On the Sports Loft Podcast, we talk to the innovators shaping the future of the sports industry.
Our guests include tech pioneers building groundbreaking companies, leading executives from the world’s biggest teams and leagues, and investors driving advancements in sports, media and entertainment.
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On the Sports Loft Podcast, we talk to the innovators shaping the future of the sports industry.
Our guests include tech pioneers building groundbreaking companies, leading executives from the world’s biggest teams and leagues, and investors driving advancements in sports, media and entertainment.
Professional Triathletes Organisation: Using tech to take triathlon mainstream
Sports Loft Podcast
56 minutes 31 seconds
1 year ago
Professional Triathletes Organisation: Using tech to take triathlon mainstream
This week Yanni and co-host Charlie chat with Sam Renouf, CEO of the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO). Sam joined the organisation in 2019 has been central to the organisation’s strategy and development since.
We kick off the conversation by setting the scene, with Sam discussing the inception and evolution of PTO, including its recent partnership with World Triathlon. He digs into the organisation's goal of becoming a more consumer-facing brand with its T100 Triathlon World Tour and outlines the strategies for growing a sustainable fan base for triathlon.
"It's taken us a couple of years to figure out the right model. But we think that in the T100 we have something unique," he says. "We're like the PGA Tour from a governance structure because we've got the athletes and the pros. We're Formula One with this season long narrative with glamorous locations. And we're the World Marathon Majors with the mass participation. So really it's super exciting."
We were keen to chat with Sam about the role technology plays in the roadmap for the T100 series. Tech, Sam explains, will be baked into almost every element of the series – from its broadcast and commentary, to the sponsorship proposition and management of mass participation rankings.
Sam also mapped out the PTO's funding model, with the likes of Michael Moritz as a lead investor, alongside Warner Bros. Discovery. And with the prospect of the organisation securing further funding to accelerate the growth of the T100, it's going to be a fascinating journey to watch.
Timestamps:
10:46 – Evolution of PTO's business model
25:11 – Importance of technology and investment from Warner Bros. Discovery
29:39 – Consolidating high-value audience with first-party data
30:21 – Using data for sponsorship, media, and direct-to-consumer
35:09 – Storytelling and technology in triathlon
40:59 – Bringing non-endemic sponsors into triathlon
43:50 – Building revenue streams for triathletes
53:18 – The future of the PTO
Sports Loft Podcast
On the Sports Loft Podcast, we talk to the innovators shaping the future of the sports industry.
Our guests include tech pioneers building groundbreaking companies, leading executives from the world’s biggest teams and leagues, and investors driving advancements in sports, media and entertainment.