The Speakeasy

00:00 – Introduction 03:00 – Nic's journey from indie filmmaking to Fortnite builds 06:00 – Why meeting players inside the experience itself matters most. 08:30 – The real benefit that today's biggest platforms offer to brands. 10:00 – Why certain brands should opt for owned, always-on experiences vs integrations 13:00 – Inside Sawhorse’s biggest brand partnerships. 15:45 – What made the How to Train Your Dragon activation a success? 18:45 – What can gaming learn from music when it comes to fan relationships? 24:00 – The pitfalls of building for your brand, not your audience. 28:40 – What does the future of in-game advertising look like? 33:00 – Why the gamification of entertainment matters for brands trying to reach younger generations. 35:00 — Closing thoughts. 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

00:00 – How connecting with fans leads to monetisation. 03:00 – What does a winning IP strategy look like with legacy franchises? 10:30 – What does a typical day look like across partnerships, licensing, and venture investing? 13:50 – How the Zero to One Fund helps Bandai Namco to keep ahead of the industry. 16:40 – Should gaming companies invest in content or technology? 19:50 – Where does the best deal flow come from in gaming? 21:40 – How to decide whether to build, buy, invest, or partner? 25:00 – What gives a company a competitive edge in gaming in 2026? 27:30 – Where is the next generation of gamers playing? 30:45 – The strategy to generating long-term success in a hit-driven entertainment and games business. 35:00 – How is the industry adapting to UGC and shifting platform models? 39:00 – Why fandom and community engagement more important than ever. 42:30 – How do legacy IPs like Pac-Man and Gundam stay relevant for decades? 44:30 – Closing thoughts. 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

0:00: Introduction 01:00 Why being okay with failure is the key to innovation. 4:00: What does it actually take to build a franchise? 6:00: How do you grow an iconic franchise without losing its core fans? 8:50: The secret to keeping your IP cohesive across films, series, games, and merchandise. 12:00: The steps to avoiding franchise fatigue. 14:00: The challenges translating IP into immersive experiences 19:30: How do you measure success on emerging platforms? 27:00: Why knowing what platform to choose is as important as the story itself. 35:15: What does it take to build and sustain a franchise for generations? 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

00:00 – Introduction 04:00 – How mobile gaming and traditional gaming really differ. 06:00 – What it takes to make a 'mega hit game' and the commercial opportunities with mobile-first companies. 11:10 – Fitting AI into gaming and its impact on content, production, and development. 14:45 – How AI addresses the biggest bottleneck: the ability to produce high-quality content. 17:30 – What an "AI-native game" looks like, providing a failed prototype example. 23:00 - Finding the balance between IP Protection & use of AI. 25:50 – How AI can accelerate designing of games? 30:40 – Where the divergence of "games as art" and "games as a business" comes in. 35:00 – What are the capabilities in AI beyond LLMs? 40:00 – Managing investment downturns and negative consumer sentiment around AI adoption in games. 43:30 – Final thoughts. 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

00:00 – Intro02:30 – From selling attention to building relationshipsSports has always monetised eyeballs. But what happens when attention alone isn’t enough?06:00 – Why loyalty in sport feels underdevelopedHow a category built on fandom often lacks a proper, year-round engagement layer.09:00 – What modern loyalty could look likeMoving beyond one-off promotions to something that runs 24/7, 365.12:00 – Making it simple for fansWhy any new technology or system has to feel easy for consumers to use - and where blockchain failed to start with15:00 – Why “cool” ideas using blockchain aren't enough anymoreHow teams are getting more strategic in their use of blockchain to drive revenue, efficiency and engagement.18:30 – How Starbucks & airlines do loyaltyWhat sport can learn from preloaded value, points and rewards models that already work in consumer & travel22:00 – The Cleveland Cavaliers case studyHow the Cavs approached loyalty — and what the physical and digital experience looks like for fans.26:00 – From passive watching to active participationHow predictions, rewards, and experiences are giving fans a reason to engage beyond game day.30:00 – Why sponsors care about this shiftThe move from impressions to measurable participation and attribution, and the commercial value of those metrics.34:00 – Owning the fan relationshipWhy long-term value comes from having a direct connection — and how to rebuild that relationship.37:30 – What's the commercial potential of loyalty programs?The timeline towards loyalty becoming a core revenue line for most sports properties40:00 – Final thoughts & wrap up---- 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

