2020 SVG Sports OTT Virtual Series

SPEAKERS

Scott Kaufman-Ross, National Basketball Association, SVP, Head of Fantasy and Gaming

As senior vice president, head of fantasy and gaming for the NBA, Scott Kaufman-Ross oversees all initiatives related to the league’s commercial endeavors in the fantasy sports and sports betting landscape. Kaufman-Ross led the NBA’s partnerships with MGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Yahoo, FOXBET, William Hill, Unibet, bet365, BetEasy, Tabcorp, and Dream11. He also served as the NBA’s board observer to FanDuel for three years.

Before taking on his current role, Kaufman-Ross spent four years on the NBA’s Global Strategy Team evaluating the league’s strategic approach to new business areas such as daily fantasy sports, sports betting, esports, and venture investing. Prior to joining the NBA, he spent four years at Goldman Sachs in the Global Investment Research division.

Alim Bhanji, Rogers Sports & Media, Director of Strategy and Business Development

Alim Bhanji is the director of strategy and business development at Rogers Sports & Media.

In his role, Bhanji oversees Rogers Sports & Media’s strategic roadmap for a variety of sports and media properties, including conventional and specialty TV channels, such as Sportsnet – Canada’s #1 sports network, local TV stations, national radio stations, OTT services, podcast networks, e-commerce shopping, a multiplatform content studio, and data offerings. In addition, Bhanji manages the execution of high-priority growth initiatives with a focus on new monetization opportunities, partnerships, and M&A.

Prior to Rogers Sports & Media, Bhanji worked as a management consultant at a leading boutique strategy consultancy in Canada. His work spanned corporate strategy and operations for numerous clients including telecommunications and media companies.

Bhanji holds an HBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

Eric Bolten, Zixi, VP, Business Development

Eric Bolten has worked with leading high technology companies with a focus on digital video on a global basis for the world’s most demanding customers. He has held executive, sales, marketing, and business development roles in markets that range from Australia and Asia to South America, Europe, and the United States, serving the biggest media and sports entities in the world and Fortune 1000 corporations.

Bolten previously worked for technology providers: Com Tech, PictureTel, Vela Research, Venaca, and Signiant in a variety of revenue-driven roles, helping companies grow from startup to multi-millions in sales. Projects have ranged from field and postproduction to primary broadcasts as well as web, mobile, and cloud applications.

He has extensive international streaming services experience with Fortune 1000 customers requiring a variety of complex video and audio technology solutions for global brands such as Exxon, P&G, IBM, Shell Oil, Zurich Insurance, British Telecom, IntelSat, and NTT.

Bolten graduated magna cum laude from Boston University with a dual major in finance and international management.

Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital

Brandon Costa covers the sports video production industry with a focus on live streaming, over-the-top (OTT), social media, and other digital distribution technologies and platforms. He also directs SVG’s internal digital strategies launching the company’s video outfit, ‘SVG On Demand,’ designing and overseeing its mobile application, ‘SVG Mobile,’ and serving as executive producer and host of The SVG Podcast. Costa serves as program director of networking events serving the SVG College and SVG Digital communities. Prior to his time at SVG, Costa spent five years producing digital content for MLB Advanced Media.

Kevin Cotlove, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Chief Digital Officer

Kevin Cotlove is the chief digital officer for Sinclair Broadcast Group. He is responsible for product development and software engineering for Sinclair, focusing on audience-facing web, mobile, and OTT products; digital content production tools; delivery infrastructure; and video signal acquisition and distribution for digital services. Cotlove joined Sinclair in 2013. He previously served as the general manager of Fisher Interactive, Fisher Communications’ digital division.

Matt Coy, Xcite Interactive, President

With 25-plus years in sports presentation, Matt Coy has experience in every major sport including football, baseball, soccer, hockey, beach volleyball, and many more. His career has included three Summer Olympics, three Winter Olympics, five NFL Super Bowls, two FIFA World Cups, and many other large-scale events.

One of the most well-rounded producers in the industry, Coy has entertained fans for major league teams and events including the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Dodgers, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball, Major League Soccer, the Phoenix Coyotes, and the San Diego Padres.

