Joanna Levy’s career path is a prime example of pivoting with purpose. After starting out in finance, she decided to follow her passion by applying her expertise in data-driven decision-making to the sports world. Now, she brings years of experience at organizations like the Philadelphia Flyers and DraftKings, where she is currently senior director of marketing analytics, to her role as a lecturer in Columbia’s M.S. in Sports Management program.
In this Q&A, Levy shares how she broke into the sports industry, what students can expect from her Fundamentals of Sports Analytics course, and why analytical thinking is a skill that benefits everyone, not just analysts.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and career?
I began my career in finance during a tumultuous period in the industry. I realized fairly quickly that it wasn’t for me, and working in sports became my north star. However, I’ve always been drawn to roles that are analytical in nature, and at that time, there weren’t many opportunities in the sports industry for analytics. I pivoted into marketing and tech, and it wasn’t until I obtained my MBA that I broke into sports. I worked in strategy and analytics at the Philadelphia Flyers and then moved to DraftKings in 2021, where I have held a number of leadership roles in analytics.
What made you want to work in the sports industry? What brought you to your particular focus in sports?
I asked myself, “What do I really enjoy, and can I make a career out of it?” Sports was the answer. I have wanted to work in areas that add value to the world, and sports bring fun and joy to fans around the world.
Although I now work in sports betting, my personal focus remains on analytics. I love solving problems and utilizing data and analytics to achieve this. That’s been the throughline of my career and my education, and applying it to the sports industry just makes it more fun and engaging.
What course do you teach? How do you structure the course, and what are the main topics covered?
I teach the Fundamentals of Sports Analytics class, which is essentially a statistics course that uses sports data. It’s a great class to get an overview of statistical techniques, from data visualization and descriptive statistics to more advanced distributions and regression analysis. It is applicable to all sorts of roles in the sports world, from player performance to business reporting and analysis.
What is a key lesson you hope students take away from your course?
You don’t have to be an analyst to be analytical. Most people who take my course won’t work in analytics, but I hope all of them will become more critical of data and leverage analytics to make better decisions in their respective work.
What is the value of a master’s degree in Sports Management?
It’s great to have courses like Fundamentals of Sports Analytics that provide the content you could find in a business program, along with courses that go really deep into sports management specifically. The classroom experience provides a level of detail that you can’t find without the dedicated focus.
What do you think makes SPS unique?
The opportunity to learn from professors who are experts in their field is incredible. I find that I learn a great deal from talking to other faculty members. The program's focus on career development and internship/job opportunities is unparalleled.
What challenges or advancements in the sports industry do you think we’ll see in the future?
Given my perspective from the betting industry, I’m watching carefully what regulations come, whether from leagues or government regulators. I am also personally very excited about the growth in popularity of women’s sports that we have seen over the past few years.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about the sports industry, or about sports marketing specifically?
I was surprised by the breadth of the sports industry. When I first looked for jobs in sports, I assumed it was just teams and leagues. After working in the industry, I realized how many companies there are that keep the sports ecosystem going. Obviously, sports betting is a hugely growing industry, but ticketing, media, marketing, and technology—there are so many opportunities outside of what I would have considered “traditional” sports jobs.
About the Program
The Columbia University M.S. in Sports Management provides students with a comprehensive curriculum and access to sports industry practitioners and influencers. Students acquire skills in areas such as entrepreneurship and innovation, global sports management, facility and event management, and sports law and ethics.
The spring 2026 application deadline for the M.S. in Sports Management program is November 1. The program is available for part-time or full-time enrollment. Learn more about the program here.
