Sports Pundit Podcast with Andy Marston (Andy Marston)
Explore every episode of Sports Pundit Podcast with Andy Marston
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Jun 2024 | Cherry Beagles: Why Having a Women's Team Isn't a Female-Fan Strategy by Itself | 00:51:41 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Cherry Beagles, the founder of The 400 Club, an all-female members club redefining what it means to be a sports fan and increasing culturally relevant brand deals in women’s sport. Having studied law at the University of Manchester and gained experience at the likes of NBC Universal and Dentsu, Cherry founded The 400 Club as a side hustle to address an audience that was being underrepresented in traditional sports marketing - and an audience she herself fell in to. Since launching, she has brought on successful female founders, international athletes, and Olympians, as well as hosted events with the likes of Nike, and done brand campaigns with rightsholders such as Arsenal - all within her first year of starting the club - suggesting that Cherry is very much on to something big. We discuss her perspective on women’s sport, why this is not to be confused with a female-fan strategy, and the importance of engaging not just the biggest female brands, but those that hold the most cultural relevance. Time Stamps 2:00 - What is The 400 Club and who are the members 4:00 - Recruiting New Members 8:00 - The Athlete x Brand Flywheel 13:00 - Creating a Female-Fan Strategy 17:00 - Culturally Relevant Brand Partnerships and Collaborations 20:00 - That Taylor Swift Jacket 28:00 - What Athletes can Learn from Social-First Brands 32:00 - Creating a Campaign with Arsenal FC 35:00 - Giving Rugby a 400 Club Twist 44:00 - Future of the 400 Club Additional Links The 400 Club x Nike for The FA Cup Final Follow The 400 Club on Instagram Connect with Cherry on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 05 Dec 2023 | Eddie Lewis: How TOCA Football is Engaging the Next Generation of Fans and Players | 00:37:54 | |
Today’s episode I’m joined by Eddie Lewis. Eddie was an American soccer player and is now the CEO and Founder of TOCA Football. During his 14 year tenure as a professional player, he spent much of his time in the US and UK, playing for the likes of San Jose Clash, Preston North End, Leeds United, and LA Galaxy - where he played alongside David Beckham. Since finishing his playing career, Lewis has remained in football, founding TOCA, a training technology company that is used in both elite training centres as well as within TOCA Social, entertainment venues that tap into the trend competitive socialisation, which is best encapsulated by the likes of TopGolf and more recently, F1 Arcade. Time Stamps: 2:00 - Visiting TOCA Social at the O2 in London 3:00 - Expanding the Experiential Venue Concept into the U.S. 5:00 - The Growth of Women's Soccer and How TOCA can Support 8:00 - The Impact of Beckham and Messi and Forecasting the Growth of Soccer in the U.S. 10:00 - Taking Investment in TOCA from Major League Soccer 14:00 - Becoming 'TopGolf for Football' and Engaging with Fans and Players 17:00 - Applying Lessons from Playing Professional Football to Founding a Company 20:00 - Using Technology to Close the Gap and Enhance Player Development 26:00 - Dealing with Rivals and Taking Inspiration from Other Sports 31:00 - Building for Athletes First - A Lesson from Will Ahmed, CEO of Whoop 34:00 - Future Plans for TOCA Football Additional Reading:
Connect with Eddie on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 09 Apr 2025 | Michael Yormark [#49]: Empowering Vini Jr and Siya Kolisi's Purpose-Led Approach | 00:53:07 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Michael Yormark, President of Roc Nation Sports International, an agency representing the likes of Vini Jr, Kevin De Bruyne, Endrick, and Siya Kolisi. Michael set up this division in 2019, moving to London with nothing but a suitcase and an alternative approach to representing athletes, particularly within European football. They’ve since expanded their presence to places like Italy, South Africa, and Brazil - and expanded their remit from football to also include rugby and netball. In this conversation we discuss that journey, the influence of Jay-Z, representing some of the biggest and most marketable athletes in the world, approaching new sports, how he would market rugby, and much more. Timestamps 2:00 - Michael's Journey 4:00 - Joining Roc Nation - and it's Founding Story 12:00 - Being Purpose-Led 17:00 - Creating Separation Between On and Off-Field Moves 20:00 - Working with Siya Kolisi and Challenging Rugby Culture 30:00 - How Can Rugby Diversify its Audience? 40:00 - Being Selective About the Brands that Athletes Work With 51:00 - Michael's Dream Additional Links Connect with Michael on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 04 Feb 2025 | Roddy Campbell [#45]: Transforming the Australian Open into the 'Super Bowl of APAC' | 00:49:25 | |
On today’s episode, I’m grateful to be joined by Roddy Campbell, Director of Partnerships & International Business at Tennis Australia We’re catching up right off-the-back of the busiest three weeks of the year for Roddy and his team, having just seen the Australian Open conclude in Melbourne. The tournament has developed an incredible reputation as the 'startup slam’ and innovation flows through everything that they do - including across partnerships. Although starting out in sport at The FA, Roddy has spent a lot of his career in the worlds of music and entertainment at the likes of EMI and Universal. In our conversation, we discuss the “festivalisation" of sport, his team's co-creation approach to partnerships, their focus on China, and wanting to become the ’Super Bowl of APAC’, we also touch on the AO’s approach to media and launch of a Venture Fund - particularly how it fits into Roddy’s work with partners. Time Stamps 2:00 - Roddy's Career Journey 3:00 - Music and Sports Partnerships 6:00 - The Australian Open Experience 7:00 - Tennis Australia's Broader Role 11:00 - International Expansion and China Focus 14:30 Innovative Partnerships and Brand Integration 22:00 Melbourne Park and Event Logistics 27:00 Tourism and Economic Impact 30:00 Innovation and Future Trends 42:00 Closing Remarks and Future Aspirations Additional Links The Festivalisation of Sport: How The Australian Open Is Serving Up A New Era Sport & Spectacle AO Ventures completes first close of $US30 million VC fund By the numbers: Recapping Aussie singles success at AO 2025 Connect with Roddy on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 19 Mar 2025 | Brett Gosper [#46]: Taking the NFL, International | 00:35:41 | |
In today’s episode, I’m joined by Brett Gosper, Head of NFL Europe & Asia Pacific. Growing up in Australia, the recent announcement to bring an NFL match to the iconic MCG will be something of a full-circle moment for Brett, who has, most notably, previously held the role of CEO of World Rugby. In this conversation, we dive into these internationalisation efforts, the NFL’s Global Markets program, as well as how the league is creating an impact beyond the headline fixtures. Time Stamps 2:00 - Brett's Journey and Bringing the NFL to Melbourne 5:00 - NFL's Current Projects Internationally 7:00 - Homegrown Players and the Heritage Program 13:00 - Could the NFL Launch a Local League? 15:00 - Expanding into New Markets like Ireland and Spain 20:00 - Global Markets Program 27:00 - Balancing Needs of International and Domestic Fans 29:00 - Activating in Local Markets 31:00 - Impact of Netflix and YouTube deals 35:00 - Future Plans for the League Additional Links: Sports Pundit: Touching Down: How the NFL is Becoming the International Football League 🏈 Connect with Brett on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 09 Apr 2024 | Josh Helmrich: Creating the Data Foundation on which the NFL is Building | 00:33:23 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Josh Helmrich - Senior Director, Media Strategy, Business Development and Next Gen Stats (NGS) at the NFL. NFL Next Gen Stats provides clubs with data to analyse trends and player performance, while enhancing the fans’ experience in-stadium, online and during game telecasts. Having worked at the NFL for almost 15 years across various roles, Josh has seen first hand the increasing prevalence of data both within the league and across the wider sporting ecosystem. Taking time out of his schedule at the recent SportInnovation Summit in Dusseldorf, I sat down with Josh to discuss the impact of the Next Gen Stats program so far, and what he’s aspirations are for it in the months and years ahead. Time Stamps 2:00 - Getting into the NFL 4:00 - What is NFL Next Gen Stats? 7:00 - Identifying Puka Nacua, the offensive Rookie of the Year 11:00 - Working with External Vendors 14:00 - Bringing in Technology from Outside Sports 17:00 - Considering the Competitive Balance 21:00 - Applying data to the Betting Industry 25:00 - The Evolution of Data Collection 28:00 - Customising the Viewer's Experience 31:00 - Future Ambitions Additional Links Rams Share Behind-the-Scenes Video of Decision to Draft Puka Nacua NFL and Genius Sports provide new fan insights during games Here's How The NFL's Next Gen Stats Technology Actually Works (And How It's Changed The Game) ESPN's Toy Story Funday Football: The tech behind Falcons-Jaguars fully animated alt-cast 7 AI-powered features you’ll find on Prime Video's ‘Thursday Night Football‘ this season Connect with Josh on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 10 Dec 2024 | Elena Mirandola [#42]: Running FC Como Women Like a Tech Startup | 00:41:56 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Elena Mirandola, CEO of FC Como Women — the first club to be backed by Mercury13, a pioneering women’s football consortium with bold ambitions to build a global multi-club network and unlock the commercial potential of the women's game. Elena’s path to becoming a football club CEO is anything but conventional. Her career began in digital marketing, working with global powerhouse brands before moving to work directly with travel platform Expedia just as the pandemic struck. In our conversation, we explore the unique business model of FC Como Women, from its approach to branding and operating like a tech start-up to its success in attracting blue-chip sponsors like Nike. We also discuss the unique opportunities and challenges of running a women-only football club — one of only two to do so in Italy’s top flight. Time Stamps 3:00 – Elena’s Unconventional Path to CEO 7:00 – Addressing Gender Disparity 10:00 – Reframing the Women’s Football 'Product' 12:00 – Overcoming Infrastructure Challenges 14:00 – Speaking to a Global Audience 17:00 – BEYOND: Launching an Educational Program for their Players 18:00 – Understanding the Modern Female Fan 20:00 – Building Partnerships with Global Brands 21:00 – Merchandising & Nike Partnership 27:00 – Adopting a Female-First Approach 30:00 – Building a Fan Database from Scratch 32:00 – Empowering Female Athletes as Content Creators 36:00 – Avoiding the Pitfalls of the Men’s Game 40:00 – Future Ambitions & Mercury13’s Multi-Club Vision Additional Links Como Women appoint new CEO and COO following Mercury/13 takeover, plus more Nike announces multi-year deal with FC Como Women Women's football investors Mercury/13 'ripping up blueprint' on club ownership Giorgio Chiellini makes six-figure investment in women’s soccer, inspired by watching Angel City DAZN has partnered with F.C. Como Women to bring Exclusive Content and Behind-the-Scenes Access Connect with Elena on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 27 Feb 2024 | Chris Busey: Why a Lack of Diversity is Bad for the Game | 00:42:09 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Chris Busey. Chris is vice president of DEI & Community Impact at the United Soccer League. A league which recently launched its signature diversity, equity and inclusion program: USL Forward. This multi-dimensional, leaguewide initiative prioritizes professional development for technical staff, league and club executives with the intention of increasing racial and gender diversity in leadership roles throughout the USL’s ecosystem. Having previously spent time in academia, including at Texas State and the University of Florida, where he was an assistant and then associate professor, Busey only more recently made the move over to the world of professional sport, an area that he describes as the ‘last frontier'. Time Stamps 4:00 - Chris’ Journey from Academia to the USL 6:00 - The DEI Backlash 10:00 - Applying an Understanding of Racial Tensions to a Professional Sporting Environment 17:00 - The 'Danny Rose' Example 21:00 - Applying the Theories Beyond Head Coaching Roles 24:00 - Addressing the Idea of a "Business Case" for DEI 28:00 - What About Diversity of Thought and Experience? 31:00 - Debunking the 'Box Ticking' Argument 36:00 - The USL Forward Program Explained 38:00 - The Importance of 'Equity' 40:00 - Magnifying Mistakes United Soccer League Launches USL Forward to Increase Access and Opportunity Across USL Ecosystem Making Diversity and Inclusion in Football a lot less Merky Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough Already with the Business Case Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 25 Nov 2023 | Zarah Al Kudcy: How Chelsea FC’s Women are Forging their own Commercial Path | 00:47:25 | |
