Business of Sport

This week, we are delighted to welcome Nico Rosberg to the show. Nico is a Formula One legend. He competed in 206 Grand Prix’s, with 23 wins, 30 pole’s, 57 podiums, and over 1500 championship points. Nico’s World Championship win when driving alongside childhood friend Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes is one of the most iconic in the history of the sport, and saw him follow in the footsteps of his father Keke, who won the championship in 1982. It was in the days after this win that Nico announced his shock retirement, putting new meaning into finishing on the highest of highs. But that wasn’t the end. A serial angel investor and entrepreneur, Nico last week announced Rosberg Ventures, his new $75m Fund of Funds, a vehicle aimed at investing in leading funds to foster global startup innovation. Whether we’re talking about sport or business, this conversation is the perfect demonstration of how a career at the top end of one industry can translate into significant value in another. As you will hear, the margins that separate success and failure in this sport are impossibly small. Dedication and sacrifice are non-negotiables if you want to achieve. This is the same in business. He brings a truly unique perspective to the role of an athlete. This is sport, investment, leadership, culture, winning mentality. There is something in this for everyone. In today’s show we discuss: The world of F1: Growing up with a World Champion. How the success of his father Keke inspired a young Nico to become a Formula 1 World Champion. What does it take to make it in F1? The karting scene for young drivers is very intense, and requires a lot of time away from friends, family and school. Funding his own career in racing and the cost of participation to reach the top of the sport. What happened the first time Nico drove an F1 car? How important is the car to the success of a driver? What is it like to be driving for the team that is dominating a season and operating in an environment of invincibility?  The challenge of creating equal opportunity in a team of two world class drivers. At the end of the day there will always be one who gets preferential treatment. Why did Nico retire immediately after winning the 2016 championship? Mentality is key: How to master the 1%’s. From constructing a fitness regime to optimally manage the best physique, to the weight of paint on a hemet, what do drivers do to get an edge? Failure is really important. Missing out on pole, podiums, race wins that spurs you on to greater success and achievement. The people around you can help create the most prepared mind, and sport is now embracing the presence of individuals specifically targeted with developing the ultimate mindset to live with pressure.  What happens when you achieve your ultimate dream? Learning how to enjoy the highs and manage the lows to build the strongest mentality required.  How is the mentality of the athlete similar to the mentality of the businessperson, and what can be learnt from each other? Business success born from sport: There are so many traits that translate from professional sport into the world of business. What are the key contributions of an athlete in an outside industry? How has Nico built a career away from the race track in investment, entrepreneurship, and wider business? What are things that inspire him? The launch of Rosberg Ventures $75m fund of funds and the ambitions Nico has for building bridges between corporate Europe and leading global startups.  Learning a new language; the work required to get into a new industry is not to be taken lightly. What was Nico’s transition like from athlete to businessman?  Today’s show is brought to you by SeatUnique, the ultimate destination for elevating live events into unforgettable experiences. Visit seatunique.com to discover some of the incredible packages they have to offer across some of the biggest sport, media and entertainment events.  

