E30: The Business of Basketball: Rich Gotham, President of the Boston Celtics

CJ welcomes the president of the Boston Celtics, Rich Gotham. Rich discusses his journey in the NBA and provides insight into the business side of one of the world's most recognizable sports brands. He highlights the emphasis placed on embracing digital technology, retaining fans, creating effective partnerships, and the importance of community involvement for the team. Rich also talks about the increasing role of data in managing team operations and addresses the famous Paul Pierce incident from the 2008 NBA Finals. Supercharge financial operations with Maxio. Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year. --- PSA: Run The Numbers has a new Spotify and Apple show link. Follow the links to subscribe and ensure you'll never miss an episode Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/run-the-numbers/id1723787140 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zQCkklNnVgMD364kCW5SV --- SPONSORS: Maxio | Tropic | Thoropass Maxio is the only billing and financial operations platform that was purpose built for B2B SaaS. They're helping SaaS finance teams automate billing and revenue recognition, manage collections and payments, and put together investor grade reporting packages. 🚀 Request a demo at www.maxio.com/runthenumbers for 10% off your first year. Tropic is the next-generation Procurement Platform that’s helping modern CFOs take control of their budgets and bottom line. By combining approval workflows, supplier management, and pricing benchmarks all in one place, Tropic makes savings opportunities easy to find and act on. 🌴 Visit www.tropicapp.io/metrics to learn how. Thoropass provides complete compliance management, continuous monitoring, and security audits through intuitive software and expert guidance – allowing you to do business with confidence. Learn more: www.thoropass.com 🔒 --- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:44) The Evolution of the Boston Celtics' Business Model (00:49) The Impact of Digital Technology on the Celtics' Business (02:33) The Challenges of a Finite Business Model (08:41) The Impact of Team Performance on Revenue (10:54) The Role of Sponsorship in the Celtics' Business (13:47) Sponsor: Maxio | Tropic (16:09) Playoffs and Revenue Generation (23:28) The Role of Data in the Celtics' Business (26:30) Enhancing the Fan Experience (28:01) The Importance of Retention Rate (28:11) Renewal Planning and Timing (29:24) Sponsor: Thoropass (30:40) Estimating the Lifetime Value of a Fan (30:55) The Importance of Community Engagement (32:13) The Impact of High Renewal and Retention Rate (32:31) Revenue Generation from Different SKUs (33:08) The Importance of Branding and Merchandising (34:05) Learning from Other Sports Organizations (36:26) The Unique Culture of Sports Industry (36:54) The Competition for Fans' Time (38:21) Long Ass Lightning Round: Career Advice and Insights This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].