Today’s episode I’m joined by Zarah Al Kudcy, the Commercial Director for Chelsea FC Women’s team, as well as a trustee of the Women’s Sports Trust. Having previously held commercial roles in World Rugby, ECB, and most recently, Formula 1, Zarah joined Chelsea this summer tasked with building and growing commercial revenue related to the women’s team through sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, and digital content. Time Stamps: 1:00 - NWSL Final and learning from other sporting properties 2:00 - The Case for Women’s Football to be Standalone from the Men’s 5:00 - Engaging with fans of Chelsea’s Men’s and Women’s Teams 6:00 - The difference between International and Domestic Growth 10:00 - Balancing Coverage Between Match Reports and Lifestyle Content 12:00 - Better Signposting Women’s Football 15:00 - Including Women’s Players in EA Sports FC24 23:00 - Commercial Power of Female Fans and Breaking Down Women’s Football Audiences 27:00 - Sponsorship Case for Investing in Women’s Sport 34:00 - Not Becoming Reliant on Subsidies or Sponsors 36:00 - Lessons to Learn from Men’s Sport (Football and Rugby) 38:00 - Keeping up with the Pace of Change On-and-Off the Pitch 41:00 - Extending the Legacy of the Lionesses Off the Pitch 45:00 - Highlighting Female Leadership Off the Pitch with Angel City Additional Reading:
Connect with Zarah on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 29 Jan 2025 | Flora Bell [ARCHIVE]: Why LALIGA Studios is Independent Rather than In-House | 00:46:49 | |
On today’s episode, we revisit a conversation with Flora Bell, Business Director at LALIGA Studios. Having worked in the marketing and advertising industry for the likes of M&C Saatchi and LOLA MullenLowe across huge brands such as Magnum, Kraft-Heinz, Dove, Mattel, and PG Tips, just over a year ago she was brought in to help set up LALIGA Studios. Based in Madrid, LALIGA Studios is a new sports-related content production company which combines the forces of Banijay, a global content powerhouse with LALIGA, one of the most followed football leagues in the world. As well as serving all of LALIGA’s content production needs, as an independent studio, they have also since taken on work with leading brands like EA Sports and Logitech and have an ambition to expand to other sports and across other markets. Timestamps 2:00 - From Sunderland to Madrid 6:00 - Conceptualising LALIGA Studios 10:00 - Partnering with Banijay 14:00 - Netflix’s LALIGA: All Access and The Rise and Rise of Sports Docu-Series 19:00 - Expanding the Client Base Beyond Spanish Football 23:00 - Operating with the LALIGA Name 28:00 - Expanding into New Markets 31:00 - Telling Individual’s Stories 37:00 - Creating Media That Cuts Through 39:00 - Measuring Success 42:00 - Aspirations for LALIGA Studios Additional Links LALIGA partners with Banijay Iberia to launch production arm LaLiga Studios Expands Management Team, Announces Doc Project ‘The Power of Our Fútbol’ LaLiga launches FAST channel with behind-the-scenes content Mike Tollin’s MTP and LaLiga Studios to Develop Slate of Soccer-Centric Projects Connect with Flora on LinkedIn - Here Connected with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 10 Jul 2024 | Flora Bell: Why LALIGA Studios is Independent Rather than In-House | 00:46:49 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Flora Bell, Business Director at LALIGA Studios. Having worked in the marketing and advertising industry for the likes of M&C Saatchi and LOLA MullenLowe across huge brands such as Magnum, Kraft-Heinz, Dove, Mattel, and PG Tips, just over a year ago she was brought in to help set up LALIGA Studios. Based in Madrid, LALIGA Studios is a new sports-related content production company which combines the forces of Banijay, a global content powerhouse with LALIGA, one of the most followed football leagues in the world. As well as serving all of LALIGA’s content production needs, as an independent studio, they have also since taken on work with leading brands like EA Sports and Logitech and have an ambition to expand to other sports and across other markets. Timestamps 2:00 - From Sunderland to Madrid 6:00 - Conceptualising LALIGA Studios 10:00 - Partnering with Banijay 14:00 - Netflix’s LALIGA: All Access and The Rise and Rise of Sports Docu-Series 19:00 - Expanding the Client Base Beyond Spanish Football 23:00 - Operating with the LALIGA Name 28:00 - Expanding into New Markets 31:00 - Telling Individual’s Stories 37:00 - Creating Media That Cuts Through 39:00 - Measuring Success 42:00 - Aspirations for LALIGA Studios Additional Links LALIGA partners with Banijay Iberia to launch production arm LaLiga Studios Expands Management Team, Announces Doc Project ‘The Power of Our Fútbol’ LaLiga launches FAST channel with behind-the-scenes content Mike Tollin’s MTP and LaLiga Studios to Develop Slate of Soccer-Centric Projects Connect with Flora on LinkedIn - Here Connected with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 13 Feb 2024 | Rory MacFadyen: How Harry Kane-backed Reflo aims to become the ‘Patagonia of Activewear’ | 00:39:35 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Rory MacFadyen. Rory is the co-founder of Reflo, a sustainable apparel brand made from recycled plastic waste and is also the chief marketing officer at the Icons Series, a team matchplay golf event featuring sporting icons such as Michael Phelps, Canelo Alvarez, and Harry Kane. In this conversation, we talk about the merging on these two lives, getting investment from England’s all-time record goalscorer, tearing up the traditional apparel business model, taking a sustainability-first approach, as well as partnering with a Extreme E team, plans to partner with a Formula E team, and to potentially one day land deals in football, cricket, and rugby. Time Stamps 2:00 - Working at the Icons Series and Meeting Harry Kane 4:00 - Expanding Beyond just Golf 9:00 - Developing a Passion for Sustainability 11:00 - 'McDonald's Makes Salads, it Doesn't Make them a Health Food Store’ 16:00 - Accounting for the Difference in Costs 19:00 - The Opportunity for Going Digital 22:00 - Moving into Teamwear 23:00 - Introducing Reloop 26:00 - Balancing Sustainability and Commerciality 30:00 - Harry Kane’s Investment into Reflo 35:00 - Could an Athlete do something Themselves in the Apparel Space? Additional Links Harry Kane deal can make our brand a behemoth The Fortnite skin that grossed $50 Million for Epic Games Roblox Launches Wimbledon World With Digital Swag From Andy Murray, Ralph Lauren Managing Sir Andy Murray, One of Britain's Greatest Ever Athletes with Matt Gentry Connect with Rory on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 30 Oct 2024 | Paddy Carberry [#37]: How Guinness Leverages the Premier League Globally and Locally | 00:40:18 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Paddy Carberry, Global Sports Marketing Manager at Guinness. Based out of the iconic St James’ Gate in Dublin, Paddy leads the brand's global sports activations—from Six Nations Rugby to the Premier League and everything in-between. With nearly six years at Diageo, Paddy’s career has spanned roles in sustainability, corporate relations, culture and partnerships. Now, he’s shaping Guinness' connection to fans worldwide, activating the brand across diverse markets and sports. In our conversation, we dive into how Guinness aligns with the cultural heartbeat of each market, why the timing was right for partnering with the Premier League, the role of zero-alcohol options in connecting with younger generations, and the significance of Guinness' brand homes in their broader strategy. We also explore the brand’s heritage, its long-standing ties with rugby, and some creative new campaigns—including fashion collaborations, which Paddy hints are on the horizon for football fans. Timeline 3:00 - Paddy’s Journey 8:00 - The Premier League Partnership and Global Fan Behaviours 14:00 - Guinness’ Alignment with Rugby 18:00 - Going Beyond In-Stadia Activation and ‘Pouring Rights' 23:00 - The Booming Popularity of Guinness and Their Pub and Retail Activation Strategy 27:00 - How Guinness Zero is Shaping Consumer Trends and 'Out-Innovating' the Internet 30:00 - Guinness' Brand Home at St. James's Gate and Around the World 37:00 - Future Partnership Plans and a Potential Fashion and Football Collab? Additional Links Connect with Paddy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 30 Jan 2024 | Matt Gentry: Managing Sir Andy Murray, One of Britain's Greatest Ever Athletes | 00:36:31 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Matt Gentry. Matt is the co-founder of 77 Sports Management, a boutique sports marketing agency which he co-founded alongside business partner Gawain Davies and British tennis legend, Sir Andy Murray. As well as dealing with a number of young professional athletes, the company also deals with all aspects of Andy’s career, including commercial deals, formulation of brand, PR, media and management strategy - and they have even overseen 50+ seed investments - including a notable investment in Castore - a company recently valued at more than £900m. Matt first started working with Andy while at talent agency, 19 - where he also managed individual talent and media strategy, which included work with Lewis Hamilton and David Beckham - who he coincidently will be joining up with again in his next career move... Time Stamps 2:00 - Starting 77 Sports Management with Andy Murray 7:00 - Leaving Money on the Table and Being Value-Driven 11:00 - Getting Involved in Early-Stage Investing and THAT Castore Deal 13:00 - Getting Educated on Investing 18:00 - Finding the Right Balance Between Sponsorship and Investing 20:00 - Why Sponsorship Benefits Go Beyond Monetary Value 22:00 - Managing the Different Phases of an Andy’s Career 24:00 - Setting up Andy Post-Playing Career 26:00 - Investing into the Hexagon Cup and the Rise of Padel 29:00 - The Other Sport that Andy would be Interested in Investing In 👀 31:00 - Matt’s Next Career Move - Being Reunited with David Beckham, alongside other talent at Authentic Brands Group Additional Links Andy Murray leaves Under Armour, will end career wearing Castore outfits Podcast: How Castore built a billion dollar British sportswear brand - Business of Sport Podcast: Meet The Man Behind Conor McGregor’s +$650M Empire - My First Million Tennis Star Andy Murray Launches Padel Team Book: A List Angels by Zack O'Malley Greenburg Connect with Matt on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 22 Jan 2024 | Julia Wall-Clarke: Applying Lessons from Formula E and Extreme E to the Hexagon Cup | 00:45:38 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Julia Wall Clarke. Julia is the current Head of Communications for the Hexagon Cup, a new, innovative padel tournament, which aims to transform the sport by bringing a new approach - an approach which is brought over by a senior leadership team that has also been behind the likes of Formula E, Extreme E, and the E1 Series. It was at Extreme E that Julia first started working with this team as a Communications Manager, before quickly scaling the ranks to be Head of Communications and then Head of Impact and Communications. Prior to this, she'd already gathered a wealth of experience in communications across a wide range of sports properties including Arsenal, Tennis Australia, Wimbledon, and Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. We start this conversation by diving into the Hexagon Cup, which now, at time of release is only one week away (31st January), before diving into some of those lessons from throughout Julia’s career so far. Time Stamps 2:00 - Introduction to The Hexagon Cup 5:00 - Taking Lessons from Formula E and Extreme E 8:00 - Injecting Sport with Purpose 12:00 - Embracing Celebrity Ownership 15:00 - The Significance of Choosing the ‘Right’ Broadcast Partners 19:00 - Taking Investment from DMG Ventures 23:00 - Retaining Authenticity While Innovating 25:00 - Applying Key Communication Skills Across Different Rightsholders 28:00 - The Difference Between Working for an Established vs Challenger League 36:00 - Applying Julia’s Career Lessons to Women’s Football Additional Links Book Tickets - Hexagon Cup, Madrid (31 Jan - 4 Feb) DMG Ventures announces investment in €1M team padel tournament Hexagon Cup Lon-Glorious Addition: Hollywood Actress Provides Hexagon Cup Another Dimension Video: Start With Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek Connect with Julia on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 09 Jan 2024 | Jo Redfern: Getting into the 'Future' Business with Kids Content Expert | 00:56:27 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Jo Redfern. In September, Jo became Wind Sun Sky’s first-ever managing director of kids. Before joining the Vancouver-based animation studio, Jo was global head of brand at 24 Watts, leading content strategy and expanding the studio’s Cozmo & Friends property into an animated series for YouTube and into a Roblox game. Prior to that, she was head of brand at BBC Children’s & Education for eight years, overseeing live events, consumer product launches and opening a CBeebiesLand Theme Park and Hotel in 2017. She has also served in marketing and media consultant roles at companies such as WWE and Disney Branded Television. Like in these consultancy roles, this conversation aims to apply her vast experience in kids content over to the world of sport & entertainment - leading to a ton of fresh ideas you may not have thought about before... Time Stamps 1:30 - Why Should Sport Create Content that Resonates with Kids? 4:00 - Monetising kids Content 7:00 - What is Roblox? 