85 - The Best Strategies for Engaging Sports Fans Through Innovative Gameplay
Gamifying the Live Sports Experience: How Sid El Saghir and Next Play Are Redefining Fan Engagement
In this episode of Product Led Growth Leaders, host Thomas Watkins chats with Sid El Saghir, Founder and CEO of Next Play Games, about building interactive digital experiences for live sports fans. Drawing on his transition from big tech to startup life, Sid shares how Next Play is turning passive viewership into active entertainment by gamifying downtime during live games. From customer-driven pivots to AI-enabled development, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at building a sports gaming platform that’s driven by user engagement, feedback, and scalable innovation.
From Big Tech to Game-Changing Startups: Building with Fans, Not Just for Them
Sid El Saghir’s path to founding Next Play Games started with a powerful insight: even the most passionate sports fans experience lulls during live games. His early solution—a physical card game that let fans predict real-time plays—garnered attention but presented scale challenges. That led to a digital pivot, where his team could build real-time interactive games that enhance the live sports experience across devices.
Sid emphasizes a customer-centric approach, using focus groups, surveys, interviews, and observational research to understand how fans actually consume content. Every feature they develop is built around closing engagement gaps, with the ultimate goal of transforming moments of inactivity into moments of connection.
To support scalability, Next Play integrates AI-powered product development—from simplifying backend operations to surfacing actionable data insights. Yet Sid is intentional about responsible AI usage. The team encourages critical thinking alongside automation, ensuring decisions are grounded in judgment, not just code. Their approach blends playfulness with rigor, creativity with process—a mindset every founder can learn from.
About Sid El Saghir
Sid El Saghir is the founder and CEO of Next Play Games, an interactive sports entertainment company aiming to enhance live game experiences. With a background in big tech and years of startup experience, Sid brings operational expertise, product intuition, and a deep understanding of what excites fans.
About Next Play Games
Next Play Games is building digital games that keep fans engaged during live sporting events. By turning downtime into fun, competitive moments, Next Play is reshaping how fans interact with their favorite sports. From B2C activation to future B2B partnerships, the company is focused on scalable growth fueled by data and community insights.
Links Mentioned in This Episode
Key Episode Highlights
Designing for Downtime: Why filling in the “quiet” moments during sports broadcasts is the key to deeper fan engagement
AI with Intention: How AI is used to speed development without replacing product intuition or customer insight
The Power of the Pivot: Moving from a physical card game to digital-first experiences for scalability and growth
Product-Market Fit in Progress: Using working demos and early adopters to shape go-to-market success
Building for Virality: Leveraging user love and organic referrals to drive a viral growth loop in a B2C model
Explore more about how Thomas Watkins supports product-led growth at 3Leaf Consulting
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