursday that his network would consider housing the NBA’s impending local streaming hub, after reading SBJ’s report this week that YouTube is already in substantive talks with the league. “I had no idea that YouTube was speaking with the league about it,’’ Pitaro said at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit in New York. “We are super interested. Out of market, we’re doing great.
ATP Tour launches content series as part of Spotify deal
Starting Wednesday, the ATP is rolling out a new activation of the marketing deal it signed with Spotify last November branded “Tour Sounds.” The initiative will see the ATP release a series of playlists on Spotify and social media content on its owned channels; the playlists consolidate music recommendations from ATP players, specific to songs they associate with each of the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, while the social content focuses on interviews in which the players explain those...
ESPN draws record audience for Wimbledon women’s final
ESPN enjoyed a record audience for the 2026 Wimbledon women’s singles final, as Linda Noskova’s dramatic, three-set victory over fellow Czech countrywoman Karolina Muchova averaged 1.9 million viewers, up 48% from Iga Swiatek’s straight sets win over Amanda Anisimova in 2025 and a new high watermark for the network for a Wimbledon women’s tennis final.
Yankees enlist Lumen for large-scale fiber installation
The Yankees have tapped Lumen Technologies for a large-scale fiber installation that will connect the organization’s data infrastructure inside Yankee Stadium to a new data center facility in Tampa. The project, completed May, saw two 100-gigabit fiber paths laid -- one routed through New York and the other through New Jersey, with one path carrying live traffic and the second on standby if the first is disrupted.
Univ. of Missouri taps WMT Digital for web, app rebuild
The Univ. of Missouri athletic department used WMT Digital to rebuild the front and back end of its website and app, including the integration of WMT’s “Fan ID” product for consolidating fans’ logins across ticketing, Mizzou’s digital channels and more. The new platforms went live on July 1.
Marzio Perrelli steers legacy sailing property America’s Cup into new era
America’s Cup has roots dating back to 1851, a founding year that the storied sailing property asserts makes it the world’s oldest international sports competition. But in 2026, it identifies as a startup. Last year, five founding teams formed a new entity called America’s Cup Partnership to restructure and govern the sailing competition and its business operations.
Sports analytics market projected to grow to near $10B by 2030
The sports analytics market will reach $9.64B by 2030, nearly triple its current size of between $3B and $4B, according to a new report from research provider Research and Markets. Growth factors cited in the report include the proliferation of artificial intelligence-enabled statistics, wearables, fan experience technology and cloud-based analytics platforms, which help sports organizations with performance optimization, injury mitigation and business strategy.
PTPA legal fight continues with second lawsuit
A power struggle within the Professional Tennis Players Association continued this week, as a new lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Monday night between executives affiliated with the organization.
Pro Padel League inks Kalshi to multiyear marketing deal
Pro Padel League, preparing for the start of its third full season with an event in N.Y. July 9-12, has signed Kalshi to a multiyear sponsorship. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but PPL CCO Diane Gotua told SBJ it is technically an extension of a proof-of-concept the two sides executed around PPL’s season-ending City’s Cup Final last fall.
Zenniz sees momentum for ‘smart tennis court’ technology
Zenniz, a Finnish sports technology company that specializes in “smart tennis court systems,” has formalized its expansion into the U.S. with the opening of an office just outside Atlanta. It will be unveiled at a launch event next week. The move comes on the heels of what Zenniz Managing Dir.
WTA moving 2026 finals from Saudi Arabia to Indian Wells
The WTA is moving the 2026 edition of its year-end finals from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Southern California, the site of the annual BNP Paribas Open ATP Masters/WTA 1000 tournament. The move prematurely ends a three-year deal to host the event in Saudi Arabia that began in 2024.
CNBC will air Pro Padel League matches in new deal
Pro Padel League has a new deal with USA Sports that will see five matches air on CNBC during its 2026 season.
PTPA tumult continues with internal lawsuit
A tumultuous year for the Professional Tennis Players Association continued late last week, when players connected to the group sued another set of affiliated players and executives in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
ESPN leans into DTC app with Wimbledon coverage
ESPN will continue to prioritize its direct-to-consumer app and ESPN Unlimited subscription plan during its upcoming coverage of Wimbledon. John Suchenski, who leads the day-to-day business management of the network’s tennis properties as Sr. Dir/Programming & Acquisitions, told SBJ that all of ESPN’s Wimbledon coverage will be made available in the ESPN Unlimited tier of the DTC app, a slight shift from the Australian Open, when some matches were also available on ESPN Select (i.e., ESPN+).
