Siobhan Cassidy [#48]: Why CHANEL Sponsored The Boat Race

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The Boat Race, an event recognised as one of the world’s oldest and most famous amateur sporting events. 

The Boat Race is regularly attended by over 200,000 spectators at the banks of the river and watched by millions more on television. This year’s race will take place on Sunday 13 April 2025.

Although now Chair, Sionhan is previously a winner of the race herself whilst at Cambridge. 

In today’s conversation, we’re going to explore what it takes to deliver one of the UK’s most iconic sporting events, how they landed an extremely unique new title partner, as well as how she goes about balancing innovation with history and legacy. 

Timestamps

2:00 - Siobhan's Journey

5:00 - Getting into Rowing

10:00 - Creating an Impact Beyond Oxford and Cambridge

15:00 - What can be Learned from American Collegiate Sport?

21:00 - Revenue Streams of The Boat Race

23:00 - Tapping into Fandom of British IP like Harry Potter

26:00 - Festivalisation of Sporting Events

28:00 - Partnering with CHANEL

35:00 - Leveraging Content to Educate Audiences

46:00 - Looking Forward

Additional Links

The Boat Race Documentary 2025: Ep 1 | "All Change" - Turning The Tide (2025) Oxford v Cambridge

CHANEL and The Boat Race announce long-term partnership

Connect with Siobhan on LinkedIn - Here

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here