This week, we are delighted to welcome Eni Aluko to the show. Categorizing Eni’s career is a hard one. Former professional footballer, media personality, investor, sporting executive. Eni has been a prominent figure in the sport for nearly 20 years. As a player, she most notably represented Chelsea and Juventus, while winning over 100 caps for England, playing a huge role in establishing the women’s professional game we enjoy so much today. She is a leading pundit for ITV and TNT, while also being the first female to appear on Match of the Day. She has held Sporting Director positions at Aston Villa and Angel City in the US, and is now part of Mercury13, a multi-club ownership group focused on acquiring controlling stakes in professional women’s football teams.  It’s an impressive list of achievements, but that’s not to suggest it’s been an easy road. From the challenges of accessing football in her youth, struggling to finance a career in football before it became professional, fighting against the vitriol of female pundits in the male game, and coming through a very public discrimination case with the FA, Eni has be instrumental in elevating the profile of women’s football and most importantly, women in football as a whole. This was a special opportunity to sit down with her and talk through all of this. It is a conversation driven by frank honesty, with some fascinating opinion thrown in on the current footballing landscape for good measure. She openly admits she is not everyone’s cup of tea, but that doesn’t bother her. In today’s show we discuss: Accessibility of women’s football: The lack of access when Eni was growing up. How did she begin her career and what were academy systems like? How financially feasible was it to commit to a career in football before the women’s game became professional? How moving to the US was Eni’s most viable route to professional football, and how the WSL has changed that today. Having to ‘pay-to-play’ for England: taking time off from a full time job away from football to be able to play for your country. Should women’s clubs be integrated into men’s clubs or should they be separate entities like we often see in the US. Brand, attendance and freedom to act independently? A career away from the pitch: Breaking into the media: appearing as the first female pundit on Match of the Day to contracts with TNT and ITV. Putting yourself in the public and breaking down the barriers for women to play a major role in the world of sports media across the men’s game. Handling the pressures of live TV and the scrutiny that has arisen from social media. How to ignore the noise and focus on the job. The concern that women coming into football media are now not performing because they are fearful of making mistakes. A passion for football business and governance: ‘Director of Football’ roles at Aston Villa and Angel City and how football clubs are run. Investment into women’s football: Mercury13 and the multi club investment model. What are the opportunities and challenges facing the women’s game? The football landscape today: How do transfers work? As an experienced sporting director, what is the relationship like between clubs when negotiating a deal? What is Eni’s view on the increasingly prevalent PSR and how they have been executed over the past 6 months? Will an independent regulator improve the Premier League? Should there be a salary cap introduced to control spending and protect clubs from getting into financial difficulty? Declan to Rice to Arsenal. Did City participate to help Arteta get his deal done? Communication is key. We need to know what is going within clubs to help the fans engage with their teams. We are delighted to partner with SeatUnique, the ultimate destination for elevating live events into unforgettable experiences.  Visit seatunique.com to discover some of the incredible packages they have to offer across some of the biggest sport, media and entertainment events.

Nevin Truesdale, CEO of The Jockey Club, discusses the challenges and advancements in horse racing, including engaging younger audiences and addressing animal welfare concerns. They explore the evolution and impact of the Jockey Club in British horse racing, balancing tradition with attracting new audiences, and enhancing public perception. The importance of showcasing jockeys as personalities, modernizing the sport, and embracing innovation to engage audiences is highlighted.

Aron D’Souza, President of Enhanced Games and Peter Thiel discuss the concept of the Olympics of the future where athletes can use performance-enhancing drugs. They delve into the divisive topic of scientific enhancements in sports, terminology surrounding doping, prevalence of banned substances, and the ethical implications. The conversation raises questions about fairness, athlete compensation, safety, and integrity in athletic competition.

Today, we are delighted to welcome Matthew Porter. Matthew is the CEO of the Professional Darts Corporation, more commonly known as the PDC, overseeing the sport of darts and it’s  iconic tournaments, including the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.  Since his appointment in 2008, Matthew has played an integral role in building out the darts calendar, introducing events such as the European Championship and Players Championship Finals, the PDC World Cup of Darts and the European Tour, as well as the implementation of the PDC’s development structure with Qualifying School, the Challenge Tour, and Youth Tour.  Previously, Matthew was Chief Executive of Leyton Orient Football Club, becoming the youngest CEO in the football league at the age of 26 when appointed. He is also Chairman of Matchroom Multi Sport. In today’s show we discuss: World Darts Championship: How the flagship event over the Christmas period drives mass engagement for the sport. The incredible viewing figures for the 2024 Championship that culminated in over 4m for the final, making it the most viewed sporting event on Sky outside of football. The importance of capitalising on attention when you are lucky enough to have it in sport, and ensuring you don’t let the opportunity to drive bigger and better engagement pass by. What are the key numbers around the event? What do sponsors want from their partnerships? How do media rights deals incorporate the rest of the calendar? Celebritisation of players: The rise of Luke Littler and how he became the face of the sport. What does it do for the wider darts community? This is something that has been happening long before Luke came along. How have the Smith’s and Van Gerwen’s of the world help develop the profile of the sport? Does darts have an image problem? Do the professionals now play a key part in encouraging young people to get involved in the sport and realise the opportunity a career in darts can present? How has social media been leveraged to engage a range of demographics all tuning into the darts for different reasons? You can’t alienate the core audience but must speak to new fans. How do the players work together to positively promote themselves and the sport? The growth of the sport  Darts is a global sport, but it is heavily centred around the UK and Europe. How important is it to take darts to new countries to ensure the sport keeps developing? In which countries do the biggest opportunities lie from a participation and viewing perspective and how do you take advantage of this? Bringing in new sponsors and making the sport more attractive to industry outside of the ones that normally commercialise in the space will be a key way in expanding the reach of the sport. Providing greater financial opportunity through tour funding and prize money will allow for more people to commit to darts and pursue a career to a professional level. As we talked about at the start of the episode, we will also be highlighting some of the most inspiring people, stories, and organisations across sport once a month on the show. To support the incredible endeavours of Russ Cook (Hardest Geezer!) as he takes on the continent of Africa on foot, please find his social media and fundraising pages in the link below! linktr.ee/hardestgeezer  

