Business of Sport

Ben Calveley, The British & Irish Lions CEO: “We Need Some Wins; This Is A High Performance Team!” (Ep68) 05/06/2025

Ben Calveley, The British & Irish Lions CEO: “We Need Some Wins; This Is A High Performance Team!” (Ep68) Today we’re delighted to welcome the British and Irish Lions CEO Ben Calveley to the show. The Lions are one of the most iconic institutions in sport. Made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, this team which tours once every four years is the pinnacle of many a rugby player's career. In just a few weeks, the team will begin its tour of Australia, trying to win a series for only the third time in the last 30 years. This highlights how difficult it actually is for the Lions to be successful. There are few things more difficult than winning away in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. But what is it that makes the Lions so revered? How do the players turn off rivalry to become the ultimate team for a few short weeks. As described by the Lions themselves which perfectly sums it up, this history is a testament to the power of unity, where rivalries are set aside in pursuit of rugby excellence. This is the real Lions brought to you by the man in charge of the whole legacy. We’re delighted to welcome Ben to the Business of Sport. On today’s show we discuss: Sculpted in History: When was the Lions formed and how has it shaped the most unique team in rugby, maybe even in sport? What does it mean to be a part of the Lions; from inclusion as player to the coaching staff taking on the challenge. Who has the advantage? The balance between putting together the strongest team from four great rugby nations and playing away from home. Why has success been so hard to come by and what have winning teams been able to harness? Business of The Lions: Behind the history, legacy and honour lies a business that needs to be delivering more than once every four years. How does the organisation make money? From broadcast to sponsorship to ticketing; the numbers behind the Lions. Can The Lions make themselves less financially dependent on the tour and diversify their risk profile to ensure the business is not over exposed? How do sponsorships work and why does Ben think their partners are so keen to align themselves with the team? This is a profitable organisation! What could other sports organisations pick up from the value created around the team? The Future: A historic organisation must leverage its legacy while continuing to innovate. What are the Lions doing to ensure they remain at the front of the attention economy? The introduction of the Women’s Tour and what that does for both rugby and the brand. Would the team ever play a series in a location other than Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa? The modern media environment has created an era of sports documentaries, but how were the Lions at the front of this movement? Creating an event out of the squad announcement; how a day at the O2 will create an F1 car launch style buzz around one of the most exciting aspects of any Lions tour. /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/36452455

Charlotte O’Neill, Manchester City Women Managing Director, ‘Why Is Women’s Football Expected To Be Profitable When Men’s Football Isn’t!?’ 04/29/2025

Charlotte O’Neill, Manchester City Women Managing Director, ‘Why Is Women’s Football Expected To Be Profitable When Men’s Football Isn’t!?’ Today we’re delighted to welcome Manchester City Women’s Director Charlotte O’Neill to the show. This is a part of the game we talk about a lot. The growth of women’s football has been in turbo over the last decade, both in the UK and beyond. Man City have been one of the clubs leading that charge, compiling a squad of world class talent with the facilities and infrastructure to deliver on a long term ambition, to be the best women’s team in the world. But behind this is a broad range of both successes and major challenges to overcome. From developing female first brands with unique value propositions to being held to account for a lack of financial sustainability as the men’s game haemorrhages cash, there’s a real story to be told for what is going on behind the scenes as these teams evolve through their investment phase into legitimate standalone football brands with social and commercial firepower. On today’s show we discuss: Evolution of Man City Women: When a women’s team is starting out, does it need to be able to leverage the brand and credibility of a strong men’s team to get ahead? What has been the most important part of being a team in the City Football Group setup? From foundation to legitimacy: how have the club developed both a trophy chasing team on the pitch supported by best in class infrastructure off it. What are the biggest challenges about running a women’s team in the WSL? Are the expectations placed on the women’s team similar to that of the men? How an access to the leadership of Man City, such as Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, has benefited Charlotte and her team when it comes to football and business. Creating a Proper Business: ”This assumption that women's football has to be sustainable from day dot really drives me mad”. What does it mean for the game to be in the ‘investment phase'? Understanding who the fans are; who are the core group attracted to the matches and how to the compare to the ‘traditional’ City fan? The rise of female first partnerships: how the women’s team and signing major brand deals with businesses looking to unlock and resonate with a new audience. What are the key revenue streams that drive the team and how do they compare to the men’s business model. To what extent does success on the pitch drive the success off it? The Wider World of Women’s Football: How does the WSL compare to other strong leagues in the US and Europe? Are we attracting the top talent to come and play in the league and do the financial opportunities offered compete with salaries elsewhere? Should we franchise women’s football? The balance between security and maintaining brand value with jeopardy and open football pyramids. Where are the biggest opportunities for women’s football over the coming years? A huge thanks to our partner: Orreco /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/36340885

Steven Elworthy, Surrey County Cricket CEO: ‘Is County Cricket Sustainable?' (Ep66) 04/22/2025

Steven Elworthy, Surrey County Cricket CEO: ‘Is County Cricket Sustainable?' (Ep66) Today we’re delighted to welcome Surrey County Cricket CEO Steve Elworthy to the show, our first venture into one of the toughest businesses in sport. Surrey is a historic institution in a historic sport, part of a club set up integral to the development of all cricket, including the much loved short form franchise tournaments that dominate today. But well documented, the clubs are struggling big time. Surrey, as you’ll hear, is not one of them. By far the best team chasing a 4th consecutive championship, a key piece of infrastructure generating tens of millions a year, a perfect location in London, the business of this county team will surprise you I’m sure. But this format is in need of support and innovation. How can we grow the game of cricket and protect the clubs and format that may be out of fashion at the moment, but without which much of cricket wouldn’t exist? This is the business of cricket away from the shining lights and big music. On today’s show we discuss: The Business of Surrey: What are the key business drivers of Surrey? From sponsorships to media to ticketing and events. Why is it so important to have a multi-purpose venue capable of generating revenue away from cricket? What is the balance of value between County Championship and short form matches like The Hundred or T20 Blast? Some years revenue can be £45m, others £65m. Why is it hard to create consistency in annual turnover? The sale of Hundred franchises will pump millions of pounds into the county game. What will this be used for? Impact of Short Form Cricket: The Hundred and T20 Blast play a major role in attracting fans to club grounds. How do club benefit from these short formats even if they don’t directly own a team? Why innovation in cricket is more than just reducing the number of balls bowled. A discussion around player pay: there needs to be a recognition of the opportunities players receive and provide competitive offers to attract the best talent. With the Mumbai Indians owners buying into the Oval Invincibles, what will the benefits of a relationship be? Keeping County Cricket Alive: The maintenance of red ball cricket is important for more than just tradition; why the grassroots game depends on long form cricket. Are the counties marketing their core product well enough? Surrey get over 50,000 fans in for a season; how can that be replicated in locations where teams get only 6 or 7,000? How can county teams modernise to attract the young fan and shake the perception that this is a format of the past? A huge thanks to our partner: Orreco /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/36259970

Joe Gorman, Exeter City CEO: ‘The Club with 4700 Owners!’ (Ep65) 04/15/2025

Joe Gorman, Exeter City CEO: ‘The Club with 4700 Owners!’ (Ep65) Today we welcome Exeter City CEO Joe Gorman. This show is long in the making. One of the most requested guests we have had. Why? Well Exeter are one of football’s biggest rarities; a fan owned club. This means they cannot rely on the wealth and exuberance enjoyed by many to succeed on and off the pitch. They actually have to try and make the business make sense. Punching above their weight for many years, the club sits in League One alongside mega rich teams like Birmingham and Wrexham, and are more than competitive. So how does a club owned by 4700 fans paying £24 a year compete at the top level? How have they turned a £5m investment into the academy to a return of £20m. And why is Joe adamant this is a club here to be the best football team, not just to pat on the head and applaud for doing things unusually well. A truly unique model. A truly unique conversation. This is the other side of the ‘Business of Football’. On today’s show we discuss: Exeter: A Fan-Owned Club: What does it mean to be owned by the fans and how does it actually work when you have over 4700 ‘owners’ involved in the club? Is Joe’s job made easier or harder without having the pressures exerted on management by demanding multi-millionaire owners chasing the glories of Premier League football? How does the business of the club actually work in the context of making decisions to spend money. Is it consensus driven? The importance of building trust: “the fans need to know I have the best interests of the club at heart” Why this is more than a club to patronise for doing well off the field and how Joe, along with manager Gary Caldwell, is installing a winning culture from top to bottom. Would the club ever look for investment away from the fanbase? A Unique Playing Model: When you can’t go out and spend millions on a star player, how do Exeter uncover talent who fit their model? The importance of creating value for top teams by nurturing talent and being a home that clubs want to send their brightest young players to. Buying players for 5-figures and selling them for 7-figures; winning for Exeter is more than just 3 points on the pitch. The value of the sell-on clause: why having a percentage sale on players sold is such a valuable cash flow addition. The fanbase needs to understand and get behind this business model for it to work. How do they relate to a team with pure ideals that may have a ‘success ceiling’? Competing in the EFL: The financial disparity between clubs even in League One is becoming more apparent than ever. How do Exeter leverage their unique model to compete with big spenders? Are clubs like Wrexham and Birmingham good for the Football League? Whose responsibility is it to capitalise on the increased exposure afforded to the football league with big investors and TV deals now a common occurrence? Why does Joe fear wage inflation will be the thing that makes competing on a manageable playing field too hard to navigate? And to our amazing partner: Orreco /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/36151175