AELTC CEO Bolton ‘disappointed’ by Wimbledon player protest
All England Lawn Tennis Club CEO Sally Bolton was “surprised and disappointed” to hear that a group of top tennis players plan to exit their contractual media obligations after 15 minutes during the first week of Wimbledon as a protest against their level of compensation at the tournament.
Wimbledon continues push for fan growth in U.S.
Since 2022, the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s primary touchpoint in the U.S. during Wimbledon was “The Hill in New York,” a viewing plaza hosted at Brooklyn Bridge Park the final weekend of the tournament. A “happy accident” -- the 2026 World Cup, for which Adidas is activating a Fan Zone in the park -- interrupted that tradition this year.
ATP Media using Kinetiq tech to study media consumption
ATP Media, the broadcast production and distribution arm of the ATP Tour, has a new multiyear deal with media intelligence platform Kinetiq that will facilitate new insights into how ATP Tour matches are distributed and consumed globally. ATP Media produces multiple broadcast feeds per tournament (up to nine depending on the event) and distributes them to more than 70 global rights holders to air, netting out to more than 5,000 live hours produced per season.
International Tennis Federation completes rebrand to World Tennis
The International Tennis Federation’s rebrand to “World Tennis,” initially announced in October, is live effective Thursday. The name change includes a new logo, which the global tennis federation developed with U.K.-based creative agency Storm Brands. World Tennis CEO Ross Hutchins, who was hired from the ATP last year, said in a press briefing the rebrand is intended to establish a clear identity for the organization.
Top tennis players planning another media protest at Wimbledon
The group of top tennis players lobbying for a greater share of Grand Slam revenue in prize money will continue their public push during Wimbledon.
Sony Pictures Entertainment invests $100M in Cosm Original
Sony Pictures Entertainment is making a $100M investment in Cosm and taking a minority stake in the immersive venue operator, which shows live sports in LED dome theaters. The investment leads a larger Series C financing round into the company, according to a source, but a Cosm spokesperson declined to comment when asked for additional details. The size of the stake SPE will take in Cosm was also not disclosed. SPE Chairman & CEO Ravi Ahuja will join Cosm’s board.
World Surf League expands Apple deal to include broadcast data
World Surf League has expanded its existing technology sponsorship with Apple, which designates Apple Watch the WSL’s “official wearable technology.” The relationship began in 2023with WSL athletes leveraging a custom-built Apple Watch app for performance insights but as of the 2026 season now also includes: Integrating data from athlete-worn Apple Watches into WSL broadcasts. Capturing broadcast/social media content with iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models.
IBM adding AI features to Wimbledon app, website for 2026
As part of its longstanding technology sponsorship with the All England Lawn Tennis Club, IBM has developed multiple new, artificial intelligence-powered features to be used in Wimbledon’s app and website during the 2026 edition of the tournament.
Rece Davis to join ESPN’s Wimbledon coverage
ESPN is tapping College GameDay host Rece Davis as a studio host for its upcoming two weeks of Wimbledon coverage, continuing a year of shake-ups to the network’s talent lineup for tennis. This is Davis’ first foray into tennis, which he told SBJ was initially broached with him by ESPN President/Programming & Original Content Burke Magnus during contract negotiations last year. Davis signed a multiyear extension with ESPN in April 2025.
SBJ Jobs Roundtable: The Future of Jobs in Sports
In a post-COVID, increasingly AI- and private equity-driven world, the sports business is facing the potential for disruption. Where those disruptions intersect with hiring — in volume and the type of skill sets that are valued — will affect those in leadership roles and early-career staffers alike.
SBJ Jobs Roundtable: Trends in hiring and talent recruitment in the sports industry
What trends are you seeing in hiring and overall talent recruitment? Matthew Caldwell, Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx: One is AI, of course … Every conversation I’m having, I’m thinking about what the organization’s going to look like in five years. We just did a CFO search.
SBJ Jobs Roundtable: Best practices for AI implementation
Artificial intelligence tools continue to proliferate in the workplace, but the best approach to implementation is a deliberate one. Getting comfortable: Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Matthew Caldwell was open about his organization being not “very advanced” in its use of AI. To start his personal journey with the technology, Caldwell carved out 10-15 minutes per day for about a month to experiment with Claude and said he was “blown away” by its potential.
SBJ Jobs Roundtable: Reactions around the sports industry
After our roundtable discussion on trends in hiring and career development, we put out a call to the wider sports industry to see if anyone had perspective to add. We heard back from two well-qualified executives: Adam Grossman, chief analytics officer of sports-adjacent real estate investment firm SEREGH; and Laura Jordan, managing director in Deloitte Consulting’s sports practice. Here were their takeaways from the topics explored in the roundtable.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Rob
Contact Rob, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack