** SUBJECT TO CHANGE **

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

(All times are in Pacific Time Zone)

11:30 – 12:45 p.m.: SVG Chairman’s Forum Golf Outing Networking Lunch
(LOCATION: Serket Golf Club, 2851 Grand Hills Dr, Henderson, NV 89052)

1:00 – 6:00 p.m.: SVG Chairman’s Forum Golf Outing
(LOCATION: Serket Golf Club, 2851 Grand Hills Dr, Henderson, NV 89052)

6:30 – 8:00 p.m.: Opening Night Networking Reception
Green Valley Ranch, 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson
(LOCATION: Grant Hall Foyer)

FRIDAY, APRIL 17

(All times are in Pacific Time Zone)

7:30 – 9:30 a.m.: Networking Breakfast 
PLEASE NOTE: Breakfast is for hotel guests only
(LOCATION: Grand Ballroom 3 & 4)

9:30 – 10:30 a.m.: Networking Time

* GENERAL SESSIONS LOCATION: Grand Ballroom 1 & 2 *

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.: Welcoming Remarks

10:45 – 11:15 a.m.: The Big Picture: Is the Sports Media Landscape Healthy?
We’ll kick off the 2026 SVG Chairman’s Forum with an overview from Caretta Research on the health of the sports media landscape. The comprehensive overview will dive into global rights trends, viewership and consumption trends, and the ripple effect on the sports production community.
Presenter: Rebecca Jackson, Caretta Research, Business Development Manager

11:15 – 11:30 a.m.: 400G in Action: Scaling Live Sports Networks for a Leading North American Broadcaster (Sponsored by Net Insight)
How do you scale live sports production when bandwidth demand keeps accelerating? This session explores the first commercial deployment of a media-ready 400G IP solution with a leading sports broadcaster in North America. Learn how the deployment enables significant capacity expansion, operational simplification, and reliable delivery of premium live content.
Presenters:
Chris Myers, Net Insight, SVP, Sales Americas
Jonathan Smith, Net Insight, Sales Business Development

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Sports Production Technology Trends
Josh Stinehour of Devoncroft will take a look at the hottest (and coldest) trends in production technology investment. We’ll learn about what’s driving those trends as well as the impact those trends have on the financial health of the sports production technology sector.
Presenter: Josh Stinehour, Devoncroft Partners, Principal Analyst

12:00 – 12:30 p.m.: Introducing the AI Innovation Lab
SVG has launched the AI Innovation Lab, an industry effort that brings together key stakeholders from both the technology and production sides of sports media and creates a collaborative environment designed to help everyone sharpen their AI-based products, services, and applications. Join us to learn about how your organization can get involved as well as more about the key issues the Innovation Lab will tackle.
Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial Services
Panelists:
Mike Davies, Fox Sports, EVP, Technical and Field Operations; SVG U.S. Chairman
Jason Dvorkin, AWS, Head of Industry Business Development, Americas, Media & Entertainment, Games, and Sports
Mac Moore, CoreWeave, GM, Media & Entertainment
Chad Rounsavall, Twelve Labs, Director of Sales, Media & Entertainment, Games, and Sports
Matt Smith, Akta, Chief Evangelist
Mark Turner, Entertainment Technologists, President

12:30 – 1:45 p.m.: Networking Lunch and Golf Awards
(LOCATION: Grand Ballroom 3 & 4)

1:45 – 2:25 p.m.: World Cup 2026: Inside the Massive Host Broadcast Production Effort with FIFA and HBS
The 2026 FIFA World Cup production efforts by FIFA and HBS are well underway. Join us to dive deep into operations and technologies that will be deployed at the IBC in Dallas as well as the 16 stadiums that will host the event across North America.
Introduction by: Mark Davis, TAG Video Systems, Director of Sales, Strategic Accounts
Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial Services
Panelists:
Dan Miodownik, HBS, CEO
Oscar Sanchez, FIFA, Head of Host Broadcast Production

2:25 – 2:55 p.m.: The Play. The Player. The Moment: AI and the New Era of Sports Storytelling (Sponsored by Twelve Labs)
The way fans consume sports has changed faster than most broadcast teams can keep up with. This panel brings together leaders from the world’s top sports broadcasters and streaming platforms for an open, expert conversation about how the industry is modernizing its approach to content, from unlocking decades of archived footage to delivering real-time highlights and personalized fan moments at scale.
Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial Services
Panelists:
Xavier Green, ScorePlay, Co-Founder and CTO
Chad Rounsavall, Twelve Labs, Director of Sales, Media & Entertainment, Games, and Sports

