Unofficial Partner Podcast

Marina Erakovic's family fled war torn former Yugoslavia when she was a small child, and she grew up in New Zealand where her precocious tennis talent was nurtured. After winning nine titles in a thirteen year career on the WTA Tour, she is now a business consultant working for PwC in Auckland. She takes us inside the reality of the professional tennis circuit, comparing her experience with that seen on Break Point, the current Netflix series. We talk about the future of tennis as an entertainment and commercial product, the rise of paddle and pickle ball, Naomi Osaka's role in elevating the conversation around mental health of elite athletes, the post-Serena Williams era, and we question the existing structures of tennis federations against a backdrop of changes in viewing habits and participation rates around the world.  This is an episode of Re: Thinking Sport, our series created in collaboration with Portas, the global strategy consultancy dedicated to sport and physical activity.  Joining Marina Erakovic is Zineb Soulami, Sports Consultant at Portas Consulting and a passionate tennis player since the age of eight.  Zineb has a deep knowledge in racquet sports and leads the Active Places practice in Asia. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

Moya Dodd has been one of the most influential women in international football for the past two decades. In 2013 she was one of the first women in 108 years to be appointed to the FIFA executive committee, the governing body's key decision making group. The former international player and lawyer led reform for gender equality including greater inclusion in the decision-making process and for there to be a larger investment in the women's game. FIFA passed her proposal and added a requirement that every continent must have a board seat filled by a woman. But after four years of rigorous campaigning, Dodd controversially lost her place on the FIFA Council to another candidate, who couldn't answer basic questions on the women's game. So what did the experience teach her about the cultural fit between FIFA and women's football and what are the options available to take full advantage of the growing popularity of domestic leagues? But we start by talking about FIFA's relationship with Saudi Arabia, and the recent story that this year's Women's World Cup was to be sponsored by Visit Saudi. We reference a piece written by Dodd in the Sydney Morning Herald, which is available to read here. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

The Bundle is our regular series on the sports media and streaming market, with guests Murray Barnett and Yannick Ramcke.Three main stories and a quick fire round. ESPN Takes a shot at creating a sports streaming hub; Apple's MLS opt-out and what would happen if that became the model for the relationship between rights holders and media; and the danger of misreading the bankruptcy of Bally Sports and  the state of the Regional Sports Network model in the US.Then there's a bit on the story of Serie A buying Sky Italia, which is not going to happen but interesting anyway; Sky and Amazon retaining Champions League in Italy and Paramount+ launching soccer-specific FAST channel with CBS Sports Golazo Network.Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

Coca Cola and the Olympics is sport's most enduring commercial relationship. But how does it work on the inside? How relevant is the Games to today's Coke drinker? Is the Olympic TOP programme still fit for purpose? And how can the IOC balance its promises around sustainability with the reality of hosting massive, multi-sport events, and sponsored by companies such as Coca Cola, which is one of the biggest producers of plastic in the world?As VP of Olympic Assets and Marketing, James Williams was Coca Cola's man on the ground at three Summer Games, starting in London 2012, through Rio 2016 and onto the Covid delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021. What he's got to say talks to many of the big themes that dominate the sports business today and in to the future. Helping me ask the questions are my regular Buy Side co-hosts, Sally Hancock and Shaun Whatling.Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

This is episode 2 of our series on creativity in sports marketing, with regular co-host Simon Moore, award winning Creative Director. We pick apart the latest Nike Rules The World ad, featuring the brand's recent collaboration with London based streetwear imprint Corteiz, and directed by Walid Labri for Division.Spoiler: We quite liked it but not enough to put it in to the Unofficial Partner Big Idea Hall Of Fame (UPBIHOF). More details of how to nominate work for this in the UP Newsletter.Topics covered:The culture of product drops.Controlling scarcity.The signal of Phil Foden.The perils and challenges of a product ad.The provenance of ideas.The history of advertising challenges, from Michael Jordan to Ronaldinho. The punk red flag. Sport in ads v sport in films. Never ask a footballer to act, unless it's Paul Pogba or Eric Cantona.Links to other work that's mentioned in the podcast:This Is Not Another Inspiration Video - 2023https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr6r9jpKGZASony PlayStation's ‘Double Life’ - 1999https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIW4HMl81hwLarry Bird vs. Michael Jordan - 1984https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oACRt-Qp-sTiger Woods ball juggling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG2JYpiM48Uadidas Originals: Your future is not mine - 2023https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1kd63fLt9kThis week’s episode is brought to you by our friends at Turnstile.Do you know what your sponsorship is really worth? Now you can stop guessing and start knowing… with Turnstile fair market sponsorship valuations.Turnstile uses real market rates to quantify the value of every single sponsorship right within a deal. Turnstile looks beyond the traditional media metrics to calculate the value of the Exposure, Intellectual Property and Direct Benefits.Turnstile delivers a recommended transaction price that’s comprehensive, accurateUnofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

In the week of the European Sponsorship Awards, we resurrect The Buy Side, our series where we talk with brand marketers about sport sponsorship. Previous conversations have included guests from Visa, TSB, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Sipsmith and Vitality. These can be found in the Unofficial Partner archive on our website.To relaunch the series, we've recruited the help of two highly regarded sponsorship experts, Sally Hancock and Shaun Whatling.Sally was Director of Olympic and Paralympic Marketing at Lloyds Banking Group, during the company's sponsorship of the London 2012 Games. She is now managing director of High Tide Leap Consulting and a board member of the British Paralympic Association. Shaun is chief executive of Redmandarin, the strategic sponsorship consultancy which has worked with over 42 of Europe's largest 100 businesses since its foundation. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

