Sports Pundit Podcast Network

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 Overtime5:00 - 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 NOW13:00 - Owning IP and Being Part of Creator Economy 15:00 - Impact of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) on Overtime17:00 - 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 Overtime30:00 – Future plans and Overtime’s potential bold play in chessAdditional Links:Different Game: Overtime’s IP Empire Is What Every Sports Brand Wishes It Had 🔥Overtime and NWSL Team Up For Gen-Z-Focused Content PartnershipATP Tour & Overtime announce groundbreaking content partnership to bring tennis to new audiencesConnect with Dan on LinkedIn - HereConnect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here

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. Timestamps2:00 - Michael's Journey4:00 - Joining Roc Nation - and it's Founding Story12:00 - Being Purpose-Led17:00 - Creating Separation Between On and Off-Field Moves20:00 - Working with Siya Kolisi and Challenging Rugby Culture30:00 - How Can Rugby Diversify its Audience?40:00 - Being Selective About the Brands that Athletes Work With51:00 - Michael's Dream Additional LinksConnect with Michael on LinkedIn - HereConnect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here

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. Timestamps2:00 - Siobhan's Journey 5:00 - Getting into Rowing10:00 - Creating an Impact Beyond Oxford and Cambridge15:00 - What can be Learned from American Collegiate Sport? 21:00 - Revenue Streams of The Boat Race23:00 - Tapping into Fandom of British IP like Harry Potter26:00 - Festivalisation of Sporting Events28:00 - Partnering with CHANEL 35:00 - Leveraging Content to Educate Audiences 46:00 - Looking ForwardAdditional LinksThe Boat Race Documentary 2025: Ep 1 | "All Change" - Turning The Tide (2025) Oxford v CambridgeCHANEL and The Boat Race announce long-term partnershipConnect with Siobhan on LinkedIn - HereConnect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here

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.Timestamps2:00 - Em's Journey4.30: - How Rexona Fits within Unilever Personal Care Portfolio8:00 - Activating Partnerships with UEFA and FIFA15:00 - Balancing Sports Partnerships with Other Areas of Marketing18:00 - Leveraging Ambassadors at Club Partners - like Lucy Bronze and Lauren James20:30 - What Attracted Rexona to Partner with Chelsea and Man City26:00 - Chicken and Egg Problem Surrounding Women's Sport29:00 - 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 145:00 - Looking Forward Additional LinksRexona Partners with England Football Star Lucy Bronze to Inspire Girls to Move MoreICC and Unilever announce groundbreaking partnership on International Women’s Day to strengthen the future of women’s cricketConnect with Emily on LinkedIn - HereConnect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here

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 Stamps2:00 - Brett's Journey and Bringing the NFL to Melbourne5:00 - NFL's Current Projects Internationally 7:00 - Homegrown Players and the Heritage Program13:00 - Could the NFL Launch a Local League?15:00 - Expanding into New Markets like Ireland and Spain20:00 - Global Markets Program 27:00 - Balancing Needs of International and Domestic Fans29:00 - Activating in Local Markets 31:00 - Impact of Netflix and YouTube deals35:00 - Future Plans for the LeagueAdditional Links:Sports Pundit: Touching Down: How the NFL is Becoming the International Football League 🏈Connect with Brett on LinkedIn - HereConnect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here

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

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

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

Andy Marston, founder of Sports Pundit and contributor to The Players Fund, discusses building a sports-industry community. He talks about fostering cross-generational networks, bringing 18–25s into decision-making with shadow-board ideas, and how athlete-backed funds and education prepare players for life after sport.

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