Because Football

Most people think selling tickets is about getting fans to buy seats. Joe Medcalf will tell you it's about connecting people with a great game day experience they didn’t know they were missing. In Episode 112 of the Because Football Podcast, we delve into how to sell the game to non-soccer fans. In this case, groups: schools, companies, youth soccer clubs, churches, etc. How can soccer become...

What happens when a club just stops paying a player and hopes they'll go away? How are multi-million dollar contracts and transfers done? In Episode 111 of the Because Football Podcast, we delve into the obscure world of professional sports law, intellectual property, and the inner workings of contracts in pro football. As a partner at BrandSmiths in Manchester, David Seligman is one of the sh...

Tommy Hodul has one job: tell Oakland's story. It just happens to be through the lens of soccer. In Episode 110 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with Tommy Hodul, VP of Communications for Oakland Roots SC and Oakland Soul. He's a fan who became a club leader who's been doing it since day one — and what an incredible story it is! The key to this conversation lies in the role of...

What happens when two artists show up at a ninth-tier English football club and say — we want to help, and we're not asking for money ? In Episode 109 of the Because Football Podcast, we dive into one of the most uniques project in the world of football / soccer that is revitalizing a lower league club that has been all but forgotten. Ken Borg and Jonathan Kelham are the voluntary designer and...

In Episode 108 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Luiz Gomes, a sports marketing executive with 10+ years of expertise leading sponsorship, media and event portfolios across global properties and agencies. He has managed multimillion dollar commercial programs, optimizing broadcast rights value and collaborating with cross functional teams in high-stakes environments. In this conversati...

How can you build your brand by creating better content through more engaging stories without feeling overwhelmed or stuck? Most clubs, athletes, and sports brands know they should be creating content. Few actually know how to do it well or why it matters other than “they probably should be doing it!” In Episode 107 of the Because Football, we talk strategy, content, and social media platforms wit...

You might not think American soccer has contributed anything to the world of football - but this conversation will change your mind. In Episode 106 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with seasoned sports marketer Mike Harmon, who created the logo and branding for Columbus Crew of MLS, and whose career started in the MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League) days. In this conversation, Mike shares so...

We are obsessed with soccer stories on this podcast - but we have been neglecting the youth! This episode changes that and focuses on how we can pass on our love of the game to the next generation of soccer fans. In Episode 105 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with Carlos D. Mojica, who has recently published a children’s book about soccer facts called “Goal!”. Carlos is a bilingual commun...

How can investing in the local community develop talent, increase trust, and build revenue for a brand new soccer club? In Episode 104 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with Noah Toumert, Director of Foundation for the newly announced Cleveland Pro Soccer of MLS Next Pro. As a community organizer, nonprofit leader, and strategist, Noah is driven to building equitable access to soccer in Cle...

What does it take to build a professional soccer club from scratch in a market nobody expected? In Episode 103 of the Because Football Podcast, we learn from Brad Stith, Co-Founder and CEO of Athletic Club Boise, a new USL League One club. For more than a decade, Brad has believed professional soccer belonged in Boise and this club is already breaking USL records before kicking a single ball. Brad...

Every global soccer club, league, and brand wants a piece of the American market - but how can they actually grow in a competitive sports landscape? And importantly, how can that league convince American brands to partner with a "foreign sports property" most CMOs can barely explain? In Episode 102 of the Because Football Podcast, Santiago Lucio shares how he has spent the last several years figur...

How can professional soccer clubs connect to new potential fans, maintain relevance, and foster local community pride? San Jose Earthquakes of the MLS have an idea - influencer marketing deployed across their digital channels. In Episode 101 of the Because Football Podcast, we talk with Prerna Aneja, the Bay Area club’s Digital and Influencer Marketing Coordinator. Her innovative approach plays a...

