Professional Triathletes Organisation: Using tech to take triathlon mainstream

This week Yanni and co-host Charlie chat with Sam Renouf, CEO of the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO). Sam joined the organisation in 2019 has been central to the organisation’s strategy and development since.

We kick off the conversation by setting the scene, with Sam discussing the inception and evolution of PTO, including its recent partnership with World Triathlon. He digs into the organisation's goal of becoming a more consumer-facing brand with its T100 Triathlon World Tour and outlines the strategies for growing a sustainable fan base for triathlon.

"It's taken us a couple of years to figure out the right model. But we think that in the T100 we have something unique," he says. "We're like the PGA Tour from a governance structure because we've got the athletes and the pros. We're Formula One with this season long narrative with glamorous locations. And we're the World Marathon Majors with the mass participation. So really it's super exciting."

We were keen to chat with Sam about the role technology plays in the roadmap for the T100 series. Tech, Sam explains, will be baked into almost every element of the series – from its broadcast and commentary, to the sponsorship proposition and management of mass participation rankings. 

Sam also mapped out the PTO's funding model, with the likes of Michael Moritz as a lead investor, alongside Warner Bros. Discovery. And with the prospect of the organisation securing further funding to accelerate the growth of the T100, it's going to be a fascinating journey to watch.

Timestamps:

• 10:46 – Evolution of PTO's business model
• 25:11 – Importance of technology and investment from Warner Bros. Discovery
• 29:39 – Consolidating high-value audience with first-party data
• 30:21 –  Using data for sponsorship, media, and direct-to-consumer
• 35:09 – Storytelling and technology in triathlon
• 40:59 – Bringing non-endemic sponsors into triathlon
• 43:50 – Building revenue streams for triathletes
• 53:18 – The future of the PTO