Leading sports companies collaborated to host Super Bowl-themed events designed to support Black-owned businesses in the sports industry.
Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana, provided an ideal backdrop for events focused on empowering Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and HBCU students in the sports industry. Diverse Representation teamed up with Fanatics and William Morris Endeavor (WME) to host a series of impactful events timed around the Super Bowl that amplified Black business endeavors within sports.
The event lineup included an exclusive executive dinner celebrating Black sports leaders and a first-of-its-kind HBCU Sports Business Pitch Competition sponsored by Amazon.
“Partnering with Diverse Representation to bring together Black sports and entertainment leaders during Super Bowl weekend was a great way for Fanatics to continue to play a significant role in building a more inclusive industry,” Fanatics Chief People Officer Toretha McGuire said in a press release.
McGuire played a key role in a private dinner on Feb. 6 that brought together top Black executives from the sports and entertainment industries to foster meaningful connections and discussions about the future of Black leadership in sports. The following day, the Diverse Representation x WME HBCU Takeover & Pitch Competition took place at Dillard University.
The half-day event was formatted to support HBCU students interested in sports by educating them through a fireside conversation with NFL star Brandon Marshall, a panel discussion with top agents from WME, and the HBCU Sports Business Pitch Competition, judged by industry leaders from the New Orleans Saints, WME, and ObsidianWorks.
“My NFL career opened doors, but my podcast has become a powerful platform, especially for connecting with this generation,” Marshall shared. “It’s a platform I’ve invested in, giving me the relatability to speak to these students about the journey they’re starting. I’m excited to be here to drop any gems I can to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs in this room.”
Visionary, an innovative B2B company revolutionizing sports and entertainment headgear with point-of-view technology, won the pitch competition. The platform allows athletes to review their performance while allowing fans to experience games from their favorite players’ perspectives.
Students at Southern University A&M founded the innovative platform to offer a fresh, results-driven approach to transforming athlete training and live sports experiences. By blending immersive tech with sports innovation, Visionary enhances fan engagement, improves team performance analytics, and opens new revenue streams for sports organizations.
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Source: Black Enterprise
