Owning a professional sports activities group in 2026 is a unique enterprise than it was simply 10 years in the past. But in line with Indianapolis Colts co-owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Chicago Cubs govt chairman Tom Ricketts, all franchise homeowners should begin with the concept that the fan expertise is on the middle of their enterprise.
On the most recent episode of Sportico Sports Business Presented by Endava, airing Monday night time on the YES Network and different shops, Irsay-Gordon and Ricketts speak with Sportico editor-in-chief Scott Soshnick about what’s going to outline the subsequent section of the sports activities trade and the place they see room for progress in professional sports activities franchises. The interviews have been recorded just lately throughout an unique summit of leaders hosted by Sportico in Boca Raton, Fla.
“It’s very important to engage with your customers and with your fans. I definitely learned from my dad [the late Colts owner Jim Irsay, who died in 2025],” Irsay-Gordon stated. “He always used to say the fans want what they want. And, you know, we can’t control everything. I wish we could win the Super Bowl every year, of course. You know, we wouldn’t have had the opportunities that we have if we didn’t have fans … You wouldn’t have a Lamborghini if it wasn’t for the fans.”
Irsay-Gordon stated soccer has advanced from the rough-and-tumble days when Johnny Unitas’ helmet seemed like “an Easter egg basket” to now making investments in well being and wellness know-how to guard gamers. Football has additionally modified with regards to stadiums; Irsay-Gordon stated the Colts exploring group partnerships in downtown Indianapolis and in search of methods to improve Lukas Oil stadium with extra mixed-used growth.
Irsay-Gordon mirrored on the teachings she discovered in her twenty years within the enterprise. “I began promoting tickets, and I used to ask, ‘Why do we have glass [between fans and the ticket seller]? It feels so impersonal,’” she said during a portion of the interview that is not included in the TV show. “And one time I learned why: Someone spit at my face. I said, ‘Well, that’s why we’ve glass, I assume.’”
Ricketts, too, is consistently aware of followers. “Obviously, the changing dynamics of the media market is a challenge for everyone. I think our guys have gotten ahead of it a little bit, done a little better job of being prepared for the changes. That said, the way people are consuming media is changing, and we have to adapt ourselves to make sure that we’re get [Cubs] games in front of as many people as we can.”
Keeping youthful followers extra engaged is essential, Ricketts stated, by making the sport faster and emphasizing star energy, not simply on his personal group however throughout the league. But Ricketts realizes labor negotiations within the coming yr will probably be powerful. “Maybe there are some different economic ideas that would be a benefit to all the teams and to the players as well. I just hope that they work through it and get us back on the field next year.”
Like Irsay-Gordon, Ricketts comes again to the followers as precedence. “It’s all about doing everything we can to better serve fans. I think one advantage we have in the change in landscape is that we’re getting to know more information about all of our fans and maybe try to tailor the experience to them a little more effectively and give them what they want in a game day.”
This episode is the primary of a model new season of Sportico Sports Business Presented by Endava. The present airs month-to-month on the YES Network and the Gotham Sports App. Endava, approaching as presenting sponsor for the primary time, is a number one supplier of next-generation know-how providers, driving digital transformation for our prospects by combining progressive know-how and deep trade experience with an AI-native strategy.