Unofficial Partner Podcast

This is a continuation of a series of podcasts focused on the sporting product, formats and the link to financial success and fan engagement.  Guests:Barney Schauble, co-owner of Venezia FC and Oakland Roots SCOmar Chaudhuri, chief intelligence officer, Twenty First GroupAJ Swoboda, managing director Americas, Twenty First GroupUS financier Barney Schauble is part of the ownership group at Serie A club Venezia FC, and is a co-owner of Oakland Roots SC in the USL, America's third tier league.  Twenty First Group is a sports intelligence company providing predictive intelligence that drives sporting success and unlocks value for key stakeholders in the industry including team owners and investors, leagues and competitions, brands and broadcasters and betting and gaming companies. 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.

Gamechangers and Rainmakers: How Sport Became Big Business is a new book by British sports industry veteran David Stubley.The growing relationship between sport, television and the advertising industry has been key to this development, as have the boundless ambitions of influencers such as Bernie Ecclestone, Billie Jean King, Pete Rozelle, Mark McCormack, Rupert Murdoch and Horst Dassler. David Stubley spent the first decade of his career working in television at ITV and Channel 4. The last 25 years have been spent advising some of the world’s top brands and leading sports properties on how to unlock commercial value from sports marketing. He has helped negotiate more than $1bn of commercial deals with the likes of FIFA, UEFA, F1 and the Olympics. He serves on the board of multiple sport and media companies.You can vote for your favourite Gamechanger or Rainmaker 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.

Media rights auctions are the moment when the question of 'What’s sport worth?' is asked and answered; the point at which the talk becomes real; where fortunes are been spent, won and lost, psychology meets money. The auction gives us a glimpse of a different future, that may or may not be the direction of travel for everyone else in the marketplace.  What makes this imperfect process more intriguing is that the basic return on investment equation is shifting in real time. The players in the game are not just a handful of traditional sports media companies. They are also the new breed of entertainment streamers, online retailers, mobile phone manufacturers or private equity firms. How does their presence around the table shift the fundamental question - what is sport worth? We’ve got three strategy experts from Altman Solon, a global consultancy specializing in Technology, Media and Telecom, to provide an inside look at the media auction process, exploring its flaws and opportunities. Joining us today are:David Dellea, Partner at the Zurich office and leader of Altman Solon’s Sports Practice. David previously headed PwC’s sports practicePascal Stefan, Principal at the Munich office, formerly Head of Strategy at DAZN.Davide Tesoro Tess, Senior Advisor for Altman Solon based in Milan, and formerly Executive Vice President for Strategy at Sky Italia. Altman Solon’s recently published the 2024 Sports Survey—a series of five in-depth publications exploring the state of the sports media business and revealing what consumers and industry executives envision for the future. The publication can be downloaded hereUnofficial 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.

Today's guest is Infinite Athlete founder Charlie Ebersol. Infinite Athlete has been a sports business story since the brand suddenly appeared on Chelsea’s shirt at the start of last season.It's a story with a lot of baggage: Charlie Ebersol is the son of actress Susan St James and Dick Ebersol, the legendary NBC Sport chairman. IA is backed by Andreesen Horowitz, Silver Lake, Endeavour and Todd Boehly, the Chelsea co-owner. Insert the boring but important phrase ‘Associated Party Transactions’. All parties were asked by the Premier League about potential conflicts of interest and whether the sponsorship value of the shirt exceeded fair market value, which is a slippery concept in and of itself. The final sentence of this paragraph is: ‘The Premier League approved the deal after thorough scrutiny’.That story, or a version of it, is how many people talk about Infinite Athlete. Charlie Ebersol’s responses to this narrative are really interesting, and I’ll leave you to have a listen and judge for yourself.We then get to the other question, which is: WTF is Infinite Athlete?Using Chelsea as a use case, Ebersol is good on the big problem of sports tech, which AI is about to make worse.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.

Welcome to The Bundle, our regular series on the sports media and streaming marketplace with co-hosts Yannick Ramcke, General Manager of OTT at the streaming service OneFootball and Murray Barnett, founder of 26West Consulting and formerly of F1, World Rugby and ESPN International.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.

