Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C - Fordham Gabelli School of Business

After a two-year saga, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration, rendered its verdict in the case of Russian Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva, who was at the center of the 2022 Winter Olympic doping scandal. It concluded that Valieva had violated anti-doping rules, by testing positive for the prohibite...

In today’s rapidly evolving sports business environment, the ways in which technology is being used to attract and retain fans and to monetize “the product,” is shifting at an unprecedented pace. While broadcast media and cable television, once dominated the way fans “consumed” sports, they are now being enticed through rich content and streaming media that offers the opportunity to experience spo...

On podcast episode 6, we discussed taxes with Robert Raiola, an expert in the field, who has worked with over 100 professional athletes across the five major sports. He enlightened us on some of the ins and outs of dealing with the numbers, rates, and different types and scales of taxes that athletes pay. That podcast was recorded before Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, deferred $700 million contract was...

All of us have to pay taxes. Elite professional athletes are no exception, but the taxes they pay are high and the rate at which they are calculated can be quite complex. Robert Raiola, director of the Sports and Entertainment Group at PKF O’Connor Davies, which provides business management, tax planning, and business consulting services to high-net-worth individuals, has worked with over 100 prof...

In 1954, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. Since then, thousands of male runners have surpassed that barrier, yet no women have ever done so. This profound difference in performance prompted Professor Mark Conrad to explore fairness in athletic competition, taking it a step further by looking at the issue of the inclusion of transgender athletes competing in their preferred sex—specifica...

The Olympic Movement has seen its share of issues—human rights violations, the politics and processes of choosing host cities, safety concerns, and climate change—to name just a few. Compounding these problems is the turmoil of unsettling world events such as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. In this interview, Richard Perelman, author, communications expert, and organizer of multi-ven...

Professor Conrad discusses the history of the NCAA, which for decades, was the alpha and omega of college sports—one that branded itself as a “guardian for the sacred altar of amateurism.” However, over the years, all of that changed—with the negotiation of TV deals and its member schools agreeing to multimillion-dollar contracts for coaches, while securing huge sponsorships. The colleges and univ...

Professor Conrad discusses USA gymnastics and the long road back from the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal to the appointment of Li Li Leung, who was named the organization’s CEO in 2019, and who has worked tirelessly to rebuild its reputation, as well as the trust of the athletes and the public. Professor Conrad commends her dedication, but questions the expanded deal she brokered with Nike to be t...

Professor Conrad provides an overview of the types of subjects he will explore in his podcasts, as well as the unconventional ways he and his guests will dive deep into contentious topics, focusing on their connection to sports and their reflection on society. Listen and get grounded! Host: Mark Conrad Producer: Victoria Ilano Additional Production: Jeffrey Haynes Artwork: Pamela V. White Music: "...