2:55 – 3:35 p.m.: Live Production Roadmap: Defining the Future
The world of sports production technology is changing faster than ever… but that still requires that leading manufacturers and service providers have a plan for the future. How are today’s technology innovations defining the future and creating new ways to serve sports fans? Leading manufacturers take to the stage to discuss their latest innovations but also how those innovations set a course for the future.
Moderator: Jason Dachman, SVG, Editorial Director, U.S.
Panelists:
Josh Arensberg, Verizon Business Group, Global MD Sports, Media & Technology
Colin Coyle, Haivision, Senior Vice President, Broadcast
Mickaël Raulet, Ateme, Chief Technology Officer
Evan Statton, Zixi, VP of Strategic Business Development

3:35 – 3:50 p.m.: Built for the Fast Lane: Engineering Production Ecosystems for Formula 1, SailGP, and Beyond (Sponsored by Riedel)
Live sports productions are becoming faster, larger, more global – and dramatically more complex. This session explores how Riedel’s Managed Technology supports the world’s most demanding live events by taking end-to-end responsibility for production ecosystems. Using examples from Formula 1, SailGP, and large multi-sport / multi venue events, we reveal how a unified backbone for wired and wireless communication, video, audio, data, and orchestration enables consistent quality, operational efficiency, and scalability.
Moderator: Mike Davies, Fox Sports, EVP, Technical and Field Operations; SVG U.S. Chairman
Speakers:
Lutz Rathmann, Riedel, CEO, Managed Technology
Jeffrey Strößner, Riedel, Chief of Staff, Managed Technology

3:50 – 4:30 p.m.: SVG Europe Perspectives in Production
Day one of the 2026 Chairman’s Forum continues with a panel discussion featuring industry leaders from the European sports community. What trends are driving production forward? What are the challenges in production given some fiscal headwinds? And how are they looking to serve the European sports fan (and global fan via world feeds) with the best content?
Moderator: Alessandro Reitano, Sky Deutschland, SVP, Sports Production; SVG Europe, Chairman
Panelists:
Alexander Günther, Sportcast GmbH, Managing Director
Lise Heidal, NEP Europe, President
Jawid Mahmoodzada, Qvest, Managing Director
Phil Marshall, Sky Sports, Executive Director for Production and Operations

4:30 – 4:45 p.m.: The Pacers’ Playbook for Unified, Low‑Latency Workflows – Powered by EVS
Discover how Gainbridge Fieldhouse has reimagined its live‑production environment through a unified, IP‑first control layer designed for maximum operational efficiency and ultra‑low‑latency performance. By centralizing device control and streamlining operator workflows, the Pacers have achieved consistent, reliable, game‑day execution while reducing complexity across their production ecosystem.

This scalable, cost‑efficient architecture now spans to The Arena at Innovation Mile, enabling real‑time, low‑latency remote production, shared workflows, and resource pooling between venues — all without duplicating equipment or expanding physical infrastructure. Learn how this interconnected model is setting the foundation for next‑generation venue operations.
Moderator: James Stellpflug, EVS, SVP, Community Engagement, Live Ecosystem
Speakers:
David Hentz, Pacers Sports and Entertainment, Senior Broadcast Engineer
Emily Wright, Pacers Sports and Entertainment, AVP, Broadcast Engineering and Operations

5:00 – 6:30 p.m.: SVG Chairman’s Forum Networking Reception
(LOCATION: Opium Terrace – weather permitting; In case of inclement weather, location will be Grand Ballroom Foyer)
CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF SVG! Join us for drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres as we mark this milestone in Las Vegas!

SATURDAY, APRIL 18

7:30 – 9:00 a.m.: Networking Breakfast
PLEASE NOTE: Breakfast is for hotel guests only
(LOCATION: Grand Ballroom 3 & 4)

9:00 – 11:30 a.m.: General Sessions

(LOCATION: Grand Ballroom 1 & 2)

9:00 – 9:30 a.m.: World Cup 2026: Inside Fox Sports’ Production Plans
Fox Sports has been waiting for the 2026 World Cup to arrive for more than a decade and, with it, high expectations for audience engagement for nearly five weeks this summer. We’ll learn about how Fox will produce their coverage, look at the technical workflows, and discuss some of the challenges in covering an event that will span three countries and 16 venues.
Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial Services
Panelists:
Kevin Callahan, Fox Sports, VP, Field Operations and Engineering

9:30 – 9:45 a.m.: Engaging the Next Generation of NBA Fans with a Customizable Studio and Personalized Graphics (Sponsored by Vizrt)
Prime Video built a fully customizable studio space for the NBA season, with impressive LED screens (over 2,300 individual tiles across 16 LED regions, including a volume wall with a LED half-court floor), flexible background and visual element insertion, and even a functional half-court basketball area that can visualize different NBA arenas, city skylines, and data-driven graphics.

