Sportel Monaco welcomed 1,962 participants from 73 countries to the Grimaldi Forum from 19th to 21st October, with artificial intelligence, investment, and the commercial growth of women’s sports among this 36th edition’s topics.
The three-day convention brought together 780 companies, including 166 new companies, representing rights holders, broadcasters, federations, agencies, investors, and technology providers.
Participants presented broadcasting and distribution technologies, met potential partners, and explored commercial opportunities within sports media.
AI AND CHANGING BUSINESS MODELS
The Conference Summit at the Ravel Speakers Stage examined how technology and shifting audience habits are influencing the way sports are produced, distributed, and monetised.
Expert discussions, masterclasses, and customer case studies covered artificial intelligence, live production, data, sports betting, investment, and new digital business models. YouTube, Grup Mediapro, Deltatre, ViewLift, and Pixotope were among the companies contributing to the programme.
Speakers included LALIGA president Javier Tebas, IMG’s Hillary Mandel, YouTube’s Pedro Pina, Bruin Capital’s Jeff Roth, and SURJ Sports Investment’s Danny Townsend.
BRANDS AND WOMEN’S SPORT
This year also saw the launch of the CMO Brand Programme, developed in partnership with Qualcomm Technologies. Senior marketing executives from TCS, Revolut, and Guinness/Diageo joined discussions on how sponsorship, media, and technology can influence value for brands and sports properties.
The Women’s Lunch, organised with AWS, explored what is needed to turn the evolution of women’s sport into a mature, investable market. The event, moderated by AWS Sports Business Development Specialist Fiona Harold, featured athlete Elizaveta Bracht, Danny Townsend, World Tennis’s Nicky Stanton, and FIBA’s Frank Leenders.
TORONTO NEXT ON THE CALENDAR
Reflecting on the convention, Marine Picoulet, Executive Director of SPORTEL Monaco, said: “Year after year, Sportel evolves alongside the sports media industry, creating new opportunities for the people and businesses shaping its future.”
The organisation will next take its international convention to Toronto in March of 2027, before it returns to the Grimaldi Forum from the 25th to 27th October 2027.
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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali, Government Communications Department