---00:00 – Welcome & the rise of the clipping economyWhy the way people discover and engage with games is fundamentally shifting - from exposure to advertising to shared moments between friends.03:00 – Attention is earned, not boughtHow modern audiences filter out traditional marketing - and what it means for user acquisition when youth audiences are now ad-blind by default.06:40 – Belonging as a growth strategyWhy players who discover a game, sport or film through a friend arrive with higher trust, better retention, and a stronger sense of community from day one.10:20 – From funnel to leapfrogHow socially shared content can short-circuit traditional acquisition steps and land users straight into a community.13:45 – The psychology of shared momentsThe rationale behind why small, authentic clips are outperforming polished promos - and how identity is formed through participation, not consumption.17:20 – Designing for trust-based discoveryWhat it takes to build products and campaigns that facilitate organic sharing without feeling engineered or extractive.21:00 – Community building in low-friction environmentsHow simplicity and familiarity create more shareable behaviours - and why intentional friction often kills valuable momentum for brands.24:15 – The Three R's to measure growth beyond views and clicksHow to think about retention, resonance, and relationship-building as core metrics in community-led growth.28:00 – Designing campaigns that create cultureThe content formats and activations that encourage players to contribute over consume - and how successful brands and game developers are rethinking growth loops.32:30 – Rethinking brand presence in gamingWhy younger audiences reject interruptive formats, and how brands can show up in ways that align with player behaviour and context.36:00 – Lessons for anyone building community-led platformsInsights into what scales trust, and why growing slowly (but meaningfully) often wins long-term.40:20 – Final reflections--- 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

00:00 – Intro & welcomeJoe and Tiago introduce the show, and welcome Brent Koning, Global Head of Gaming at dentsu.02:00 – Brent’s background & career journeyFrom early work with Microsoft and Xbox to EA, FIFA esports, and eventually leading gaming strategy at dentsu.08:30 – What dentsu’s gaming role actually looks likeHow gaming fits inside a global agency, what dentsu does differently, and why strategy comes before media.14:30 – Why gaming has been misunderstood by marketersGenerational shifts, education gaps, and why gaming is finally being taken seriously as a channel.21:00 – Gaming’s role in the modern marketing mixWhy gaming should sit alongside TV, social and sport — and why time spent matters more than formats.27:30 – How brands should think about entering gamingSegmentation, platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, and avoiding surface-level activations.34:30 – Brand integrations, culture & UGCExamples that work (and don’t), Fortnite, Minecraft, and why culture fit is everything.41:00 – IP, fandom & the future of gamesUGC platforms, transmedia storytelling, GTA VI, and where attention is heading next.47:30 – Final advice for brands & CMOsWhy “test and learn” isn’t enough anymore, and the importance of real commitment.50:00 – Wrap-up & closingFinal thoughts and sign-off. 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

Inside NASCAR: Innovation & Gaming in Sports with Mitch Rasmussen00:00 – Intro & Mitch’s role at NASCARMitch Rasmussen joins the show to discuss his role leading interactive strategy at NASCAR, and what “interactive” really means inside a modern sports organisation.03:10 – The pace of innovationHow integrating technology has changed decision-making inside NASCAR, and how Mitch and his team prioritise where to focus amid constant disruption.06:40 – Small wins vs big swingsBalancing incremental improvements with high-risk, high-reward bets, and why both are essential to long-term innovation.10:15 – Where NASCAR is investing attention right nowThe platforms, channels and technologies NASCAR is actively exploring, and where Mitch believes brands are still under-investing.14:20 – Youth audiences vs traditional audiencesWhy innovation can’t come at the cost of legacy fans, and how NASCAR experiments with new formats while bringing its audience along for the ride.18:10 – NASCAR’s UGC gaming strategyA deep dive into NASCAR’s history in UGC gaming, including NASCAR Speedhub, Driving Empire and Rocket Racing.21:30 – Driving Empire: breaking down the numbersWhy Driving Empire became such a standout success, the strategies behind it, and what made the experience resonate with younger audiences.25:40 – Integrating sponsors authenticallyHow NASCAR weaves brand partners into gaming and interactive experiences without breaking immersion, and what most brands get wrong with in-game advertising.30:05 – NASCAR's Broadcast work with FOX Sports, Meta & XtadiumThe evolving role of broadcast partners, experimentation beyond linear TV, and why XR represents a massive opportunity for live sports.35:10 – How to evaluate disruptive techMitch shares a practical framework for evaluating new platforms or technologies - how NASCAR decides what to test, what to scale and what to pass on.41:20 – Lessons for other brands and rights holdersWhat other organisations can learn from NASCAR’s approach to innovation, audience growth and digital experience design.44:30 – Closing thoughtsFinal reflections on the future of sports, fan engagement and where interactive experiences are headed next.  🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

