Michael Jordan, Carsten Koerl and Jason Robins to headline SBC Summit 2026

SBC Summit 2026 will open in Lisbon on Sept. 29 with a keynote featuring Michael Jordan, Sportradar founder Carsten Koerl and DraftKings CEO Jason Robins, hosted by Kirsty Gallacher. Organizers say the session will focus on leadership in sports business and the growing overlap between sports, technology, data and betting.

Why it matters: - SBC Summit is positioning its 2026 opening keynote as one of the biggest sports business panels ever staged in Europe. - The session brings together three high-profile leaders who have shaped sports, betting and technology at global scale. - The discussion is expected to spotlight how sports betting and iGaming are increasingly operating in parallel and in collaboration. - The event is expected to draw more than 40,000 industry professionals, giving the keynote broad reach across sports, gaming, payments, marketing, affiliation, technology and media.

What happened: - SBC Summit 2026 will open with a keynote titled “Leadership in Sports Business” on Tuesday, Sept. 29, the first day of the event in Lisbon. - The panel will feature basketball icon, investor and philanthropist Michael Jordan; Sportradar founder and CEO Carsten Koerl; and DraftKings co-founder, CEO and chairman Jason Robins. - Former Sky Sports News presenter Kirsty Gallacher will host the session. - SBC says the discussion will examine the evolution of sports, technology, media, data and fan engagement through the perspective of the three executives.

The details: - The keynote will cover leadership themes including building global businesses at scale, decision-making under pressure and navigating change in fast-moving sports and technology markets. - The event will also look at how sports betting and iGaming are increasingly working together across the broader sports ecosystem. - Rasmus Sojmark, SBC CEO and founder, called the session a defining moment for the event. - Sojmark said the panel reflects both the current scale of the industry and where it is headed. - SBC Summit 2026 will take place in Lisbon. - The summit is SBC’s flagship global event and brings together senior executives and decision-makers from the sports, betting and gaming industries for networking, exhibition and conference content. - More information is available on the SBC Summit website.

Between the lines: - The speaker lineup signals SBC’s effort to elevate the summit beyond a trade event and into a broader sports business conversation. - Jordan’s presence adds mainstream star power, while Koerl and Robins bring operating experience from data and betting businesses. - The emphasis on sports betting, iGaming, technology and media reflects how closely those markets now intersect.

What's next: - SBC said additional details on keynote timing and attendee access will be announced in the coming months. - The summit is expected to continue building toward its Lisbon gathering as a major industry meeting point.

The bottom line: - SBC Summit 2026 is using its opening keynote to frame the future of sports business around leadership, technology and convergence across betting and gaming.**