What happens when you bring a CMO from Buick and Hanes into professional soccer? In Episode 100 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Sandra Moore, Chief Marketing Officer of Sporting Kansas City of MLS. After decades telling the story of automotive and fashion brands, Sandra pivoted to the world of professional football to answer a question many MLS clubs neglect:  Who are we, really? San...

In Episode 99 of the Because Football Podcast, we discuss the rapid, massive change that has occurred in sports technology, particularly in the world of professional football, and the importance of relationship building to career success. Paul Boanas carries 25 years of experience across the Sports Performance and Technology industry, starting his career at a time when VHS tapes were the norm and...

What if the biggest thing holding your club back isn't the product on the pitch but the lack of a clear, open conversation with fans? In Episode 98 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Jim McCarthy about everything he's learned regarding building and serving fans over a 25 year career that he has spent supporting over 2 million events for tens of millions of customers. As founder...

In Episode 97 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Isabel Freedman, Emerging Technology Partnerships Lead at Wasabi Technologies. Isabel shares how she leads go-to-market strategy for emerging technologies spanning AI, sports, media and entertainment. Wasabi Technologies is changing how professional sports organizations can leverage AI-power intelligent media storage to quickly locate eve...

Professional soccer clubs often neglect storytelling because they lack the patience to trust an asset that doesn't always show an obvious ROI on the spreadsheet - but which is central to building trust and relationships and ensuring longterm financial sustainability. In Episode 96 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Greg Lalas, an experienced sports brand storyteller and digital stra...

In Episode 95 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Shawn Francis, Executive Creative Director for North America at COPA90. Shawn Francis has spent over 15 years figuring out how culture actually connects people to the game - shaping stories and curating moments that make those connections mean something. His path started in music at MTV, where he helped build social media before most bran...

In Episode 94 of the Because Football Podcast, we welcome John Viola , experienced FIFA-licensed football agent and educator and founder of 451 Football Consultancy. 451 offers services for professional football clubs, players, and online educational courses and events that teach passionate football fans from a variety of career backgrounds how to transition into being a football agent. In this ep...

In Episode 93 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Simon Evans , an experienced journalist, content consultant, and co-founder of the Soccer Business - a news, information, data and analysis company focused on the North American soccer industry. Simon has had quite a ride, from traveling on trains and sleeping on couches while covering football in every corner of Europe (an adventure that...

In Episode 92 of the Because Football Podcast, Forrest Tucker joins us to unpack how American soccer can grow not just by emphasizing results, but by amplifying personal and community stories. A veteran reporter and host of the “Cleared off the Line Podcast”, Forrest possess a knack for crafting engaging stories and has seen what works and what doesn’t in the US soccer landscape. From growing up u...

In Episode 91 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Frank Dell’Apa an American soccer reporter who has covered the game from the wild days of the NASL in the 1960s and 70s until the present day. There are few voices in the American game that can attest to the whirlwind transformation the game of soccer has seen on every level. As a child growing up in Colorado, he hardly ever saw a soccer...

In episode 90 of the Because Football Podcast, we invite Hanna Howard, CEO of Rematch, a French-founded sports tech platform that is revolutionizing the way parents and coaches share sports highlights. In a time when sharing the latest goal or big play is a necessity, Rematch helps parents and clubs tell their story. Throughout our conversation, Hanna shares how her background playing soccer, coac...

In episode 89 of the Because Football Podcast, we invite Jason Heaton, Chairman and Co-Founder of Kernow FA and Global Ambassador for CONIFA, for a conversation about the power of football to shape collective identity and spark joy. As Global Business Director and General Secretary of CONIFA—the world’s second-biggest international football confederation— he helped bring opportunity and representa...

For Episode 88of the Because Football Podcast, we're trying a solo format. Rather than interviewing an amazing guest from the world of soccer, our host Andrew Baggaley will be sharing updates on our ”Road Trip to the World Cup Series” that has taken us to 8 of the 16 host cities thus far. He’ll also discuss what opportunities he sees for clubs and brands to take advantage of World Cup fever, s...