Business of Sport

Tom Harrison, CEO of the Six Nations and former ECB chief, explains running the tournament as a global rights and media business. He discusses calendar reform and the Nations Championship's year‑round structure. He covers private equity’s role, protecting heritage while innovating, and using data, player personalities and content to broaden rugby’s reach.

They dig into India's growing political and commercial clout in international cricket and the fallout around Bangladesh at the T20 World Cup. They unpack why top English football clubs lag behind Europe off the pitch, from TV deals to stadium projects. They explore rugby’s push into TikTok and how player-driven social reach is being used to grow audiences.

It had to be done. It was the greatest upset in FA Cup history when Macclesfield beat holders Crystal Palace a couple of weeks ago. 117 places between the two teams in the football pyramid. But there is much more to the story than that result. A club that went out of business six years ago. An owner who was in the depths of addiction when he bought the club, now delivering one of the great football stories. Can they do it again against Brentford in a couple of weeks? You wouldn’t bet against them. But in the meantime let’s take a look at how this magic has been made possible. We’re delighted to welcome Rob Smethurst to the Business of Sport.On today’s show we discuss: The FA Cup Run That’s Changed Everything:What it meant for a sixth-tier club to beat Crystal Palace, the FA Cup holders.The financial impact of a single cup run, from gate receipts to TV money and global attention.Why moments like this can fund an entire season and transform a club’s trajectory overnight.Running a Sustainable Non-League Football Club:How you build a squad from scratch with part-time players earning a few hundred pounds a week.Why promotion often makes clubs poorer, not richer, at non-league level.How Macclesfield built a seven-day-a-week business around the club through gyms, bars, pitches and education.Turning football into part of the business, not the whole business, to survive and grow.Buying a Football Club on Rightmove:The unbelievable story of buying Macclesfield FC while in the depths of addiction and not remembering the purchase.Taking control of a club that had been stripped bare by receivers and rebuilding it from nothing.Why owning the club gave Rob purpose at the lowest point of his life and ultimately helped save it.Investment, Ambition & the Road Ahead:What it really costs to climb the football pyramid and why outside investment is unavoidable.How infrastructure underwrites club value as you move up the leagues.Why Macclesfield now has belief, momentum and a clear plan to go further.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: Gemini SportsWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/SlateThe complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/

It’s a big show this week. So much to cover, a fight as always to keep it to the point. Managers are back on the menu as we take a look at the ongoing discussion on whether power of selection should like with the head coach or the medical department. That inevitably feeds into a quick look at the chaos unleashed by Oliver Glasner in the media last weekend. It’s then the turn of tennis to celebrate the start of the Australian Open and a look at whether the Grand Slams should give a higher percentage of revenue to the players, before wrapping up with a look at F1 on the week the liveries for the 2026 season are revealed; how important is how the car looks to the brands spending tens of millions to sponsor them? Let’s get straight to it. Welcome to The Breakdown!

Elite athletes who have achieved everything in their sport while building a career alongside; it’s the ambition many sports stars have today. But how do you do it effectively? Petr Cech is a footballing legend, and I don’t use that term lightly. Four Premier League titles, a Champions League, record for the most Premier League clean sheets, and hugely respected as one of the most dedicated and attentive professionals the game has seen. He also has an MBA, is studying for a PhD, runs multiple businesses, and I need two hands to count the number of languages he speaks. The philosophy that has driven this? Win, that’s what it’s all about. If not then what’s the point. As you’ve just heard this is a theme that runs throughout. It also poses the question we wrestle most with on the show which is how to do that consistently and run a great business. I’ll get the apology in early, yes this was very exciting for me (and Harry too). Sitting across the table from someone who has given you some of your greatest memories as a fan is pretty cool, not many other ways I can say it. Just breeze through it.But what I can say is we’ve met few people are impressive or generous with their time who leave you genuinely in awe of but their successes and the processes they’ve adopted to achieve it. I promise you don’t just need to be a Chelsea fan to enjoy this. We’re delighted to welcome Petr to the Business of Sport.On today’s show we discuss: Elite Mentality, Preparation & Winning:​Why preparation beats talent under pressure and how Petr approached the biggest moments of his career.​What truly separates elite performers when everything is on the line.​Why winning is a mindset before it’s a tactic.Leadership, Standards & Team Culture:​How winning environments are built and sustained over time.​The role of managers, players and dressing-room standards in elite teams.​Why culture collapses when accountability disappears.Setbacks, Injury & Perspective:​How a life-threatening head injury changed the way Petr approached football and life.​Why fear never disappeared, but how he learned to perform alongside it.​The difference between confidence and control at the highest level.From Pitch to Boardroom:​Transitioning from player to executive and seeing football from the inside.​Why football performance must always come before commercial priorities.​How decision-making, incentives and governance shape success off the pitch.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: Gemini SportsWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/SlateThe complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/EMWA pleasure to work with leading sports & entertainment agency EMW on this showhttps://emw-global.com/