The Vizrt platform powers both the remote workflow and studio with Viz Trio and Viz Engine, personalizing experiences with real-time graphics displayed in various languages across different regions. The innovative space immerses fans and completely transforms the viewing experience.
Presenters:
Scott Swim, Prime Video Live Sports, Principal, Tech Graphics
Per von Rosen, Vizrt, VP of Sales, Sports

9:45 – 9:50 a.m.: Transition Time

9:50 – 10:20 a.m.: Follow the Money with Sam McCleery
Join us for a dive into the current state of sports media, league, and technology investing. Sam McCleery will discuss everything from the role of private equity to the impact of sovereign global funds and where the risks and opportunities lie for a sports industry as well as the broadcast media tech industry.
Presenter: Sam McCleery, G3DVu, Chief Strategy Officer and SVG Follow the Money Podcast, Host

10:20 – 11:20 a.m.: Common Ground: When Sports Meets Enterprise Video
For decades, broadcast TV and cable networks and systems were the gatekeepers of video content. But the rise of social media and streaming platforms like YouTube have changed the landscape, allowing sports leagues, teams, athletes, and corporate brands and marketing agencies to create and deliver content at truly high professional standards. The 2026 SVG Chairman’s Forum concludes with representatives from sports media and enterprise video sharing the stage to discuss similarities, differences, and why video has become such an important brand-building medium.
Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial Services
Panelists:
Mike Davies, Fox Sports, EVP, Technical and Field Operations; SVG U.S. Chairman
Chris Gefken, Goldman Sachs, VP and Senior Engineer, Client and Corporate Production
Greg Harper, Harpervision Associates, President
Gary Schneider, LinkedIn, Lead Media Systems Architect
Peter Thordarson, Advanced Systems Group, Technical Account Executive

9:45 – 11:30 a.m.: WORKSHOP: Content Management Roundtable

(LOCATION: Del Mar 1 & 2)

This intimate roundtable workshop is designed as an open forum for individuals responsible for managing, archiving, and protecting sports content. Led by SVG’s Sports Content Management Advisory Committee, this off the-record roundtable discussion will provide media-management leaders from broadcasters, leagues, teams, digital outlets, and vendors with an opportunity to address a variety of hot-button issues currently facing the industry.

** Spotlight by Reuters Imagen – David Wilkinson, Reuters Imagen, CEO **

TOPIC 1: AI OR DIE? Real Implementations, Shifting Workflows, and Where We Go From Here
How are sports-media organizations implementing AI today? Is it replacing people and workflows or creating new staffing needs? Where will media management and cloud production will be in five years as a result of AI? And how are you preparing for that? And, perhaps most importantly, how do you feel about AI models training on your content?

TOPIC 2: BEYOND THE MAM: Manifesting a Fully Integrated, Multi-System Future
Most sports-media organizations have given up on the idea that MAM is the end-all, be-all of media management. PAMs and DAMs continue to play a role, but what systems or workflows are you integrating with these asset management systems today? Have you replaced the idea of a central repository altogether? And what workflows and systems are you integrating with cloud production? Do you see more centralization to control costs, or decentralization to increase access?

** Spotlight by Encompass Digital Media – Keir Shepherd, Encompass Digital Media, Chief Solutions Officer **

TOPIC 3: THE SAAS TAX: Navigating Licenses, Costs, and Service in Cloud Production
The move to virtual and cloud production means additional licenses and SaaS considerations, so what does that mean for your future costs and service? Are the flexibility and scalability gains worth the spiraling subscription bills — and who’s actually keeping track? As vendor dependencies deepen and contracts multiply, how can you build smarter, more sustainable cloud economics?

** Spotlight by Scoreplay – Victorien Tixier, Scoreplay, CEO and Co-Founder **

TOPIC 4: SITTING ON GOLD: Strategies and Tools for Monetizing Your Library Content
At some point in their career, every media manager has been approached by their Business Development team asking for new ways to monetize their organization’s library content. How are you handling it in today’s challenging economic climate? What are your plans to make this content easier to monetize? And how can your vendors and technology partners help turn what is traditionally a cost center into a revenue driver?

TOPIC 5: WHO’S NEXT? Talent Pipelines, Institutional Knowledge, and the Entry-Level Impact of AI
Where is the next generation of media management professionals going to come from and how are you going to train them without entry-level jobs. Is the thought that AI will just do all that for you? As M&E companies continue to merge and spin off, does a loss of institutional knowledge worry you? How are you training/mentoring your replacements?

CLOSING TOPIC: LIGHTNING ROUND!
As part of this year’s SVG Chairman’s Forum, attendees were asked to submit their most pressing questions and concerns — let’s answer them here!