10:00 - Branded Experiences on Roblox 15:00 - Why are Kids Platform Agnostic? And Why Does it Matter? 18:00 - Repackaging IP 25:00 - Personalisation of Content (Thanks to AI) 30:00 - Creating A New Sport like ‘Blade Ball’ 37:00 - The YouTuber Approach to Monetisation 40:00 - Removing the Distribution Barrier 45:00 - Using Content to Educate Kids and Change Behaviour Additional Links Jo's Kids Media Club Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Evan Shapiro's Substack - Media War & Peace Zoe Scaman's Substack - Musings of a Wandering Mind Mean Girls reposts entire movie to TikTok Is TikTok the Future of Television? Why Should New IP Launch on Roblox? Connect with Jo on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 28 May 2024 | Giulia Zecchini: How ESL FACEIT Group Help Brands to Activate within Gen-Z's Greatest Interest | 00:49:12 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Giulia Zecchini, Commercial Partnerships Strategy Director at ESL FACEIT Group. Starting her career in data and analysis at Nielson, working first on FMCG brands such as Mars, before switching into sports, Giulia has retained a passion for transforming data into actionable, commercially focused insights. This has shone through in her roles that have followed, at both Formula 1 and with ESL FACEIT Group, one of the leading companies in the worlds of both gaming and esports - where she works with global brands to help them to reach the sought-after Gen-Z and millennial gaming audience through exciting and cutting edge partnerships. It’s not all about data though. Giulia is someone also with her finger firmly on the pulse of culture, something demonstrated through her presenting and hosting work for FIBA, sitting on the Equity Diversity & Inclusion committee at Basketball England, and through her co-founding of Sneaker Sisterhood, the largest female sneaker community in Europe. We talk about the intersection of sport, gaming, music, fashion, and culture, as well as the need to balance data with emotion and feeling, in what is one of the widest ranging conversations that I’ve had to date on the podcast - a credit to Giulia’s breath of both expertise and interest. Time Stamps 2:00 - Impact of COVID on Formula 1 4:00 - eSports vs. Gaming 13:00 - Athletes as Content Creators 18:00 - How DHL Authentically Activated in eSports 21:00 - Boosting Basketball's Popularity in the UK 29:00 - Founding Sneaker Sisterhood 32:00 - Exploring the Cultural Crossover of Sport and Streetwear 40:00 - The Opportunity for Digital Merchandise 45:00 - The Comic-Con of Gaming Additional Links Saudi-backed Savvy buys ESL and FACEIT for 'US$1.5bn' DHL Case Study: Employer of Choice: Reaching and recruiting the unreachables with eSports Connect with Giulia on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 26 Nov 2024 | Ashwin Desai [#40]: How OneTeam Partners Helps Athletes to Leverage their Name, Image, and Likeness | 00:50:11 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Ashwin Desai, Senior Vice President of Games & Experiences at OneTeam Partners. Ashwin’s career spans media, entertainment, and sports, beginning in film and TV financing before moving to the likes of NBCUniversal, Formula One, and 2K. Joining Formula One in 2018 during its digital transformation under Liberty Media, Ashwin worked on a broad range of projects, from live streaming deals with Twitch and Facebook, to global betting partnerships, gaming deals, and fan experiences like F1 Arcade and the F1 Exhibition. Now at OneTeam Partners, which was founded as a joint venture between the NFL Players Union, the MLB Players Union and Redbird Capital, Ashwin leads their games and experiences portfolio, helping athlete collectives to explore gaming, gambling, and emerging technologies. We touch on a number of fast-evolving areas, from NIL and gambling legislations, to what opportunities are there around player data and AI. Time Stamps 2:30 - Ashwin's Journey 4:00 - Working on Formula 1 under Liberty Media 7:00 - Founding Story of OneTeam Partners 12:00 - Negotiating Players Rights for EA's College Football Game 18:00 - Athletes Balancing Individual vs Collective Power 23:00 - Dominance of Dual Licensed Video Games and Potential Growth for Single Licensed Games 27:00 - Competitive Socialisation and Fan Experiences Outside of the Stadium 29:00 - Ideas for New Venues 35:00 - Taking the NFL Combine to Other Sports 37:00 - Leveraging Athlete Data 42:00 - Utilising AI for New Commercial Opportunities 46:00 - Approaching New Areas with Caution 48:00 - Expanding into Other Markets Additional Links Connect with Ashwin on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 23 Apr 2025 | Ben Ladkin [ARCHIVE]: Fuelling European Interest in Major League Baseball | 00:35:58 | |
In the build up to our Speakers Only reunion event at Moonshot this week, in partnership with MLB, we are revisiting our conversation from last summer with their European Managing Director, Ben Ladkin. Although now representing a major American sports league, Ben's journey in sport began at Arsenal, where he spent 11 years, eventually leading the media group and building their digital and social media presence during the dot com era. Now at MLB, he operates across three key pillars: content, events, and participation. While the content pillar aligns closely with his past experience, he has embraced the new challenges of organising major events like the London Series (which took place earlier this month) as well as fostering baseball participation in Europe. This has required tapping into popular U.S. sports already capturing mind-share in Europe, finding alignment with popular global sports such as cricket, and tapping into culture and the wider export of Americana. Timestamps 2:00 - Ben’s Journey 6:00 - How London Differs from other MLB International Markets 8:00 - Tapping into Cricket Fandom 12:00 - Incorporating Education into Content 14:00 - Strategy and Ambitions Across the Wider European Market 17:00 - Tapping in to Merchandise and Music 24:00 - Who Gets to Play in the London Series? 25:00 - Special Edition Merch 28:00 - Ballpark Food and Exporting Americana 31:00 - Future Plans and 365 Engagement Strategies Additional Links Home Plate: MLB's Recipe for Increasing Fan Appetite Can Cricket SUPERSTAR Harry Brook learn how to hit a baseball in just 1 day?! Jos Buttler swaps cricket for baseball to advertise the World Tour in London Rob McElhenney brought baseball to a Wrexham match Official MLB MLB London Series x Titi Collection Connect with Ben on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 18 Nov 2024 | Maurits Schön [#39]: Unlocking the Value of OneFootball's Owned and Operated Audience | 00:51:06 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Maurits Schön, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at OneFootball. Maurits has an intriguing career journey, having made the leap from law into the world of sports media, joining OneFootball as Senior Legal Counsel. Since then, he has risen through the ranks while navigating a period of significant transformation for the company. It is this evolution that makes today’s conversation so compelling. Once perhaps seen as just a football content aggregator, OneFootball has grown into a comprehensive platform. From expanding its OTT presence with recent landmark deals with the likes of MLS and Serie A, as well as launching a loyalty program and expanding into commerce, the company is redefining how fans connect with the beautiful game. Timestamps: 4:00 - Maurits Career Journey 6:00 - Unique Positioning of OneFootball 9:00 - Challenges with Club Apps 15:00 - Key Markets for OneFootball 16:00 - Collaborating with Apple and MLS 22:00 - Building a Loyalty Rewards Program 26:00 - Developing an OTT Offering (and PPV Access to Bundesliga 2) 30:00 - OneFootball Partnership with Serie A 34:00 - Non-Exclusive and Incremental Content and Rights Partnerships 37:00 - Differentiation from YouTube 41:00 - Having a Team in the Icon League 46:00 - Launching a Commerce Functionality Additional Links: Connect with Maurits on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 02 Apr 2025 | Siobhan Cassidy [#48]: Why CHANEL Sponsored The Boat Race | 00:49:31 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The Boat Race, an event recognised as one of the world’s oldest and most famous amateur sporting events. The Boat Race is regularly attended by over 200,000 spectators at the banks of the river and watched by millions more on television. This year’s race will take place on Sunday 13 April 2025. Although now Chair, Sionhan is previously a winner of the race herself whilst at Cambridge. In today’s conversation, we’re going to explore what it takes to deliver one of the UK’s most iconic sporting events, how they landed an extremely unique new title partner, as well as how she goes about balancing innovation with history and legacy. Timestamps 2:00 - Siobhan's Journey 5:00 - Getting into Rowing 10:00 - Creating an Impact Beyond Oxford and Cambridge 15:00 - What can be Learned from American Collegiate Sport? 21:00 - Revenue Streams of The Boat Race 23:00 - Tapping into Fandom of British IP like Harry Potter 26:00 - Festivalisation of Sporting Events 28:00 - Partnering with CHANEL 35:00 - Leveraging Content to Educate Audiences 46:00 - Looking Forward Additional Links The Boat Race Documentary 2025: Ep 1 | "All Change" - Turning The Tide (2025) Oxford v Cambridge CHANEL and The Boat Race announce long-term partnership Connect with Siobhan on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 06 Nov 2024 | Douglas Jakobi [#38]: Launching E1 Series with Tom Brady, Virat Kohli, Will Smith, and Rafa Nadal | 00:40:32 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Douglas Jakobi, Director of Team Development at the E1 Series, the world’s first electric powerboat racing championship. Having previously worked in commodities trading before starting his own company sourcing and producing fan engagement products for sports teams, Douglas joined E1 as one of its earliest team members and has been instrumental in shaping the championship into what it is today. In our conversation, we dive into what it takes to create an entirely new sport from scratch. What E1 has learned and borrowed from Alejandro Agag’s other sporting endeavours such as Formula E, Extreme E, and Hexagon Cup, as well as how the league has managed to attract, and aims to capitalise on, its high-profile team owners, which include the likes Tom Brady, Virat Kohli, Will Smith, and Rafa Nadal. Timestamps 3:00 - Douglas' Journey 5:00 - What is E1 Series? 7:00 - Aspiring to be 'F1 on Water' 10:00 - How E1 Differs from Powerboating 14:00 - Celebrity Team Ownership 20:00 - What does Ownership Look Like? 23:00 - Getting the Celebrities Actively Involved 26:00 - Converting Reach to Audience 28:00 - The Potential for a Behind-the-scenes Docuseries 30:00 - Sourcing and Telling the Stories of the Pilots 34:00 - What Makes a good E1 Pilot? 