Today on Brand Story, Inc., we continue our 8-episode Future of Sports Content series with a spotlight on data science’s impact on content with data guru Mike McComiskey.

I’ve known Mike for 20 of his nearly 30 years in college athletics, specifically his two decade stint at the Big Ten Conference where he was the Big Ten Associate Commissioner for Technology.  Mike was a key behind-the-scenes guy in the research and negotiation of the Big Ten Conference’s media agreements in 2007 and 2017, including the Big Ten Network, and was part of the integration of three new institutions to the iconic conference.

Mike oversaw IT and was a member of the television management team. Additionally, he was involved in implementing the technology behind college football’s first instant replay system and the design of and maintenance for the IT network and AV systems at the conference headquarters and meeting center in Rosemont when it opened in 2013.

As you’ll hear about in the podcast, Mike departed the Big Ten and is pursuing a master’s degree and recently completed a research project on the predictability of data science on college football ratings, which I invite you to read here. It’s a fascinating read with implications that shed a light on the value of data science in media valuations.

 

Below are the highlights of our episode:

  • Mike connects the dots between his B1G work and his emerging career in data analytics.
  • A deep dive into Mike’s predictive analytics for CFB ratings and its implications.
  • Media rights and how data analytics will impact values, investment, and programming.
  • The changing dynamics of media rights valuations based on data analytics.
  • How data science is changing the customization of sports media consumption.
  • What brands and programmers should be considering to create better connections with their audiences in a mutually-beneficial way.
  • Mike’s key takeaways from the recent MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
  • The danger of human biases in data science.
  • Zillow and Amazon’s cautionary tales on the need for constant data system updates.
  • Advice for underresourced entities looking to up their game in data analytics.
  • Our poor man’s Goodreads, as Mike offers his book recommendation.

Thank you Brand Story, Inc. community for your support as we continue our inaugural Future of Sports Content series.  We want to continue to hear from you. Share your guest recommendations, topic suggestions, questions and overall feedback. This community is for YOU.

Drop me a note at [email protected] or ping me at LinkedIn here. You can connect with Mike McComiskey here on LinkedIn – feel free to let him know what you liked from this episode. Guests love to hear from our listeners. Enjoy the episode!

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