Jimmie Johnson, 7x NASCAR Champion: 'Has the Rise of F1 Been Good For NASCAR?' (Ep63)
Release Date: 04/01/2025
Dominic Thiem: ‘The Making of a Grand Slam Champion’ (Ep84)
Business of Sport
This week we’re delighted to welcome Dominic Thiem to the show. We’ve waited nearly 100 shows but finally tennis has arrived, right in the middle of the US Open, which Dominic won in a 5 set epic in 2020. One of the few non-Federer, Nadal, Djokovic players to win a slam while those three were at their peak, Dominic’s career saw him win 17 ATP titles alongside the Slam before being forced into retirement at just 31 through injury. But in his own words, Dominic describes this as a ‘new beginning not a farewell’. From playing through the most incredible era tennis has seen, losing two...
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Simon Massie-Taylor, CEO Prem Rugby: 'From Red Bull’s Newcastle Investment to Building the Best League in Rugby' (Ep83)
Business of Sport
This week we’re delighted to welcome Simon Massie-Taylor to the show. Simon is the CEO of The newly branded Prem Rugby. The competition has faced well publicised challenges in recent years, with clubs going bust and broader questions around the viability of the sport as an attractive investment. But with attendances on the rise, commercial income flowing, major long term broadcasting deals and the Red Bull marketing machine as a new stakeholder, this is a competition looking forward not backwards. With talk of challenger leagues and continual disruption to the established order of...
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Michael Beale, Fmr Rangers, QPR, Sunderland Manager: 'Does English Culture Suppress Maverick Talent?' (Ep82)
Business of Sport
Michael Beale is part of a top crop of young English managers. At 44, he has already managed QPR, Rangers, and Sunderland, while also forming a successful partnership as Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Rangers, Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq. As virtually every manager quickly comes to realise, there’ll be some roles that work out, and some that don’t, but the most important thing to learn from the experiences that don’t turn out how you’d hope and come back a better coach and manager…there is a difference. Michael’s roots are in youth development, and has played a huge role in the...
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Andrew Thompson, SailGP Managing Director: ‘Welcome to F1 on Water’ (Ep81)
Business of Sport
It’s a different take this week; welcome to Formula 1 on water! SailGP has become one of the fastest growing sports leagues, bringing sailing to the forefront of modern entertainment. The national teams that race identical F50 Catamarans go to some of the world’s most enticing coastal locations in a Grand Prix style format with millions in prize money on the line. The franchises are valued between $50m+ and owners include major PE and finance as well as consortiums of celebrities including Kylian Mbappe, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. As Managing Director, Andrew is in...
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Mark Devlin, Leyton Orient CEO: ‘Striking the Balance Between Ambition and Financial Sustainability: The Leyton Orient Story' (Ep80)
Business of Sport
Mark Devlin is the CEO of Leyton Orient, a team that’s been riding the rollercoaster of English football right on the edge in recent years. From nearly going out of business and dropping into non-league football to bouncing back into League One playoff finals, the fans have been on a ride the few would choose. However, new ownership and big plans to build both on and off the pitch make this London club a hugely exciting football proposition for the next decades. What has this journey looked like from the inside and how is success being built into the fabric of the future? Having been...
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Peter McCormack, Real Bedford Owner: Can Billionaire Investment Take You From Non-League To The Premier League? (Ep79)
Business of Sport
Peter McCormack is the Owner and Chairman of Real Bedford, who play in the 8th tier of English Football. But this is unique for a number of reasons. We always look for the stories that represent a different approach to running sports assets, and building your Premier League ambition around Bitcoin is certainly one of those. Peter is the host of one of if not the biggest Bitcoin podcasts. As you’ll hear his journey to club ownership is as colourful as it is extraordinary; this is someone who has come through some challenging times to get to where he is now. As you’ve just heard in the...
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Ryan Bertrand, Fmr Chelsea, Southampton & England: ‘It Didn’t Feel Like the Chelsea I was Brought Up In; The Foundations of Champions League Success' (Ep78)
Business of Sport
This week, we’re delighted to welcome Ryan Bertrand to the show, the only man to make his Champions League debut in the final…and of course win it in historic style with Chelsea in 2012. The regulars of you will know a conversation like this is exciting for us both as big Chelsea fans, and the shirts we wore throughout gave the game away anyway. But Ryan isn’t just the player who won that cup, played over 260 Premier League games, and was capped 19 times by England. This is a former athlete with a story to tell that incorporates exploration away from football; interests that fans, the...