Nicolas Julia, Sorare Founder: ‘Building a $4bn Fantasy Sports Empire’ (Ep64) 04/08/2025

Nicolas Julia, Sorare Founder: ‘Building a $4bn Fantasy Sports Empire’ (Ep64) Today we welcome Nicolas Julia, founder of Sorare, the record breaking platform that blends fantasy sport with digital collectibles. This is a step beyond the fantasy football/F1/rugby you may already be a part of. It’s an open market, providing the chance to show your skills and talent identification to buy, select and trade tangible assets in the form of player cards. They are reimagining sport for the digital age, combining NFT’s, global partnerships, and strategic gameplay to create a fan-owned, athlete connected future of sports entertainment. From signing partnerships with the Premier League, NBA, and over 350 teams to generating nearly half a billion dollars of translations on the platform, Sorare has pioneered a new era of fan engagement while empowering athletes with their own data and IP. Serena Williams, Gerard Pique, Kylian Mbappe; they’re all backing the company to deliver on their objective of making every fan an owner or manager. But how did this bridge between digital fandom and the world’s biggest sporting entities form? Big numbers, big partners, big ambitions. Nico delivers the thesis of a company at the heart of the modern sports industry. In today’s show we discuss: Building a Fantasy Sports Business What was the opportunity Nicolas and his partners identified when establishing Sorare? Born in the era of cryptocurrency and NFT’s, how has Sorare been able to navigate this highly volatile landscape and become THE fantasy sports platform? What does the business model look like? From attracting players to the platform to signing global partnerships with major leagues. What has the hardest part of working with very traditional organisations been? How much education is required when demonstrating the value Sorare can bring to a league? Value of Athlete Partnerships Athletes are becoming more and more active in investment markets. How have Sorare leveraged the talent on their cap table to develop the brand and product? How did Nico encourage the likes of Gerard Piqué, Serena Williams, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi to invest in the business? Are agents a blocker to getting access to athletes when it comes to presenting ‘long term’ business opportunities? Signing big brands and major rights deals is significantly aided by athlete participation; the story of how Serena Williams won Sorare the NBA contract. Difference Between US & European Markets There is a major difference between the evolution of US and European markets when it comes to fan engagement, technology adoption, and athlete investing models. How has this shown itself in the growth of Sorare? Did the approach to winning contracts in the US have to change from the football model implemented in Europe? How do Sorare identify and prioritise new markets? The NFL is one of the biggest sports leagues in the world. Is this a target area? How does the development of the US betting market impact Sorare, if at all? Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/36050985

Jimmie Johnson, 7x NASCAR Champion: 'Has the Rise of F1 Been Good For NASCAR?' (Ep63) 04/01/2025

Jimmie Johnson, 7x NASCAR Champion: 'Has the Rise of F1 Been Good For NASCAR?' (Ep63) Today 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? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35957000

Andrew Parkinson, Plymouth Argyle CEO: ‘Hiring Rooney, Beating Liverpool, and Fighting for Championship Survival’ (Ep62) 03/25/2025

Andrew Parkinson, Plymouth Argyle CEO: ‘Hiring Rooney, Beating Liverpool, and Fighting for Championship Survival’ (Ep62) This week, we take a look inside one of the most talked about clubs this season. From hiring Wayne Rooney as manager to knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup, it’s been a crazy season for Plymouth and CEO Andrew Parkinson. Even more so when the club finds itself bottom of the championship fighting for survival. But this is a club that continually outperforms its budget, competing against teams with 6x bigger budgets, and that’s what we want to get into today. How do you build success in a football club when you can’t rely on money to win? On today's show we discuss: Economics of a Championship Team: How do Plymouth compare to their rivals when it comes to the financial resources at their disposal? What does a club in the bottom half of the table generate in revenue? How much can they afford to spend on player budgets? The importance of having multiple budgets for multiple scenarios: facing the relegation reality. How much can a Championship team earn from sponsorship? Plymouth this Season: Hiring Wayne Rooney at the start of the season attracted a lot of attention; was it more than a PR move? …and what happens when you have to sack a manager? The competitive nature of the Championship and the importance of staying in the decision for both financial and player retention reasons The value beyond emotions of beating Liverpool and pushing Manchester City in the FA Cup Improve the Business of Football: Why Plymouth are looking for investment and what they would be able to do with an additional capital injection. Developing a high performing and well supported women’s team is a priority, but should it be under the same banner as the men’s? Does the 3pm blackout help or hinder football across the pyramid? Can the club implement a media strategy to help support the profile and exposure of the club? Cracking America: capitalising on the pilgrims link with the US Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35852740

Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO: Behind the Curtain of Rugby's Most Scrutinised Organisation (Ep61) 03/18/2025

Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO: Behind the Curtain of Rugby's Most Scrutinised Organisation (Ep61) This week, we’re delighted to welcome the CEO of the RFU, Bill Sweeney, to the show. There’s no hiding from the fact it’s been a hard few months for the organisation and Bill personally. Significant losses reported last year alongside the now infamous LTIP scheme generated an unrelenting flow of negative press and questions of the leadership. This show is about understanding the financial health of the RFU and wider sport. And it’s certainly not as bad as many would have you believe. Fueling the almost holistic negativity around Rugby, which we have talked about many times on the show, is not the aim here. We discuss the governance structure, revenue generation & the Allianz deal, LTIP scheme, England team performance, rugby’s drive to remain relevant, and more. Listen to the facts, make your own conclusions. But, hopefully having listened to this, with a better picture of where the game is at and if the RFU is achieving its primary goal of growing the game in this country and beyond. On today's show we discuss: What is the RFU?: For all the criticism and focus on the organisation over the last few months, what does the RFU actually do and is it fit for purpose to deliver on its objectives? Should the community game and the professional game be governed by the same organisation? "It's time for change". What does Bill think needs to happen to improve the governance of rugby in England? The fight is on to keep rugby relevant in an increasingly competitive attention economy; what are the RFU doing to develop the game? The Finances of Rugby: How much money does the RFU generate each year and where is that money spent? The story of the LTIP payment and why it was such a problem in the broader context of RFU finances. From a new stadium naming rights deal with Allianz to a data driven partnership with Apple, what does the partnership roster look like and how much does it generate? The financial cycle shows the governing body loses huge numbers in World Cup years. Should this be changed so countries are not financially penalised during the greatest global show of rugby? "85% of the revenue generated comes from the mens team playing at The Allianz. That has to change". The challenges of getting through Covid and back to business. Aligning Finances with Performance: "England has won four 6 Nations in the last 22 years. That is not acceptable considering the resources and our game". How can the RFU play a role in creating global icons out of England rugby players alongside Premiership Clubs? The future is bright: how the emerging England rugby teams are showing the value of investing in pathways and are on track for major success. Is the structure currently optimised to get the best out of the performance? A comparison with Ireland, France & New Zealand. A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35743970

Simon Leslie: Eastbourne Borough Owner, ‘Non-League Clubs Deserve Better’ (Ep60) 03/11/2025

