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Adriene Bueno shared thisWe're hiring 2 fall interns at Arena! 🏟️ If you're interested in working in sports, media & entertainment, this is your shot to get experience at an organization that's changing how the industry connects and builds relationships. 📝 Editorial Intern - https://lnkd.in/gWbxXg4j 🎨 Social Media & Creative Production Intern - https://lnkd.in/ggX6zxrC The internship program runs from Sept - Dec, is fully remote and includes: - Direct hands on, impactful experience - 1:1 career guidance to help you connect to future job opportunities - Connecting with industry leaders in Arena's network Past interns have went on to secure job offers at companies including the NBA, NFL, LA Lakers, AKA Agency, Beasley Media Group and beyond. Interested? Apply now. Know someone who may be a fit? Tag them below.
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Adriene Bueno shared thisI love creating spaces where people can let their guard down. If you work in sports, media & entertainment, you know how rare that actually is... Sometimes it feels like someone is always looking for something FROM you. It's like the second you get on a call, it's a pitch or a new connection asks for intros to your entire network before any trust is built, or you go to an event and everyone is already cliqued up with no easy entry point to join the convo. Ask me how I know 🫣 But what I've learned after 14+ years in this industry, is that the most rewarding moments in my career have never come from what I personally got out of a room. instead, they've come from being in rooms where people genuinely wanted to support each other to win. Recently at WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, we hosted "In The Arena" at Centre Court Productions with Make One Day Happen for leaders across sports, media & entertainment, and the energy in that room was something I wish I could bottle up. 🥹 Senior execs were actually letting their guard down having real convos beyond the basic "so what do you do?" where people we're exchanging ideas and sharing their favorite tools. And I just can't stop thinking that THIS is what Arena is all about. For those new here, Arena is a curated community for leaders in sports, media & entertainment. Every week, our members receive curated 1:1 intros with other leaders in our network, and we host exclusive events at major industry tentpoles like WNBA ASW, SXSW, Super Bowl and beyond. Everyone in our community is actively open to building new relationships and supporting others around mutual career and business goals. candidly, we don't have passive members or people looking to spray-and-pray network on Arena. It's really just intentional people who care about connecting with other intentional people. And the more I build this with my co-founders Parul Khosla and Olivia Schwartz and connect with professionals, the more I realize just how much our industry has been craving spaces just like this which is why I'm always so excited when we bring in new members. :) 📣 Applications for Arena's Summer Cohort close TONIGHT at 11:59pm ET. If you're a leader in sports, media or entertainment looking for more real and meaningful connections with others in the industry, we'd love for you to apply. Link in the comments ⤵️ 📸: Erin Dahn
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Adriene Bueno shared thisWe love a full circle moment!! 3 years ago, I met Lauren Lopez while she was NWSL’s Chief People & Culture Officer and we were both on a panel for LiS™: Latinos in Sports first-ever conference. At the time I was working at LinkedIn on the Community Management team, and this was also my first time being invited to speak on an in-person panel so the fact that I got to share the stage with Lauren, Iris Diaz, and Marysol Castro in front of 100s of Latino leaders in sports was absolutely mind blowing to me. 🤯 Fast forward two years where I was building Arena as a full-time founder with Parul Khosla and Olivia Schwartz. We partnered with Latinx In Sports + Alana Meraz to host a panel and had one of of the most real, authentic convos of my career around mentorship/career growth during Hispanic Heritage Month with Lauren and Francisco Estrada (Arena advisor and Director of Talent Acquisition at BetMGM). And now today, I’m excited to share that we get to partner with Lauren again in a much deeper capacity with Arena. Lauren has founded First Focus Inc.Inc. after 20+ years at the NWSL, The New York Times, NBA, Condé Nast, NBCUniversal and beyond as a People & Talent executive who spent her career inside the hardest rooms to get into where succession decisions, performance ratings, and promotion convos happen. Truly there is no one who is more of a talent expert in the sports & entertainment industry. And I’m so hyped she’s going to be providing Arena members with some of the most valuable insights of how to navigate and grow in this competitive industry over the next 6 months as we partner together. Can’t wait to kick things off!! :)
