On the latest episode of JaneWallStreet Presents: At The Table, a bi-weekly podcast exploring the intersection of sports, media, and finance through the lens of (mostly) female decision makers, JaneWallStreet Executive Chair Deirdre Lester sits down with Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Global Head of Sports Julie Souza. 

In this 40-minute conversation, they touch on: 

Simulation-Driven Rulemaking 

Much of the conversation around Amazon Web Services centers on broadcast innovation (think: NFL Next Gen Stats). But AWS is aligned with sports properties on a multitude of high-impact initiatives. 

For example, in the “NFL, we saw that the kickoff rule changed a couple years ago. That was in direct response to [the league] analyzing [its] data and understanding [it] had a problem. One, the [existing] rule wasn't producing a lot of [returns], so it was a boring play. And then number two, it caused 2x the [number of injuries] and 4x the [amount of concussions] over a normal pass or run play. The league took 10,000 seasons' worth of simulated data to optimize for those two factors, lower injury rates and [increase] kickoff returns,” Souza said.  

The changes implemented appear to have worked. Last season there were 74.5% more returns than the last season with the old rule and injury rates on kickoffs fell in line with the average run or pass play.

Drawing a Line on Innovation 

Technology can enhance the fans’ in-venue experience. But rights owners should avoid AI-driven overlays and other immersive distractions. 

“The live game experience is what makes sports special,” Souza said. “It's communal, it's social, it's haptic, it's all kinds of sensory things. [So,] I am very mindful of not hurting that... And that's why I get really agitated when people [suggest] VR [experiences] at a live game. Absolutely not. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. People don't go to a live game to then retreat into a virtual world of their own. They go there to be part of the [shared] experience.” 

Silence as a Negotiation Strategy 

The instinctual desire to fill dead air can be costly in high-stakes negotiations. The ability to say less and mean more requires deliberate planning and discipline. 

“You have to be really comfortable with silence and choose your words carefully,” Souza said. “There was this guy on my team at ESPN, brilliant, awesome guy. He went into a negotiation and [said to those sitting on the other side of the table] ‘our initial position is that we want to be able to do this’. [When] we came out of there, I looked at him and said, ‘you just undermined our entire position with one word. You said our initial position is. That implies that we have another position!’” 

📺 Watch the full video on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube Page. 
🎧 Listen on Spotify. 

We’ll be back with the next episode of JaneWallStreet Presents: At The Table in two weeks. Fubo Sports Network and Fubo Studios Head Pamela Duckworth will be our guest. 

Catch previous episodes of ATT, including our sit-down with LOVB Chief Growth Officer Stephanie Alger, on JohnWallStreet’s YouTube channel. 

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