Simon Leslie: Eastbourne Borough Owner, ‘Non-League Clubs Deserve Better’ (Ep60) Welcome to the business of Non-League football. Beneath the top four tiers of the revered English football pyramid sits a whole other football world; hundreds of teams, players, coaches, owners playing week in week out to climb the ladder. Jamie Vardy, Ollie Watkins, Jarrod Bowen, Tyrone Mings have all played non-league football. ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ recently storied the quality that exists and the difficulty in getting out of it. I’ve wanted to do a show focused on this from day one, so I’m delighted to welcome Eastbourne Borough owner Simon Leslie to the show. This is the fully unfiltered reveal on what it is like to buy, run and try to develop a club outside the core of English football. The opportunity is huge, but the challenges are significant. There’s no soft touch here, as we welcome Simon to the Business of Sport. In today’s show we discuss: Buying a Non-League Team: What was it about Eastbourne Borough that attracted you to the opportunity when you had looked at clubs in the Football League? What is unique about buying a club in Non-League and what was the financial requirement to not just purchase the asset but also to run it? Owners now have to go through a rigorous process to check they have the resources to buy a football club…or do they? Is the FA’s ‘Fit & Proper’ test fit for purpose? “There’s an element of stupidity (in football ownership)”. Why do successful business people continue to plough their hard earned money into football clubs? Can you Make Money?: What are the economics of a Non-League club, from no media rights to a brutally competitive commercial landscape? How do you stand out from the rest to drive more eyeballs and more traffic through your club? The importance of content in a modern sporting landscape; how Eastbourne have become the envy of many far bigger clubs with a cutting edge, multi platform media offering. What needs to happen to drive more revenue opportunity in football? Football Governance Fit for Purpose?: How much money do Non-League teams receive from the Premier League and EFL, and what changes could be introduced to deliver a better financial outcome? Are the right people running football in England? Owners have to do more to drive change; why the responsibility doesn’t just sit on the individuals at the top of centralised football. Do the people at the top of Women’s football believe in their own product? “I am an unofficial spokesperson for Non-League football because they’re not doing it themselves and they deserve more” Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35632245

Liam Dooley: Shrewsbury Town CEO, ‘How to Work With the Smallest Budget in League One’ (Ep59) 03/04/2025

Liam Dooley: Shrewsbury Town CEO, ‘How to Work With the Smallest Budget in League One’ (Ep59) Another first class Football League CEO in the studio this week. Liam Dooley has been in charge of Shrewsbury town, League one’s longest serving club, since 2023. Operating on the smallest budget in the division, balancing good business with competitive performance is not easy. Shrewsbury have had 10 consecutive years at this level, but are currently bottom of the league having lost their last four games. But, with their latest accounts showing they have halved their annual losses, the business side has impressed. With a top manager like Gareth Ainsworth in charge on the pitch, the fight is on to escape relegation and attract new investment. We’re back again; how do you build great business off the pitch and win on it? In today’s show we discuss: The Business of a League One Club: Can a football club be good business? Has the profile of football club owners now changed so much that ‘local’ owners are no longer able to meet the financial needs of clubs? What is the correlation between spending the most and achieving on the pitch the lower down the leagues you go? Why did Liam focus so much attention on reducing the club’s financial losses in a short space of time and what are the wider impacts of cutting costs? Shrewsbury Town: Overachievers? Shrewsbury Town are the longest serving club in League One; how has a club with a small budget managed to achieve consistency in a financially driven market. How can you be successful when you have the lowest budget in the league? With the club currently looking for investment, what is the profile of owner that’s most attractive to the club and their fans? How has Gareth Ainsworth come into the club and created a positive environment even if results aren’t going Shrewsbury’s way? “Build a Club not a Team”: It is important to create a culture in the club that is more than just the men’s team on the pitch for 90 minutes every Saturday. How do you do this? Why the women’s team is separate from the operational running of the club, and where does women’s football sit in the future plans of Shrewsbury? Leveraging the academy to create future stars for the first team and to become an additional line of business when clubs buy your talent. What happens to the club if it gets relegated? Are there things that have to be sacrificed or put on hold? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35510625

Peter Kenyon: Fmr Manchester United & Chelsea CEO, ‘Mourinho was the Best Money Chelsea Spent' (Ep58) 02/25/2025

Peter Kenyon: Fmr Manchester United & Chelsea CEO, ‘Mourinho was the Best Money Chelsea Spent' (Ep58) Today we welcome one of football’s most iconic CEOs. When Peter Kenyon moved from Manchester United to Chelsea in 2003 after Roman Abramovich bought the club, it was the first time a move in the boardroom was treated like a player transfer. Sir Alex Ferguson was said to be ‘intensely disappointed’, not least because he recognised the role Peter played in the success of United at the time. Having built Man Utd into both a performance and commercial powerhouse, Peter took on the task of executing Abramovich’s vision; to build the best club in Europe. From working with Ferguson to hiring Mourinho, from creating culture to delivering trophies, we get an answer to the question we have asked for a long time: How to build success off the pitch AND win on it? It doesn’t get much bigger than this. On today’s show we discuss: Manchester United: Building a Global Brand Sir Alex Ferguson was key to the success of Manchester United on and off the pitch; why you couldn’t detach winning from the commercial achievements of the club. “Why are some businesses successful and others not? It’s down to people”. The importance of building the best team for the job at hand. It wasn’t necessarily about signing the best players; it was about signing the personalities that fit the culture. Why United were able to capitalise on their success from a business standpoint where Liverpool didn’t. The story behind Rupert Murdoch’s failed acquisition of the club in 1998. The Move to Chelsea: Why did Peter leave the biggest club in the country to take over at newly owned Chelsea in 2003? “Abramovich was an unbelievable owner”. What made Chelsea’s owner so great for his 20 years of stewardship and what makes the best owners in football? The story (and theory) behind firing Claudio Ranieri and signing Jose Mourinho, and why it just may be the best money Chelsea spent. Conversations with Abramovich before he bought the club included a very clear set of ambitions and a definition of what success looks like; what were the targets? What was the hardest deal to get done while Peter was in charge of Chelsea? The Industry Today: “The downfall of United was the success of United”. Why it is so important to have a succession plan in sport. Are we seeing a break in the relationship of a necessity to win to drive strong commercial performance? It may pain Peter to admit it, but why does he think Liverpool have done an exceptional job in recent years where others have struggled? In a nod to his current board seat at Williams F1, why the Williams comeback will be the greatest in sporting history! A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35419935

Lee Johnson: Fmr Sunderland & Bristol City Manager, 'Decision Making Needs to be Driven by Sport' (Ep57) 02/18/2025

Lee Johnson: Fmr Sunderland & Bristol City Manager, 'Decision Making Needs to be Driven by Sport' (Ep57) This week, we’re delighted to welcome Lee Johnson to the show. Lee has had a stellar career as both a player and manager, playing over 400 games before becoming the youngest manager in the Football League at 31 when he took over at Oldham in 2013. Since that first job he has managed some historic clubs including Sunderland, Bristol City, and Hibernian. After a tough year, leaving Hibs followed by a very brief spell at Fleetwood, Lee took the time out to reflect on the next stage of his career and gain some different experiences, from working with Manchester City’s development squad, to going to Africa to source the best young talent. The life of a football manager is a pretty crazy one. You live on a knife edge; job security is not something that exists for 99.9%. Lee has been a victim of his own success on more than one occasion, over-achieving and setting new expectations that then need to be continuously met. Hire and fire culture is a reality of modern day football, but it’s not a good one. What is it like being on the manager's end of the deal? A huge advocate of technology, data and modern coaching methods, this is a detailed review of life as a top level manager while also looking at an evolving football industry continuously in a state of unpredictable change. As always with the best football shows, topped off with some eye-opening stories! On today’s show we discuss: Life as a Manager: From becoming the youngest manager in the Football League to taking a break following two sackings in a season, the ups and downs of management. What was the transition like when Lee made the step from being part of a dressing room to leading one? What is a manager’s greatest anxiety? Learning from the best; how a relationship with Kenny Dalglish helped Lee establish his managerial career. ‘Sometimes football gives you a rest’. What is next for Lee now he has had some time out from the game? Why managing mavericks in the game is something a manager has to learn to use to the team’s advantage. Managing Top Clubs: ‘Bristol City was a team for tomorrow’. What does Lee mean by this? The importance of balancing good business and player sales with ambition on the pitch and being able to compete. A manager can very quickly become a victim of their own success; how strong starts at Bristol City and Sunderland raised the bar of expectation for future results. How do you manage up? Why the relationship between manager and owner is crucial. Changing the goal line; how a job can be sold to a manager as one thing and be very different when you get there. What it was like beating Jose Mourinho and competing with Pep Guardiola in a historic Bristol City cup run. The State of Football: Are clubs making too many business decisions that are not based on sporting success? Data led recruitment has become the most important strategy in football, but are there other things to consider when signing a player? Should managers change their style when you get promoted to a new league? Our Partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35326270

James Barclay: Jaguar Racing Team Principal, 'Formula E and Electric are the Future' (Ep56) 02/11/2025