36:00 - Expanding Race Locations to the US 38:00 - Announcing New Team Owners... Additional Links Tom Brady team wins E1 championship Hopes 'Formula 1-style' electric boat race could come to London A celebrity’s playground: How is Saudi-backed E1 Series changing the world of water mobility? Connect with Douglas on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 16 Apr 2024 | Henrik Teisbæk: How AI-powered Video can Unlock Opportunity for Grassroots Sports with Veo's CEO | 00:37:04 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Henrik Teisbæk, co-founder and CEO of Veo Technologies. Veo was founded in Copenhagen in 2015 with a vision to democratise video broadcasting and analytics which at the time was reserved mostly for professional teams. The company creates smart, AI-powered cameras that let anyone record their match without a camera operator. The automatic recording and video-editing then enables coaches and players to watch and share their sport. While predominantly focused on football, I recently partnered with Veo when I launched the Sports Pundit rugby predictor game for both the men’s and women’s Six Nations. From that initial conversation about a partnership also grew a curiosity to learn more about their product, as well as how it was being utilised - particularly at the grassroots level - something rarely discussed within sports industry content. Time Stamps 2:00 - Founding Veo 4:00 - Transitioning from Software to Hardware 10:00 - The Commercial Benefits of Video 13:00 - Targeting the Grassroots 19:00 - Expanding into New Sports and Markets 24:00 - The Opportunity in Women’s Sport 27:00 - Launching the People’s Puskas Award 30:00 - Creating New Jobs 34:00 - Looking to the Future Additional Links Great goals can come from everywhere: Veo unveils People's Puskas 2023 AI camera startup Veo targets further expansion after US$80m funding round Mastering Moments: Unveiling the new Veo Cam 3 ‘We’re creating a video network for all of soccer’: Veo’s goal to take AI tech to the masses Connect with Henrik on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 02 Apr 2024 | Peer Naubert: Bringing German Football to the World with Bundesliga International CMO | 00:44:22 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Peer Naubert, CMO and Managing Director of Bundesliga International. Growing up in Germany, Peer has gained experience working in South Korea, China, and the Netherlands. His current role involves working closely with clubs to further develop a joint international approach, providing them with global marketing and commercial opportunities and offering financial support for their global activities. Managing a team of 44 employees across Frankfurt, Singapore, New York, and Beijing, Peer is focused on developing and executing local marketing strategies that drive fandom. To date, this has resulted in the Bundesliga becoming the fastest growing, among Europe's top football leagues, in terms of awareness, interest, and media consumption globally. Taking time out of his schedule at the recent SportInnovation Summit in Dusseldorf, I sat down with Peer to discuss what he has done, and what he’s aspiring to do in the months and years ahead. Time Stamps 2:30 - A Recap of SportInnovation Summit 6:00 - Peer’s Journey to the Bundesliga 9:00 - Lessons from Living in Korea 12:00 - The Arrival of England Captain, Harry Kane 16:30 - The Launch of Fortuna for All 23:00 - Appealing to the US Soccer Fan 26:00 - Remaining Affordable 33:00 - Building Up a Database of International Fans 35:00 - The NFL and Playing Internationally 38:00 - Overcoming the Language Problem Additional Links Sports Innovation 2024: Wonderment and warnings in equal measure as AI dominates Düsseldorf event Connect with Peer on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 30 Apr 2024 | Carmen Rendell: Why People and Businesses Should Lead More Consiously | 00:50:11 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Carmen Rendell, Founder of Soulhub. She’s not your usual therapist or business owner. She’s a community space holder and a truth seeker. She says herself she loves to get under the bonnet and get to the real stuff. Talk raw truths. To stop the pretence and help you or your business say and see it how it really is. And she’s done this for some huge businesses like HSBC, eBay, and WhatsApp. My conversation today is unlike others that I’ve held, far more introspective, but I hope that, like with all the content that I put out, it provokes thought and ideation. Ultimately at the centre of every business and every sport are humans, and it’s important to take a step back and recognise that fundamental truth. Time Stamps: 2:00 - Carmen’s Journey to Founding Soulhub 15:00 - What is Soulhub? 22:00 - Recruiting and Bringing People into your Mission 26:00 - What has Wellbeing and Spirituality got to do with Sport? 29:00 - Getting the Best out of Ourselves and our Teams 35:00 - Balancing Morals and Values with Necessity 38:00 - Sitting with Difference Additional Links Souhubbers Podcast - Episode 1 – Who is Carmen Rendell? The Growing Importance Of Employee Wellness: How Are You Responding? Connect with Carmen on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 11 Jun 2024 | Kahlen Macauley: How Snapchat is Engaging the Next Generation of Sports Fans | 00:47:48 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Kahlen Macauley, Head of International Sports Media and Partnerships at Snapchat.
Having worked across the sports media landscape at the likes of TalkSport, ESPN and Pulselive, Kahlen then joined the International Olympic Committee in 2016, leading their digital partnerships team with a main focus on aiming to engage with younger audiences beyond broadcasts. It was here, among the other social platforms, that Kahlen started interacting and working with Snapchat, who he then joined in 2019 to lead their sports partnerships for EMEA - identifying the opportunity that the company had as an under appreciated platform for sports rightsholders who were all wishing to engage with that younger generation. Bringing his 360 view of the sports media and marketing landscape, Kahlen has sought to help position the platform to better fit the marketing strategies of sports teams, leagues, and brands. Timestamps: 2:00 - Kahlen’s Journey to working at Snapchat 5:30 - Lessons Across Different Areas of Sports Media 9:00 - Working with Snapchat while at the IOC 10:30 - Addressing Misconceptions Around Snapchat 13:00 - Snapchat’s Product Suite 15:00 - How does Snapchat Enhance the Fan Experience? 18:00 - How Athlete’s Engage Differently on Snapchat 24:00 - Blurring the Lines Between Sport and Fashion 28:00 - Importance of Sport to Snapchat Strategy 35:00 - What does a Snapchat Partnership Look Like? 42:00 - Future Plans for Snapchat in Sport Additional Links Gen-Z love 'blokette' fashion sparking boom in young sports fans Research: Gen Z falling back in love with sport Snapchat Statistics: Revenue and Usage Trends in 2024 Connect with Kahlen on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 12 Dec 2023 | Ari Mark: How the DRL is Captivating the Attention of an Entirely New Audience | 00:40:12 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Ari Mark, the Senior VP, Head of Partnership Development at The Drone Racing League. Mark joined the DRL from the NFL, where he led corporate partnership sales for the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium. Before that, Ari spent eight years in global business development for the NBA, securing sponsorships across the NBA, WNBA, G League, USA Basketball, and NBA 2K League. Over the last several years, Ari built a legacy for developing new, groundbreaking programs, including the creation of the DRL’s largest ever partnership with Algorand, the leading high-performance blockchain platform as well as launching DRL Labs, an innovation hub to research and develop next generation drone technology with Dragan Fly. The league is flying high *pun intended* as the world’s premier, professional drone racing property and in the process is creating a new era of sports that brings high-speed competition in real life and digitally. Time Stamps: 3:00 - Taking Lessons from the NBA and NFL 5:00 - The DRL as an Innovation Hub and Accelerator of Technology 10:00 - Tapping into Alternative Budgets 11:00 - Solving Problems for Partners and Tapping Partners to Solve Problems 13:00 - Engaging with Fans Away from Broadcast TV 16:00 - Connecting with Fans of the Non-Traditional Sports 19:00 - Embracing Meta’s Launch of WhatsApp Channels 24:00 - Evolving the DRL from Season to Season 27:00 - Deciding on where to Race 29:00 - Tapping into Athlete Appeal of the DRL Pilots 32:00 - Esports as a talent funnel and engagement tool 37:00 - An opportunity for DRL events to tap into culturally relevant IP. 38:00 - Vision for the future of the DRL Additional Links Serving Fans: Why FC Barcelona Are Embracing An Overlooked Social Platform Overtime's Playbook: Focus on 'Winning' the Group Chat The Great Divide: The Future of Social Media How F1 Technology has Supercharged the World How High-Speed Drone Racing could Aid Struggling Air Force Recruitment Connect with Ari on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 21 Jan 2025 | Olga Correia [#44]: Why Sport Must Embrace Hybrid Reality Formats Like supertri-E | 00:44:09 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Olga Correia, Host and Activation Manager at supertri. Over the past 12 months, I’ve got to work with supertri in an advisory capacity and got to know more and more about the organisation and their unique structure operating across three core pillars; supertri League, supertri-E, and their mass-participation series By supertri. With events hosted in vibrant cities like Neom, London, and Chicago, supertri combines innovation with a thoughtful approach to community and legacy. Alongside supertri's CEO, Michael Dhulst, who appeared on this podcast almost exactly a year ago, Olga has been at the heart of this journey, playing a pivotal role in delivering world-class events. In our conversation, we’ll discuss how supertri adapts to the unique needs of each city it partners with, their plans to roll out more and more mass participation events, and the exciting opportunities presented by supertri-E’s hybrid reality format - with the World Championships set to take place in April - as well as much much more. Time Stamps 2:00 - Olga’s Journey 5:00 - Shifting from Federation to Rightsholder 7:30 - What is supertri? 10:00 - Developing a Mass-Participation Offering 15:00 - The Appeal of Short-Course Triathlon 18:00 - Operating Across Different Markets (from America to Saudi Arabia) 20:00 - Impact of Hosting a supertri Event 25:00 - The Format Advantages for Cities Hosting supertri (Vs Other Triathlon Events) 27:00 - Overcoming Hosting Barriers Using supertri-E 30:00 - What is supertri-E 33:00 - Future Opportunities for supertri-E 35:00 - The IOC’s Recognition of eSports/ Hybrid Reality 38:00 - The Gamification of Sport 41:00 - Future Ambitions of supertri and supertri-E Additional Links Why host cities should embrace hybrid reality sports Running Partners: Supertri Opens the Door to External Team Owners 🏃♂️ Highlight Reel: Podium Racing Become Supertri’s First Team Out the Blocks 🏅 Connect with Olga on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 25 Mar 2024 | Mike Armstrong: Innovating to Stay Ahead of the Game with Juventus' CMO | 00:59:57 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Mike Armstrong. Mike is the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Juventus. Moving from Toronto to Torino, Mike joined the club in September 2021, with a remit to innovate and to grow the club's global supporter base. As the only English-speaking native within the organisation, this has required some cultural readjustment. As has moving into life working within a sports rights holder environment, having previously spent his time working in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) with both Kraft Foods and AB InBev, as well as in media at CBC, Google, and esports upstart Overactive Media. The result is a unique perspective, and an approach that is unlike any other from across the top football clubs in Europe. Time Stamps 2:00 - Ronaldo’s Exit 6:00 - Working Closely with Fans (Rather than Customers) 9:00 - Addressing the Economic Headwinds Facing European Football 11:00 - Lessons from Working in Consumer Packaged Goods 14:00 - Merging of Chief Marketing and Chief Communications Roles 18:00 - Embracing Generative AI Tools 21:00 - Brining Fan-Created Content In-House 26:00 - Content as a Driver of Fandom 30:00 - Creating for Netflix vs TikTok 35:00 - Reducing Reliance on Individual Star Power 38:00 - Borrowed vs Owned and Operated Platforms 42:00 - Becoming a Distribution Channel for Other Content 48:00 - Getting More Women In Football 53:00 - Plans for the Future? Additional Links Brain games, 'LA-style' creator labs & TikTok: Embracing innovation at Juventus TikTok Tactic: Juventus tap into the Freestyle World Championships Chiesa to Segura: How Juventus' Creator Lab is Driving a New Approach to Content Creation Connect with Mike on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 17 Sep 2024 | Jack Withinshaw [#32]: Why Alauda Aeronautics are Creating 'Formula 1 for the Skies' | 00:46:43 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Jack Withinshaw, Chief Commercial Officer at Alauda Aeronautics and CCO and Co-Founder of Airspeeder. Jack’s started out his career with giant advertising agencies like MediaCom and Val Morgan before transitioning to work with various startups across in industries like logistics, recruitment, and retail. He joined Alauda Aeronautics in 2019 where he co-founded Airspeeder, alongside Aluda’s founder, Matt Pearson. During this conversation, we discuss what drove him to, together with Matt, to start a racing series, as well as his aspirations more broadly for the adoption of eVOTL vehicles and why he believes now is the time to finally deliver on the promise of flying cars. Timestamps 3:00 - Jack's Journey to Joining Alauda 5:00 - The Promise of Flying Cars 7:00 - Founding and Developing Airspeeder 10:00 - Recruiting Pilots 13:00 - Digital Racetracks 16:00 - Airspeeder's Revenue Model 19:00 - Why Automotive Brands are Getting Involved 24:00 - Navigating Media Rights and Opportunities 29:00 - The Role of Esports 31:00 - The Impact of eVOTL as a Mobility Revolution 34:00 - Cities of the Future 39:00 - Approaching Investment 42:00 - Going Behind the Scenes on YouTube Additional Links Alauda Aeronautics - Taking Flight Series Airspeeder EXA Championship 2023 - Full Race Highlights Evolving the eVTOL market one race at a time Connect with Jack - Here Connect with Andy - Here | |||