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Adriene Bueno shared this👀 “But who’s ACTUALLY inside Arena's community, Adriene?” Here’s everything you need to know about who in sports, media & entertainment is joining before our application window closes in 7 days!! ⤵️ “Where do they work?” - 100% work in sports, media, or entertainment - 300+ brands, leagues, teams, studios, platforms, venues, record labels and beyond “What do they do?” - 100% are manager to C-Suite - 20% are VPs to C-Suite - 35% Directors, Leads, and Heads - 70% have direct influence over revenue, partnerships, or growth - Depts across marketing, partnerships, content, strategy, events, tech, data, etc. - And even pro athletes who are actively building, creating & investing in the industry Actual job titles include (but not limited to): - VP, Content - Executive Producer - Chief Marketing Officer - SVP of BD Partnerships - VP, Digital Strategy & Innovation - Director of Marketing and Fan Experience - Director, Programming and Product Development - Sr. Manager of Strategic Partnerships - Player Relations Brand Manager - US + LATAM Media Lead - SVP of Strategic Growth - Chief of Staff “Where are members located?” - 90% of professionals are based in major markets like NYC, LA, CHI, ATL, SF, MIA, and more. We also have members who work from home in different remote locations. “Why are people applying to Arena in the first place?” Here’s what they have to say: 💬 "We all have different perspectives on networking, but there’s something really energizing about being in spaces where you feel connected, inspired, supported, and equally able to uplift the people around you. I think Arena has the ability to curate that kind of environment, and I’m excited to contribute my own perspective, ambition, and creativity to the mix." 💬 "I’ve spent 10+ years in sports partnerships and business development. I want to join Arena because I’m at a point in my career where I’m looking for more intentional connection with people who are thinking deeply about where sports, media, entertainment, technology, and commercial growth are headed.” Also a kinda crazy stat now I’m typing it out 🤯… 100% of our community is open to meeting 1:1 with others in our network AND supporting others to achieve their goals. AKA not just passive members, not just joining a group chat, and not here to pitch and take. Every single member is here to have actual convos and support others. I’ve talked with with 100s of industry pros, and we’re at such a unique inflection point when it comes to networking today. Everyone is ready for more REAL and meaningful conversations which is why I’m so excited about all the AMAZING leaders joining ArenaArena right now. 📣 Applications for Arena’s Summer Cohort close in ONE WEEK, Friday August 14. If you’re ready to connect with others and unlock new partnerships, speaking engagements, collaborations, and career opportunities, we’d love for you to apply. Link in comments. And if you know someone who belongs in Arena, tag them below 👇
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Adriene Bueno shared thisTraditional networking in sport, media & entertainment is broken and it's getting harder and harder to connect with the right person at the right time... Online: - Tailored DMs and (sometimes even warm intros) getting left on 'read' - Back and forth coordinating schedules that goes nowhere - Constantly asking "Do you know XYZ person *personally*?" - AI bots + spray-and-pray templates everywhere every second - Requesting warm intros from your most plugged peers until that well dries up In-person: - Spending $1000+ on a conference (not even including flights/hotels) - Trying to decide which of the 100 events going on at a tentpole is the right room to be in - Attending another basic happy hour where there's a 50/50 chance it was worth your time - Energy overwhelm on having to constantly work the room to make move What else am I missing or which has haunted you the most?? Let me know in the comments below. And thankfully though, it doesn't have to stay this way. My co-founders and I built Arena to help industry leaders across sports, media & entertainment connect with each other through our community where everyone in our network is ~actively~ open to building new relationships and collaborating around mutual career + business goals. :)
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Adriene Bueno shared thisIf you're a leader in sports, media, or entertainment and you've been looking for a better way to build relationships in the industry, new Arena membership applications are officially open. 🏟️ Arena is the only private, vetted network for leaders across sports, media & entertainment that gives you warm introductions every single week matched to your career and business goals. Here's what you get as an Arena member: 🤝 Weekly curated introductions to peers and leaders aligned with where you're trying to go. fyi - these aren't random. We match you based on your goals, your industry vertical, and what you're working on right now. 🎟️ Invites to exclusive Arena events throughout the year including major industry tentpoles (ie. Super Bowl, SXSW). Everyone in these rooms are intentionally brought together, so every convo you have goes deeper because the trust is already built in (aka a safe space to actually connect). We most recently hosted at an event at WNBA All-Star and had the best time connecting execs together. 🔒 Access to a vetted, private community of professionals working at the manager to C-suite level across brands, leagues, teams, studios, platforms, and beyond. I spent 14 years working across orgs including the NBA, EA, LinkedIn, IMAX, and Adidas, and the most important thing I learned through the years is that the right intro and the right time changes everything. But most people in this industry are still relying on cold DMs, business card swaps, and hoping the right person happens to be at the same massive conference as you. And that's exactly why my co-founders, Parul Khosla, Olivia Schwartz and I built Arena. We wanted to take the guesswork out of relationship building and replace it with something intentional. 🚨 The deadline to apply for Arena's Summer Cohort is next Friday, Aug 14. Heads up: once the window closes, we won't reopen until much later in the year. I'll be sharing more about Arena, our members, and what makes this different over the next few days, but if this already resonates the link to apply is arenatalent.com . Tag/send this to someone who should apply :)