James Barclay: Jaguar Racing Team Principal, 'Formula E and Electric are the Future' (Ep56) This week, we are delighted to welcome James Barclay to the show. James is Team Principal at Jaguar Racing, the current Formula E constructors World Champion. We have done some amazing shows on Formula 1, but this is a new area to venture into. Formula E is the fastest growing motorsport in the world. It has been a rapid rise for electric racing since the first season in 2014. In an age where the environment and sustainability dominates, this format has become a pioneer of ‘green’ sport, influencing the technological development of electric cars and influencing broader automotive consumption habits. With the now infamous rebrand of Jaguar at the end of last year, what role does the company’s participation in this sport now play in broader company objectives built exclusively around electric vehicles? James has been the team Principal since 2015, when the manufacturer first entered the sport. This was the chance to sit down and discuss this alongside the success of Formula 1, understand the similarities and differences, and review how the business of the teams and wider sport works. It’s an entertainment product for the modern age, and a modern audience. What makes the Jaguar car faster than an F1 car 0-60? What is the cost of running a Championship winning team? Could Max Verstappen win in a Formula E car? Let’s find out. On today’s show we discuss: The world of Formula E: Creating a new sport - the origins of Formula E and how it differs from other forms of racing. How has it evolved since its inception; from a concept on the back of a napkin to leading global motorsport. What do the revenue streams look like for a Formula E team? From sponsorship to prize money to media rights. Do spending caps and regulations placed on the teams drive financial sustainability? How media rights and the mediafication of sport has affected Formula E? Is there a Drive to Survive moment on the horizon? How do drivers become Formula E drivers rather than another motorsport? What are the differences? Formula E vs Formula 1: What are the similarities between the two formats? What has F1 copied from Formula E? Are the two in competition or can they coexist harmoniously? How would F1 drivers fare in the Formula E championship? If you put Max Verstappen in a Jaguar car, would he win the Championship? What lessons can Formula E take from F1 when it comes to global outreach? Do Formula E’s cars lead to better racing? More overtakes, quicker acceleration, more skill? The future of EVs and Jaguar: How much does Motorsport at the elite end influence global consumer habits across an automotive industry? How the Jaguar rebrand towards EVs affected their participation in Formula E? Is all press good press? In what ways do the sponsors in Formula E advance the overall development in EV technology? Holding exclusive rights to electric racing until 2039, is Formula E the future? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco https://www.orreco.com/ Scan.com https://uk.scan.com/ /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35225280

Benjamin Kayser: Fmr France International, 'Has England Neglected Club Rugby?' (Ep55) 02/04/2025

Benjamin Kayser: Fmr France International, 'Has England Neglected Club Rugby?' (Ep55) With the Six Nations underway, it’s time to talk rugby. Benjamin Kayser won 47 caps for France, playing club rugby in both The Premiership and Top 14 for the likes of Leicester Tigers and Clermont. Since hanging up his boots, he has become a regular on our screens as a commentator and pundit with ITV. Not afraid to say it how it is, and with an undying passion for the game, there was no one better to sit down with on the eve of the tournament to look at the overall health of the sport. We have had a number of amazing rugby chats on the show, and each one has brought a different perspective and assessment of where the game is strong and where improvements are needed. From a French perspective, the domestic game is in good stead, with media revenues triple that of the Premiership and the financial flexibility to sign the biggest players. But as we discuss on the show, is it too simple or even accurate to blame the salary cap in the Premiership for an inability to match the commercial performance and quality of the French league? By extension, why has it been so important for both domestic leagues and international federations to turn to Private Equity cash? This is unfiltered rugby chat from a former player who knows what needs to happen to bring this sport to a global audience. On today’s show we discuss: Premiership vs Top 14: Having played in both, what is the major difference between the two leagues and has it changed since Benjamin was playing? We know a lot about transfer processes in football, but what happens when a rugby player moves clubs? The financial difference between playing in France and England. Why has Top 14 broken away from the Premiership in quality and commercial performance? Has France got its domestic model right? What has attracted billionaires to invest in the French leagues in ways we haven’t seen in England? The importance of multi-purpose stadia to drive revenue not reliant on rugby. Rugby Players as Cultural Icons: Why have rugby players found it hard to build a ‘superstar’ profile that is needed to drive eyeballs in a sporting environment driven by individuals? Can you be a team player and build your own personal brand? Is it the responsibility of the player or the club/federation to elevate the ‘status’ of their talent? Has rugby leveraged media opportunities provided by OTT platforms well enough to compete with Drive to Survive or All or Nothing? The rise of Ilona Maher and the need for a player in the men’s game to deliver a level of engagement beyond their work on the field. The Health of International Rugby: International rugby is capable of attracting hundreds of millions of viewers, but how do you transform one time watchers into regular fans? How relationships with club rugby organisations can influence the success of international teams. Should players be eligible for selection if they do not play in their domestic leagues? What are the economics of international rugby? How much are match fees and who gets paid the most? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35126915

Alistair Brownlee: Double Olympic Gold Triathlete, ‘It's About Medals Not Money’ (Ep54) 01/28/2025

Alistair Brownlee: Double Olympic Gold Triathlete, ‘It's About Medals Not Money’ (Ep54) Today, we welcome a British sporting legend. That term can get thrown around a lot, but as a multiple Olympic, World and European Champion, Alistair Brownlee is one of the greatest triathletes of all time. As you hopefully now know with this show, the sporting success is only one side of our guests. It’s what they are doing alongside their elite performance that drives our intrigue, and Alistair is far more than the sum of his medals. The money in athletics and triathlon is nothing like the money available in other major sports, and therefore it can often be difficult to carve out a career in it, let alone look at how to invest and create value for yourself off the back of medals and titles. But Alistair took a different approach, and has been educating and investing throughout much of his professional career, heeding the advice of his coach who told him ‘if you invest this money now, that could be a year you don’t have to work when you retire’. From giving up a medicine degree at Cambridge to commit to triathlon to winning double Olympic gold, including a famous London 2012 victory, this is an athlete who understands the true value a life in sport can bring to business. Newly retired, how does an elite performer fill the void left by regular sporting competition? In his own words, “I’ve had such an amazing career in sport and now I’m really excited about trying to be successful in another sphere”. On today’s show we discuss: Sport over Education? Do you always have to sacrifice education to pursue a career at the top end of sport? How did Alistair decide that he would chase the dream of becoming a professional triathlete over his medicine degree at Cambridge? What sacrifices do elite athletes have to make in the pursuit of success in their given sport? Do they view it as a sacrifice? As an athlete it is important to have things in your life that are not related to sport, and why it doesn’t mean you are not committed if you do. Finances of Athletics Is there enough money in professional triathlon to make it your full time job? What are the financial rewards on offer for winning events and performing at the highest possible level? How do sponsorships work? A more niche sport makes it harder to sign big deals; how did Alistair and his brother Jonny break the mould and sign a high profile contract with BT? What advice was Alistair given by his coach that encouraged him to invest some of his winnings and not spend them? Winning Olympic gold in London thrust him into the limelight in a short space of time. What changes when you achieve this kind of success? A life after sport: It’s often said that athletes die twice, the first time being when they retire. Having made the announcement at the end of last year, what is next for Alistair? How important is it to prepare for your life after sport while you are still competing and not waiting until you finish? The rise of ‘Ultra’ competitions and the attraction of finding new challenges in competition as well as business. “I’ve had such an amazing career in sport and now I’m really excited about trying to be successful in another sphere” Our Partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/35027805

Moritz Fürste: HYROX Co-Founder, ‘How we Built a Global Sporting Phenomenon' (Ep53) 01/21/2025

Moritz Fürste: HYROX Co-Founder, ‘How we Built a Global Sporting Phenomenon' (Ep53) Today, we bring you the man who founded the global phenomenon HYROX. Mo is a double Olympic Gold Medallist in hockey, having won with Germany in Beijing and London. Described to me by someone who knows far more about the sport as ‘The Cristiano Ronaldo’ of field hockey, we were pretty excited to get both a sporting icon and high flying entrepreneur in the studio; always what we strive for on the Business of Sport! Since it was founded in 2017, HYROX has become a major player in sporting participation. Consisting of both running and 8 separate ‘fitness’ activities to form a unique race format, millions of people have participated in their events around the world. The success has been so impressive that they have now had to implement a ballot in some cities (including London where they had over 70,000 applications) to manage demand. But this isn’t just a series of fitness events; this is a sport, the driving values of which lie in community and engagement. I can’t deny, when we got into it, the business was pretty insane too. This has been the most requested show over the last 3 months. It was a lot of fun entering a completely new area for the show. This is one incredible sports asset that is only going to get bigger. We’re delighted to welcome Mo to the Business of Sport. What is HYROX?: “52% of people call fitness their sport, but what is the sport”? What was the opportunity moment that led to Mo and Christian embarking on their HYROX journey? A breakdown of what an event actually consists of; from running to sled pushes to rowing. How they have taken HYROX from a 650 person event in Hamburg in 2017 to 650,000 signed up global participants this year across 85 events. Can anyone participate in HYROX? Who is the target audience? How did Mo’s experience as an athlete prepare him for life as an entrepreneur? Creating Community: “You cannot reduce this down to the business model”: how Moritz created one of the most engaged fitness communities in the world. Why does he think this has resonated with so many people and what do they attribute the success of HYROX to so far? What does it mean to build community? Lots of people talk about it but very few are able to achieve and then maintain it. Why is it so important to build out both the professional end and the mass participation front? The Business of HYROX: From a near $100m in sign-ups this year to selling media packages to the majority of participants, how do you build on the HYROX hype without exploiting the loyalty of the people who helped build it? The importance of relationships with global brands like PUMA and Red Bull; the commercial model that powers the brands. How an affiliate model with gyms will power the development of the sport and allow people to train specifically for events. Which events have HYROX licensed and which ones do they keep in-house; the logistics of operating a global series. Check out HYROX here: A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/34924615