| 16 Apr 2025 | Dan Porter [#50]: Building Overtime into an IP Powerhouse for the Next Generation of Sports Fans | 00:29:59 | |
On today’s conversation, I’m joined by the CEO of Overtime, Dan Porter. Formerly head of Digital at WME, CEO of OMGPOP, and the creator of the mobile game ‘Draw Something,’ Dan founded Overtime in 2016. Now a digital sports media company geared towards Gen-Z sports fans and operating a series of professional sports leagues - it began focusing on posting short-form content of high school athletes captured shared to social media. This social-first identity carries through across all of the companies endeavours to this day, so I’m delighted to have Dan on to discuss the companies evolution from media platform to league operator, their recently announced partnerships with the ATP Tour and NWSL, and how they are navigating the evolving landscape around areas like NIL and social media. Timestamps: On today’s conversation, I’m joined by the CEO of Overtime, Dan Porter. Formerly head of Digital at WME, CEO of OMGPOP, and the creator of the mobile game ‘Draw Something,’ Dan founded Overtime in 2016. Now a digital sports media company geared towards Gen-Z sports fans and operating a series of professional sports leagues - it began focusing on posting short-form content of high school athletes captured shared to social media. This social-first identity carries through across all of the companies endeavours to this day, so I’m delighted to have Dan on to discuss the companies evolution from media platform to league operator, their recently announced partnerships with the ATP Tour and NWSL, and how they are navigating the evolving landscape around areas like NIL and social media. Timestamps: 2:00 - Dan’s Journey - From Draw Something to Overtime 5:00 - What is Overtime? A brand, a platform, a league? 8:00 - Becoming Sports League Operators 10:00 - Young athletes aren’t future stars, they’re stars NOW 13:00 - Owning IP and Being Part of Creator Economy 15:00 - Impact of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) on Overtime 17:00 - Eli Ellis: A potential future Overtime CEO 20:00 - Overtime’s Revenue Split 25:00 – NFL, Olympics & new partnerships: Why other leagues are working with Overtime 30:00 – Future plans and Overtime’s potential bold play in chess Additional Links: Overtime and NWSL Team Up For Gen-Z-Focused Content Partnership ATP Tour & Overtime announce groundbreaking content partnership to bring tennis to new audiences Connect with Dan on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 23 Oct 2024 | Drew Rauso [#36]: Developing an Athlete Podcast Network Full of NBA, NFL, and WNBA Stars | 00:44:32 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Drew Rauso, who leads Strategy and Operations at Playmaker HQ, a top-tier sports podcast network owned by Bettor Collective. Playmaker’s lineup features some of the biggest names in sports, including Shaquille O'Neal, Angel Reese, and Marshawn Lynch. Drew's role focuses on driving growth, fan engagement, and uncovering commercial opportunities, from merchandise to live events. With a background that includes working at The Players' Tribune, Drew and I dive into the rise of athlete-driven media and the key areas involved in building a successful podcast network. Timeline 3:00 - Drew Journey 4:00 - Athlete Driven Media 7:00 - Playmaker HQ's Distribution Network 10:00 - Landing and Navigating Commercial Deals 12:00 - Balancing Politics and Priorities 14:00 - Leveraging Bettor Collective's Relationships 17:00 - Podcast Monetisation 19:00 - Launching Physical Events 27:00 - Could Teams Launch Their Own Podcasts? 34:00 - Why Streaming Killed the Group Chat 37:00 - Expanding into International Sports Additional Links Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart host block party for Roommates Show in Central Park Angel Reese Launches 'Unapologetically Angel' Podcast amid Breakout WNBA Season 'Streaming has killed the mainstream': the decade that broke popular culture Connect with Drew on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 25 Jun 2024 | Ben Ladkin: Fuelling European Interest in Major League Baseball | 00:35:58 | |
On today's episode, I'm joined by Ben Ladkin, Managing Director of MLB Europe. Although now representing a major American sports league, Ben's journey in sport began at Arsenal, where he spent 11 years, eventually leading the media group and building their digital and social media presence during the dot com era. Now at Major League Baseball (MLB), he operates across three key pillars: content, events, and participation. While the content pillar aligns closely with his past experience, he has embraced the new challenges of organising major events like the London Series (which took place earlier this month) as well as fostering baseball participation in Europe. This has required tapping into popular U.S. sports already capturing mind-share in Europe, finding alignment with popular global sports such as cricket, and tapping into culture and the wider export of Americana. Timestamps 2:00 - Ben’s Journey 6:00 - How London Differs from other MLB International Markets 8:00 - Tapping into Cricket Fandom 12:00 - Incorporating Education into Content 14:00 - Strategy and Ambitions Across the Wider European Market 17:00 - Tapping in to Merchandise and Music 24:00 - Who Gets to Play in the London Series? 25:00 - Special Edition Merch 28:00 - Ballpark Food and Exporting Americana 31:00 - Future Plans and 365 Engagement Strategies Additional Links Can Cricket SUPERSTAR Harry Brook learn how to hit a baseball in just 1 day?! Jos Buttler swaps cricket for baseball to advertise the World Tour in London Rob McElhenney brought baseball to a Wrexham match Official MLB MLB London Series x Titi Collection Connect with Ben on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 12 Mar 2024 | Michael Dhulst: Creating the 'T20 of Triathlon' with supertri's CEO | 00:42:16 | |
Today’s Episode, I’m joined my Michael Dhulst. Michael is the Co-Founder and CEO of supertri, formerly known as Super League Triathlon. Since its bold emergence in 2017, this is a league which as carved out a well-earned reputation for disruption - built from the outset to shake up the swim-bike-run events space. Now, under its new supertri brand they aim to further embrace their ‘challenger’ status and build on the foundations they have put in place as the short-form specialists, aspiring to be to triathlon what Twenty20 is to cricket. And in order to get there, Dhulst and his co-founders, Leonid Boguslavsky and four-time triathlon world champion Chris McCormack, are putting their own capital, passion, and expertise on the line. Time Stamps: 2:00 - Initial Interest in Triathlon 5:00 - Identifying a Gap in the Market 8:00 - What is supertri? 11:00 - Transitioning from Mass Participation to Spectator Sport 13:00 - Unlocking New Venue Opportunities 17:00 - Creating a Team Format 25:00 - Capitalising on the Olympics 30:00 - Generating Revenues without the Big Media Cheque 34:00 - Analysing the Competition… 37:00 - Hosting the eSports World Championships for Triathlon Additional Links Video: Introducing supertri Supertri rebrand builds on Super League Triathlon’s disruptive ethos World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon unite for new esports series Podcast: How Zwift Challenged the Tour de France with Kate Veronneau Connect with Michael on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 10 Sep 2024 | Alexander Jobst [#31]: Why Fortuna Dusseldorf Decided to Give Their Tickets Away for Free with CEO | 00:41:42 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Alexander Jobst, CEO at Fortuna Dusseldorf, a football club based in the North of Germany and competing in the second tier, Bundesliga 2. Fortuna’s home, the Merkur Spiel Arena, hosted a number of matches during this summer’s European championships, including England’s 5-3 penalty win over Switzerland in the quarter finals, which was witnessed live by almost 47,000 fans. One of the greatest challenges facing Alex in his role at CEO, is achieving similar attendance figures throughout the club season - which led to the innovative launch of 'Fortuna for All.' Almost three years into the role, Alexander has leant heavily on his past experiences working with the likes of Siemens, Real Madrid, FIFA, and FC Schalke on areas around commercialisation and internationalisation. We discuss what he has learnt over his career and how this has lead him to such a unique solution now that he is at the helm at Fortuna... Timestamps 2:00 - Journey to becoming CEO 5:00 - Fortuna Düsseldorf's Long-Term Vision 8:00 - Fortuna for All: Concept and Implementation 10:00 - Business Model and Revenue Impact 13:00 - Fan Loyalty and Community Building 15:00 - Digital Transformation and Future Plans 20:00 - Commercial Partnerships and Sustainability 29:00 - Applying the Model Elsewhere 36:00 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts Additional Links 'Fortuna For All': Fortuna Düsseldorf confirm four free fixtures for 2024/25 season How the Application Process Works Connect with Alexander on LinkedIn - Here Connected with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 02 Oct 2024 | Dani Gonçalves [#34]: Creating a Fantasy Product to Drive Women's Football Fandom | 00:38:58 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Dani Gonçalves, Co-Founder and CEO of Fantasy WSL. Dani’s journey is a unique blend of creativity and technology. She started her career as a musician, moved to London to pursue her dream, and soon found herself immersed in the world of social media and digital marketing, even before it became the major industry it is today. After honing her skills with brands like Lush Cosmetics, Dani transitioned into the world of tech, working for a fintech startup, which is where she met her co-founder, Jimmy. Their shared passion for fantasy sports and a desire to make women’s sports more accessible, having watched the Lionesses win the Euros, led to the creation of Fantasy WSL. In this conversation, Dani shares her fascinating background, the pivotal moment that inspired Fantasy WSL, and how she’s helping to bring the women’s game to new audiences - and in the process building one of the most engaged platforms and communities around women's football. Timestamps 3:00 - Dani’s Journey 7:00 - Applying lessons from Lush Cosmetics 10:00 - The Fantasy WSL Audience 14:00 - Women’s Football Rivalry 17:00 - Breaking Through 19:00 - Leveraging Media Relationships to Build Community 23:00 - What if the League Launch an Official App 27:00 - Differentiating the Product 31:00 - Getting Engagement from Players 35:00 - Leveraging First Party Data 37:00 - Future Plans… Additional Links Create your own Fantasy WSL team Pipe dream or masterplan: will WSL fantasy football make it big? The Guardian Connect with Dani - Here Connect with Andy - Here | |||