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Adriene Bueno reposted thisAdriene Bueno reposted thisWNBA All-Star Weekend has become more than the league’s tentpole event — it has become the biggest event in women’s sports for convening the industry 🏀 Arena saw nearly 400 registrations for its Chicago event, more than doubling the registrations it received around the Super Bowl. Brands, properties, agencies, media and executives gathered to start conversations, form partnerships and explore the impact of investing in women’s sports. The rapid growth of All-Star Weekend continues to create opportunities for collaboration and partnership, making it a calendar event for the sports business industry. MORE: https://ow.ly/Rspv50Zv5IC
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Adriene Bueno shared thisWhat 72 hours BTS of a WNBA All-Star work trip looks like when you’re the event hosts 🏀 Even though we spent months planning for this Arena event, we still had a ton of things we needed to do once we touched down in Chicago including: 🚙 Booking a BMW Group rental car to take trips to FedEx, Target, UPS, Warwick Hotels and Resorts and Centre Court Productions 📸 Creating content + prepping programming and gifting with our partners: Make One Day Happen, Hey Harper, TOST Beverages, The Give and Grow, Octobuddy, 4AM, Sleep or Die™, NightCap, WaterBoy, Kind Patches, and Garrett Popcorn Shops® 🎤 Actually hosting 100+ guests made up of professional athletes, creatives, and executives from leading leagues, teams, brands, studios, tech platforms, venues, record labels, and beyond. tl'dr: it's pure organized chaos, but trust the job gets done regardless. 🙂↕️
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Adriene Bueno shared thisWe hosted our first Chicago and WNBA All-Star weekend event ever, and leaders across sports, media & entertainment really showed out. 🤩 We loved meeting so many Arena members and professionals who are building and shaping the future of culture across the industry. 🔔 Follow to stay in the loop on more upcoming industry events Arena will be hosting. Thank you to our event team and partners: - Jade Wyatt Mallard holding it down as Arena's emcee/host. Ashley D. Koranteng, MPH, CHES® + Gurveen R. + Gurveen R. managing operations. Erin Dahn as our photographer. Julia Garek Holmes overseeing social/video. - Molly Moore + Delainey Kouba from Centre Court Productions - the coolest venue in Chicago's West Loop! shenna jean at Make One Day Happen who led an amazing intention-setting session to get everyone in the right mindset for building relationships with peers. - TOST Beverages, Garrett Popcorn Shops®, The Give and Grow, Hey Harper, Octobuddy, 4AM, Sleep or Die™, WaterBoy, Kind Patches, and NightCap. Concept inspo: jt barnett
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Adriene Bueno reacted on thisAdriene Bueno reacted on thisI’m set to make $6M this year. Here’s how I’m thinking about allocating it. Start with the $6M gross. After federal and state taxes, agent fees, and jock taxes from playing in different cities, I’m estimating roughly $𝟯.𝟯𝗠 will actually be mine to allocate. Almost half gone before I touch it. From there: 𝟭𝟱–𝟮𝟬% → 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Roughly 500K–660K into early-stage companies. It’s an aggressive allocation, but I’m 25 with a long time horizon, a network that gives me access to interesting opportunities, and a genuine interest in making venture part of my career long after basketball. <$𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗞 → 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 Housing, food, travel, everything. People are usually surprised by that number, but a lot is covered when you’re an NBA player. Meals at the facility, travel for games, gear, brand deals, etc. I’m 25 and single. I have plenty of fun. There just isn’t that much I feel the need to spend money on. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 → 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 Index funds, savings, and some philanthropy. That's over $𝟮.𝟱𝗠 a year parked into the most boring investments you can find. And that's the whole point. The most exciting line on this entire breakdown is the most boring one. When I was on a two-way contract making a fraction of this, I told myself that if the bigger contract ever came, I didn’t want my lifestyle to automatically grow with it. Now it’s here. So the goal isn’t to figure out what I can afford. At $6M a year, that list gets pretty long. It’s figuring out how much freedom I can create while I have the opportunity.