Rick Parry: EFL Chair, ‘We Need Sporting Jeopardy Without Financial Catastrophe’ (Ep52) 01/14/2025

Rick Parry: EFL Chair, ‘We Need Sporting Jeopardy Without Financial Catastrophe’ (Ep52) This week we’re delighted to welcome EFL Chair Rick Parry to the show. Rick has seen it all in football; The first CEO of the Premier League, CEO of Liverpool (1998-2009), and now Chair of English Football League. It can easily be argued that overseeing the interests of 72 clubs ranging from Leeds to Morecambe, is the hardest job in football. But Rick would never look at it like that. When we asked why take this job now having been offered it in the past, he simply responded ‘because I believe I can make a difference’. Football in the UK is at an interesting junction; the Premier League has never been more successful, financially and engagement wise, but there are question marks over its long term stability. The EFL has recently agreed a mega £1bn broadcast deal with Sky with the quality of football on the rise, yet the financial chasm to the Premier only increases. How do you make clubs sustainable businesses? How do you bridge the financial gap between the leagues? How do you protect a community’s most socially valuable asset? The challenge was laid out perfectly: ‘We want sporting jeopardy without financial catastrophe’. Rick’s assessment of the health of the infamous football pyramid alongside the power of enterprise Premier League asks the key question: should the Premier League do more to support the football structure that enables its success? On today’s show we discuss: Forming the Premier League: How was the world’s most successful league created in a few hours with a new set of groundbreaking regulations to govern it? The importance of the relationship with Sky in building a business model that supported the global growth of English football and its assets. How much money did the Premier League make compared to the EFL in the first season and what has that gap grown to now? What makes English football so unique and special compared to other leagues? The essence of the game is opportunity; anyone can reach the Premier League and anyone can win it. Rising through the pyramid (and falling down it) is the jeopardy we all want! Financial Successes and Challenges: The Premier League was productised to create a marketable and best in class football product, but did Rick ever expect the gap to the EFL to be so big? How much does the EFL generate today and what does it need to do to ensure the sustainability of its 72 member clubs? “We must create sporting jeopardy without financial catastrophe”; why owner financing cannot be the model to build a club on. The Premier League makes £2.2bn more than any other League. Why does it need to be spending more money that it’s earning? Distribution & Regulation: Should the Premier League be paying more money to the EFL to share in the spoils of the success it achieves as part of the English pyramid? Does football need an independent regulator? What would a regulator be able to do that the current governance structure is incapable of implementing? “You don’t need a parachute to fall off a step. You need a parachute to fall off a cliff”; Why parachute payments are a problem. The Premier League has chosen to spend £850m more on wages when the EFL asked for £300m to support their business. What does that mean? Our Partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/34848780

Laurie Dalrymple: Harlequins CEO, ‘Building the Premiership’s Most Valuable Rugby Club’ (Ep51) 01/07/2025

Laurie Dalrymple: Harlequins CEO, ‘Building the Premiership’s Most Valuable Rugby Club’ (Ep51) We’re back with a bang as we welcome Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple to the show. This is one of English sport’s most historic organisations. Laurie has been in charge of the Premiership Rugby team for over 5 years, establishing them as one of the leading commercial entities in the game while delivering huge success including league titles and European Cup semi-finals on the pitch. We’ve had some incredible rugby chats on the show in the past. This is no different. From the viability of teams as sustainable businesses to the development of more players as ‘sporting icons’, Laurie gave us a compelling review of what it means to run a historic sporting organisation fighting to remain at the forefront of sporting entertainment. But can one club achieve real success if the league isn't set up to facilitate it? Our age old ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ discussion. We also recorded this a few hours after the club announced a bumper new deal for Marcus Smith; couldn’t have timed that better. Before joining Quins Laurie was previously Managing Director of Wolves, overseeing the signings of Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota, and Nottingham Forest’s high flying manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Rugby fans, football fans, there’s something in here for everyone. Importance of Talent Top talent on your roster is essential to building a better commercial vehicle that brands want to interact with. From Marcus Smith to Alex Dombrandt, how have Harlequins looked to enhance the profile of their star players to build value into the club. Is rugby capable of delivering global superstars? When the sport is all about the importance of the team, is there a place for ‘superstar’ personalities? Is there concern that the salary cap and spending restrictions placed on English clubs causes the top talent to move abroad or not come to the Premiership in the first place? The importance of legacy and ensuring the players appreciate what has gone before them at this historic club. Financial Management Is Laurie a supporter of the salary cap model and why was it introduced in the first place? Can the financial challenges experienced by clubs in recent years be purely attributed to spend on the pitch or are there other factors at play? How does the salary cap work? What are the budgets and how can they be spent? How have Harlequins built the most valuable club in England with the highest revenues? From enhancing fan experience to trusted brand partners. What are the financials of the club? Despite performing very well in the existing environment they are still not profitable. Rugby vs Football What did Laurie bring into rugby from his time as Managing Director at Wolves? Where were there direct crossovers and what was the biggest difference? What is a better investment? Buying a rugby club or buying a football club? What are the differences between owners in rugby and football? How does the business model change? Should football have a salary cap? Reflecting on the signings of Neves, Jota, and the Wolves team that returned to the Premier League Our Partners: Orreco Scan.com /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/34754990

Édouard Mendy: Chelsea, Al-Ahli & Senegal Keeper, ‘Why I left Chelsea and my Saudi move' (Ep50) 12/17/2024

Édouard Mendy: Chelsea, Al-Ahli & Senegal Keeper, ‘Why I left Chelsea and my Saudi move' (Ep50) Today is the milestone 50th episode and we have a guest to match it. Édourard Mendy is a Champions League and AFCON winner. He won FIFA's ‘The Best’ and UEFA Goalkeeper of the year award in 2021. He holds the record for the joint most clean sheets in a single Champions League season. He went from nearly giving up the football dream in a French job centre with a baby on the way to winning the CL with Chelsea in 7 years. And now he's playing alongside Mahrez, Firmino and Toney at Al-Ahli. Away from the pitch, he is building a reputation as a passionate investor looking to translate the success he has achieved on the pitch to help founders build great businesses. As Édou states, the move to Saudi has also been about facilitating the work he can do away from the pitch as well as being part of an exciting new football landscape; ‘it’s not just about football and not just about money’. This is one of sport’s great stories; a meteoric rise to the top that had to endure countless challenges to achieve Édou’s reality today. From his early days in France to developing football in West Africa, with a big helping of his time at Chelsea, we get a rare insight into the inner workings of a top tier footballer. On today’s show we discuss: Origins of a Champions League Winner: How did Mendy get his break in France? What is it like to work your way from the bottom? What happened when Édou decided to look at a career outside of football because he wasn’t making it in football? You have to be careful who you put your trust in; when agents promise opportunities that don’t materialise. The role family and humble beginnings have played in keeping him grounded as success has quickly come to him. Signing for Reims and then Rennes which paved the way for his move to Chelsea. The Chelsea Story: From getting a call from goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon to eventually signing his contract; the Chelsea transfer story. How long does it take for clubs to agree to a transfer? What did Marina Granovskaia say was unique about his move? What role did Frank Lampard play in helping Édou establish himself as Chelsea’s number one keeper? What happens when a manager changes at a club? From Lampard to Tuchel… The inside story of Chelsea’s iconic Champions League win in Porto. Why Tuchel wanted to play on Chelsea’s underdog status. From Champions of Europe and the World to the fringes of the squad; where did it go wrong? Moving to Saudi Arabia and what comes next: Why this move is not just about football and not just about money; what are the considerations that influence transfers? ‘It is important to feel wanted and I felt that from Al Ahli’. How a conversation with the CEO convinced Édou that this was the club for him. What is most exciting about the emerging league and how is the country preparing for it’s World Cup hosting duties? Playing in a dream team with Mahrez, Toney and Firmino and the star power of the Saudi League. When an athlete becomes an investor; how Édou is building a profile for himself as an investor and what is the value of athletes bringing their expertise to emerging companies? How establishing football in West Africa and Senegal in particular is and will always be a key part of his focus. WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/34483635

