A host of big sports media brands are providing speakers for the 2025 Digital Sports Summit, which is taking place next Wednesday (25 June) in London.
Snapchat, Buzz16, IMG, Sky Sports, The Premier League, SailGP, the International Tennis Federation, European Tour Productions, Eggchasers Rugby, Skroller, the Rugby Players Association, Harlequins FC, and After Party Studios are among the companies that have confirmed participation.
Sponsored by TATA Comms Media, Digital Sports Summit, previously known as Create Share Engage, is a full-day conference focusing on the strategies, tools, techniques and technology required to successfully create and distribute social, mobile and streamed sports content.
Sessions will begin with Lewis Wiltshire, SVP and managing director of digital at IMG, outlining the technologies and developments that will shape the sports media landscape for rightsholders over the next 12 months. He will discuss the opportunities and threats associated with social media, OTT and streaming, dispel the notion of a “first” or “second” screen, highlight the pivot of direct-to-consumer products towards gamification, consider the implications of AI, and more.
This is followed by a fireside chat with Kahlen Macaulay, head of international sports partnerships at Snapchat. He will discuss changes in fan/viewer behaviour and put them into some context before focusing on best practices for Snapchat content creation and fan engagement.
The first panel of the day sees Tom Halls, SailGP, director of social; Patrick Burch-Lovell, European Tour Productions, creative director, original and branded content; and Alexandra Willis, The Premier League, director of digital media & audience development, tackle the hot topic of engaging fans with short-form content. The trio will share examples of ‘mobile first’ best practice, insight into the strategy and reasoning behind the use of short-form content, as well as advice on how technology can support and enhance creation and distribution.
The International Tennis Federation and Reuters Imagen will then share how they digitised and centralised the federation’s vast content library, making it the first time the ITF has had full ownership and free access to its own archive. Kirsten Lincoln, Reuters Imagen, senior account manager; Tabitha Horsefield, International Tennis Federation, broadcast operations project lead; and Eoin Kelly, International Tennis Federation, senior media rights manager, will be talking about their experiences.
After a networking lunch, a fascinating session will see Tim Cocker of popular YouTube channel EggChasers Rugby, which recently acquired broadcasting rights to the French Pro D2 league for the UK and Ireland, discuss the evolving landscape of rugby coverage, fan engagement in the digital era, and what it means to bring second-tier French rugby to a broader audience.
This is followed by Colin McKevitt, Badger & Combes, MD & Lancashire CCC CIO; Duncan East, Buzz 16, MD; Joshua Barnett, After Party Studios, MD; and Ed Abis, Dizplai, CEO, examining how watchalongs and other types of alternative and interactive live viewing experiences can engage Gen Z and international audiences.
Little Dot Sport partnerships director David Scrivenill will then provide expert insight into how to launch, manage and run a YouTube sports channel, leaning on his experience of working with the FA on the Women’s Super League, before Scott Miles, Sky Sports, head of content delivery; Donald Sievewright, Matrox, EMEA director of sales; and Alex Ferris, LucidLink, senior director of solutions engineering, discussing the power of content hubs.
Finally, in a special showcase session, Rachael Burford, head of women’s rugby at the Rugby Players Association (RPA), and HBS/Skroller general manager Jamie Aitchison will be joined by Harlequins centre Orla Proctor to discuss how and why female rugby players are becoming digital content creators: a move that is both helping clubs and leagues resonate with new and different audiences, and also supporting current and former players as they pursue new career paths beyond the game.
Time is running out to register for the Digital Sports Summit. To join us in London on 25 June, register now.