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Guenther Steiner: ‘A Life in F1: Moving On From Haas, Christian Horner’s Sacking, & The Genius of Verstappen' (Ep77)
Business of Sport
This week, we’re delighted to welcome the legendary Guenther Steiner to the show. One of the most iconic Team Principal’s to grace the paddock, the personality and energy he brings to the room is not just a show put on for the Drive to Survive cameras. What you have seen on TV is a true account of the man, taking the mickey out of us from the off while delivering such a compelling view on life as a Team Principal and the wider world of F1. Having left Haas at the end of 2023, he seemed relaxed and free from the pressures of day to day management in one of sport’s most high pressure...
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Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu: ‘How to Run a Business & Play in the Premier League' (Ep76)
Business of Sport
This week, we’re delighted to welcome Thomas Robson-Kanu to the show, known to many of you I’m sure as Hal. The different names he has gone by is the perfect demonstration as to why this is such a unique story. A footballer with over nearly 500 competitive games under his belt and a businessman with revenues in the tens of millions, Thomas is the epitome of creating additional opportunity alongside elite sporting performance. Many of us think straight to that momentous moment in Euro 2016 when he scored the goal of goals against Belgium to put Wales in their first Semi-Final. As incredible...
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Jeff Shi, Wolves Chairman: ‘How to Succeed in the Premier League & Be Financially Sustainable’
Business of Sport
This week, we’re delighted to welcome Wolves Chairman Jeff Shi to the show. Having been at the club since 2016, he has been a key part of the club’s rise from Championship survival to top half Premier League finishes and European quarter finals. Currently enjoying their longest run of Premier League football, there is a lot to be proud of. Jeff hasn’t done a huge amount of interviews. With the club surviving a tricky period last year when their top flight status was at risk for half the season, now is the time to talk to the fans and wider football community about both his...
info_outlineToday we welcome 7-time NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson, a racing legend. Motorsport has never been bigger. The Liberty Media world of F1 has exploded, MotoGP has sold for over $4bn, but what about NASCAR? The US's second most watched sport is an entertainment and commercial giant, yet outside of America, it’s fair to say exposure is limited.
Jimmie Johnson is one of the most successful drivers to grace any track; think Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher. He is the joint record holder for most Championships won, dominating the sport in the noughties winning 5 titles in a row. Now, he’s changed the race seat for team ownership with Legacy Motor Club. From billion dollar media rights deals to cars described as revolving billboards, when we get into it, the business of this sport is ridiculous! We’re delighted to welcome Jimmie to the show.
On today's show we discuss:
The Business of NASCAR:
- Where does NASCAR sit in the US sporting ecosystem?
- What does it cost to buy a team, or ‘Charter’, and how many cars do you enter into a race when you have secured your spot?
- The $8bn media deal is a major financer of the sport, but what does the distribution model look like?
- How much do the top drivers get paid and how has the sport changed as regulation restricts the money spent on cars?
- Why the demand for Charters is on the rise and the shift in investor profile.
- Does NASCAR need to go global to reach its full potential?
The Rise of Jimmie Johnson:
- From humble beginnings to the joint most Championships in NASCAR history, what did the path to the top look like?
- Racing in the 2000s was very different to racing in the present day; how did the salaries and stardom compare?
- Private planes and international fame…NASCAR drivers lived a great life, but what did the sacrifices to achieve the ultimate success look like?
- It’s hard to keep the fire burning; what did Jimmie do to ensure he kept focused and hungry?
- How is Jimmie adding value to Legacy Motor Club as a co-owner that leverages his storied career as a driver?
The Future of NASCAR:
- What does the sport need to do to reach its full potential? Should it go to the F1 playbook?
- Does the business model allow for the sport to grow? Should there be a better distribution model and decentralised control to develop the commercial end?
- With a couple of teams pushing back against the latest regulation, is the sport heading for a political dogfight?
- What does Jimmie want to achieve as an owner?
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