Matt Hancock, Port Vale CEO: ‘Success is about more than 3pts on a Saturday’ (Ep49) 12/10/2024

Matt Hancock, Port Vale CEO: ‘Success is about more than 3pts on a Saturday’ (Ep49) After amazing shows with a number of CEO’s across the football industry, we’re today venturing into the lowest of the English Football League’s with current League Two promotion chasers Port Vale. Matt Hancock has been CEO of this historic club since January. Having been relegated from League One in his first few months in charge, it’s fair to say the learning curve has been steep. But these are the shows we love to do. It’s proper business, not propped up by the billions of international ownership. Understanding how to run a sustainable company that is not eternally dependent on owner financing while constantly trying to win on the field is so difficult. Then add the fact that almost every decision is reviewed under a microscope generally with the benefit of hindsight, you do sometimes think who would take this on. But then you remember that alongside these challenges comes the privilege of looking after the thing that can give people their greatest enjoyment. The lower down the football pyramid you go, being a CEO is about building an environment to sustain a community’s most valued asset. This is a compelling reveal on how you do just that. On today’s show we discuss: Becoming a CEO in Football: How did Matt come to take charge of one of English Football’s oldest clubs? From building community to winning on the pitch, what are the key focuses of clubs the lower down the Football League you go? How important is the relationship between executive and owner? It’s about more than results; why Matt believes his job is to ensure those working at the club know that success can be about more than 3 points on a Saturday. How to ensure you keep level headed, not getting too high on the highs and too low on the lows. Handling Relegation: Port Vale got relegated from League One in the first few months of Matt’s tenure as CEO. How did he make sure the club recovered to build for the new season? The importance of a great manager in the lower leagues; why Darren Moore has been crucial to the recent development of Port Vale. What attracts players to a club that goes beyond just being paid the most? The financial impact of relegation and trying to move away from a reliance on owner funding to ensure sustainability. Working for the Fans & Community: Is it better to over communicate with fans and open yourself up to increased scrutiny or reduce what you share and lose connectivity? How Port Vale has become an intrinsic part of its community and the importance of the club to the local area. The challenge of ensuring you don’t make decisions based on fan sentiment; how to remain neutral and not be influenced by emotion. The role of lifelong Vale fan Robbie Williams! Communicating spend away from the pitch on infrastructure and development is important to create an understanding around the need to build value in the ‘business’ of the club. WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/34362385

Mark Bowen, Fmr Premier League Player & Manager: ‘Man City accidentally bid £35m for Messi’ (Ep48) 12/03/2024

Mark Bowen, Fmr Premier League Player & Manager: ‘Man City accidentally bid £35m for Messi’ (Ep48) Today we speak to a man who has been in and around football for over 40 years. Mark Bowen played over 400 games at the top of English football for the likes of Tottenham, Norwich and West Ham, before transitioning into management as both a head coach and assistant. For much of his management career he has partnered with Mark Hughes, acting as his assistant manager at Man City, Stoke, Southampton, Fulham and QPR. Most recently Mark has spent a number of years with Reading, and is currently going through a delicate process around his exit from the club; a conversation for another time. However this is something that we have wanted to do for a long time. Quite a lot of our shows fall into the more serious ‘business of sport’ category. Having got to know Mark, this is someone that has seen the inner workings of clubs transacting at the highest level, and has some incredible stories to tell off the back of it. From being at Man City when they were bought by Sheik Mansour and the Abu Dhabi Group to being in the opposing dugout for QPR when Aguero scored THAT goal, this played to the kid in both of us while emphasising the fact that the business of football isn’t always a smooth process. Kick back and enjoy some proper tales of signings, sackings, and outrageous transfer bidding. On today’s show we discuss: The birth of the new Man City: Which players did Sheik Mansour want to sign as a statement transfer when he bought the club? How do you integrate a load of new players to form a cohesive team when the money is flowing and budgets are virtually endless. The incredible transfer story of signing both Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta after the sale of one key player, and the conversation he had to have with Kompany when he arrived. Lionel Messi for £35m? How the club accidentally bid for one of the greatest players ever. Why was Mark Hughes fired by the club with the club flying in both the league and cups, and what happens to managers when they get that call? Tales from Stoke, Southampton, and QPR: Turning Stoke into a top performing Premier League club who were able to attract top European talent like Bojan and Shaqiri. Overseeing a QPR team struggling for survival in the League with Joey Barton as captain and Tony Fernandes as owner. The Man City title win story…from the QPR dugout: what does Mark attribute that memorable Aguero moment to? Moving to Southampton and the challenge of managing top teams when there is an agreement to sell players you want to keep. Football vs Money: Harry Redknapp’s reaction to Mark leaving West Ham to sign for a Japanese club…and the number that persuaded him the offer was too good to turn down. How to manage your personal life in football when the team takes you away from your family and home. Is it worth it? Is it always about the money, or do players need to be incentivised by other things in and around clubs? Where was Mark at his happiest both as a player and a manager? WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/34262175

Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO: ‘We Race for Trophies, not Money’ (Ep47) 11/26/2024

Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO: ‘We Race for Trophies, not Money’ (Ep47) Today we speak to a man who needs little introduction. Zak Brown is the CEO of McLaren Racing, one of Formula One’s most iconic brands and a team currently undergoing a resurgence as it challenges at the top of both the Drivers and Constructors Championships after years of struggling to match the success of Mercedes and Red Bull. Turning an organisation round and re-establishing a culture of success is no easy task, and Zak has been under no illusion that to reach the top of one of the most competitive and scrutinised sports in the world, you need to be exceptional. F1 is a landscape of marginal gains. What does Zak attribute the success of McLaren to this year and how does he plan to build on this to get his two drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri challenging for the Championship in his cars. We were honoured to be hosted by the amazing McLaren team at their incredible offices for this recording, and we are so grateful to Zak for giving us his time in one of the busiest parts of his calendar as the season draws to a close. I really hope you enjoy hearing from one of sports' top executives. On today’s show we discuss: Finances of F1: ‘Every team is worth at least £1bn’. What has made these businesses so valuable and how have they managed to build better performance off better financial structures? Profitability in F1 is now something that spreads across the grid rather than being an outcome enjoyed by the lucky few. How has this happened? What are the key revenue streams of an F1 team? What sits centrally with the governing body and what can the teams generate individually? How does sponsorship work and who would Zak’s dream partner be for McLaren? What has the cost cap done for the sport and why was it necessary to introduce it in the first place? Developing Great Drivers: What has made Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri so effective this year and what makes them stand out from the competition? Has Oscar Piastri developed quicker than the team expected and how do you integrate a young driver into the setup without exerting too much pressure? Can you have two number one drivers? The importance of building respect and parity in the relationship between executive, garage, and driver. How much success is attributed to the driver, and how much is the car? The Importance of People Why does Zak attribute much of the success of the team to the culture of the organisation? How do you build a great culture? It is something often talked about but hard to execute and maintain? What is it about McLaren that makes it such a great place to work? How do you retain staff to ensure continuity in the team? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/34153795

Felix Starck, Baller League CEO: ‘Football is NOT too Big to Fail’ (Ep46) 11/19/2024

Felix Starck, Baller League CEO: ‘Football is NOT too Big to Fail’ (Ep46) The week we're delighted to welcome Felix Starck to the show. Felix is CEO of Baller League, an alternative to historic sporting competition. New propositions, new formats, new leagues. A lot of conversation we have on the show focuses on how leagues are in need of development and refreshment and subsequently what alternatives could be out there to entice the coveted youth audience rightsholders crave. Baller League is this new product. 6 a-side, entertainment driven, quick football, short matches, free to air. It addresses many of the barriers identified in the footballing landscape. It’s revenues are approaching €20m, KSI, Figo, John Terry, ishowspeed all involved, Leagues being created in the UK and US after massively successful launch in Germany…and most impressive? It’s a year old. Felix is shaking up the sport. He coins it the UFC of football. What does that mean? And how do you ensure this is a sustainable competition not a flash in the pan. A new form of football to sit alongside the traditional game, not detract from it. As Felix says, go and check it out before passing judgement. On today’s show: The UFC of Football: Why MMA was a sport in need of dramatic change to maintain its relevance when UFC was created to package a new product and create global icons in the process. Sport is increasingly hero driven; you need to create your own stars and not rely on the fandom of current players. How? This is not an enemy of football. Where does this competition sit in the current footballing landscape? ‘Slow sports are dead sports in the future’. Why Baller League will create a product for women’s football that is tailor made to the qualities of female players. Baller League - Story so Far: How has Felix set up a challenger football league attracting some of the biggest names from sport and entertainment is a year? What are the rules of competition? Why is this format what the current attention economy craves? How do you become a player in Baller League? From academy to fustsal to professional footballers. Owning a franchise; who does Felix want to have as part of the ownership and what is expected if you take a franchise on? What are the financials of operating the league? How much does it cost to put on an event? Are the players paid? Global Expansion: The league has had an amazing start to life in Germany. What has worked? Establishing a league in the UK and US; the launches are imminent. What goes into launching in a new country? From new sponsors to the best venues, who will be involved and where will it be played? Which country is best set for Baller League to thrive? Will there be purpose built stadia as Baller establishes itself in new markets? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/33992242

