The World Football Summit Podcast

Liam Scully, CEO of Lincoln City FC, gives us a masterclass on what running a football club in the UK implies. We specifically talk about: The core elements of their sports business model. Embracing innovation to find new sources of growth. The role of the stadium in fan engagement initiatives. The opportunities that arise with new ownership. Leadership frameworks...and much more! Enjoy! World Foo...

Rayde Luis Baez, founder at The Connect, is back for a fun review of the industry, in which we talk about: The evolution of the sponsorship landscape. Improving the stadium experience for better sports businesses. The value private equity sees in sports. The streaming opportunity for sports properties. The role of sports content in the business model. Technology with the highest potential in sport...

We are huge fans of sports business podcasts at WFS and some of our favorites are “Are You Not Entertained?” or "Goal/Own Goal". Today, we are thrilled to welcome one of its hosts, Roger Mitchell, who is also someone who has great knowledge of the dynamics impacting the sports industry, to have a conversation about the future of football. This is an episode you can't miss! We enjoyed...

This week, a good friend of World Football Summit, and someone who understands the latest trends around social media, content marketing, and driving revenue from audience creation like few in the industry do. Kike Levy, currently leading the Sports & Media vertical at NFJ Holdings, is our guest on this week’s episode. As its always the case with Kike, this was a blast! We talk about: Everythin...

This week we have the privilege to sit down with Peter Moore, former CEO at Liverpool Football Club, and someone with a remarkable sports, video game, and entertainment industry career. Peter is a confirmed speaker for WFS Americas, which will take place on June 5-6 in Mexico City, and we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to learn from him and his amazing sports business career. We speci...

This week we welcome Rishi Jain, Director of Impact at Liverpool Football Club, a prime example of what a football club should represent: Their legacy and values are unquestionable. They have become one of the clubs with higher revenues in Europe. But also, their commitment to sustainability is remarkable, and this is what we discuss with Rishi, in a conversation that covers The Red Way 2022-2023...

This week, we welcome Peter Bellamy, Chief Commercial Officer at Endeavor Streaming and for mer speaker at WFS Europe to the show to deep-dive into the opportinities that D2C Streaming enables. Pete and I discuss: The evolution of Direct to Consumer Streaming The Strategy and the rollout that football properties need to follow. Revenue and business impact on their business model What the future ho...

Dr. Suresh Letchmanan, Managing Director of Asia Pacific at Borussia Dortmund is our fantastic guest this week. We bring you more Bundesliga-related business initiatives as Suresh and I discuss: The brand, the values, and the legacy of the club. The pillars behind BvB's international strategy. The role of the players in that strategy. Career advice, future potential, and more! World Football S...

We tend to think that the football industry is the one that evolves around the 11-man game played in fields of grass in roaring stadiums. Nothing farther from the truth! There are many modalities of football and today, my guest on the show, Tighe O'Sullivan, and I deep dive into the beach football ecosystem, its role within the industry, and its potential. This was a fun one and you will be su...

This week we deep dive into the German Football Industry and for that, we welcome today’s guest, Ben McFadyean, who is an expert on the space. Ben and I discuss the CVC/Bundesliga deal, Euro 2024 and given that Ben is a fan of Borussia Dortmund, we analyze the club’s sports business model. Of course, we could not leave the recent deal Nike signed with the German Federation to develop the National...

This week, Christoph Winterling, Commercial & Marketing Director at Bologna F.C. joins us for a deep dive into some of the club’s business initiatives. He and I discuss: Engaging the local fans and how they have been able to increase average attendance from 17K to 25K. Their international strategy and driving growth from the international fans. How the club embraces innovation and involves the...

This week, Keith Wyness, Former CEO at clubs like Aberdeen, Everton, and Aston Villa joins me for a fun conversation about the state of the English Premier League. But that's not all as we also ask him about the most important business lessons he has learned throughout his career, and his views on the ambition of the Saudi Pro League to become a top-tier football league. Given his role as a co...