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Adriene Bueno liked thisAdriene Bueno liked thishad a call this month with a founder i've looked up to for years... to discuss a a partnership the dude straight up tried to sh*t on what we've built at Creator Match 🧩 and me as a founder i started by sharing our growth, the millions we've paid out to the b2b creator community, the iconic campaigns we've run for mega tech brands, growing to a team of 40+, etc and after every line, they responded with shooting down the achievements > this will fail > b2b is dead > this will never work > ai will replace agencies > this client will go out of biz > you have too much head count > your financials are not interesting enough i went in thinking the world of this founder and what they've built but left with the worst taste in my mouth but you realize you don't need external validation that's what your team is for this is not just tied to founders with egos its' the client who treats your team like crap it's the manager who made you feel dumb for asking a question it's the exec who talked over you in a meeting you prepped a week for idc if you're doing 9 figures, 8 figures, or zero idc what your title says somebody looks up to you right now only thing you get to decide is whether they'd want to become you be that person and set good examples i can tell you right now i will never be THAT person but the RIGHT person no matter how high i climb tagging a few examples of GOOD leaders out there (yes they exist): Alex Lieberman, Tyler Denk 🐝, Tara Knight 🧩, Zain Shaikh, Christina Schwab, Christopher J Miller
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Adriene Bueno liked thisAdriene Bueno liked thisI photographed Jackie Chan .. Still crazy to say that. 😂 Here’s how we made the shoot happen approach, direction, and everything in between.
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Adriene Bueno reacted on thisAdriene Bueno reacted on thisEXECUTIVE MOVES - Today the Golden State Warriors announced four executive promotions at the organization: - Amanda Chin to Chief Marketing Officer - Erin Dangerfield to Chief People Officer - Raymond Ridder to Chief Communications Officer - Nicole Rios Barbour to SVP, Global Partnership Development Follow Arena for more news and insights on industry leaders making moves across sports, media & entertainment. Source: Golden State Warriors LinkedIn.
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Adriene Bueno liked thisAdriene Bueno liked thisBlake Griffin is stepping into late night. 🎙️ The six-time NBA All-Star is set to host "The Stepback with Blake Griffin," a new weekly show premiering Oct. 20 - the same night the NBA season tips off. Griffin will sit behind the desk breaking down the biggest topics in sports (gambling, NIL, stadium deals, and more) for a live studio audience, produced with Amazon Studios, Wondery and YouTube. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Follow Arena so you never miss what leaders are making moves in sports, media & entertainment. #LeadersMakingMoves
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Adriene Bueno liked thisAdriene Bueno liked thisBeen behind on sharing some exciting updates - we've been growing throughout the country in Costco Wholesale, with our most recent rotation back in the Midwest with a new variety pack that everyones been loving! 🛒 🍓 As a weekly Costco shopper, it never gets old to see (& can't miss the bright pink from a mile away lol) the product we created from the ground up, directly with farmers, on display in such a high demand space. I'm really proud to be making it more convenient for families to opt for healthier, more nutrient-dense snacking choices 🫶 Each new rotation we launch continues to surpass sales expectations, and we've got a few more new or 2nd-time rotations coming up! September: Bay Area and San Diego (includes AZ, NM, CO, & NV) October: Returning to Southeast November: Returning to Northeast January: Returning to LA + Hawaii So excited to continue growing with Costco, they have been amazing to work with and so supportive. If you see realsy at your store, tag us on Insta @eatrealsy or send us a pic! 😄 📸 Austin Patry
Experience & Education
Volunteer Experience
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Founding Board Member
Sports & Entertainment Equity Network (SEEN)
- Present 9 years 9 months
Sports & Entertainment Equity Network (SEEN) is dedicated to hosting memorable events & creating opportunities for Black & Brown professionals in the industry.
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• Develop nonprofit's mission statement, key pillars, and strategic evolution of the brand
• Cultivate partnership with Overtime to increase DEI initiatives and hiring efforts
Projects
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NBA G League Rebrand in Partnership with Gatorade
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See project• Led the overall rebrand project management process for the NBA G League in partnership with Gatorade and global stakeholders across all 30 NBA teams, 27 G League teams, and 18 partners through 6 presentation roll-outs at 300% efficiency (compared to previous rebrand)
• Secured $1.8M+ budget for the rebrand by providing cross-departmental budget insights when negotiating with the Finance Committee
Honors & Awards
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Favikon
Favikon
Top 10 Sports Business Creator on LinkedIn in the World
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Hispanic Executive - Latinos in Sports Rising Stars
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The inaugural Latinos in Sports series celebrates the Latino community’s contributions to the business of sports by spotlighting its most accomplished leaders, from the top movers and shakers to the rising stars in the industry.
