The NBA legend joined Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl and DraftKings CEO Jason Robins for a discussion on the future of sports business, with fan engagement and the impact of technology among the central themes.

Jordan said his involvement with companies such as Sportradar and DraftKings is driven in part by the importance of authenticity. He explained that while he understands he can be used as a marketing vehicle, partnerships need to represent him and connect meaningfully with consumers.

The six-time NBA champion also reflected on how dramatically the sports fan experience has changed since his playing days. According to Jordan, fans today have a much greater understanding of games and are increasingly looking for ways to participate in the outcome.


Sports betting, he suggested, has become one of the most significant ways fans engage with sporting events.

“The fans today have a better understanding, and they’re willing to get involved in the outcome,” Jordan said during the session.

He went on to describe the transformation in particularly striking terms, saying: “Now the fans are the athletes, in terms of how they compete within the game.”

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Jordan’s comments underline the broader shift taking place across the sports industry, where data, technology and betting are creating new forms of interaction between fans and the events they follow.

The discussion also touched on the growing influence of individual athletes and the challenges created by the intensity of modern fan engagement.

Koerl argued that players are becoming increasingly important to the sports ecosystem, while Robins addressed the additional pressure athletes can face when fans have money riding on the outcome of games.

For Jordan, however, the central change is clear: the modern sports fan is no longer simply watching the action — they increasingly want to participate in it.

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