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Welcome To Mindspring Sport

Mindspring Sport is led by Craig Thompson and Anton Brams, international sports marketing and technology professionals. Mindspring believes in the intrinsic value of sport as a way for people to “live their passion.” Our mission is to provide the optimal commercial and organisational basis for sport so that people can experience their passion in the best possible environment.

Our Management Team

Craig Thompson

For more than 30 years, Craig has been intimately involved in the creation and management of some of the most recognized sporting events across the globe:

CEO | 34th America’s Cup Together with Russell Coutts, CEO of Oracle Racing and four-time winner, Craig created and launched the concept for AC34, which included the use of catamarans, racing next to shore, shorter TV-friendly format and the creation of the AC34 World Series.

CEO/Owner | Ovation Sports AG Craig developed the concept and directed the inaugural season for the Champions Hockey League in association with the IIHF in Europe. Also specialized in development and management of sports properties and events for the Juventus Football Club, Spanish Basketball League, and UFL United Arab Emirates National Soccer League.

Managing Director | T.E.A.M. Marketing AG In his role with the exclusive worldwide marketing agency of UEFA for the Champions League, Craig was a management board member for 11 years and key member of the 6-person team responsible for initial creation and subsequent development of the Champions League project. The Champions League generates billions in annual sponsorship and TV revenues and is Europe’s most important club competition in Europe’s most important sport — soccer.

Anton Brams

Anton Brams

Co-CEO | Mindspring Sport Helped fun the global sports marketing and tech agency since 2022.

Global Head | Genius Sport From 2019-2022, built Genius’ video product from $0 to $25M+ revenue in under 3 years and led video, OTT, and fan engagement product and strategy, including involvement in their NFL live streaming deal

Entrepreneur | Oppia Performance Directed the tech company and its successful exit from Oppia Performance sport video solution to Genius Sport in 2019.

Coach | USA Volleyball Assisted the men’s teams to an Olympic medal in 2016.

Larry Benecke

Larry spent more than a decade in San Diego advertising agencies before setting up his own creative shop. He worked on sports brands including Ektelon Racquetball, the San Diego Padres Major League Baseball team, and USA Volleyball. Larry also did creative work for global brands such as Qualcomm, Sony, and LG. A large portion of his work has been in the technology and telecommunications spaces, including unified communications, internet security, and video streaming.

Prior to his advertising career, Larry was a top level volleyball player, playing six years in an American professional league and a year with the US national team that went on to win an Olympic gold medal. He also spent a year playing in the Spanish first division, winning the title with his Mallorca team.