Coy says his greatest success was producing the Men’s Ice Hockey venue at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Andrew Crowe, Limelight Networks, Video Architect

Andrew Crowe is the lead video architect at Limelight Networks focusing on scale, performance, and stability for delivering the highest quality live and on-demand video for the company’s global customers. He has a broad level of experience centered around video streaming technology encompassing internet content delivery, product development, systems engineering, and DoD projects (UAV video/telemetry and flight simulation). Prior to joining Limelight in 2015, Crowe had software engineering roles at companies such as Volar Video, SAIC, and Siemens. He received his Bachelor of Science from Morehead State University where he now sits on the Computer Science Advisory Board.

Jason Dachman, SVG, Chief Editor

Jason Dachman oversees all aspects of SVG’s North American editorial operations, including the thrice-weekly SVG Insider newsletter and SVG’s annual print publications. A member of the SVG team since 2009, Dachman also serves as program director for SVG’s RSN Summit, Sports Content Management Forum, Sports Graphics Forum, and TranSPORT event. Prior to joining SVG, he spent three years covering local sports for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA, and two years on the production staff of SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s The Ron & Fez Show. Dachman began his career in the Sports Information Department at Northeastern University in Boston, where he also earned a B.A. in media communications and cinema studies.

Darren Lepke, Verizon Media, Head of Video Product Management

Darren Lepke is the head of video product management for Verizon Media. Their platform powers the next generation of OTT and TV Everywhere experiences for large broadcasters, digital publishers, and video content owners, including Disney, ESPN, Fox, Sinclair, Discovery, and more. With over 15 years of technology leadership, Lepke has built a proven track record in product management, marketing, and business development. He has deep technical knowledge in software development (large scale cloud SaaS, mobile apps, and connected device applications), web services APIs, online advertising, streaming media formats, and metadata management.

KA Srinivasan (Srini), Amagi, Co-Founder

KA Srinivasan (Srini) is a technology entrepreneur with two decades of experience in building innovative products and solutions, and taking them to global markets. Srini has led Amagi to be one of the fastest growing cloud-broadcast companies in the world. Before Amagi, Srini co-founded Impulsesoft, which went on to become a market leader in wireless audio, and was later acquired by semi-conductor major SiRF.

At Amagi, Srini heads Americas region, responsible for revenue growth, customer engagement, and regional operations. In his earlier roles, Srini led Amagi’s geo-targeted TV advertising division in India, which eventually became one of the largest ad networks, selling over a million ad secs per month. As this business transitioned into a technology licensing model, Srini took reigns of the media technology business to grow it in global markets.

As an established OTT and cloud technology evangelist, Srini regularly speaks in marquee broadcast events about how cloud can reinvent video entertainment and advertising. He holds a bachelor’s degree in technology from the Government College of Technology (GCT), Coimbatore.

Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial

Ken Kerschbaumer is co-executive director of editorial services for the Sports Video Group and SVG Europe. He was a co-founder of SVG along with Paul Gallo and Marty Porter in 2005 and has been writing about how sports networks and leagues use video and audio technology to deliver a quality TV experience since 1991. Kerschbaumer began his career in 1991 at Television Broadcast magazine before joining Cahners where he was founding editor of Digital Broadcasting magazine. In 2000, he joined Broadcasting & Cable magazine as senior editor of technology where he covered all aspects of broadcasting, cable, and internet content creation and distribution.

Michelle Munson, Eluvio, Co-Founder and CEO

Michelle Munson is the co-founder and CEO of Eluvio (www.eluv.io), based in Berkeley, CA. The company recently launched the Eluvio Content Fabric, a global software overlay network enabling content owners to manage and distribute ultra-low latency, high quality video (live and on-demand) to consumers and business partners without CDNs – and reduce their reliance on transcoding services, cloud storage providers, and aggregators. Munson previously founded Aspera in 2004 and led the company as CEO until May 2017, including through its acquisition by IBM in 2014. She created the Aspera FASP transport technology, an Emmy-award winning technology used in the digital media supply chain for high-speed low-cost secure digital content transport, replacing satellite and traditional tape-based delivery technologies.

