CHICAGO/LONDON– August 6, 2019 – This past week, Alex Rice, Chief Rights Officer at Stats Perform, the revolutionary leader in sports AI and data, was named to the Leaders in Sport Under 40 Class of 2019. In the fifth year of the awards, the 30 winners were chosen from a list of more than 450 entries from 31 different countries judged during a nine-month process. Since Leaders founded the award in 2015, it has become recognised for identifying the top-quality young talent in the international sport industry.
This past month, Rice took over the role of Chief Rights Officer at the newly created Stats Perform, where he manages all of the company’s rights acquisitions and commercial relationships with the biggest leagues, federations and agencies in the industry. Prior to the creation of the new company, Rice served as Chief Rights Officer of Perform, having been a part of the company’s senior management team since joining in 2007.
“I am honoured to join such an illustrious group of industry professionals who are driving innovation and shaping the future of how we will consume and participate in sport,” Rice said. “Having recently become a part of Stats Perform, I am excited about where the industry is headed and how new technological advancements like artificial intelligence and machine learning are going to help inform better decisions in the sports we love. Thank you to the judges and I look forward to meeting the rest of the class of 2019.”
In a previous role, Rice served as Executive Vice President of Business Development at Perform Group, where he managed key rights holder relationships for the company. Rice led a number of important long-term acquisitions, including the award-winning 10-year agreement between Perform and the WTA, which led to the formation of WTA Media. During his time at Perform, Rice has also served as Managing Director for Rights and Strategic Development at parent company DAZN, overseeing several major acquisitions. Prior to Perform, Rice also held roles at Deltatre and Homechoice.
The 30 members of the Under 40 Class of 2019 will be honoured at the Leaders Sports Awards on 9 October, at London’s Natural History Museum, immediately following the 2019 Leaders Sport Business Summit. An expert panel of over 100 senior industry executives from international organisations reviewed this year’s entries including the BBC, FIFA, Heineken, Sky, McLaren, Premier League, Paris Saint Germain FC, Arsenal FC, Formula 1, BT Sport, PUMA, Etihad Airways and more. Integrity partners Northridge Law oversaw the rigorous judging process.
In a release by Leaders, Founder and CEO James Worrall said: “I would like to congratulate all those who have made the Leaders Under 40 Class of 2019. These 30 sport industry professionals have all the hallmarks of being industry greats and speak to the high-quality talent our industry has to offer. We had a record year for entries, the quality of which showcased the outstanding individuals within our industry that are shaping sport across the globe and taking it into an even better place in the future.”