Today, we are delighted to welcome David Buttress. David was the co-founder and CEO of Just Eat, launching the UK business in 2006 and taking it from startup to Europe’s largest technology stock market floatation in a decade in 2014. In the world of sport, David is the owner the of Welsh United Rugby Championship club, Dragons, as well as acting as Non Executive Director of the Welsh Rugby Union’s Professional Rugby Board.  It’s a crucial time for club rugby. The international game, underpinned by tournaments like the Rugby World Cup and 6 Nations, is hugely successful. The club game is far more precarious. Investment, structure, packaging, distribution, governance: these are all issues that need addressing and David delivers as honest and transparent a view on what needs to be done to ensure the sports long term future.  In today’s show, we discuss: What makes rugby special: ‘Rugby is one of the last gladiatorial sports’ - there is so much to love about the game that needs to be protected and utilised to safeguard the future of the sport The passion of the fans is unrivalled but are the tournaments and clubs structured correctly to maximise the value of audience? International vs. club rugby - why is it hard to translate the success of the international game to the domestic leagues? Having the opportunity to own a club that means so much to its community is a privilege and the drive to achieve success is enhanced when the ownership aligns strategy on the pitch with development off it. The problems rugby faces: The competition for eyeballs has never been greater and the sport needs to innovate and develop more appealing offerings and products to stay relevant. The governance of the game is laborious and too slow in its decision making. What needs to change at the top of the sport to ensure opportunities to create value are not missed? Are the right people managing rugby? Packaging and distribution - utilise media more effectively to drive engagement and create a celebritization of the players? Sport after all is increasingly creatively packaged media. Player welfare is an issue and the game needs to continue to work to provide a safer environment for its players. The finances of the game depend too much on the willingness of ownership groups to invest in the clubs they own. Can a more sustainable and reliable model be created? The future of the sport: What can be done across the clubs and the leagues to create a more engaging product at club level? CVC have spent a lot of money investing in the rugby ecosystem. What could they or another investor do to drive commercial and participatory development? Does more budget need to be allocated to off field development as well as creating more value on it, and if so what are the priorities for investment? Building a team behind the scenes capable of driving new revenue streams across content and partnerships is crucial but doesn’t exist in the majority of organisations.

