The SponsorshipX Podcast

Canadian sponsorship just hit $4.22 billion — the highest total ever recorded, with rights fees up 58% in a single year and brands reinvesting in women’s sport, evaluation, and fan experience at historic levels. SponsorshipX founder Mark Harrison sits down with Dr. Norm O’Reilly, Dean of the College of Business at the University of New England and a foremost authority on sponsorship data, to unpac...

What does it mean to “be like water”? That was the advice Annamaria Fuzy received from a manager early in her professional journey. Without losing sight of the end goal, Annamaria learned to go with the flow and navigate the unexpected circumstances that come up in sponsorship marketing. What does it really take to build partnerships that last, across sport, music, and culture? In this episode of...

If you care about how big ideas become real change, you’ll want to hear this one. For our Changemakers season, Mark Harrison sat down with Mark Holland, the new CEO of the Canadian National Exhibition, and the energy in this conversation is unmistakable. Holland brings the urgency of someone who knows the CNE is more than a summer tradition. In his view, it can become a 365-day destination: a plac...

Transcript In this episode, we sit down with Justin Mountstephens, founder of MSM Global Group and a true changemaker in the world of partnership marketing and commercial rights. Justin shares how his career accelerated in the high-octane world of Formula 1, where he learned the actual value of commercial rights, brand partnerships, and the business behind the spectacle. From the F1 paddock to lau...

Season 2 of the SponsorshipX Changemakers podcast keeps pushing boundaries, and in this episode, we’re joined by someone doing just that in women’s sports: Marianne Brooks of the Northern Super League. Marianne’s journey from competitive golf to the boardrooms of sports marketing isn’t just a career pivot. It’s a lesson in how discipline, humility, and values-driven leadership can reshape an entir...

🎙️ The SponsorshipX Podcast Season 2: The Changemakers Journey In this episode, Mark Harrison takes listeners inside the SponsorshipX Changemakers Summit, unveiling the sessions, speakers, and experiences that will ignite Toronto this November From Impact Tracks and Spotlight Sessions to Challenge Labs and Mission Studios, Mark shares how every moment is designed to turn purpose into performance a...

Transcript In this episode of the SponsorshipX Changemakers Podcast, Ashima Chopra, Founder and CEO of FanVerse, joins Mark Harrison to explore how she’s redefining the future of fandom. A lifelong big-picture thinker, Ashima brings a rare blend of experiences in law, human rights, and venture capital to her entrepreneurial mission. That combination fuels her bold approach to changing ecosystems,...

Transcript Mark Harrison, Founder of SponsorshipX, sits down with Jay Downton (Co-Founder & CEO, The Nation Network) and Adam Seaborn (VP Global Ad Sales, Better Collective) for a candid conversation on building a challenger brand in Canadian sports media. From the origins of Oilers Nation to 17,000+ pieces of monthly content, they explore how fan-first communities scale, why rejecting the sta...

Transcript Another talk from the mountain as Mark Harrison, Founder of SponsorshipX, sits down with fellow entrepreneur Darren Kinnaird, the Managing Partner of Crankworx. Listen in as they discuss everything from building a global property from Whistler to tackling inclusion in mountain biking. The rising talents of women riders and their increasing participation in the Red Bull Joyride are notab...

Transcript Recorded outdoors in Whistler — complete with a soundtrack of mountain wind and laughter — this conversation brings Mark Harrison together with Eliot Jackson: Red Bull commentator, content creator, founder of the Grow Cycling Foundation, and curator of Aspire, the Whistler event that champions cycling culture and community. Eliot shares stories from his mother’s entrepreneurial journey...

Changemaker on the Mountain: Chris King of Outdoor Research Join us for a dynamic conversation between Mark Harrison and Chris King, VP of Brand at Outdoor Research, recorded live at Crankworx Whistler during its momentous 20th anniversary. In this episode, we explore how Outdoor Research approaches sponsorship as a platform for authentic engagement and community-driven impact in mountain biking t...

Key Takeaways | Transcript From the Croisette to the Metrics: A Cannes Conversation on the Future of Sponsorship What happens when two sponsorship minds connect on the Riviera? You get a candid, forward-looking podcast straight from the Cannes Advertising Festival. In this latest episode, SponsorshipX founder Mark Harrison sits down with Jay Prasad, CEO of Relo Metrics, to reflect on how Cannes ha...

Key Takeaways | Transcript Episode 7 of our ROI-focused season explores how real-time data reshapes sponsorship strategy and performance measurement. SponsorshipX ROI Forum - Speaker Images - Yoeri Gerrits 3 (1)   Yoeri Geerits, Senior Consultant at YouGov Canada, joins us to discuss the tools, techniques, and insights that help brands capture what audiences think right now—and why that matte...

Key Takeaways | Transcript In our latest episode, we’re exploring the intersection of fandom, data, and measurable impact.   Host Espanda Ghorbannia, Founder & Principal of CONVOY COMMUNICATIONS, leads a powerhouse panel featuring: 🔹 Mark Jeffery, Founder & CEO, Aquimo 🔹 Armaan Ahluwalia, former Head of Strategic Commercial Solutions, Alpine F1 🔹 Matthew Hoffmann, EVP, Two Circles...

Key Takeaways Transcript 🎧 Recorded live at the inaugural ROI Forum — hosted by Julian Franklin. If you’ve ever struggled with determining what your sponsorship is worth—or how to make it work harder—this episode is for you. Episode 5: “Valuation vs. Performance: Maximizing Asset Impact” brings together two of the industry’s leading minds in sponsorship measurement for a frank and insightful disc...

Key Takeaways Transcript In Episode 4 of the SponsorshipX Podcast, we dive into one of the most timely and transformative topics in sponsorship: fan sentiment—and how it’s fast becoming a leading indicator of marketing success. “Fan Sentiment as a Metric” was recorded live at the inaugural ROI Forum, where host Mark Harrison sat down with three influential marketers to explore how emotional connec...

Key Takeaways Transcript What happens after the confetti falls and the crowds go home? That’s where the real ROI work begins. In Episode 3 of The SponsorshipX Podcast, we tackle “Post-Event Metrics: The Long-Term Impact of Sponsorships”—a must-listen conversation about proving value after the final fan interaction. Join Host Julian Franklin, Principal, Franklin Management Group with Melissa Moskal...

Key Takeaways Transcript Exploring how organizations can effectively measure the impact of purpose-led partnerships, blending actionable insights with real-world case studies. Panel Jennifer Frees, Chief Business and Marketing Officer, TIFF Bob Park, Chief Brand Officer, GE Appliances Canada Jenny Yuen, Group Head & Executive Vice President, People, Culture & Partnerships, Kids Help Phone...

Key Takeaways Transcript Press play to uncover key strategies and fresh perspectives as we explore how to measure success beyond monetary returns, with a focus on objective outcomes with Mary Beech, Chief Growth Officer, Thorne and Mark Harrison, Founder, MH3 Collective. Show Notes Episode Summary  This episode of Sponsorship X dives into ROI in sponsorship with Mary Beach,  Thorne’s Chi...