Sir Martin Broughton sold Liverpool and nearly bought Chelsea. As chair of the former he was tasked with moving the club out of the hands of previous owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett and in to its current ownership group, Fenway Sports Group. More recently, Broughton put together a consortium to bid for Chelsea, when the club came to market following the forced sale by Roman Abramovich.So there are very few people who have a more informed view on the value of a Premier League football club than Sir Martin Broughton, and although he doesn't say this himself, he'd be a good pick as an independent regulator for football.  Sport features heavily in a corporate career that includes chairmanship of British Airways and British American Tobacco, putting Broughton a close up view of how London 2012 Olympics, Formula One, horse racing and plenty of other sports really work. He's written a book - the link is here - and it's both a fascinating insight in to the sports business, and also a good cause, with all proceeds going to the Retraining of Racehorses charity.  There's a deeper analysis of the issues raised in this podcast to be found in this week's Unofficial Partner Newsletter.Link here Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

It's sometimes said that this is a golden era of sports documentary. F1's Drive to Survive has changed the landscape. Every sports rights holder wants its own version, to use as a tool to reach new audiences, whether that's the infamous Gen Z demographic or in different parts of the world, delivered by the global streamers such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.But what are trade offs required in this form of commercialised documentary. Adam Darke is a veteran documentary maker, whose work includes Winning Ugly on rugby union; Forbidden Games, the life of Justin Fashanu, Keeping Up With The Brownlees and All Or Nothing Juventus. Darke's latest series is Deadline Day: Football's Transfer Window, currently available on Sky and produced by Pitch International.  It goes behind the scenes of football's transfer marketplace, revealing the work of agents and clubs in sourcing and acquiring soccer talent at every price point. This conversation is linked to another recent podcast we recorded with Sascha Empacher, one of the stars of the documentary. You can listen to that here:UP291 Mo Salah's Agent and the meaning of transfer deadline day Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

This is a new series on creativity in sports marketing. With award winning Creative Director Simon Moore as our regular sidekick, we go in search of brilliance. Each episode dissects campaigns we love and campaigns we hate. Some rules: Does the idea deserve to be celebrated in the UP Big Idea Hall of Fame? Does the campaign come with a level of craft and sophistication that merits an award, does it challenge the conventions of the what’s normally done in its category?Can only sport deliver this idea? Creativity in the sport category is an oddity because it's not a specific medium - PR, ad creative, media, outdoor etc - sport itself is the medium for the storytelling. It has to be not just the canvas for the idea, but the paint as well. Does it add value to the fans experience of sport? And does the brand play a relevant role? Fans are not just customers, they are different, how does the work reflect this fact? Does the insight behind the creative show a nuanced understanding of the fan? Does it re-imagine the traditional and expected role of sport in the world? We'd love to get you involved. Feel free to nominate a favourite campaign.If you work on brand side, or for an agency, the same question applies: what's the best work to ever come out of your office? Some links that are referenced in this episode:How To Win A Cannes Lion, UP NewsletterHow to Win A Cannes Lion, UP175 with chair of judges Ben HartmannKasabian England shirt launch by UmbroThank You Mom by P&G/Wieden + KennedyFederer v Agassi in DubaiWe Love LA, Nike, LA1984No More Red, Arsenal and AdidasThis week’s episode is brought to you by our friends at Turnstile.Do you know what your sponsorship is really worth? Now you can stop guessing and start knowing… with Turnstile fair market sponsorship valuations.Turnstile uses real market rates to quantify the value of every single sponsorship right within a deal. Turnstile looks beyoUnofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.

Piracy and illegal streaming is a $28.3 billion a year global business, impacting sports rights holders and broadcasters across the world. Pirate streams of sporting events are not difficult to find on the internet and shutting these down has proved to be a difficult task for sports leagues. While legal action has been successfully brought against several illegal streamers, many are still fully operational. When one stream gets taken down, more pop up in its place.But there are signs of hope. In just one season, LaLiga Tech removed more than 1,065,000 videos on YouTube, more than 368,000 videos on social networks and more than 820 mobile applications.How did they do this, and what does it mean for the ongoing battle against piracy?Our guests are Lorin Parys and Guillermo Rodriguez. Lorin Parys is CEO of Belgium football's Juliper Pro League and a former political leader in the Belgian parliament.Guillermo Rodríguez is Chief Operating Officer at LaLiga Content Protection, the antipiracy division within LaLiga Tech.Links: La Liga Tech's Content Protection serviceThe Belgian Pro LeaguePiracy in Sport research paperSynamedia and Ampere Analysis researchLaLiga Tech is the specialist company created by LaLiga and the technology leaders Globant to reinvent sports and entertainment. Through its digital ecosystem, LaLiga Tech delivers new platforms and consultancy to help sports properties achieve growth through technology, covering areas like direct-to-consumer and streaming, fan experience, monetization, gamification, business intelligence, or anti-piracy.For more information, get in touch with the team via Laligatech.comUnofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.