Gary Rowett: Fmr Derby, Stoke, Birmingham & Millwall Manager, 'Criticism is Part of the Contract; You Have to Accept it' (Ep45) 11/12/2024

Gary Rowett: Fmr Derby, Stoke, Birmingham & Millwall Manager, 'Criticism is Part of the Contract; You Have to Accept it' (Ep45) This week we are delighted to welcome Gary Rowett to the show. Gary has managed over 500 games working at some of the most historic clubs in English football, and played at the highest level with 381 appearances in the Premier League and EFL. Much of his career has been spent managing across the Football League with the likes of Birmingham, Derby, Stoke, Millwall, Burton Albion. One of the most popular and respected men in the game, he gives a detailed overview of the pressures of management, how to bring the best out of players, why he turned down the chance to manage in the Premier League, and the importance of accountability. It can often be a thankless task being a manager. It takes a specific type of character to ride the highs and lows and block out the noise. Then it’s the need for heightened empathy alongside a streak of pretty ruthless decision making. It’s not easy being a manager. Gary’s is a fascinating career and it’s far from over. On todays show we discuss: From Player to Manager: The similarities and differences between being part of a dressing room and running one. Does managing a team that you played for make the job easier? How do you build a relationship with the fans? What part of the transition is the hardest to make and how do you get that first job opportunity? The essential skills of a manager; what can you not do without if you want to manage at the top level? Gary’s Club Management: Burton Albion, Birmingham, Derby, Stoke, Millwall; the pressures of managing some of England’s biggest teams. There isn’t much regret in Gary’s management career, but his time at one club did not go how he wanted. Who? What is it like to manage a club that has just been relegated to the Championship and has to adapt from the Premier League? Who were the best owners Gary worked with and what makes a great club leader? What does Tom Brady bring to Birmingham? A Manager's Decision Making: Why being a manager is a sales job; you have to make the players believe in what you are doing. Get them to buy into it! How do you leave players out of a team or squad and still keep them motivated? What is the balance to find between youth and experience? Taking inspiration from Klopp, Guardiola, Ancelotti & Simeone. If you're lucky enough to choose whether to take a job or not, what are the factors to take into account? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/33894592

Alex Tunbridge: Cambridge United CEO, ‘From Transforming Cambridge to the Best Football Pyramid in the World' 11/05/2024

Alex Tunbridge: Cambridge United CEO, ‘From Transforming Cambridge to the Best Football Pyramid in the World' This week we are joined by Cambridge United CEO Alex Tunbridge. Last week, Cambridge was in the news for activities off the pitch, as they unveiled a full rebrand of the club, most notably revealing a new crest to create a more modern and digital feel to the branding of Cambridge, while importantly maintaining the heritage and culture so valuable to its historic identity. Some of you may start to think we’ve got a bit of thing for League One clubs, and you may not be wrong. But when it comes to the business of football, they are some of the most intriguing organisations in the game. You face the constant challenge of chasing the gold in the Championship and Premier League, but also trying not to overstretch yourself financially and drop out of the league. How do you justify a pound spent away from the pitch? It’s our new favourite theme. Alex and Cambridge have been one of the most ambitious when it comes to value creation away from the pitch. New training facilities, club rebrands, stadium developments, matchday experience; all of these indirectly create a value in the club to position it for long-term success. But can success off the pitch be replicated on it? This is a conflict in ideology we love to talk about, and we love what Cambridge are doing. In today’s show we discuss: Spending away from the pitch: How a full rebrand of Cambridge United came about, and why it is so important to make sure your visual identity is fit for the modern age. Why did the club build a new £3.5m training complex and how do you justify significant spend on infrastructure when the money could be spent on improving the team? Spending on non-performance shows long term strategy; how do you get fans onside and bring the fans on the journey with you? How difficult is it to build value into a club while operating on budgets of less than £10m? The role of a CEO: How did Alex become CEO of Newport County at the age of 29? What are the hardest jobs you have to take on when leading a football club? ‘Working in football is not a job. It’s a way of life’; the need for a top executive to be all in and commit fully to the development of the club. Does the CEO get involved with the football side of the business? The story of bringing the iconic Burger King deal to Stevenage and the value of new age digitalised commercial inventory. The business of the football league: ‘The Premier League is the best league in the world, but our football pyramid is the best pyramid in the world’. How do we protect the pyramid? How much do Championship, League One and League Two clubs get from the current media rights deal? Where do the biggest challenges lie from a business perspective when running a football club in 2024? How can we protect the competitive balance of the leagues but also encourage teams to continue development and push boundaries to improve the product? Click here to see the full rebrand announcement & video: A huge thank you to our amazing partners: WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/33790562

Business of Sport Ep.43: Brady Stewart, CEO @ Bay FC, ‘Building the World’s Best Women’s Football League’ 10/29/2024

Business of Sport Ep.43: Brady Stewart, CEO @ Bay FC, ‘Building the World’s Best Women’s Football League’ This week, we are joined by Brady Stewart, CEO of the NWSL’s newest franchise Bay FC. The NWSL is going from strength to strength both on and off the field. San Francisco needed a franchise, and the birth of Bay as the women’s football team in the city steeped in sporting history is just the next step on the league’s mission to be the best women’s football league in the world. When global investment firm Sixth Street backed the franchise with $120m, the biggest single institutional investment in women’s sport, Brady was approached to lead the team. The biggest challenge? Getting it operational and a team on the pitch in a year. Coming from outside of sport, Brady’s vision for the team and league is one where global brand meets performance excellence. Women’s sport and football in particular has always been a major feature in the US sporting landscape; now the rise of global and most importantly independent franchises is when this goes from being a strong local market asset to world renowned sports property. In today’s show we discuss: Building a team: From the awarding of the franchise slot to the first game a year later, how to build a brand new team from scratch? This was the first time the NWSL allowed for investment from Private Equity; the story behind Sixth Street’s $120m play. How was Brady brought into the role of CEO and why does a career from outside of sport allow her to bring additional value to the organisation? What are the key things that need to be established in the first few months? How do you incorporate the city and community to make them feel this is their team before you have a product to put on the pitch? Attracting players to a new project is not easy. How do you convince them this is the team to play for? A competition for eyeballs: The attention economy is more competitive than it has ever been; how does the NWSL differentiate itself from other sports properties to engage a fanbase? The importance of a national media deal to deliver games to every fan; accessibility of content is the key to success. Why women’s football in the US should be the global standard to aspire to, and what needs to happen to get there. The rising tide lifts all boats: it is the job of the franchises to work together to ensure the development of the league. Football: The Product To build the biggest league you need to be able to attract the best players. How do you do this? Why the style of football in the US needs to adapt to appeal to both players and fans when compared to the European game. Why the NWSL has an opportunity the MLS is unlikely to have. How have the league regulated the club’s ability to spend on players to ensure equal competition from top to bottom? A huge thank you to our valued sponsors: WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management And as promised on the show, some of the amazing content Bay have created around the franchise and their training ground development. Bay FC Hype: Treasure Island Training Facility Announcement: /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/33666552

Business of Sport Ep.42: Michael Yormark, President @ Roc Nation International, ‘How to create global superstars’ 10/22/2024