Today, we are delighted to welcome British Olympic legend Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill. An Olympic gold and silver medallist, European champion and 3x world champion, Jess competed at the highest level in the heptathlon for over a decade. Under the pressure and expectation that came with being the face of London 2012, Jess’s gold medal at the Games will forever be one of the most iconic moments in British sporting history. For all the achievements on the track and in the public eye, there is so much more to her story. From starting a family while still competing, to founding her business, Jennis, developed off the back of her experiences as an athlete, Jess demonstrates how the role of the modern sportsperson is increasingly about far more than records, medals, and trophies.  In today’s show, we discuss: The focus of the athlete: From starting out in athletics camps to entering elite competition, how the origin story can shape the outcome. Coping with pressure: what does it take to retain absolute control over performance when the outside noise gets louder. An athlete's relationship with winning and managing the disappointments when the result doesn’t go your way. From winning a first major medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games to the disappointment of missing the Beijing Olympics through injury. London 2012 - from face of the games to winning gold, how did Jess deal with the pressure of public expectation while balancing the commercial duties that surrounded the build up to the Olympics. Motherhood & athletics: Marriage, children, performance: how do you fit all these together while ensuring you don’t let the ball drop? Is it possible or do sacrifices need to be made? It is not expected that female athletes have children while competing, so what happens when you have a baby and don’t want to retire?  What did Jess have to do to get back the elite level of performance she was so used to, and how did she have to adapt her regime to accommodate the changes she had gone through? The sports industry has a lot to learn when understanding the impact of pregnancy on the female body and challenges it presents when returning to elite competition. Why is this? Modern day role of the athlete: The value of the athlete has extended well beyond the field of play. How do professional sportspeople play an extended role in society today? How does Jennis seek to empower women at the elite end of sport and in the wider community? Why is it so important to build this education into the industry and beyond? The role of social media and exposure to brands is something that plays a significant part in the lives of the most successful athletes in today’s world. Is this something they just have to learn to deal with or do they need additional support to manage effectively? Seeking investment in companies around women’s health is a tough business, and educating the financial community on the opportunity to develop women’s healthtech is crucial.

Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore, discusses the journey of building a billion-dollar British sportswear brand. Topics include starting the business, partnerships, opportunities in secondary teams, measuring success, and the rise of Castore in the sports industry.

Manoj Badale, Co-owner of Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, shares insights on investing in sport, salary caps, level playing fields, and closed leagues. The podcast also explores luck, skill, and the importance of in-person interactions in the workplace. Additionally, the discussion covers investment opportunities in soccer, the significance of TV rights, the connection between consumers and owners in the sports industry, challenges in judgments, and reflections on winning in cricket.

Today, we are delighted to welcome Maheta Molango to the show. As Chief Executive of the PFA, Maheta has one of the biggest jobs in football, leading the union that represents 55,000 current and former professional players in the UK.  A former professional footballer for the likes of Atletico Madrid and Brighton, Maheta has been involved in all aspects of the game. Before taking up his current role, Maheta trained as a lawyer while finishing his professional career, working both in and out of the industry while also spending a number of years as CEO of the Spanish club Real Mallorca.  Taking us through one of the most unique and impressive professional journeys in the sport, this is an incredibly open and honest conversation with one of the most influential people in football. In today’s show, we discuss: From player to executive: A self-professed journeyman on the pitch, how did the experience set Maheta up for a career after football? How the opportunities for education for players are now more available, but the time to do studies away from sport has become harder to find. The importance of setting yourself up for life after football and grounding your future opportunities in proper education. How do footballers currently do this? The challenge of moving into an industry away from sport and building a network for legal firm Baker Mckenzie in the industry when there was no existing traction. Appreciating the transition is not always smooth and you have to strike while the iron is hot. You are in the public eye when playing, but when retired you become another ex-professional alongside many others. The role of the PFA: What does the organisation do? Who does it support? How do they look to help players and their families? The challenge of having a huge number of people to support with a limited pool of resources. What can be done and needs to be done to improve this and therefore improve the support network for players? How is the organisation funded, and what control does it have in the wider footballing ecosystem to influence policy, strategy, and decision-making? The PFA Business School - how the organisation set up a number of opportunities for members to attain an education and apply that to their life beyond football. Football’s biggest challenges: What are the things that concern Maheta the most in football today, and what vulnerabilities do the PFA have to provide support for? Overcoming the huge challenge of fixture congestion and the impact that has on players' health and wellness. Maheta’s belief that the overcrowding of the football calendar risks reducing the quality of the product and damaging the reputation of some of the biggest competitions. Trying to disband the often unfair belief that footballers are not smart enough or aware of their role in society. Today’s players are highly in tune with their surroundings and often do a huge amount of work away from the pitch that goes unrecognised.  What is Maheta most proud of when looking at the developments made within the community under his tenure so far?