Munson holds several patents and is a frequent speaker in the areas of content networking, machine learning, block chain, and cloud infrastructure. She was recently awarded the 2019 David Sarnoff Medal from the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMTPE) for inventing FASP. Munson also received the Charles S. Swartz Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA); was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by the International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers (IABM); serves as an SMTPE Fellow; and is on the board of directors at Avid. She was the 2019 Kansas State University College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Speaker and the 2006 Alumnus of the Year for the College of Engineering.

Munson holds dual B.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering and physics from Kansas State University, was a Goldwater Scholar for achievement in science and mathematics, and was later a Fulbright Scholar at Cambridge University where she received a postgraduate diploma in computer science.

Jon Pannaman, Evertz, EVP, Advanced Architecture and Solutions Engineering

Over the last 30+ years, Jon Pannaman has held a broad range of executive, engineering, and technical management roles in broadcast and media organizations. After receiving a BSc honors degree in control, instrumentation, and systems engineering from the City University, London UK, he started his career spending seven years with A.F. Associates as a systems designer and product manager for robotic camera products. Pannaman then spent 17 years on the manufacturer side, holding roles from product manager to VP of engineering to CTO, covering many areas from sales support to R and D. Following this, Pannaman spent nearly 10 years on the customer side with ESPN developing and leading the technology and systems strategy for their IP production initiatives, achieving several world firsts in the use of IP in the broadcast industry. Pannaman left ESPN as VP of technology and joined Diversified Systems as SVP of advanced technologies for two years prior to joining Evertz.

Chris Wagner, OTT Advisors, Managing Partner

Chris Wagner is a technology expert who partners with investors, executives, and entrepreneurs to grow their professional brands, revenues, and customers. After spending more than a decade in the video internet streaming industry, Wagner has developed an uncanny ability to start-up new technology businesses and enhance existing enterprises through digitally enabled services. He co-founded internet start-up NeuLion and helped grow the business to $100 million dollars, which sold to Endeavor for $250 million in cash.

Wagner’s ability to creatively apply technology to business opportunities has given him a front row seat with management teams, boards, and the internet industry. His passion for technology and how to apply it to enable business success has created a network of followers interested in his views and how he might add value to their teams.

Scott Warfield, NASCAR, Managing Director, Gaming

As managing director of gaming at NASCAR, Scott Warfield oversees the sanctioning body’s strategic approach to sports betting and esports. As a key driver behind NASCAR’s growth initiatives, Warfield is responsible for leveraging these disciplines to further engage the core fan as well as attract new fans to the sport.

Warfield built NASCAR’s sports betting business from the ground up by partnering with leaders in the space including Sportradar, Genius Sports, Penn National Gaming, BetMGM, and The Action Network. He also oversees eNASCAR, the sport’s esports initiative that includes the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, which launched in March and within two weeks became the most-watched esports event in television history (1.3 million viewers on Fox/FS1).

In 2019, Warfield was listed as a Power Player in Sports Betting by both Business Insider and Sports Business Journal.

Previously, Warfield oversaw the development and execution of content and strategic partnerships across the governing body’s digital and social media platforms. He revamped NASCAR’s strategic approach to social video and spearheaded the company’s first-ever partnerships with Snapchat and Twitter.

In April of 2017, NASCAR received top honors at the Cynopsis Sports Media Awards for Overall Social Media Excellence, recognizing the best use of social media platforms in sports.

Warfield joined NASCAR in 2010 as senior manager of broadcasting and entertainment communications and helped build the company’s communications division from the ground up. Following his promotion to senior leadership, Warfield drove communications strategy and execution in support of NASCAR broadcasting, entertainment, and digital media, and in 2014 was recognized as a PRWeek “40 Under 40” winner.

Warfield’s leadership and contributions were instrumental in NASCAR earning its first PRWeek In-House PR Team of the Year award in 2015.

Prior to joining NASCAR, Warfield ran Sports Biz Communications, a sports marketing agency he launched to help clients with various integrated marketing and communications disciplines. Warfield spent two years at Motorsports Authentics as head of advertising and marketing and began his extensive business career in the field of journalism as a beat reporter for SportsBusiness Journal.

Warfield received a B.A. in journalism / media and economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He resides in Charlotte, N.C.

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