Next League Hires Sports Industry Veteran To Bolster Executive Team

Next League, the company that advises, architects and operates complex technologies for the largest sports brands in the world, announces the appointment of Scott Gutterman, a renowned sports industry veteran and expert in data-driven digital transformation, as its Chief Digital Officer.

In this role, Scott will work on end-to-end technology strategy and execution for the way Next League should manage and evolve its core offerings and position in the marketplace. He will bring both thought leadership and tactical execution to Next Leagues clients and prospects, and ensure that the company is exploring and deploying the most innovative digital media technologies. The appointment underscores Next League’s commitment to bringing strategic thinking rooted in real sports experience and turning leadership priorities into practical, measurable outcomes.

Prior to Next League, Scott had spent the last twenty years at the PGA TOUR, most recently as SVP, Digital & Broadcast Technologies. In this role, he led end-to-end technology strategy and execution for one of the world’s most recognized sports brands, shaping how digital, broadcast, and emerging platforms come together to engage fans and drive global growth. He has been a consistent champion of innovation, pioneering advancements such as Every Shot Live and AI-generated content, prototyping cloud-based production systems, and pushing into next-generation fan experiences across AI and spatial computing.

He played instrumental roles in building and managing the TOUR’s multimillion-dollar technology and marketing partnerships with industry leaders including AWS, Microsoft, Intel, and Adobe where he focused on aligning these advanced technologies with clear commercial objectives, ensuring tangible enterprise value. A data-driven operator, he consistently leveraged data science and analytics as core components of decision-making, using measurable KPIs to guide platform performance, inform product strategy, and drive business outcomes.

“I have been fortunate to know and work alongside Scott Gutterman for almost fifteen years,” says Next League CEO David Nugent. “As a proven leader,Scott brings a wealth of digital expertise, operational discipline, and strategic leadership that will be invaluable as we continue to accelerate Next League’s vision of being the leader in global sports technology services. We are thrilled to have him join our team and are excited to leverage his extensive expertise.”

“I’m excited to join Next League at such a pivotal moment,” says Gutterman. “There is an enormous opportunity to unlock new value through technology, deepen fan engagement, and build the next generation of digital capabilities. I am excited to work with the Next League team, including many of the people I’ve worked alongside for years, as we accelerate that vision.”

A recognized thought leader, Gutterman was named a 2022 Sports Technology Power Player by Sports Business Journal. He is a regular on the thought leadership circuit, representing the evolving intersection of sports, technology, and media at industry events including Sports Business Journal, AWS, Sports Video Group and Front Office Sports events, among others.

With this hire, Shripal Shah will transition to a role as Next League’s Chief AI and Innovation Officer. Shah joined Next League in January 2025 as its first Chief Digital Officer and has played an integral role in building this innovation-led capability. In this new role, Shah will continue to focus on emerging technologies, MarTech, and AI innovation and how sports organizations engage fans, increase fan loyalty, drive and diversify revenue and pioneer new avenues of digital transformation. 

“In his new role, Shripal will dive deeper into the world of artificial intelligence, an area of incredible strategic importance to Next League, and explore how teams, leagues and federations can leverage emerging tech to acquire new customers and build new revenue streams,” says Nugent. “With Shripal and Scott in these new roles, Next League is positioned to help sports organizations build and manage the foundational technologies across Media Tech, Marketing Tech, and Sports Operations that will move their businesses forward.”