The following interview is part of our ongoing Expert Series that asks C-level professionals, team presidents, league executives, athletic directors and other sports influencers about their latest thoughts and insights on new technologies impacting the sports industry.
Name: Rick Anderson
Company: PGA TOUR
Position: Chief Media Officer
A double graduate from the University of Florida (B.A., J.D.), Rick Anderson is currently the Chief Media Officer at the PGA TOUR where he leads the global television, digital broadcast and PGA TOUR Entertainment business areas. Anderson has been with the PGA TOUR since 1995, when he joined as intellectual property counsel, after spending five years in private law practice. He served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel from 2001-2006, and as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer from 2006-2009.
In 2010 Mr. Anderson transitioned from his legal role to managing all domestic and international television affairs, and in 2013 added responsibility for the PGA TOUR’s digital business and PGA TOUR Entertainment. Since 2013, he has led the effort to streamline and integrate the PGA TOUR’s media businesses into a unified PGA TOUR Media team.
1) What utilization of technology in sports has recently blown you away and why?
The sudden emergence of eSports has made a huge impact. The audience levels that aggregate for that shared experience are stunning. We are especially impressed and closely watching Turner’s bold move to bring the eSports experience to television. It’s a whole new genre for our industry.
2) If you had to invest in one technology that would change the social/digital world or traditional media, what would it be and why?
Augmented/mixed reality technology. As that technology develops to the point where it can be easily integrated into eyewear, it has the potential to revolutionize the way fans experience sports, both as participants and as viewers/spectators.
3) If money were no object, what technology would you build or buy to help you do your job better?
Voice activated search from anywhere in our offices. Have a question? Just say it out loud and get the answer!
4) As a sports fan, what sports-related service, app, product, etc., could you not live without and why?
Well, PGA TOUR apps of course! But outside of our stuff, ESPN is still an amazing aggregator of sports content.
5) If you had to project 20 years into the future, how will most fans watch their favorite sports teams and/or golf?
The true gift of technology is how simple it makes our lives in an unobtrusive way. The beauty of the future will be being able to watch anything you want, at any time, on any device, alone or with your community…and having no idea how it all works!
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6) Give us your bold prediction about a form of technology that will be integral to the PGA TOUR over the next 12 months and why?
We are working hard right now to harness the power of technology to create a seamless and integrated “fan journey” that provides fans a spectacular and consistent experience from the time they buy a ticket to our event, to the time they leave after the final putt falls. In particular, the ability of technology to give a fan relevant, real-time information about what is going on in front of them as they make their way around a golf course during one of our competitions. This would dramatically enhance the on-site fan experience at a PGA TOUR event, where not all of the action is in front of you at one time on one field of play.