As the world turns its eyes toward the FIFA World Cup final, the Prudential Center in Newark is set to host the most influential gathering of soccer’s business power brokers this year. On Wednesday, July 15, the Global Game Summit will convene a “who’s who” of sports, technology and media executives to discuss the forces shaping the future of the sport in the United States.
Unlike fan-focused festivals, the Global Game Summit is curated exclusively for the executive suite. It is designed to be the definitive “room where it happens,” bringing together the leadership of clubs, leagues, media platforms, and capital pools to engage in candid, high-level discussions about the commercial evolution of global football.
The 2026 speaker lineup represents an unprecedented convergence of industries. Confirmed leaders span organizations including FIFA, Major League Soccer (MLS), LALIGA, IBM, Lenovo, Fanatics Advertising, and GEICO.
The summit’s agenda is structured to address the sport’s multifaceted growth, covering critical topics such as:
- The Investment Landscape: How venture capital and new ownership models are redefining club operations.
- The Attention Economy: How media platforms and content creators are competing for the modern soccer fan’s time.
- The Women’s Sports Boom: A featured conversation on why women’s soccer has become one of the fastest-growing business sectors in sports, featuring USWNT legend Ashlyn Harris.
- Tech & Fan Experience: Strategic sessions on how firms like Hawk-Eye Innovations and IBM are integrating advanced tech into the stadium experience.
“This is not another soccer fan event or fan festival—it’s the executive room,” Greg Kahn, CEO of GK Digital Ventures and Founder of The Global Game, said. “Ownership, media, brands, technology and capital—the people helping shape what comes next for this sport—will all be in the room.”
Following a series of panels on ownership, tech, and brand strategy, the day will conclude with executive networking and a live viewing of the World Cup semifinal, providing a high-stakes environment for the industry’s decision-makers to build connections.
The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, featuring key insights from industry veterans:
- Mikaël Silvestre: 5x Premier League Champion.
- Rand Getlin: Executive Producer of HBO’s U.S. Against the World.
- Leadership from Clubs: Executives from LAFC, D.C. United, Seattle Sounders FC, and Seattle Reign FC will discuss building brands in an increasingly competitive landscape.
The Summit serves as the centerpiece of a year-round platform produced by GK Digital Ventures, aimed at navigating the future of the world’s most popular sport as the U.S. remains a focal point of the global game.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com. For those interested in partnership or sponsorship opportunities, or to learn more about the agenda, visit the official event website at https://www.globalgamesummit.com.