| 06 Feb 2024 | Mihir Kumar: Why the MLS has Launched a Venture Fund In-House | 00:38:08 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Mihir Kumar. Mihir is Senior Director for MLS Emerging Ventures, the in-house investment arm for Major League Soccer. Having taken up the role just over a year ago, it perfectly compliments his previous experience in finance (at BCG) and sport (at Overtime). Recently MLS Emerging Ventures announced the launch of the MLS Innovation Lab, a program designed to shape the future of sports through the identification of cutting-edge startups and advanced technologies to help develop the next generation of athletes, enhance the fan experience and drive continued growth for the League and its Clubs. In this conversation, we talk about what spurred this innovation, the companies in the initial cohort, and the areas of interest for potential future cohorts. Time Stamps 3:00 - Mihir’s Experience Working at Overtime 5:00 - Launching the MLS Innovation Lab 8:00 - Applying Innovation Across the MLS Ecosystem 12:00 - Sourcing Investment Opportunities 13:00 - The Initial Cohort of MLS Innovation Lab 19:00 - Figuring out the ‘Moat’ and Confronting Competition 25:00 - Areas of Focus for MLS Innovation Labs’ Future Cohorts 30:00 - TOCA and Opportunities Around Live Experiences 32:00 - Could MLS Create their Own Consumer Products within Health & Wellness? Additional Links MLS Launches Innovation Lab Startup Accelerator Program Game On: Experiential Venues Worth a Shot to Engage Fans Outside the Stadium Sweaty Equity: Why Sports Leagues are Setting up Investment Funds Chelsea FC launches new sports nutrition app called Blue Fuel PRIME Example: Rightsholders could benefit from Dodging industry incumbents Connect with Mihir on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 17 Dec 2024 | Andy Marston: Building a Community for Sports Industry Professionals [From Business of Football] | 00:50:39 | |
On today’s episode, I have something a bit different for you as I shift from interviewer to interviewee after being invited to join David Chimbaza on his podcast, the 'Business of Football' back in October. David is a recent graduate from UCFB who is aiming to forge a career in the world of football and I really admire his drive - which is highlighted by the fact that he has launched this podcast in the first place. As well as hopefully providing you a little bit of insight on myself, the motivations behind starting Sports Pundit four years ago, as well as more recently my work with The Players Fund, I really hope that you also take a moment to check out what David is doing. Based on his actions to-date, he’s someone I’d expect to go far within the game over the course of his career - and I was very flattered to be invited on to have this conversation with him. Episode Description In the episode, we talk about community building within the football industry. I shares insights from my experiences having founded Sports Pundit, which aims to connect professionals in the sports sector. We also explore the need for greater inclusivity of younger voices in the industry, drawing parallels with successful models from other sectors, such as Gucci's shadow board. Additionally, I delves into the Players Fund, an athlete-backed venture fund that empowers sports professionals to invest wisely and prepare for life after their athletic careers. Additional Links Connect with David on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 26 Mar 2025 | Emily Heath [#47]: Leveraging a Global Brand to Get Girls Moving | 00:46:04 | |
On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Em Heath, Global Brand Director at Rexona, a key player globally in Unilever’s personal care brand portfolio. Formerly a sponsor of Williams F1, the brand has taken a serious liking to women’s football - partnering with Man City and Chelsea, doing deals with players like Lauren James and Lucy Bronze, as well as playing a key role in activating around marquee properties like the Women’s World Cup and Women’s Euros, as part of Unilever’s broader partnerships with FIFA and UEFA. We explore this interest in women’s football and the nuances of activating across almost every area of the women’s game, the role that brands can play within women’s sport, and the intricacies of managing a global brand. Timestamps 2:00 - Em's Journey 4.30: - How Rexona Fits within Unilever Personal Care Portfolio 8:00 - Activating Partnerships with UEFA and FIFA 15:00 - Balancing Sports Partnerships with Other Areas of Marketing 18:00 - Leveraging Ambassadors at Club Partners - like Lucy Bronze and Lauren James 20:30 - What Attracted Rexona to Partner with Chelsea and Man City 26:00 - Chicken and Egg Problem Surrounding Women's Sport 29:00 - What is Rexona's Breaking Limits Program? 34:00 - Meeting KPIs and Measuring ROI 40:00 - Evaluating New Partners - and why Rexona Stopped Sponsoring in Formula 1 45:00 - Looking Forward Additional Links Rexona Partners with England Football Star Lucy Bronze to Inspire Girls to Move More Connect with Emily on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 23 Apr 2024 | Jeff Dodds: Captivating Motorsport Fans in New Ways with Formula E CEO | 00:47:10 | |
In his role as CEO, Jeff is spearheading the evolution of the pioneering electric motorsport world championship, best-known for it’s promotion of sustainability within elite sports—a mission that's more vital than ever. Before taking the helm, Jeff honed his leadership prowess within the dynamic landscape of Virgin businesses. From his most recent tenure as Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media O2, to his multifaceted roles at Virgin Media prior to that, which included spells as COO, Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer. Having also held executive roles outside of Telecoms, at the likes of Callaway Golf and Honda UK, Jeff has a wealth of insights to bring to the table for the still-young racing series as it moves into it’s next phase of growth, something that we discuss heavily. So, without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Jeff Dodds. Time Stamps 2:00 - Applying Lessons from Telcos 4:00 - Working for a Virgin Business 7:00 - What Differentiates the Formula E Product? 10:00 - Balancing Purpose and Product 15:00 - Retaining Competitive Balance 21:00 - Hosting an E-Prix on the Streets of Tokyo 27:00 - The Benefits to Being Young 29:00 - Can Men and Women Compete in the Same Racing Series? 36:00 - Going Behind a Paywall in the UK 45:00 - Looking to the Future Additional Links Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 21 May 2024 | Faith Wheller: Why TeamViewer are Making Space for Women in Sports and Technology | 00:36:16 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Faith Wheller, Vice President of Brand, Sports Partnerships & Integrated Marketing at TeamViewer. Famous for their high-profile partnerships with Manchester United and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, TeamViewer is a remote access and remote control computer software company focused mainly on enterprise clients. With that in mind, we discuss the company’s decision to invest into sponsorship and how they are choosing to activate in order to get a return on their investments as well as how they go about balancing product-led storytelling with broader social purpose messaging - through something like their recent SheSportTech initiative. From across her time working at Cisco and Intuit through to working at TeamViewer, Faith has always been incredibly passionate about getting more women into IT and technology. This is reflected in a recent post she shared for international women’s day as well as with SheSport Tech, an initiative which aims to inspire more women and girls to see the breadth of opportunity in the world of technology and sport. Time Stamps 2:00 - Getting More Women in IT 4:00 - Faith’s Career Journey 8:00 - Why Sponsor Manchester United? 10:00 - Integrating the Product into the Partnership 14:00 - Activating Specifically with Enterprise Customers 18:00 - The Importance of F1 and the U.S. Market 19:00 - Opportunity to Engage Women with F1 Academy 23:00 - Speaking to Different Audiences and the Launch of SheSportTech 28:00 - Why More Women are Needed in Sports Tech 33:00 - Future Ambitions for TeamViewer Changing the game: Making space for women in sports and tech Championing diversity: Introducing SheSportTech Connect with Faith on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 07 Jan 2025 | Jack Withinshaw [ARCHIVE]: Why Alauda Aeronautics are Creating 'Formula 1 for the Skies' | 00:46:43 | |
On today’s episode, we revisit a conversation with Jack Withinshaw, Chief Commercial Officer at Alauda Aeronautics and CCO and Co-Founder of Airspeeder. Jack’s started out his career with giant advertising agencies like MediaCom and Val Morgan before transitioning to work with various startups across in industries like logistics, recruitment, and retail. He joined Alauda Aeronautics in 2019 where he co-founded Airspeeder, alongside Aluda’s founder, Matt Pearson. During this conversation, we discuss what drove him to, together with Matt, to start a racing series, as well as his aspirations more broadly for the adoption of eVOTL vehicles and why he believes now is the time to finally deliver on the promise of flying cars. Timestamps 3:00 - Jack's Journey to Joining Alauda 5:00 - The Promise of Flying Cars 7:00 - Founding and Developing Airspeeder 10:00 - Recruiting Pilots 13:00 - Digital Racetracks 16:00 - Airspeeder's Revenue Model 19:00 - Why Automotive Brands are Getting Involved 24:00 - Navigating Media Rights and Opportunities 29:00 - The Role of Esports 31:00 - The Impact of eVOTL as a Mobility Revolution 34:00 - Cities of the Future 39:00 - Approaching Investment 42:00 - Going Behind the Scenes on YouTube Additional Links Alauda Aeronautics - Taking Flight Series Airspeeder EXA Championship 2023 - Full Race Highlights Evolving the eVTOL market one race at a time Connect with Jack - Here Connect with Andy - Here | |||
| 14 Jan 2025 | Jessica Hammond-Graf [#43]: Launching a Professional Women's Rugby League in the U.S. | 00:43:56 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Jessica Hammond Graf, President of Women’s Elite Rugby - the first professional womens rugby league in the US set to launch later this year. Built upon the strong foundation of the Women’s Premier League and looking ahead to the 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup to be hosted in the U.S., WER aims to usher in the next stage of evolution for world-class women's rugby and Jessica is the perfect fit at the helm. A former US rugby 7's player, and retired NCAA Division I Deputy Athletic Director, her career has been dedicated to creating empowered women to lead in the sporting world. In our conversation, we discuss turning women’s rugby in the U.S. from pay-to-play to paid-to-play, selecting locations for the initial teams, securing sponsors and media distribution, the impact star players can have on a sport, and so much more. Timestamps 2:00 - Jessica's Journey 5:00 - The Creation of Women's Elite Rugby 6:00 - Women's Rugby in the U.S. 10:00 - Women's Rugby World Cup Momentum 13:00 - Securing Sponsorship and Investment as a Startup League 17:00 - Exploring Revenue Streams 20:00 - What Will WER Look Like in 2025? 