SportsPro Podcast

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan chats with Paul Brown, the founder and chief executive of plant-based nutrition brand BOL Foods, about deciding on a purpose for a business and maintaining quality through growth.    They discuss Paul’s journey from the professional snowboard circuit to sustainable meals, how his focus on core principles inspired him cut the company in half, the qualities he...

As the Six Nations continues, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly welcomes pirate-podcaster and veteran sports industry consultant Giles Morgan, and Blackstar Capital portfolio manager James Paul to talk all things rugby union. With the sport attracting private equity investment, it could be set for arguably its biggest shakeup since turning professional more than 25 years ago. Here, the three...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Casper Stylsvig, the chief revenue officer at celebrated Italian soccer club AC Milan.   They discuss how the Serie A pace-setters have adapted commercially to the Covid-19 crisis, and maintained contact with fans with the San Siro closed, while Stylsvig also outlines a digital transformation project that will be at the centre of future relationship...

After SportsPro revealed its 2021 class of 20 sports tech ideas to invest in, editor at large Eoin Connolly and editorial director Michael Long go through the picks and assess why these early stage companies are ones to watch. Then (17.09), Eoin speaks to Daniel Kirschner, president and chief executive at Greenfly, to learn about the software solutions company's work in the world of video consumpt...

In the first of a new series of practical conversations with leaders inside and outside sport, SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks about how to build a strong base for your communication with Natalie Benjamin, partner at performance management consultancy Lane4. They discuss the importance of honesty and clarity in leadership communication, understanding what to share and how, and recrea...

With just days to go until the National Football League's (NFL) championship game, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly welcomes Sportico's sports business reporter Eben Novy-Williams for a Super Bowl special. As well as previewing the event, the pair reflect on the NFL's season and where the league is heading as it looks to move on from its Covid-affected campaign. Then (34.36), deputy editor...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Miles Jacobson, studio director of Sports Interactive, the company behind the iconic Football Manager video game series. They talk about how the developer has responded to Covid-19 inside and outside the game (7.45), the continued evolution of Sports Interactive’s data modelling and its relationship with professional clubs (25.03), and nurturing a d...

Talk of Europe's top soccer clubs breaking away and forming their own super league has existed for decades, but is the sport closer than ever to a continental 'super league'?   In this episode, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and digital editor Tom Bassam delve into the commercial arguments around soccer's future and what it all means for the sport if the big clubs get their way.  Phil Car...

Ahead of the launch of his new Playbook Podcast series, SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to editor at large Eoin Connolly about how sports businesses can deliver on their plans in changing times.   In another wide-ranging conversation, they discuss building a sense of collective ownership to give team members a shared purpose and strategic buy-in, managing performance relentlessly but...

In this episode, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by Jene Elzie, chief growth officer at Athletes First Partners, and Len Elmore, senior lecturer in the sports management programme at Columbia University. With Joe Biden sworn in as US president, the three delve into the tumultuous Trump tenure and how it changed the relationship between sport and politics, particularly in the cont...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly speaks to Alberto Longo, co-founder and deputy chief executive of all-electric motorsport series Formula E.   A few weeks ahead of a season-opening night race in Diryah they discuss the continued development of the championship, from its hosting strategy to its relationship with manufacturers and its digital media output and esports events.    They also cons...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly, digital editor Tom Bassam and deputy editor Sam Carp assess the ten figures set to play a major role across sport over the next year. The trio reflect on SportsPro's annual list, which ranges from a prime minister to a professional tennis player, identifying the merits and the broader context behind their inclusion. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Li...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly speaks to Anmol Malhotra, the head of sports partnerships at Snap.    Malhotra explains how social platform Snapchat combines fun, intuitive messaging with proprietary camera technology and AR to appeal to a younger audience and how it aims to help sports publishers, broadcasters, brands, teams and athletes to do the same. He also talks about how those colla...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Andrew Georgiou, the president of Discovery-owned pan-continental broadcaster Eurosport. They discuss the launch of the Discovery+ direct-to-consumer service and its impact on the group's sports project (3.25), how Eurosport is adapting to the unique challenges of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (20.00), and the implications of digital transformation for ri...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly speaks to Manoj Badale, owner of Indian Premier League cricket team Rajasthan Royals.  They discuss the lessons of Manoj's new book – A New Innings, co-authored with cricket writer, analyst and broadcaster Simon Hughes – and track some of the trends that have marked his work in the sport and a few that will define its future.  On the agenda are the tensions...

SportsPro’s editorial team get behind their mics for one last time in 2020, as Eoin Connolly, Michael Long, Tom Bassam and Sam Carp review some of the best and worst moments of an extraordinary 12 months.      They consider some of the best and worst events, deals, innovations and moments of a unique year, casting an eye over everything from the NBA bubble and the NFL Virtual Draft to OneFootball’...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Peter Feigin, president of the Milwaukee Bucks, in the build-up to an unusual new NBA season.   They discuss the challenges of heading back to the Fiserv Forum behind closed doors, including the logistical and production plans behind that return and the financial measures helping teams through a campaign that is set for limited fan attendance.    Th...

In this esports-focused episode, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by staff writer, and the podcast's very own producer, Ed Dixon to talk through the latest developments in competitive gaming.   Then (20:54), Eoin speaks to Amir Mirzaee, chief operating officer at Bayes Esports. Having worked in business development at the Google subsidiary Waze, Mirazee is the latest executive to...

In a final entry from the SportsPro Insider Series for 2020, SportsPro event content manager Chris Stone finds out about how cycling events promoter Sweetspot and carmaker Skoda are working together on the Women’s Tour.   Chris is joined by Sweetspot chief executive Hugh Roberts, Skoda communications manager Lisa Kirkbright, and professional cyclist Lizzy Banks, who explain how the sponsorship ope...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and editorial director Michael Long are joined by Yannick Ramcke, OTT commercial lead at OneFootball, to look back on the second and final day of the 2020 SportsPro OTT Summit.  They discuss why an NFL sales bonanza could reorder the rest of the sports media business, how rights holders and broadcasters are changing how they think about monetising content, a...

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and deputy editor Sam Carp are joined by sports consultant Drew Barrand to review day one of the SportsPro OTT Summit. They discuss Drew’s state of the industry conversation with former Sky Sports MD Barney Francis, as well as Amazon’s sports strategy and Eoin’s panels on gamification and storytelling.    There’s then time to drop in on a few sessions from t...

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan returns to discuss the post-Covid outlook for the sports industry with editor at large Eoin Connolly, completing a picture of the world in 2022.   Matt outlines a five-point plan to help sports bodies weather the macroeconomic turmoil to come in the next few years, from localisation to government intervention to inflation and pressure on profit margins. Then...

Ahead of SportsPro's OTT Summit next week, editor at large Eoin Connolly, editorial director Michael Long, and digital editor Tom Bassam preview the virtual event and what to look out for over the two days.  The three also discuss the stories that have caught their attention in recent weeks, including Amazon's landmark New Zealand cricket streaming deal in India. Then, in the latest cut from Sport...

SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam talks to Paul Barber, the chief executive of Premier League soccer club Brighton and Hove Albion, about an extraordinary year in the English game.   They discuss what lies ahead for the business of soccer after the Covid-19 pandemic, the ins and outs of Project Big Picture, the lessons of the Premier League’s pay-per-view experiment, and the continued importance...

With the ATP Finals midway through its London swansong, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and editorial director Michael Long are joined by David Law, BBC Radio 5 Live tennis commentator and co-host of The Tennis Podcast, for an in-depth discussion on the business of tennis. As well as talking through the men’s season-ending ATP Finals before its move to Turin, the three also touch on how te...