Sports Business Innovation Showcase from Turner Sports set for Jan. 5 at CES

For the second consecutive year, Turner Sports will present its Sports Business Innovation showcase at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, part of an overall Turner presence at this year’s convention. Sports Business Innovation at CES Presented by Turner Sports will be highlighted by a full day of activities to be held Thursday, Jan. 5.

Last year’s Sports Business Innovation Showcase featured (l to r) Ernie Johnson, Sports Emmy Award-winning host, Turner Sports; Robert Manfred, Jr., Baseball Commissioner; and Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner.

Thursday’s event schedule will begin with a series of panels including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NCAA President Mark Emmert as featured participants. Following the panel discussions, ELEAGUE – a partnership between Turner and WME | IMG – will present a live studio show previewing the “ELEAGUE Major” to be held later in the month. The full day of activations will culminate with TNT’s Sports Emmy Award winning Inside the NBA studio team – host Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal – providing pregame, halftime and postgame coverage surrounding the night’s NBA on TNT doubleheader live from CES.

Additionally, as part of the overall Turner Sports footprint at CES, ELEAGUE will partner with the FIA Formula E Championship for its Las Vegas eRace on Saturday, Jan. 7. The virtual race, including a specially designed track incorporating the famous Las Vegas Strip, will feature all 20 Formula E drivers and 10 fans from across the world competing for a share of a one million dollar prize pool.  ELEAGUE will produce the event coverage, which will be available via Twitch.

Sports Business Innovation at CES Presented by Turner Sports is in partnership with CTA and Foxrock Partners, along with sponsors including Ford and NextVR. Click here or the image below for highlights from last year’s Sports Business Innovation panel discussions.

This year’s Thursday schedule, originating from Tech West Sands, Hall D, will include (all times local):

9 a.m.-Noon: Sports Business Innovation Panel Discussions
A full morning of panels will bring together leading executives and personalities to discuss innovations that are driving the continued evolution of the sports industry.  The panel discussions will also examine the ever-changing consumption habits of sports fans across an increasing number of screens and devices, along with a deep dive conversation on the dramatic growth of esports as a global business.

Panels will include:

-Ernie Johnson moderating a session with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NCAA President Mark Emmert, along with Turner Sports analyst Grant Hill and WNBA star Sue Bird, discussing the ways technology is driving the ever-changing landscape of sport and how organizations and players are taking advantage of the inherent brand and business-building opportunities.

-A collection of athletes examining unique tech-driven partnerships and business ventures that have been leveraged to enhance their individual brands and establish a deeper connection with sports fans.

-Bleacher Report CEO Dave Finocchio and Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott among panelists sharing perspective on the evolution of consumer engagement as fans continue their insatiable appetite for real-time sports content across an ever-growing number of platforms.

-ELEAGUE host Richard Lewis moderating a panel with ELEAGUE General Manager Christina Alejandre and additional experts focusing on the rapid growth and rise of esports, including a look ahead to the future of the industry.

“ELEAGUE Major” Preview Show Live From CES
Following the panel discussions ELEAGUE, the professional esports organization formed in partnership between Turner and WME | IMG, will present a live studio show from CES previewing its first-ever “ELEAGUE Major,” a championship esports event featuring Valve’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) competitive video game.  ELEAGUE host Lewis will be joined by analysts Jason “Moses” O’Toole and Duncan “Thorin” Shields to preview the ELEAGUE Major, held January 22-29 in Atlanta.

4 p.m.: TNT’s Inside the NBA Live from CES
TNT’s award-winning Inside the NBA studio team with host Johnson and analysts Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will be on site at CES.  The popular NBA studio show will be televised live from the Hall D show floor with pre-game coverage beginning at 4 p.m. local time, leading into TNT’s NBA doubleheader.  The iconic team of Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will continue with halftime and post-game coverage throughout the evening.