24:00 - Being Player-First 27:00 - Owning a Slot on the Calendar 30:00 - Thinking About a Broadcast Strategy 33:00 - Ilona Maher and the Impact of a Super-Star Athletes 41:00 - The Future for WER Additional Links Women’s Elite Rugby pro league plans 2025 launch ahead of US World Cups Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 15 Oct 2024 | Marieke Visser [#35]: Launching the First Professional Female-Founded Football Club in Europe | 00:52:20 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Marieke Visser and Frederique De Laat from HERA United, a pioneering women’s-only football club based in Amsterdam which is set to launch in 2025. This conversation dives deep into their ambitious goals for club, including their vision for competing in the Champions League, as well as creating long-term growth for Dutch women’s football. Marieke, who is the founder and CEO, talks about the possibilities created by building HERA United from the ground up and shares with us her lifelong fight for gender equality in sports, which is rooted in her early experiences of exclusion from the game. Meanwhile Frederique, who heads up finance and operations, reflects on transitioning from strategy consulting to the sports industry, drawn in by the untapped potential and commercial opportunities she could see within women’s football. Together, they reveal the challenges of launching a women’s-only club in a system designed to favour men’s teams, including how they successfully lobbied the KNVB and how they acquired Telstar's women’s team license. They also discuss HERA’s innovative female-first approach to coaching, sports tech, and talent development, which they believe is essential for building a more sustainable, collaborative football ecosystem. Timestamps: Additional Links Hera United should become the first professional club for women only: "What gets attention, grows" Amsterdam could get a new all-women pro football club Connect with Marieke on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 04 Mar 2024 | CiCi Bellis: From Pro Athlete to Launching a $10M Sports and Health Tech Venture Fund | 00:38:12 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by CiCi Bellis. Cici is the Founder and General Partner of Cartan Capital as well as a former professional tennis player. Still only 24 years old, she’s never let age be a barrier, famously having won a match at the 2014 US Open as a 15 year-old against a top 20 opponent. Having failed to shake-off a recurring injury, CiCi announced her retirement in 2020 and she has set to work on reaching the top in the world of venture. This was initially set in motion thanks to WTA’s partnership with Indiana University where CiCi got her degree. She then joined leAD Sports and Health Tech Partners Investment Team before setting up as a solo GP and launching Cartan Capital in 2023, a $10 million pledge fund focused similarly on sports and health but more specifically now leveraging her network and her experience as an athlete. Time Stamps 2:00 - Early Professional Tennis Career 5:00 - Developing an Interest in Venture Capital 12:00 - Cartan Capital's Areas of Interest 15:00 - The Opportunity in the Wearables Space 18:00 - Cartan’s Investment into Proto Holograms 23:00 - Investing into Sports Betting 27:00 - Finding a Silver Lining to First Hand Experiences in Rehab and Recovery 29:00 - The MASSIVE Opportunity to Invest into Femtech 35:00 - Attracting attention from Female Founders and Athlete Founders Additional Links Cartan Capital's Monthly Newsletter Former tennis pro CiCi Bellis on launching her own VC to invest in sports and health tech How former WTA World No. 35 launched a $10MM Sports & Health Tech Fund Cartan Capital Invests in Proto Hologram Flo Health on how its content drove daily app usage with pregnant mothers - Connect with CiCi on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 19 Feb 2024 | Kate Veronneau: How Zwift Challenged the Tour de France | 00:36:48 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Kate Veronneau. Kate is the director of Women’s Strategy at Zwift, a multiplayer online cycling and running training program that enables users to interact, train, and compete in a virtual world. A keen cyclist herself, Kate played an important role in bringing the Women’s Tour de France event, Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, to fruition. This is an achievement which has since given her the opportunity to use her voice to advocate for parity and sing the praises of investing in women's sports, as well as to speak to the impact that technology can have in driving greater access and participation in sport more broadly. Time Stamps 5:00 - Joining Zwift and the launch of the Zwift Academy 8:00 - Creating Women’s Only Rides 10:00 - What does Community Look Like on Zwift? 14:00 - The (Positive?) Impact of COVID? 16:00 - The Creation of Virtual Events 17:00 - The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 19:00 - Having Parity across Men’s and Women’s 21:00 - The Commercial Case for Serving Women 23:00 - Making Triathlon a Stadium Sport 30:00 - An Opportunity for the Apple Vision Pro? 33:00 - Could AI Reduce the Barriers to Entry for Cycling? Additional Links How the Zwift Academy changed Neve Bradbury's life – and how to watch the 2024 finals Reddit Was Built On Legions of Fake Accounts Zwift Signs On as Title Sponsor for Tour de France Femmes Zwift report highlights positive impact of the Tour de France Femmes How the arrival of Zwift changed triathlon training forever Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift expands to new destinations in 2023 Connect with Kate on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 03 Dec 2024 | Dr Susie Tomson [#41]: Being Sustainable Doesn't Need to Mean Doing Less | 00:57:30 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr Susie Tomson, one of the world’s leading proponents of sustainability in sport. Having led the UK Sport research project into environmental support for NGBs and co-chaired the UN Sport for Climate Action working group, Susie brings hands-on experience that very few could match. Currently a Senior Partner at Think Beyond, her experiences underpin much of their approach to climate action, where, she has developed and delivered sustainability programmes for the likes of SailGP, World Athletics, and Liverpool FC. We discuss some of these programs, as well as what others could do - both at a rightsholder and an individual level… Time Stamps 2:00 - Susie’s Journey 5:00 - Motivations for Becoming Sustainable 7:00 - Building a New Sports Property with a Sustainable Vision (such as SailGP) 12:00 - Developing Sustainability into the DNA of an Established Rightsholder (like Liverpool FC) 18:00 - Sporting Product vs Sustainability Promises 23:00 - Sport’s Ability to Impact Things 25:00 - Sports as an Incubator for New Technologies 28:00 - The Role and Responsibilities of Athletes 32:00 - The Importance of Purpose 38:00 - How Could the Environmental Movement Communicate Better? 43:00 - Formula 1 Case Study 45:00 - Understanding Your Supply Chain 52:00 - Final Thoughts and Takeaways Additional Links Connect with Susie on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 14 May 2024 | Alex Ferrer Kristjansson: How EuroLeague Basketball Retains a Startup Mentality | 00:42:43 | |
Today’s Episode, I’m joined by Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at EuroLeague Basketball. Having joined almost 20 years ago, Alex began his career working on the ULEB Cup, now known as the EuroCup, developing and coordinating the marketing strategy across the teams and he has since held a number of different positions at the organisation, always related to marketing somehow, be it ticketing, brand management, or social media and digital. Since 2012, Alex took on the role that he currently holds, focused on marketing communications, which means overseeing everything related to the promotion and distribution of the competition from PR and comms, to brand and business intelligence. He also looks after the EuroLeague’s long term partnership with IMG, which has had a huge impact on the league since beginning in 2016, from changes to the format, to the allocation of new licenses in markets like Germany and France. The league is a truly unique case study merging the worlds of European and North American sporting governance. Their startup attitude also provides many lessons for us to learn from. Time Stamps 2:00 - Alex’s Career Journey 4:00 - The Impact of Partnering with IMG 6:00 - The Format of the EuroLeague 13:00 - Increasing Presence in Strategic Markets 16:00 - Harnessing the Brand Power of the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich 19:00 - Retaining a Startup Culture and Launching Fan XP Innovation Challenge 31:00 - Leveraging Creators and Launching Hoop District 38:00 - Future Plans for EuroLeague Final Four 40:00 - Influence of the Adidas Next Gen Tournament Additional Links Future Gazing: EuroLeague was Early on OTT, Sees VR as Next Big Opportunity Euroleague Basketball launches 3x3 content creators tournament 'Hoop District' Overtime Elite to represent the USA in ANGT Finals EuroLeague Basketball FanXP relaunches with exciting SPORTBIZ partnership Connect with Alex on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 18 Jun 2024 | Joe Gray: Starting a Business While Playing Professional Rugby with MyoMaster Co-Founder | 00:39:57 | |
On Today’s Episode, I’m joined by Joe Gray, the co-founder of MyoMaster as well as a rugby coach for London Scottish. Having retired from professional rugby in 2022, Gray is the only player in history to have won every trophy available to players in the top two tiers of English rugby, including both European trophies. Throughout his illustrious career, he has represented England and played for top clubs such as Harlequins, Northampton Saints, and Saracens. In 2018, he founded the sports recovery business MyoMaster with his wife Lottie. Earlier this year, they made a memorable appearance on the British reality TV show Dragon’s Den, securing an investment from former Manchester United and England footballer Gary Neville and renowned British businesswoman Sara Davies. Leveraging his extensive experience as a top-level athlete, Gray developed MyoMaster's initial product, a massage gun, and has continued to innovate, aiming to democratise access to high-quality sports recovery products. Timestamps 2:00 - Joe’s Journey 5:00 - Sending CVs to Professional Rugby Clubs 9:00 - Founding MyoMaster 13:00 - Wider Interest in Entrepreneurship 14:30 - What is MyoMaster? 17:00 - How Can Sports Teams Support Athlete Founders? 19:00 - The Role of Athlete Partnerships 22:00 - Appearing on Dragon’s Den 30:00 - The Value of Video Content 35:00 - Future Ambitions for MyoMaster Additional Links Wellness Wonders: Meet the CEO of sports recovery specialist MyoMaster
Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 21 Aug 2024 | Peer Naubert [ARCHIVE]: Bringing German Football to the World with Bundesliga International CMO | 00:44:22 | |
Today’s episode, we revisit a conversation with Peer Naubert, CMO and Managing Director of Bundesliga International. Growing up in Germany, Peer has gained experience working in South Korea, China, and the Netherlands. His current role involves working closely with clubs to further develop a joint international approach, providing them with global marketing and commercial opportunities and offering financial support for their global activities. Managing a team of 44 employees across Frankfurt, Singapore, New York, and Beijing, Peer is focused on developing and executing local marketing strategies that drive fandom. To date, this has resulted in the Bundesliga becoming the fastest growing, among Europe's top football leagues, in terms of awareness, interest, and media consumption globally. Taking time out of his schedule at the recent SportInnovation Summit in Dusseldorf, I sat down with Peer to discuss what he has done, and what he’s aspiring to do in the months and years ahead. Time Stamps 2:30 - A Recap of SportInnovation Summit 6:00 - Peer’s Journey to the Bundesliga 9:00 - Lessons from Living in Korea 12:00 - The Arrival of England Captain, Harry Kane 16:30 - The Launch of Fortuna for All 23:00 - Appealing to the US Soccer Fan 26:00 - Remaining Affordable 33:00 - Building Up a Database of International Fans 35:00 - The NFL and Playing Internationally 38:00 - Overcoming the Language Problem Additional Links Sports Innovation 2024: Wonderment and warnings in equal measure as AI dominates Düsseldorf event Connect with Peer on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 07 May 2024 | Alex Gough: How Pickleball and Padel Could Cause Participation Surge for Squash with PSA CEO | 00:44:19 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Alex Gough, CEO of the Professional Squash Association. With a career spanning 15 years on the professional circuit, Alex climbed the ranks to reach number 5 in the world. Along the way, he also secured 10 World Tour titles and a Bronze Medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. His contributions to squash extend far beyond the court, however. His dedication to the sport led him to join the PSA as a Board Director in 2002, while still an active player. Following his retirement, he has transitioned seamlessly into leadership roles, first as Chief Operating Officer in 2008, and then taking the helm as CEO in 2009. In our conversation today, we delve into Alex's role at the forefront of the PSA, the global governing body responsible for the administration of professional squash worldwide. He’s got a lot on his plate. With over 1,000 registered players and 600 events annually, the PSA World Tour, the PSA Challenger Tour, and the WSF & PSA Satellite Tour, the PSA aspire to showcase squash at its pinnacle. And they do so in some breathtaking locations around the globe. Time Stamps 2:00 - Alex’s Journey into his current role as CEO of the PSA 3:30 - Transitioning from Player to a Governance/ Executive Role in Sport 6:30 - Overview of the Current Squash Calendar 12:00 - Communication with Current Players and Understanding their Needs 13:30 - Discussion on Managing both Men's and Women's Tours 15:00 - Implementing Equal Prize Money 19:00 - Insights into Commercial Deals, including Sponsors like JP Morgan 21:00 - Egypt's Dominance in Producing Top-Quality Squash Players 23:00 - Exploration of Outdoor Events and their Appeal 27:00 - Utilising Social Media to Attract New Audiences 31:00 - The Popularity of Pickleball and Padel, and the Opportunities for Squash 38:00 - Implications of squash being included in the Olympics 41:00 - Future aspirations and ambitions for the PSA leading up to LA 2028 Additional Links Professional Squash Association celebrates 50th anniversary Cricket, squash among six sports added to 2028 L.A. Olympics Video: Playing Squash at the Olympics Connect with Alex on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 28 Aug 2024 | Cherry Beagles [ARCHIVE]: Why Having a Women's Team Isn't a Female-Fan Strategy by Itself | 00:51:41 | |
