Sports in the Gaming Era

On the eve of the FIFA World Cup final, this program brings together Delphi Interactive CEO Casper Daugaard, technology and gaming investor Moritz Baier-Lentz, and former Disney Chairman and CEO Michael D. Eisner—three partners in the new FIFA-branded video game to be released and available for streaming on Netflix in June—for a conversation on how interactive platforms are reshaping the future of sports. As gaming becomes an increasingly powerful driver of engagement, storytelling, and audience connection, this discussion will explore how new technologies are transforming the ways sports are experienced, extending the reach of global franchises and redefining the relationship between media, competition, and fans. They will also discuss how evolving business models and emerging innovations, including generative AI, can help video game publishers thrive in the increasingly competitive global pursuit of consumer attention. 

For five decades, Michael Eisner has been a leader in the American entertainment industry. He began his career at ABC, where he helped take the network from number three to number one in primetime, daytime and children’s television with such landmark shows as Happy Days, Barney Miller, Laverne and Shirley, Schoolhouse Rock, Rich Man, Poor Man, and Roots.  In 1976, he became president of Paramount Pictures, turning out hit films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Terms of Endearment, Ordinary People, Airplane, and Beverly Hills Cop. This string of critically acclaimed and blockbuster films led the studio to become number one in box office and profitability in both theatrical movies and network television production.  In 1984, Eisner assumed the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company and, in the ensuing 21 years, transformed it from a film and theme park company with $1.8 billion in enterprise value into a global media empire now valued at over $180 billion. In 2005, Eisner founded The Tornante Company, a privately held media & entertainment holding company. Tornante purchased and subsequently sold Topps, Inc. Today, Tornante owns Portsmouth Football Club in England, with men’s and women’s clubs, and has a large and growing television division including ownership of animated series BoJack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie, and Undone.  He and his wife, Jane, founded The Eisner Foundation in 1996, which, in 2015, became the only U.S. funder investing exclusively in intergenerational solutions. He was born on March 7, 1942 in Mt. Kisco, New York and later attended Lawrenceville School and Denison University. He and Jane have three sons, Breck, Eric, and Anders, three daughters-in-law and nine grandchildren. 

Moritz Baier-Lentz is a private technology & gaming investor, and a senior advisor to OpenAI, McKinsey & Company, and TPG Capital. He is a former senior partner & investment committee member at Lightspeed, a globally leading VC firm with $43 billion in assets, over 200 exits, and 13 offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Prior, Moritz was a vice president at Goldman Sachs, where he founded and led the firm’s global gaming practice. During his tenure, he advised clients on over $300 billion in M&A, IPOs, and other transactions. A lifelong gamer, Moritz spent his teenage years competing in Blizzard’s Diablo II, culminating in a #1 ranking among over 12 million players. Moritz holds an M.B.A. & M.A. from Stanford, where he graduated as Arjay Miller Scholar. He was recognized among the “30 Under 30” (Forbes), “40 Under 40” (Capital), "Young Leaders Circle" (Milken Institute), and “Young Global Leaders” (World Economic Forum).