SportsPro Podcast

SportsPro news editor Tom Bassam and features editor Sam Carp join Eoin Connolly for another sports industry update, including a look ahead to the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.  They ask what impact the track and field showpiece will have and whether the sport can evolve to find a new place in the modern media ecosystem. They also consider Nike’s influence on a hometown event, and World Athletics’ plans to rebuild an American presence ahead of LA 2028.  There is also time to preview golf’s 150th Open and reflect on a busy week for world soccer in the courts.

Jenny Mitton, the women’s sport lead at M&C Saatchi Sports and Entertainment, joins Eoin Connolly and SportsPro news editor Tom Bassam to preview Uefa Women’s Euro 2022.  They look at the expectations being set for the tournament over the next three weeks, the impact it can make in host nation England, and the commercial development of women’s soccer. Mitton also explains what is being learned about the competition’s fanbase - which combines hardcore followers and big eventers - and how brands are approaching the opportunity.  Then, they ask what will come next for the women’s game in Europe and beyond.

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro news editor Tom Bassam are joined by Alex Duff, author of Le Fric: Family, Power and Money – The Business of the Tour de France.  They discuss how the model of cycling’s biggest event has been shaped by the decades-long ownership of the Amaury family, consider its role as an elite global challenge and national showpiece, and ask how the outsized prominence of the Tour continues to affect the wider business of the sport.  They also look to the future of the Tour, including the Zwift-backed women’s event, data partnerships and a new Netflix series.

In another session from SportsPro Live at London’s Kia Oval, Eoin Connolly speaks to Matthew Primack, senior vice president of international development at ecommerce and merchandising giant Fanatics.  Matthew explains how Fanatics has built partnerships with the likes of the NFL, the NBA and Formula One, where it aims to innovate and how its operations are being affected by supply chain and sustainability concerns.  They also discuss the implications of the company’s rapid growth in recent years, with widespread inward investment, the acquisition of collectibles brand Topps, and new projects in web3 and sports betting creating a digital fan platform. 

Eoin Connolly is joined by SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam and media and tech editor Steve McCaskill to run through another week of industry developments.  As LIV Golf tees off for its first event in St Albans, they ask what the contentious Saudi-backed series aims to bring to the sport and who it can bring along other than its opening field.  Then, as Forbes reports LeBron James to be the first active NBA player worth US$1 billion, they ask what athlete power will look like in the generation ahead, and Steve explains sport’s place in Apple’s latest software rollout. 

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam are joined by Paris-based independent comms consultant Dan Tunna to reflect on a dramatic sporting weekend. Dan shares an on-the-ground account of a chaotic Uefa Champions League final at the Stade de France, which was delayed by 36 minutes as fans faced dangerously packed queues, disorganisation and heavy-handed policing outside. The trio also discuss the need to reconsider how major soccer events are run as another major final comes under intense scrutiny. There is also a quick look at a bumper Indian Premier League rights tender and the latest movements in US motorsport.   

In what really is the final instalment of the Playbook Podcast, Matt Rogan is joined by Will Gaffney, the 17-year-old founder of the Bat for a Chance cricket charity. Will discusses how and why he decided to start the charity and reflects on his experiences of pitching the idea to senior chief executives while balancing the running of the organisation with the daily rigours of school life. The pair also consider how the next generation is bringing fresh perspectives to the sports industry, why younger people are more likely take risks and what the leaders of tomorrow look like.  

Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams returns to give Eoin Connolly an American perspective on the latest sports business developments.  They discuss what Todd Boehly’s US track record – especially his ownership of MLB’s LA Dodgers – suggests about his future as owner of Premier League club Chelsea. Elsewhere in soccer, they look at Uefa’s Champions League reforms and EA Sports’ split from Fifa after three hugely successful decades.  Across the Atlantic, there’s a review of Formula One’s glitzy Miami Grand Prix debut, the WNBA’s prospects are sized up as its season starts, and there’s an update on the sale of the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

Eoin Connolly reviews another week of industry news with SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam and senior staff writer Ed Dixon.  Tom unpacks more developments in the Chelsea ownership saga, with Todd Boehly’s consortium in place as the preferred bidder despite late interest from Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Then Ed reflects on a historic night in New York, where Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano became the first female boxers to sell out Madison Square Garden.  Finally, GreenPark Sports chief strategy officer Tony Grillo lays out a vision for a mobile fan metaverse for leagues like the NBA and La Liga.  

Matt Rogan is joined by the chief executives at Six Nations Rugby, GB Snowsport and Surrey County Cricket Club for a live recording of the Playbook Podcast at SportsPro Live.