The Fierce Video editorial team is proud to present its third annual Emerging Leaders Awards, recognizing the brightest young professionals rising up the ranks of the streaming TV industry. Throughout the month of May we’ll be featuring these profiles with each of our finalists. We will announce the winners during our StreamTV Show with a live awards ceremony in Denver on June 6 at 7:30 p.m. MT. Not yet registered for the StreamTV Show, running June 6-8? Be sure to register now!
Joel Karacozoff/FuboTV:
Karacozoff is director of product at fuboTV, the sports-first live TV streaming platform. He is instrumental in driving forward fuboTV's product roadmap as the company aims to turn passive viewers into active participants and define a new category of interactive sports and entertainment television. Responsible for expanding fuboTV's interactive features, he helped bring to market the company's first integrated free-to-play games and FanView live stats feature. He is also leading the charge on the integration of Fubo Sportsbook and fuboTV, enabling wagering and watching in one ecosystem.
Karacozoff joined fuboTV as part of the acquisition of Balto - a Y Combinator backed startup, which he co-founded and grew. Graduating Princeton with a Bachelor of Arts in History, he held roles at several fintech startups and launched his first startup at the age of 26. Leaning into his passion for startups, he has since founded an Angel syndicate, growing it to reach 70 members.
What his colleagues are saying:
"Joel is hands down the most influential leader I've had the honor to work alongside. From our humble beginnings co-founding a company to getting acquired by fuboTV, Joel constantly inspires others to dream more, learn more, and do more. Leaders such as Joel will continue to transform the industry for years to come." - Spencer Cassidy, director of product marketing at fuboTV and cofounder of Balto
"Joel has a fierce entrepreneurial drive and passion that is a model for everyone at fuboTV. He's been a driving force behind fuboTV's ambitious interactive sports TV and gaming strategy, turning passive viewers into active participants." - Mike Berkley, chief product officer at fuboTV
Streaming Industry Q&A:
What streaming services do you subscribe to?
FuboTV, Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, AppleTV.
Describe your biggest career highlight so far.
FuboTV's acquisition of Balto remains a bright spot in my career. After co-founding and growing the Y Combinator backed startup, I'm able to see our vision come to life, continue to grow and make a positive impact on the broader industry. Balto's technology is now helping to drive the future of interactive sports and entertainment television.
What has been your biggest career learning experience?
The goal is always to be learning, but one of the most important things I've learned over time is the power of persistence - you can't fail if you don't quit.
What's next for you in terms of new challenges in streaming TV?
I'm most excited about the intersection of streaming, gaming and sports wagering. With the launch of FanView, free-to-play games and Fubo Sportsbook, we're creating a first of its kind immersive experience integrated directly into our streaming product in one ecosystem. As we continue to innovate in this space, our goal is to build the world's leading live TV streaming platform with premium content, interactivity and integrated wagering.