Basketball icon Michael Jordan, football journalist Fabrizio Romano, UFC star Charles Oliveira, Sportradar Founder and CEO Carsten Koerl and DraftKings Co-Founder and CEO Jason Robins are among the major figures from sport and gaming scheduled to appear on SBC Summit’s Super Stage in Lisbon this September.
The Super Stage, which will be held at the MEO Arena, will feature prominent names from international sport alongside gaming industry executives, founders and other senior leaders. The two-day programme will cover leadership, performance, innovation, business expansion, and developments affecting the sports and gaming sectors.
Launched in 2024, the Super Stage has previously featured personalities including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Tony Hawk, Oleksandr Usyk, and Gary Vaynerchuk.
“What makes the Super Stage special is the people you get to hear from,” Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said. “These are people who have reached the very top of their fields, and there is something really valuable about hearing them speak openly about the decisions, challenges and experiences that shaped them.”
He added that speakers will share the decisions, challenges and experiences that have shaped their careers, as well as the lessons and inspiration that can be drawn from them.
The Super Stage programme will begin on Tuesday, 29 September, with “Leadership in Sports Business” from 12:00 to 13:00.
Basketball icon Jordan, Sportradar Founder and CEO Koerl, and DraftKings Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman Robins will discuss changes across sport, technology, media, data and fan engagement. The session will be moderated by broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Gallacher.
The “Super CEO Panel: The Industry Speaks” will take place from 12:30 to 13:20, bringing together senior executives from the gaming sector to discuss strategic issues affecting the industry.
Participants will include Aris Dimarakis, Deputy CEO of Kaizen Gaming; Dieter John, Group CEO of FEG; Albert Simsensohn, CEO of Super Technologies; Kresimir Spajic, CEO of Allwyn Digital; Jesper Svensson, CEO of Betsson Group; and Tom Bowry, Chief Strategy Officer of Flutter International. Dinos Stranomitis, Director and CEO of Altenar, will moderate. The discussion will cover issues including AI, regulation, prediction markets, responsible growth, and international expansion.
Charles Oliveira will appear on the Super Stage on Wednesday, 30 September, at 12:00 as an Aviator brand ambassador through game developer SPRIBE. The former UFC lightweight champion will discuss competing under pressure, resilience and the routines that support sustained performance. The session will also address the development of UFC, MMA, and sport more broadly, as well as how athlete-brand collaborations can help companies reach international audiences.
Fabrizio Romano will headline another Wednesday session, “Here We Go: Trust, Speed and the Business of Breaking News,” alongside Lasha Machavariani, Founder of SMH Global, on 30 September. The football journalist and transfer market insider will discuss the development of his media brand, which is built around speed, accuracy, and trust. The session will also examine creator partnerships, the connection between football fans and betting brands, and changing sources of fan attention.
The session is scheduled for 13:15 at the MEO Arena.
Entrepreneurship will also feature through a series of “Founder Stories,” which will examine the experiences behind several gaming companies. SPRIBE Founder and CEO David Natroshvili will discuss his entrepreneurial path across Georgia, Estonia, and the US, and the establishment of the game developer. LeoVegas Group CEO and Co-Founder Gustaf Hagman will look back at the development of LeoVegas and his move into his latest venture, Avantii Studios. SoftConstruct Co-Founder Vigen Badalyan will discuss the company’s origins and how it subsequently became the foundation for additional businesses, forming an entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Super Stage will also feature a session examining the international growth of the Argentine Football Association through “The Global Expansion of the AFA Brand.”
The discussion will feature Sergio Goycochea, an AFA Legend, and Leandro Petersen, the organisation’s former Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer. They will discuss how the AFA expanded its international presence from 2017 onwards, including its entry into new regions and markets, and the lessons this experience offers other sports brands. The session follows Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup victory and its appearance in the 2026 final, where it finished as runner-up.
Conference, Business, and VIP Pass holders will have access to all Super Stage sessions. Attendees without these passes can instead purchase a Super Stage Pass or Super Stage Golden Circle Pass.
The €199 Super Stage Pass provides access to the Super Stage programme and SBC Summit exhibition floor. The €499 Golden Circle Pass offers the same access, plus seating in the exclusive front rows and entry to INFINITY Lisbon, featuring Tiësto and Blasterjaxx.
SBC Summit will run from 29 September to 1 October 2026 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena. The event is expected to bring together more than 40,000 professionals from betting, gaming, payments, affiliation, marketing, technology, and media.