Dame Tracey Crouch on the Football RegulatorKieran Maguire on Richard Masters Fiona Harold on golf's big mergerJason Siegel on VRJenny Mitton on rugbySteve Martin on brandsJo Redfern on gaming formatsNic Coward on IndiaRich Johnson on single location challengersNathan Homer on Rwanda and AlbaniaProfessor Simon Chadwick on MoroccoMaggie Murphy on entitlement of Lionesses fansSiddharth Raman on rights holders as digital platformsAndrew Umbers on mega agenciesBeth Barrett-Wild on the first million pound woman cricketerSimon Heap on the return of funAndy Meikle on monetisation modelsUnofficial 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 3 is back for a special Christmas episode, looking back at the sports business in 2024.Richard is joined by David Cushnan and James Emmett from Leaders in Sport, each of whom is tasked with revealing their most interesting story, person and sport from the year in the sports industry.What could go wrong?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.

Wedge Issues is Unofficial Partner's business of golf series.Ryan Howsam is the insurance entrepreneur behind the giant Staysure organisation, who liked golf so much he bought the European Seniors Tour, beginning as a sponsor and turning that in to a majority ownership stake, rebranding it as the Legends Tour. This gives him a fascinating angle in to the golf product, from the elite tours, through to the travel market and property development side, which is all part of the plan. It’s a conversation that brings in Donald Trump, Elon Musk, LIV Golf and the problems with the tour model. Referenced in the podcastSee Ryan Howsam In conversation with Nigel FarageAnd Eric Trump ✱ This episode of Unofficial Partner is sponsored by We Are Sweet, helping you tell compelling stories in-the-moment, as they happen, from the heart of the action. We Are Sweet captures live biometric data from athletes to uncover great stories, from the big occasions to subtle micro-moments you might not even know are taking place. These are crafted into captivating stories and transformed into stunning visuals ready for your broadcast, live event displays, and second-screen fan experiences, all in real-time. From head-to-head heart rates to anticipated overtakes, We Are Sweet provides AI-driven insights to fuel conversations, inform bookmakers and predict future outcomes, all in the name of deepening fan engagement. Enhance your audience’s understanding of the action like never before by using live data from We Are Sweet.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.

In a sports industry obsessed with data and measurement, brand is the great intangible asset, the bit of the balance sheet that remains largely opaque, which is why it’s so important. But mention brand in the vicinity of fans or the football media and there's a row. It’s no surprise that the kit launch genre has evolved during this period, growing in importance and sophistication (and cost). Homeground is one of the hottest creative agencies working in sport today. The London based company has pioneered the kit launch video. Working with Adidas, they are the people behind some of the most outstanding recent work in this area, from Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa to name a few. We talk with creative partner Rachid Ahouiyek, formerly of Iris, McCann and Wieden+Kennedy, and Polly Barnes, new business director also formerly Iris and is founder of the Women’s Rugby Association. Click on the showreel to see the work referenced in the podcasthttps://www.homeground.london/workUnofficial 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.

A special live episode of the podcast recorded at BAFTA in Piccadilly in London, in collaboration with HBS, or Host Broadcast Services, the leaders in sports broadcast production, which was celebrating 25 years in the industry and the opening of it’s London office. The company has produced every FIFA World Cup and many other events since established to be host broadcaster of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and Korea. Next year, the company will host broadcast the Women’s Rugby World Cup that takes place across England. One hundred invited guests were treated to two separate conversations.The first panel were invited to respond the provocation - TV is failing women’s football.Guests:Zarah Al-Kudcy, Chief Revenue Officer, Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship Maggie Murphy, formerly CEO of Lewes FC, WSL and WCL board member and host of Expected Goals podcast on the business of women’s football. Jamie Aitchison, General Manager of HBS in the UK. The second group were invited to respond to Richard’s premise.Knife to a gunfight: Sport’s audience is addicted to the scroll.Guests:  Jo Redfern, Independent Media Consultant, self described YouTube and Roblox nerd.Steve Nuttall, sports & media advisor working for rights holders and for Searchlight Capital Partners, a private equity fund. Formerly Sky, Google and the America's Cup.Tim Stott, executive producer digital at HBS and its new digital content unit, SkrollerUnofficial 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.