SportsPro Podcast

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by digital editor Tom Bassam to take on the opening days of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.  They discuss the broadcast picture in Europe, where viewers of free-to-air services like the BBC are adjusting to more limited output as Discovery’s 50-territory rights deal kicks in for a summer event for the first time. They also ask what Discovery’s strate...

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan speaks to Craig Dews, chief executive of Limelight Sports, a marketing agency that unlocks the power of participation sport. They discuss the truth about building and launching a new strategy, at a point where so much of the sports industry – not least the mass participation space – has had to rethink how and why it does things. The conversation covers how b...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and deputy editor Sam Carp are joined by Ricardo Fort, founder of the Sport By Fort consultancy and former global head of sponsorship at Coca-Cola, to look ahead to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.  They discuss the reported apprehension around the host city as athletes and media arrive before the opening ceremony, whether the story of the event can escape the...

As Tokyo 2020 looms, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Max Siegel, chief executive of USA Track & Field. They discuss preparing a team for the Olympics in pandemic conditions, how Covid-19 has affected the USATF, Sha’Carri Richardson’s THC ban, broader questions around anti-doping and competitive fairness, and how digital media and connected participation could shape the future...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by Misha Sher, global head of sport, entertainment and culture at Mediacom, to talk about the growing role of athletes in media. They discuss the fallout from Uefa Euro 2020, with England players on the front foot over racist abuse on social platforms, what to expect from the Olympics and next year’s Uefa Women’s Euro 2022, and how brands should na...

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Claire Harvey MBE, former Paralympian turned global inclusion lead at telecoms brand Vodafone.  They talk about how to do better in the complex and sensitive area of inclusion and diversity, drawing on Claire’s experience in sport, business and beyond to try and set a path through new social norms and expectations. They also identify some positive s...

As Wembley Stadium gets ready to welcome England and Italy for the Uefa Euro 2020 final, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Chris Bryant, tournament director at the Football Association.    They talk about the job of managing the demands of Uefa, public health authorities, local and national government as London’s role in the tournament has changed. They also discuss how Wembley Stad...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and digital editor Tom Bassam welcome Jean-Baptiste Roy, founding partner of Asia Sports Tech, as they review the second and final day of SportsPro APAC.   On the agenda: the distinctive social media markets of India and China and what they mean for sports brands inside and outside those countries, the efforts of World Table Tennis to build an offering fit f...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and staff writer Ed Dixon are joined by Janna Jauhar, APEC director at Mailman Group, to wrap up the opening day of the SportsPro APAC virtual conference. They discuss topics ranging from fan engagement and content customisation during the pandemic, and how to address a breadth of local audiences, to the differing impact of esports and mobile and digital pla...

SportsPro deputy editor Sam Carp talks to James Rothwell, head of marketing for EMEA at TikTok, about the social media company’s partnership with Uefa Euro 2020. They cover how TikTok’s campaign was brought together in the months before the tournament, what it has been doing to bring the fan conversation to its platform, and the impact that has been having on its community and its profile. They al...

In this special edition of the SportsPro Podcast, editor-at-large Eoin Connolly speaks to outgoing Pac-12 commissioner, Larry Scott. As the former WTA chief executive prepares to bow out at the end of June after leading the conference for 12 years, Scott reflects on his time at the helm of the organisation, the impact of the recent federal NIL ruling and the commercial state of US college sports p...

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Daniel Geey and Andrew Nixon, partners at leading technology, media and sport-based law firm Sheridans.  They discuss what goes on under the bonnet at a sports service company, from the demands of a typical working day to the balance between working in the business – bringing in fees – and working on it by leading and managing. They also reflect on...

As the first round of Uefa Euro 2020 draws to a close, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Kirsten Sibbit-Johnston, associate director at The Sports Consultancy, about how the tournament will have been viewed by the host cities. They discuss the measurements that will have been most meaningful for understanding the tournament’s local impact, what Uefa will have learned about the polit...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Scott O’Neil, chief executive of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.   In a conversation recorded before a disappointing end to the Sixers’ playoff run, Scott talks about how HBSE has managed the priorities of two organisations at different stages of their develop...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined again by Matt Slater, football news reporter at The Athletic, to look back on the opening days of the men’s Uefa European Championship.  They discuss the handling of Christian Eriksen’s shocking collapse during Denmark’s game against Finland, reflecting on crucial advances in medical protection for players but asking whether Uefa and the media will...

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Tim Green, global head of delivery at the GAP Partnership, about the art and science of negotiation.    Drawing on Tim’s experience with Coca-Cola, in sports marketing and now with a leading global negotiation consultancy, they discuss the finer details of a discipline which, while fundamental to success in business, is acquired by many mostly throu...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and deputy editor Sam Carp are joined by Octagon managing director of football Phil Carling to preview one of the biggest events in some time: Uefa Euro 2020. They ask where the tournament now fits in the wider soccer industry; what the 24-team, multi-nation format means for fans, partners and hosts; what to expect from incoming sponsors like Just Eat and Ti...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Noah Garden, chief revenue officer of Major League Baseball.    They discuss the financial and commercial impact of Covid-19, as a full schedule plays out across 2021, and how the pandemic has changed the interactions between the league, its teams and its partners.    Noah also lays out the implications of MLB’s ‘One Baseball’ initiative to coordina...

Ahead of a busy summer of sport, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and editorial director Michael Long reflect on some recent stories that draw together some key industry themes.  First, they discuss the withdrawal of tennis star Naomi Osaka from the French Open – where the world number two had wanted to avoid mandatory press conferences to protect her mental health – and consider what it sa...

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Jane Purdon, the chief executive of Women in Football, and former head of governance and leadership at UK Sport and director of governance at the Premier League.  They discuss some of the best ways to think about governance as a means of responsibly exercising power, listening to a more diverse range of voices, and working effectively to meet fundam...

Gaming takes centre stage in this session from the SportsPro Insider Series. Hosted by Becca Henry, vice president of communications at Misfits Gaming Group, and with a panel featuring George Mead, Fnatic’s partnerships director, and Alex Nuñez, brand partnerships and advertising sales lead for EA Sports Madden NFL, the three unpick what brands can do to flourish in the expanding esports sponsorsh...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Nevin Truesdale, chief executive of the Jockey Club, one of the most important commercial organisations in British horse racing and operator of venues like Cheltenham, Epsom Downs, Newmarket and Aintree.    With fans returning to UK sports events in larger numbers, Nevin talks about the summer ahead for the business and its vision for the years ahea...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by managing director Nick Meacham and Tony Maroulis, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, to discuss two huge sports media stories. First up, they consider what the Premier League’s rollover of its UK£4.7 billion domestic rights deals with Sky Sports, BT Sport and Amazon says about the strategic outlook for English soccer’s top flight ahead of a p...

In a session recorded for SportsPro Live in April, SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Andrea Gaudenzi, the chairman of men’s tennis’ ATP.  They discuss the challenges of taking sports organisations through internal and external change – updating the structures within the ATP and tennis, and addressing wider industry forces through the media and fan behaviour. Gaudenzi reveals how his...

Editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by deputy editor Sam Carp and staff writer Ed Dixon to talk through SportsPro's 2021 Destinations Report. The three assess the state of play for the business of hosting as major events and international tourism return, and also cast their eye over the cities that are effectively positioning themselves as leading hosts, as well as others hoping to do so. Then...