The football industry is embracing new technologies at an exponential rate. One of these groundbreaking shifts relates to the adoption of virtual technologies, which helps football properties connect with any stakeholder around the world at any time and drive operational efficiencies across the sports business. And our guests today are experts on precisely that. After working with top sports bodie...

This week, the guys from FIFPRO are back, and this time, for a deep dive into the dynamics in the Asian football industry. FIFPRO, as you probably know is the global trade union, representing the voice of around 66.000 professional footballers and their national unions to ensure they are heard at the international level. Our guests are Takuya Yamazaki (FIFPRO Asia/Oceania Chair) and Brett Taylor (...

Today, we welcome another amazing female leader in football to the show. Aisha Nazia, who is involved with the World Freestyle Football Association, is also an advocate for “technology for a purpose” and was a speaker during WFS Asia. This was a great conversation about the application of different technologies in sport, how the football industry compares to other industries about tech implementat...

It seems everything related to the world of web3 is ready to make a comeback and we wanted to understand where the space is heading. This is why we are thrilled to welcome a true expert in the field to the show today. Pet Berisha, the man behind the Sporting Crypto newsletter and the Sporting Crypto Podcast is our guest on the show. During the conversation, we discuss: The current state of web3 in...

This week we welcome one of the best sports business broadcasters in the game, Ben Jacobs, for a wide-ranging conversation that covers: The Saudi Pro League and its ambition to become a top-tier football league. MLS valuations, “soccer” becoming an important element of culture in America, and the need to develop a strong inner league for sustained success An in-depth look at the European football...

Steven Mandis, author of books like "The Real Madrid Way," or "What Happened to Serie A?" is our guest today. He is also a Senior Academic Advisor to FIFA, he is helping UAX Rafa Nadal School of Sport in America. Overall, he is a true football business expert. This was a fun one as we discussed a bunch of things, including: The main lessons he learned while writing his books. W...

Today, Alexander Bielefeld, Director Global Policy & Strategic Relations at FIFPRO, is our guest on the show. FIFPRO, as you probably know is the global trade union, representing the voice of around 66.000 professional footballers and their national unions to ensure they are heard at the international level. Alex and I discuss a bunch of things, including: The player workload situation and the...

This week, we deep-dive into the Deloitte Money League Report, approaching leadership transitions and the need for innovation within football clubs. And more! World Football Summit: The football we want, and need. This podcast is  for leaders who want to shape the future of the football (or soccer)  industry. On this show, we will bring you closer to the people and the organizations who are drivin...

This week, we review some topics that are impacting the football industry and things to look out for in 2024, including: The importance of “brand” in football and brand valuations using the example of Manchester United. The impact of “load management” in driving revenues and FIFPro’s player safety report. The importance of live experiences at stadiums going forward in the sports business model, an...

Are you one of those folks in the industry wondering what is behind Saudi Arabia’s push toward becoming a leading global football hub? This week, we travel back to WFS Asia, which took place in December 2023 to find out, thanks to an amazing panel that included the participation of: Carlo Nohra - Chief Operating Officer at the Roshn Saudi League Mohammed Awlia - Ministry of Sports Romeo Jozak - Sa...

This week, we welcome Ahmed Al Khalifa to the show. Ahmed is the General Secretary at Riffa FC, a football club from Bahrain and a former alumnus at Johan Cruyff Institute. This was a wide-ranging conversation, where we discussed: The day-to-day of running the club, including his role, the sports business model, opportunities or challenges. We reviewed in depth the state of the football industry i...

One of the best things about WFS events is listening to the leaders and organizations pushing the industry forward. At WFS Asia we had the awesome opportunity to listen to how Serie A is approaching their international strategy, and we thought that this is a panel you would enjoy…a lot! The panel included the participation of: Alfonso de Stefano - Serie A MENA Managing Director Michele Ciccarese -...

We have a fun episode aligned for you to finish off the year, as we welcome Kasper Kronenberg, Editor in Chief and Co-Founder at Off the Pitch, one of the best football business intelligence services and databases in the world. If you are into “club valuations” around the world (including Europe, the MLS, Saudi Arabia, Women’s Football…) and topics related to governance, this is an episode you do...