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Creators of Color Honoree
Hashtag Sports
Each year, Creators of Color spotlights and empowers sports entertainment creatives 21-33 years old who identify as Black, Latinx, Asian, and People of Color.
Creators of Color is a career enablement platform and creative community for the trailblazers of the sports entertainment creator economy.
The honorees are independently selected by The Engagement Academy of Sports Entertainment based on merit and qualification across creative specialties. -
Sports Business Journal New Voices Under 30
Sports Business Journal
Representing the future leaders in sports business and rising influencers across the industry, the members of the class of 2022 reflect the diverse and dynamic talent in sectors across analytics, law, representation, finance, digital content, executive search, venue development and more.
Assisted by an outside panel of 26 judges, SBJ selected individuals for their ability to stretch beyond the traditional roles within their organizations, break boundaries and take on additional…Representing the future leaders in sports business and rising influencers across the industry, the members of the class of 2022 reflect the diverse and dynamic talent in sectors across analytics, law, representation, finance, digital content, executive search, venue development and more.
Assisted by an outside panel of 26 judges, SBJ selected individuals for their ability to stretch beyond the traditional roles within their organizations, break boundaries and take on additional responsibility, all before the age of 30. Their entrepreneurial spirit, willingness to take risks and conviction to lift their voices in support of social causes is noteworthy.
More than 200 nominees were considered for New Voices Under 30, and judges met in a virtual format earlier this month to select the honorees. For more information on the New Voices Under 30 program, visit www.sbjnewvoicesunder30.com. -
NBA Employee Spotlight Award
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Organizations
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Latinx in Sports
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- Presentlinkedin.com/company/latinx-in-sports
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Sports & Entertainment Equity Network (SEEN)
Founding Member
- Presenthttps://www.seencommunity.org/
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Women in Sports & Entertainment (WISE)
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- Present -
Sports & Entertainment Business Network (SEBN)
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UCLA Athletics - The Den
Athlete & Media Relations Manager
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Shawne Merriman
More teams are starting to buy or control their own regional sports networks. On paper it’s a smart move because it gives the team control over distribution, advertising, sponsorships, and streaming revenue. But the model only works if you can sell against the inventory. Owning the network means owning all the ad slots, integrations, and sponsorship opportunities. If you have the sales engine to monetize it, the upside is huge. If not, you’ve just taken on the cost of running a network. In today’s sports media world, distribution matters — but sales is what makes the model work. https://lnkd.in/e8rAgxei
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Jon Stainer
Sports Fans! You might have seen it in The New York Times and Reuters – Nielsen's really shaking things up with their new TV measurement for sports. And honestly, it's a pretty big deal for figuring out who's actually watching. Take a moment to learn WHY it matters: 1️⃣ "Big Data + Panel" National TV Measurement - We have gone way beyond the old way of doing things. Now, Nielsen is pulling in "Big Data" from millions of households (think cable, satellite, smart TVs) and even direct streaming data for live events. That's 45 million households and 75 million digital devices. The goal is to get a super accurate, comprehensive view of who's watching. 2️⃣ Expanded "Out-of-Home" (OOH) Measurement - This is huge for sports! OOH now covers 100% of the U.S. TV population, up from 66% last year. We're talking bars, restaurants, hotels, airports – all those places where sports viewership thrives but was always a bit of a blind spot. Well, no more! So, WHY is this so important for the sports industry? ✅More Accurate Viewership - Industry folks predicted a 3-8% viewership bump for sports. Early reports are showing a 4% rise in NFL viewership just from the "Big Data + Panel" alone, and a low double-digit lift when OOH is included. ✅Monetization Impact - These numbers directly impact how much ad revenue sports broadcasts bring in as well as a better understanding of the value of league, team and broadcast sponsorships. More accurate data means a clearer picture of the audience's value. ✅Football Impact Better Understood - OOH measurement, especially, has really shown a positive impact on college football viewership, filling in those historical gaps. Even for a powerhouse like the NFL, these updates are giving us a more refined understanding of its audience. Bottomline is this, at Nielsen we believe Big Data + Panel is delivering the most accurate measurement to date for sports and TV overall. These advancements are really crucial for getting a complete picture of how people are engaging with content in today's fragmented viewing world. Message me to learn more! Referenced articles below... New York Times: https://bit.ly/4n6tJEY Reuters: https://bit.ly/47txZK4
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