0:00 - Intro and Michael's backgroundAn insight into Michael's career and his journey to Abstract.12:00 - Building a blockchain and the UX & UI problems in web3 Why the industry has struggled to onboard retail consumers and how to design a consumer-facing platform.14:00 - Abstract's early tractionWhere Abstract is finding success since launch, and the audiences and markets they are targeting.19:00 - Oracle Red Bull Racing collaboration and fan engagementMichael discusses how Red Bull Racing used Abstract to launch the 'In the Moment' digital collectible series 21:00 - Consumer brands and their approach to web3What are the three key things that brands care about, and how to get buy-in to innovate32:00 - Web3's killer use case: loyalty and rewardsHow ORBR and consumer brands are using digital collectibles to reward fandom, understand their fanbase and engage new audiences.39:00 - Simplifying the fan experience of using web3Streaming, social and the creator economy, and how consumers discover apps and experiences through the Abstract terminal.47:00 Advice for Global BrandsMichael shares his thoughts on how major brands should (re)enter the space, and the right approach for anyone experimenting with emerging tech.55:00 - Close 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

00:00 – Intro & Stefan’s backgroundCareer journey and the path to Coca-Cola.03:20 – Coke’s philosophy on partnershipsHow the brand decides which properties, music, and cultural moments to get behind.07:45 – Balancing heritage with staying relevantWhat it means to future-proof one of the world’s most iconic brands.12:10 – Activating partnerships authenticallyBlending life, digital and product experiences, and his view on gaming and emerging tech's role in future campaigns.18:35 – Case Study: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice x FantaBehind the scenes of the Warner Bros. Discovery collaboration.25:15 – Why Halloween mattersMaking Fanta central to a cultural moment and engaging Gen Z & youth audiences.31:40 – Chalk TalkWhat rights holders, event organisers and IP need to know to attract a partnership with Coca-Cola.38:50 – Closing thoughtsFinal reflections and key takeaways. 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

Soccer’s booming in the US - and with the World Cup on the horizon and momentum building toward the 2028 Olympics, Major League Soccer is right at the heart of it. On this episode of The Speakeasy, we’re joined by Chris Blivin, VP of Consumer Products at MLS, to talk about the league's approach to technology, innovation & gaming. Chris takes us through:- MLS’ world first with Apple & EA – live-streaming matches straight into EAFC mobile- How the MLS is taking its IP beyond soccer and into pop culture- Their partnerships across gaming, collectibles & web3- Their fan engagement strategy for the 2026 World Cup- What tech businesses really need to know to succeed in the sports industry- His career journey from Sportfive to PGA Tour to Major League Soccer- And plenty more along the way…So if you’ve ever wondered how sports, culture and gaming intersect, or how a league builds global fandom without copying legacy models, this is the episode for you! 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

Roblox & Growing the World's Largest Gaming Platform – Lisa WillettWith over 100 million daily players, Roblox isn’t just a game — it’s where millions of people hang out, create and shape culture every day. From building worlds with friends to joining virtual concerts and sports events, it’s become a playground for imagination and a powerful stage for brands looking to connect with the next generation.In this episode, Lisa Willett, Roblox’s Director of Global Partnerships, lifts the lid on how the platform works to integrate global brands — from NFL and Netflix to Lionsgate and Warner Bros. — and why UGC gaming is becoming one of the most important tools in the marketing playbook. Exploring how brands can show up authentically, the strategies driving fandom, and how Roblox is professionalising into a billion-dollar creator economy, as well as:Lisa’s journey to leading partnerships at RobloxHow brands get started on Roblox and the role of dev studiosThe many ways brands can show up: integrations, ads, owned experiences, IP licensing, immersive commerce etcWhy the Roblox creator economy is becoming more professional (and more profitable)How the platform is delivering on brand safety, measurement and return on investmentStep-by-step advice for brands wanting to win over youth audiences 🎬 Filmed at Sky Guild Gaming Centre in the Ginx TV Studio  🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.

The Speakeasy is a podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at your favourite sports, entertainment and gaming brands, giving you a glimpse into the day-to-day of the people running the show. Follow now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app! 🎧 Subscribe to The Speakeasy🌐 Visit our website: www.seg3.com📩 Join our newsletter for weekly deep dives into culture & technology: https://seg3.beehiiv.com/📱 Follow us on LinkedIn: @SEG3💬 Got a question or guest idea? Email us at: [email protected] © 2026 [SEG3 Ltd]. All Rights Reserved.