Backed by experience launching major sports streaming platforms in recent years, World Racing Group’s new chief media and marketing officer promises a “bigger, bolder, better” 2024.

“Bigger, bolder, and better.” That is how Charlie Mellilo, the new chief media and marketing officer for World Racing Group (WRG) in Charlotte, North Carolina, describes what dirt racing fans can expect to see in the streaming content from the organization in 2024.

In his new role, Mellilo will oversee all areas of content creation, production, distribution, and marketing for all World Racing Group properties: World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series, and Super DIRTcar Series. WRG also has its own direct-to-consumer platform, DIRTVision.

Prior to joining WRG, Mellilo led global client services for Endeavor Streaming, the direct-to-consumer technology division of Endeavor, after it had acquired NeuLion in 2018. While at NeuLion and Endeavor, Mellilo managed the launch of numerous streaming services, including UFC Fight Pass, Rogers Sportsnet NOW, and Univision NOW. He also worked with the NBA, NFL, WWE, ESPN, Sky New Zealand, and other premier sports properties on numerous direct-to-consumer services.

While speaking to PRI Magazine about his 2024 plans for WRG, Mellilo mentioned that he was looking forward to playing a bit more golf now that’s he’s relocated from the New York City area to Charlotte.

PRI: This is a new role for you, but not a new kind of work.

Mellilo: That’s correct. I’ve been around the media, marketing, and fan engagement space for quite some time. Before that, I was in finance. I’ve had some interesting twists and turns in my career, and each one has enabled me to grow. I like the adventure of changing things up from time to time.

PRI: Did you have a connection to dirt racing before you joined WRG?

Mellilo: Growing up on Long Island, my exposure to racing, from a local perspective, was limited. We did not have dirt track racing. There was Westhampton Raceway drag strip, which closed in 2003. Riverhead Raceway is still around, a quarter-mile paved track. But I’ve always been a fan of racing in general, from F1 to World Rallycross.

PRI: What has you most excited about the new role?

Mellilo: Over the last 12 years or so, I’ve worked with the likes of UFC, the NBA, the NFL, ESPN. All were at the top of their game. So, I think being uniquely positioned as the number-one organization in a sport that has opportunity for growth is what excited me the most about coming to WRG.

PRI: Is streaming content your main focus, or do you have the whole marketing basket?

Mellilo: Everything within the area of media and marketing, business development, and sponsor partnerships is going to be a broad responsibility for me. I’m prioritizing the areas that we can improve in the near term that are going to have the biggest impact on the business.

PRI: How do you see WRG’s content creation or distribution evolving in 2024?

Mellilo: Bigger, bolder, and better. I want to make sure that we continue to deliver the best racing on track, but also do other things. How do we create more content that makes fans feel like they’re at the track and not just watching a race on TV? One of the things I love about streaming is that it offers the ability to do a lot of those things and create those fun experiences.

PRI: Do you see unrealized opportunities to enhance streaming content or develop new types that can inspire that kind of excitement?

Mellilo: I think there are tremendous opportunities to do exactly that. I like to push the needle a bit. That doesn’t mean we’re going to change everything that fans have grown accustomed to. But I do think that in the broader industry, we are seeing a shift in the way content gets consumed and the way fans engage. The motorsports industry has a tremendous opportunity to reach many new fans.

PRI: Are there any specifics you might be able to cite at this time about things we can expect from World of Outlaws or DIRTVision in 2024?

Mellilo: They’re in the strategy stage, so there is nothing specific that I can share now. We are going to create and enhance experiences that serve the sport and our core fan base. World of Outlaws and Super Dirt Car series fans are incredible. Our fans eat, sleep, and breathe it. That kind of enthusiasm gets me excited.

PRI: Is there any mistake that you feel you’ve made and learned from in your professional career?

Mellilo: My biggest mistake was allowing people to persuade me from taking a calculated risk when I truly believed in the outcome. I allowed myself to be swayed from my belief by people who either didn’t see it the way I saw it or were trying to play it safe, and they were afraid of taking a calculated risk.

PRI: Is there a piece of advice you’ve received professionally or personally that greatly impacted your life or work?

Mellilo: Yes, to take calculated risks! I make sure that I’ve got a healthy perspective on the potential ramifications of those decisions. I know that when taking such a risk, I’m not the only one doing so. The business is taking the risk, too. That was a piece of advice I was given early in my career when I was probably prone to more unnecessary risk taking, due to lack of experience.

PRI: Aside from your phone, tablet, or computer, what’s one thing you can’t live without?

Mellilo: That’s easy—my wife and family. I’ve got two children, 11 and 8, whom I love dearly and enjoy spending time with.

TITLE:
Chief Media and Marketing Officer

ORGANIZATION:
World Racing Group

HOMETOWN:
Charlotte, North Carolina

FAST FACT:
“I’m an avid golfer, and I will rarely, if ever, turn down a golf invite,” Charlie Mellilo said. “Aside from work, one of the things about being in the Charlotte Metro area that has me excited is that I can play golf 10 or 11 months out of the year, as opposed to the five- to six-month window that I had in New York.”