Business of Sport Ep.42: Michael Yormark, President @ Roc Nation International, ‘How to create global superstars’ This week, we are joined by one of the most influential figures in the world of sport and entertainment: Michael Yormark, President of Roc Nation Sports International. With a career that spans over two decades at the intersection of business, marketing, and global talent representation, Michael has redefined what it means to manage athletes and entertainers in today’s fast-paced, multimedia-driven world. For the agency established by Jay-Z, Michael has been the driving force behind Roc Nation’s global expansion in sport, instrumental in representing some of the industry’s biggest names, including Vinicius Jr, Kevin De Bruyne, Endrick, Siya Kolisi. Included in that remit; creating groundbreaking partnerships, and shaping the future of athlete empowerment as brand. From orchestrating these multimillion-dollar brand deals to advocating for social justice initiatives, Michael is a visionary leader who’s not just pushing boundaries, he’s setting new standards. On today’s show we discuss: The role of an agent: How to gain the trust of the biggest sports, media and entertainment stars. Building the Roc Nation family: person over revenue. If the best interests of the talent is put first, more often than not, everyone wins in the long run. What learnings were brought over from Roc Nation’s work in the music industry that have been applied so effectively to sport? All the best athletes, from Ronaldo to LeBron James, have had big teams around them to help them achieve greatness. What do these teams look like? Build the hype - why should Vinicius Jr win the Ballon D’Or? International expansion: The move from the US to Europe was driven by Michael’s willingness to move and set up from scratch. How did he go about building one of the most influential international sports talent agencies? What surprised Michael most about the difference between European and US sport? How did Roc Nation communicate their vision to the top football and rugby players to bring them into the family? What is it like representing Kevin De Bruyne, Vinicius Jr, Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Siya Kolisi, and how do you decide who is the right fit for the business? Athlete as brand: Players now need to be more than just their on field performance to maximise the role they can play in society. How do you help them achieve this? The difference between the star culture driven US sports environment and the collective team based one we see in Europe? Helping Vini Jr combat racism: how has the Roc Nation family supported their player as he encountered numerous racist interactions, often very publicly on the field? The biggest challenge for rugby players in maximising their profile? The game doesn’t want them to. Why? How important is it to commercial partners that the talent they partner with has a standing in society away from the sport they play? WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/33564412

Business of Sport Ep.41: Liam Scully, CEO @ Lincoln City, ‘The Premier League are living in a different universe’ 10/15/2024

Business of Sport Ep.41: Liam Scully, CEO @ Lincoln City, ‘The Premier League are living in a different universe’ Liam is the CEO of Lincoln City, who are currently competing in League One of English football, and who at Liam’s own admission, have been overperforming both their budget and performance expectations for years. The running of clubs further down the football pyramid is not easy. They have to operate as far more and sensible businesses rather than billionaire playpens. Liam not only brings some incredible insight into managing a team in the lower leagues, but as he sits on the board of the English Football League, a much broader perspective on the business of football. Existing in the same structure as enterprise Premier League, 3pm domestic broadcast blackouts, the financial controls required to protect the future of these most treasured community assets; this was a fascinating insight into the world of a football CEO. After a week where the back pages were dominated by the Man City vs The Premier League, this was a real question of how do you protect the product we’ve done so well to create while ensuring top to bottom longevity of the industry? In today's show, we discuss: Rise of Lincoln City: Small budgets and non-league football status when he joined, how has Liam built a club to compete in the top tiers of English football? What are the key things to focus on when running a club? The revenue streams that a club must capitalise on to ensure they are able to compete with some of the biggest teams in the league. The value of a strong academy; first team feeder or profit driver? Bringing the glory back to Lincoln: what does it mean to the community to re-establish a club steeped in history? The £1.3m FA Cup run; what did this enable the club to do from an investment standpoint? Football League Challenges: The football industry is unsustainable. Why? There needs to be more money that filters down the pyramid to protect teams in the lower tiers. How do you do this? The transfer market is the key generator of cash for lower league clubs, but they need Premier League teams to keep buying from English teams to sustain that flow. Is the 3pm broadcast blackout an issue or vital to sustainability of the broader football ecosystem in the modern sporting environement? The Nuclear-Sub vs. a Canoe Football is full of inequalities. How do you operate in a market where there is such a spread of wealth and opportunity? League One is the eleventh most watched League in Europe, the product is better than ever. US investors: The rise of foreign ownership has opened new markets to promote teams and competitions How great owners and structured management can be the most important assets of a club regardless of their size. Leaders in Sport WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/33447327

Business of Sport Ep.40: Miguel Sequerra, Sports Agent & Founder @ 22 Ventures, ‘Mbappe, Neymar and representing the world's best talent'’ 10/08/2024

Business of Sport Ep.40: Miguel Sequerra, Sports Agent & Founder @ 22 Ventures, ‘Mbappe, Neymar and representing the world's best talent'’ Miguel is one of the sports industry’s leading commercial agents. Mbappe, Neymar, Beckham, Mourinho, Ricciardo; Miguel has been involved with all of them. This is the side of the sports industry we don’t hear about. Yet this is the side that drives more business than any other. Having worked directly for Kylian Mbappe’s family office, and then for some of the worlds biggest agencies like CAA and Kin, Miguel’s experience of capitalising on the global profiling of sport’s biggest stars brings to life the art of the commercial deal. How do you source a sponsorship? Who are the most in demand athletes? Who has capitalised on their profile the best, and who has struggled to do so. This is a conversation unlike any other we have had on the show. If you want to know the inside track on the business world behind the world of the athlete, this is a conversation for you. On today’s show we discuss: Athlete representation: What is the role of the off field agent? Neymar, Mbappe and many more; how has Miguel worked with the top talent in sport to build their brand off the pitch? How is it different representing athletes in football compared to an individual sport like Formula One or tennis? Commercial deals are a major part of modern sport. What is the process like to source and deliver commercial partnerships for the biggest talent in the industry? What is the makeup of the behind the scenes team that top athletes now have to work with? Who would Miguel most like to work with? Positive/Negative brand associations How do you decide if a particular brand is the right partnership to sign for an athlete? How important is it for athletes to know what their image and profile is looking to become off the field? What would an example of a negative brand association be? Is it company or industry driven? What factors come into play when negotiating access to a sports person as part of the brand deal? What are the best deals Miguel has been a part of? Is the demand on athletes to fulfil their commercial obligations manageable? Changing sports landscape How is the industry changing with its approach to commercial partnerships? Which athletes are proving the most sought after in the modern sporting landscape, and who needs to work harder to build a stronger profile. Some top players prefer to stay out of the commercial limelight. What does this mean for them? Will we see more productised business endeavour to replicate the CR7/RF type commercial agreements? Leaders in Sport WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/33357557

Business of Sport Ep.39: Ollie Pope, England Cricket Vice Captain, 'Can test and franchise cricket co-exist?' 10/01/2024

Business of Sport Ep.39: Ollie Pope, England Cricket Vice Captain, 'Can test and franchise cricket co-exist?' Ollie is the vice captain of the England cricket team. Last month, with Ben Stokes out injured, he was made captain for the first time for the series against Sri Lanka. He has been a key part of the side that over the last few years has transformed how test cricket is both viewed and played. An insight into what is going on behind the scenes with England throughout this period is something we’ve wanted to dig into from the start of the show. It’s fair to say that the future of test match cricket hinges significantly on the format's ability to sustain the engagement of a changing demographic and provide the entertainment expected by a modern sporting audience. Ollie is at the heart of this. As tempting as it was to spend the whole time digging into Bazball, while obviously not calling it Bazball because they really don’t like that phrase, this is a rare unveiling of a cricketer's view of the modern game. England’s style has created an air of excitement that now surrounds the test match stage once more, but as Ollie outlines, the future needs to be more than India, England and Australia playing each other. From the view of the players, the ones that sit at the heart of this, how do you do it? On this week’s show, we discuss: How to focus on your priorities: Why playing for England will always be the focus for Ollie as long as he is selected in the team. What was it like walking out onto the field as England captain for the recent test series against Sri Lanka? With a packed global calendar now incorporating test, short form and franchise cricket, how do you prioritise what to play in and what are the consequences of those choices? There is a place in the game for all these formats, but they need to work together to co-exist rather than compete aggressively and take players from each other. A new England: What changed when Brendon McCullum took over the role of England coach? How important is it to have the support and encouragement of the management team to drive your ambition and performance? The value placed on security; it is not to encourage complacency, but knowing you will have the time to prove yourself in the team and not be dropped for one bad performance helps establish great players. What makes this England team stand out? How have the players bought into the new ideas and objectives of the management team? The importance of experience. Having Stokes, Cook, Root, Anderson, Broad all play in the same team as Ollie throughout his career has enabled him to learn from some of the greatest players in the game. Becoming a professional: Cricket can have some strange pathways to the top. How did Ollie cope with being thrust into the England team after playing 15 first class games? With all the opportunity to play so many different styles of the game, has the rise of franchise cricket shaped how youngsters are learning how to play cricket? What do the contracts look like when you get into the sport and how does it work between county and country? What becoming an experienced member of the dressing room does for you as a player and your ability to act as mentor to the new teammates starting out. Leaders in Sport - BOS15 code WSC Sports Tyndall Investment Management /episode/index/show/bf5841a8-17f8-46de-96b7-a6c1a1a4b01f/id/33260372

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