#309: Joseph Graziano III, Li-Shen Lee, and Eric Heard, Fieldhouse Media Network

Joseph Graziano III, Li-Shen Lee, and Eric Heard are leaders at the intersection of sports, technology, and data, working together to redefine how teams, brands, and fans connect in a modern, global ecosystem. Joseph serves as Chief Commercial Officer at Pacers Sports & Entertainment, bringing experience from the NBA and WNBA in building global partnerships. Li-Shen is a Partner at Deloitte and leads Converge for Sports, focusing on data-driven solutions across industries. Eric is the Global Head of Sports and Emerging Products at Yieldmo, specializing in AI-powered advertising and fan engagement at scale.

At the center of this conversation is the launch of the Fieldhouse Media Network, a new platform designed to unlock Pacers Sports & Entertainment’s 75 million global fans. Announced in collaboration with Deloitte and Yieldmo, the platform combines Converge™ by Deloitte’s predictive fan intelligence, PS&E’s first-party data, and Yieldmo’s Ymax.ai ad engine to deliver targeted brand content across sports blogs, streaming platforms, and news sites, meeting fans where they already are. Taking this conversation beyond the podcast, the initiative represents a major shift in how teams think about media, allowing PS&E to monetize fans outside Indiana, sell multiple brands per category, and prove measurable ROI at scale, effectively bridging the gap between national reach and team-level intimacy for the first time.

Together, they break down how this model transforms traditional sponsorships into data-driven, performance-based media opportunities. The discussion explores how teams can better understand and monetize the full fan ecosystem, not just those attending games, but the vast majority engaging digitally. From AI-powered personalization and global fan expansion to the rise of women’s and youth sports, this episode highlights how technology is reshaping the commercial future of sports and turning teams into true media platforms.
Podcast Chapters:
08:47 Innovative Partnerships and Market Expansion
12:41 Rethinking Sponsorship and Monetization Models
17:46 The Power of Fandom and Data-Driven Engagement
26:44 Future Trends in Sports and Youth Engagement
32:11 Connected TV and the Next Era of Fan Engagement