Another huge week to dissect today with a quick look back at how one of the stories in particular has developed from last week. Today it’s the turn of the chaotic world of media rights after DAZN pulled out of another league deal in Belgium, the rise of darts (at your request) and how the sport has transformed to get to where it is today, and rugby; in the wake of the challenger league R360 delaying its launch, is there even demand for a non-international rugby competition? It’s been amazing seeing the response to the show last week so a huge thank you to that. Keep commenting, keep suggesting topics, and we’ll keep tailoring it to match what you want to hear. Let’s get on with the show.

We think we know what the financial world of a footballer looks like. But the reality is very different. There is much more to understand than the salaries that media outlets publish like football scores. And if we’re honest, it’s never done to encourage a positive response. So what is the financial reality that faces some of sports most influential stars? Matt Smith played over 500 games in the Football League, for some big clubs: Leeds, Fulham, QPR, Millwall. But Matt had always had a different path to many players. He went to university, he’s done an MBA, and now has co-founded a venture capital business specifically geared towards opening up investment opportunities to athletes, but most importantly, with their best interests at heart. The fact I even need to say that is an indicator of where some of the big problems lie.This conversation was special for a number of reasons. Firstly and personally, because a conversation we had with Matt years ago was one of the first moments that triggered this show becoming a thing. Secondly, because this is a space that us, the fan and casual commentator, need to know more about. Not to mention the value this brings to any of you who are athletes facing these same situations. It’s financial reality with some quite extraordinary club stories to enjoy. On today’s show we discuss: Footballers, Money & Responsibility:Why modern players outsource too much decision-making and how that leaves them financially exposed.The illusion of wealth in football, short careers, and the pressure of lifestyle inflation.Why earning more money actually increases the need for better judgment.Agents, Advice & a Broken System:How misaligned incentives in representation quietly cost players millions.Why removing regulation turned football advice into a “wild west.”What players should demand from agents, advisors, and intermediaries.Business, Investing & Thinking Long-Term:When it makes sense for athletes to invest and when it really doesn’t.Why venture capital is a game of patience, not quick wins.Lessons from early investing successes and distorted perceptions of risk.Leadership, Transition & Life After Football:How ownership, leadership, and culture shape careers on the pitch.Why preparing for retirement matters as much as preparing for matchday.The role of curiosity, structure, and purpose in building a second career.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: Gemini SportsWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Hello and welcome to our brand new show, The Breakdown. I’m Charlie Stebbings, and joining me on this ride is legendary sports executive Charlie Methven. With his boundless energy and unfiltered opinions, and my carefully constructed guiding influence, we’ll bring you the rundown on the week’s biggest sporting business stories. For the first show, we’re extending the timeframe slightly to cover what has happened over the holiday period, including the departures of Amorim and Maresca, Brooks Koepka’s abandonment of the once promising LIV Golf project, and of course, the conclusion of the most disappointing Ashes Tour in memory… well for me at least.This is Business of Sport: The Breakdown----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:45 The Managerial Merry-Go-Round30:26 Saudi Investment In Elite Sport43:37 Saudi’s Attention On Golf44:44 The European Tour01:03:09 Predictions On Test Match Cricket01:05:27 Harry Brooks01:09:09 The Physical Responsibility In Cricket

Antoine Le Nel, Revolut’s CMO who built its global sports strategy, explains why the brand is investing heavily in F1 and other major sports. He discusses moving from performance marketing to brand building. Short takes cover how Audi Revolut F1 came together, splitting global and local sponsorships, using sport to reach new markets, and activating partnerships through product integrations and experiential reach.

Over the past year, we’ve gone inside football’s boardrooms, dressing rooms and balance sheets. This episode brings the most revealing moments together in one place.Welcome to The Business of Sport: Football Review.Across this compilation, we bring together the best moments from our recent football conversations to explore how money really shapes the game. From transfer fees and player contracts to ownership structures and decision-making power, this episode looks at the forces operating behind the pitch.Featuring club executives and leaders from across the football pyramid, we dig into why wages inflate faster than revenues, how promotion and relegation transform balance sheets overnight, and why running a football club is as much about survival as success.----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:34 Peter Kenyon - Fmr CEO of Man Utd & Chelsea08:09 Liam Dooley - Shrewsbury Town CEO14:22 Rick Parry - EFL Chair24:25 Pablo Longoria - Marseille President30:09 Ryan Sparks - Bradford City CEO35:18 Ryan Bertrand - Fmr Premier League Player39:30 Spencer Owen - Hashtag Utd Owner