Inside the Evolution of Sports Storytelling: What I Saw at NAB 2025

Written by Brian Jones
College Football Analyst, CBS Sports
College Sports, Next League

We’re entering a new era where athletes don’t just play the game, they tell the story. And the industry is only beginning to catch up.

I just returned from my first trip to the annual NAB Show (and its Sports Summit more specifically) in Las Vegas — one of the largest gatherings of industry executives working behind the scenes in sports, media, and entertainment. While a lot of the technology was over my head from an engineering standpoint, I saw something that matters to everyone in sports: the entire system of content creation, delivery, and fan interaction is changing — fast.

This shift isn’t just about camera angles or better graphics packages. It’s about how stories get made, who tells them, and how fans interact with what they’re watching. That matters more than ever — not just for the networks, but for schools, teams, brands, and athletes themselves.

What stood out most to me was the growing focus on enabling creativity at a very basic level. Professional-grade tools — like the kind Adobe is building and highlighting in their Creator Labs — are starting to show up directly inside athletic departments. At the same time, schools are investing in on-campus production studios that give athletes and creative teams the power to produce high-quality content in real time. That’s not just about slick highlight reels. It’s about recruiting, fan engagement, brand-building, and in a lot of cases, helping athletes create real commercial value in the NIL era.

But access alone isn’t enough. At Next League we understand  how important it is to build systems supported by process — not just drop in tools. If you don’t have a plan for content workflows, data capture, monetization, or sponsor integration, you’re just adding more complexity. The organizations that win in this space will be the ones that connect the dots across departments — and turn creative opportunity into long-term value.

One area I see gaining traction is how schools and teams are extending the live game experience digitally. Think second-screen experiences built for universities — school-branded watch parties, live chats, and digital spaces that bring fans together while the action unfolds. These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re fast becoming strategic tools for engagement, data capture, and sponsor activation.

These aren’t massive tech lifts. In many cases, they’re simple products that help drive engagement, grow databases and activate sponsor value. And when done right, they open the door to new revenue and deeper fan connection — without requiring a full production overhaul.

What I saw at NAB — and what we’re building toward every day at Next League — is a clear shift: from traditional, top-down production to a model where athletes, schools, and creative teams are driving the storytelling. 

This hits home for me in three distinct ways:

• As a former NFL player, I know what it’s like to be on the other side of the camera — to have stories told about you, not with you.
• As a broadcaster who calls college football games every weekend, I see and hear what resonates with fans in real time.
• Through my role at Next League, I’m working directly with organizations that are trying to bring these ideas to life — not just in theory, but in execution.

The future of sports media and the evolution of sports storytelling won’t be built on any one platform or product. It’ll be shaped by a strategy that leverages technology, but is not held hostage by it. Sports organizations with a clear strategy, measurable KPIs and technology investments that are focused on outcomes will lead the way in 2025 and beyond. The right use of technology allows you to move faster, tell better stories, and engage more people in meaningful ways. 

This shift is already happening. I can tell you this: organizations that are experimenting today are the ones who will be leading the industry tomorrow.