Today’s episode, we revisit a conversation with Cherry Beagles, the founder of The 400 Club, an all-female members club redefining what it means to be a sports fan and increasing culturally relevant brand deals in women’s sport. Having studied law at the University of Manchester and gained experience at the likes of NBC Universal and Dentsu, Cherry founded The 400 Club as a side hustle to address an audience that was being underrepresented in traditional sports marketing - and an audience she herself fell in to. Since launching, she has brought on successful female founders, international athletes, and Olympians, as well as hosted events with the likes of Nike, and done brand campaigns with rightsholders such as Arsenal - all within her first year of starting the club - suggesting that Cherry is very much on to something big. We discuss her perspective on women’s sport, why this is not to be confused with a female-fan strategy, and the importance of engaging not just the biggest female brands, but those that hold the most cultural relevance. Time Stamps 2:00 - What is The 400 Club and who are the members 4:00 - Recruiting New Members 8:00 - The Athlete x Brand Flywheel 13:00 - Creating a Female-Fan Strategy 17:00 - Culturally Relevant Brand Partnerships and Collaborations 20:00 - That Taylor Swift Jacket 28:00 - What Athletes can Learn from Social-First Brands 32:00 - Creating a Campaign with Arsenal FC 35:00 - Giving Rugby a 400 Club Twist 44:00 - Future of the 400 Club Additional Links The 400 Club x Nike for The FA Cup Final Follow The 400 Club on Instagram Connect with Cherry on LinkedIn - Here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here | |||
| 16 Jan 2024 | Leanne Bats: Empowering Fans to Influence the Future of Sport with RugbyDAO President | 00:58:10 | |
Today’s episode, I’m joined by Leanne Bats. Leanne is President of The RugbyDAO and also holds the title of Head of Web3 at New Zealand Rugby, where she has been an advisor since 2019. She has also done work for New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and consults in the women’s sport area with READY Sport. Not to mention she has also founded the internet's coolest climate action corporation, Tres Cool. In this discussion, we talk about her early involvement in sport and the important role that community has played throughout her playing days and into her professional career – as well as her transition into, and fascination with, Web3 and digital innovation more broadly. Time Stamps 1:00 – Growing up Sport-Mad 5:00 – Community as a Common Thread 6:00 – Taking Inspiration from the Bored Ape Yacht Club 13:00 – Implementing Innovation, and Web3, within an Organisation 16:00 – Launching an NFT Campaign with NZ Rugby and World of Women 28:00 – Attitude Towards the Term Web3 30:00 – Online will become ‘On Chain’ 38:00 – Introducing RugbyDAO 48:00 – Democratising Creativity with AI Additional Links New Zealand Rugby Takes First Step into the Metaverse Pioneering the Future of Rugby with Emerging Tech Video: How an NFT Book Can Fight Climate Change - Web3 Academy Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 13 Aug 2024 | CiCi Bellis [ARCHIVE]: From Pro Athlete to Launching a $10M Sports and Health Tech Venture Fund | 00:38:12 | |
Today’s episode, we revisit a conversation with CiCi Bellis. Cici is the Founder and General Partner of Cartan Capital as well as a former professional tennis player. Still only 24 years old, she’s never let age be a barrier, famously having won a match at the 2014 US Open as a 15 year-old against a top 20 opponent. Having failed to shake-off a recurring injury, CiCi announced her retirement in 2020 and she has set to work on reaching the top in the world of venture. This was initially set in motion thanks to WTA’s partnership with Indiana University where CiCi got her degree. She then joined leAD Sports and Health Tech Partners Investment Team before setting up as a solo GP and launching Cartan Capital in 2023, a $10 million pledge fund focused similarly on sports and health but more specifically now leveraging her network and her experience as an athlete. Time Stamps 2:00 - Early Professional Tennis Career 5:00 - Developing an Interest in Venture Capital 12:00 - Cartan Capital's Areas of Interest 15:00 - The Opportunity in the Wearables Space 18:00 - Cartan’s Investment into Proto Holograms 23:00 - Investing into Sports Betting 27:00 - Finding a Silver Lining to First Hand Experiences in Rehab and Recovery 29:00 - The MASSIVE Opportunity to Invest into Femtech 35:00 - Attracting attention from Female Founders and Athlete Founders Additional Links Cartan Capital's Monthly Newsletter Former tennis pro CiCi Bellis on launching her own VC to invest in sports and health tech How former WTA World No. 35 launched a $10MM Sports & Health Tech Fund Cartan Capital Invests in Proto Hologram Flo Health on how its content drove daily app usage with pregnant mothers - ABBA Voyage passes 2 million tickets sold Connect with CiCi on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 25 Sep 2024 | Corey Breton [#33]: How Cosm's 'Shared Reality' Venues Enhance Fan Engagement Beyond the Physical Stadium | 00:48:00 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Corey Breton, Head of Venues at Cosm. From starting out in ticket sales with major sports organizations like the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves, before transitioning into a broader operational role, first with LAFC in the MLS, and later as Chief Revenue Officer for Global Attractions at Legends, Corey made the move last year to join Cosm, bringing together his unique skillset at a company which is at the forefront of immersive entertainment experiences. In this conversation, Corey shares with us his journey, what drew him to Cosm, and how the company is poised to expand the concept of fan engagement beyond the traditional stadium through its groundbreaking “Shared Reality” venues. Timestamps 3:00 - Corey’s Journey 5:00 - What is Cosm? 13:00 - The Viral Man Utd v Fulham Clip 16:00 - Tailoring the Fan Experience 21:00 - Shared Reality vs Virtual Reality 24:00 - Signing a Deal with the NFL 28:00 - Is this a New Media Right? 31:00 - Complimenting In-stadia Attendance 36:00 - Raising $250m from the likes of Marc Lasry and David Blitzer 39:00 - Cosm's Investment ‘Moat” 41:00 - Incremental Revenue Opportunities Additional Links Cosm Raises Over $250 Million In Funding To Expand Experiential Entertainment Venues Globally | |||
| 06 Aug 2024 | Mike Armstrong [ARCHIVE]: Innovating to Stay Ahead of the Game with Juventus' CMO | 00:59:57 | |
Today’s episode, we revisit a conversation with Mike Armstrong. Mike is the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Juventus. Moving from Toronto to Torino, Mike joined the club in September 2021, with a remit to innovate and to grow the club's global supporter base. As the only English-speaking native within the organisation, this has required some cultural readjustment. As has moving into life working within a sports rights holder environment, having previously spent his time working in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) with both Kraft Foods and AB InBev, as well as in media at CBC, Google, and esports upstart Overactive Media. The result is a unique perspective, and an approach that is unlike any other from across the top football clubs in Europe. Time Stamps 2:00 - Ronaldo’s Exit 6:00 - Working Closely with Fans (Rather than Customers) 9:00 - Addressing the Economic Headwinds Facing European Football 11:00 - Lessons from Working in Consumer Packaged Goods 14:00 - Merging of Chief Marketing and Chief Communications Roles 18:00 - Embracing Generative AI Tools 21:00 - Brining Fan-Created Content In-House 26:00 - Content as a Driver of Fandom 30:00 - Creating for Netflix vs TikTok 35:00 - Reducing Reliance on Individual Star Power 38:00 - Borrowed vs Owned and Operated Platforms 42:00 - Becoming a Distribution Channel for Other Content 48:00 - Getting More Women In Football 53:00 - Plans for the Future? Additional Links Brain games, 'LA-style' creator labs & TikTok: Embracing innovation at Juventus TikTok Tactic: Juventus tap into the Freestyle World Championships Chiesa to Segura: How Juventus' Creator Lab is Driving a New Approach to Content Creation Connect with Mike on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 19 Dec 2023 | Stefano Petruzzo: Why Hampton & Richmond FC Prioritised Brand Over Money | 00:47:26 | |
Today's episode, I'm joined by Stefano Petruzzo. Stefano is the Principal Owner of Hampton & Richmond FC, an English football club based in South West London and competing in the 6th tier of English football. Stefano and his brother and business partner on this venture, Rafa, recently celebrated their first anniversary of ownership of the club, having initial conceived the idea whilst working together at the Arcadia Group as Chief Strategy and Chief Digital Officers respectively. Stefano also spent 6 years as Strategy Director for Liverpool FC, contributing to their journey back to challenging at the top of the Premier League and for the highest European honours. It’s an incredibly unique journey, and while the internet signal was in places a little lacking, the insights from Stefano more than make up for it. Time Stamps: 2:00 - Investment Interest in the English Football Pyramid 5:00 - Applying Benchmarks to your Performance 8:00 - Going from the Premier League to the National League 12:00 - Are There Lessons to Take from Topshop's Digital Transformation? 16:00 - Reducing Reliance on Third-party Platforms 20:00 - A Groundbreaking Partnership with Movember 26:00 - Launching a Newsletter and Being Transparent with Fans 33:00 - Rallying Youth Participation On and Off-the-Field 37:00 - Putting the Foundations in Place for a Women's Team 43:00 - Aspirations for the Future of Hampton & Richmond FC Additional Links Donate to Hampton & Richmond FC's Movember Page Embracing identity: What we can learn from Liquid Death Lose the excuses: Creating a winning sustainability formula Connect with Stefano on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||
| 01 Jul 2024 | Fara Gorsi: How the ICC Plans to Grow Cricket Across the Americas | 00:42:08 | |
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Fara Gorsi, Americas Development Manager for the International Cricket Council. Before taking on the role with the ICC of developing cricket in the Americas, Gorsi was the UK's first registered female cricket agent, looking after Pakistan quick bowler Mohammed Amir, among others. Now based out in Colorado Springs, Gorsi looks after 16 associate nations in the Americas region, including both the U.S. and Canada, as well as countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. Though in the Americas, West Indies, who co-hosted the recent T20 World Cup with the U.S., fall under central ICC control as they are classified as one of 12 full nations. This means they sit outside Gorsi’s remit, though they still provide a lot of inspiration to the rest of the region. With this tournament having just finished, I spoke to Fara about the ICC's ambitions in the Americas following the event as well as in the build up to cricket’s Olympic debut at LA28. Timestamps 2:00 - Fara’s Journey 5:00 - How Cricket has Evolved in the Americas 7:00 - Learning from the West Indies 9:00 - Impact of the U.S. Beating Pakistan 11:00 - Legacy of the T20 Cricket World Cup 18:00 - The Role of Major League Cricket 21:00 - Could Cricket Become a College Sport? 24:00 - Impact of LA28 26:00 - Infrastructure and Addressing Participation Barriers 31:00 - Collaborating with Major League Sports 37:00 - Schools Program 39:00 - Future Plans Additional Links Connect with Fara on LinkedIn - here Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here | |||