Unofficial Partner Podcast

Crypto.com has been one of the biggest spenders in the sports sponsorship market over the last three years, putting its brand to properties including FIFA World Cup, F1 and the Aston Martin team, UFC, Australia Football League and the naming rights to the Staples Centre in Los Angeles among many others.Every major sports property in the world rushed to do deals in a category of companies seeking to pay high fees in return for global brand awareness and brand trust. Then came the FTX scandal which rocked not just the crypto and web3 sectors but also the sports world, which sought reassurance as to whether they were going to get paid.It's this rollercoaster we explore in this podcast, with Crypto.com's head of sponsorship Alex Shapiro, whose cv also features Visa and ESPN, along with Buy Side co-hosts Sally Hancock and Shaun Whatling.   Today’s episode is sponsored by our friends at Turnstile, who are asking a good question: do you know what your sponsorship is really worth, or are you guessing?Turnstile uses real market rates to quantify the value every single sponsorship right within a deal, looking beyond the traditional media metrics to calculate the value of the Exposure, Intellectual Property and Direct Benefits. This enables Turnstile to deliver a recommended transaction price that’s comprehensive, accurate and defensible. So don’t pay too much. Don’t leave money on the table. Know the fair market price, and buy and sell with confidence. If you value your sponsorships, value them properly. Get in touch with Turnstile at turnstilegroup.comUnofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

What's the difference between the US and European sports marketplace? Few people are better positioned to answer this question than Jon Stainer, the US based Englishman who is Global General Manager of Nielsen Sports, the leading source of sports measurement and analytics around the world.Stainer has led multiyear relationships with the NFL, NBA and Premier League during his time at Nielsen, bringing a truly international perspective on the sports industry, working on three Olympic Games and two FIFA World Cups. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

What's your next job? Where will it come from? What are the factors that make you more or less likely to get it? What's your office culture like? Can you maintain culture when most people are working from home? Do you trust colleagues to work hard from home? What about networking, is it the secret to career success, or just a euphemism for drinking? Is the sports business a booze culture? What does sport look like to people who don't drink? How old is too old to work in sport? Is 45 the new 60?All these questions and many more are put to our guests, Ishveen Jolly and Mark Thompson.Ishveen is Founder and CEO of OpenSponsorship, an Inc magazine Top 100 Female Founder and a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni.Mark is Chief Operating Officer of newly promoted Burnley Football Club, and formerly a strategic consultant for Two Circles. The recording took place at the new London offices of Spectacle Partners and we thank them for their support.Interested in How To Get On In The Sports Business, here are some other UP podcasts you might want to listen to:UP163 Paul Nolan's Careers AdviceUP269 Sports Business networks and how to build themUP245 What it means to be UnsignedUnofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

The big retailers are years ahead of sport when it comes to understanding their own customers.  So we asked today's guests what can sport learn from Sainsbury's, Tesco, Target and Amazon. We're joined by Finn Bradshaw and Claire Kelly.Finn is head of digital at the International Cricket Council, the game's global governing body.  Claire is General Manager of Gemba Europe. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Kumar Sangakkara is one of the most important and influential voices in international cricket today and in an ideal position to offer insight in to many of the current sports business themes. The IPL has changed cricket forever, and is challenging the status quo of the traditional game, run by the national governing bodies and the ICC.As a player, he's regarded as the greatest wicket keeper batsmen of any era, he scored 28,016 runs in International cricket, the second highest total of all time. In 2019 he became President of the MCC, the first non-British person to be appointed to the position since the club was founded in 1787. His MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture was a powerful and brave criticism of corruption and incompetence in Sri Lanka cricket, and a rallying call for change in the way the sport is governed. He is currently director of cricket for the Rajasthan Royals IPL franchise, and he talked to us from the road between matches. The other guest is Rowena Samarasinhe, a partner at Level law firm and managing director of GenSport, previously General Counsel at Dentsu's athlete management service and has held senior roles in squash and rugby union. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

DAZN continues to be one of the most talked about companies in the sports media world since its launch in 2016. But the story is shifting from its initial ambition to be 'The Netflix of Sport'. The last set of accounts showed DAZN's operating losses of $1.3billion, taking the total Group loss to $5billion in five years. Yet the company remains a significant bidder for sports rights. According to the sae  accounts, DAZN has a committed rights spend of $3.2bn through to the end of 2028, and this month announced a ten year deal to stream NFL Game Pass International from the 2023 season, enabling fans outside the US to watch every NFL regular and postseason game, including the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, its attempts to build a foothold in the UK domestic football market continue, including a proposal to stream all 1,656 matches of the EFL, challenging the 3pm blackout and a likely bid for domestic Premier League rights in the next cycle.We talk to Veronica Diquattro, DAZN's CEO of Global Markets who's joined by Richard Johnson, sports marketing strategist formerly of Manchester United, New Balance and Ineos Grenadiers Cycling Team. Today’s episode is sponsored by our friends at Turnstile, who are asking a good question: do you know what your sponsorship is really worth, or are you guessing?Turnstile uses real market rates to quantify the value every single sponsorship right within a deal, looking beyond the traditional media metrics to calculate the value of the Exposure, Intellectual Property and Direct Benefits. This enables Turnstile to deliver a recommended transaction price that’s comprehensive, accurate and defensible. So don’t pay too much. Don’t leave money on the table. Know the fair market price, and buy and sell with confidence. If you value your sponsorships, value them properly. Get in touch with Turnstile at turnstilegroup.comUnofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Marina Erakovic's family fled war torn former Yugoslavia when she was a small child, and she grew up in New Zealand where her precocious tennis talent was nurtured. After winning nine titles in a thirteen year career on the WTA Tour, she is now a business consultant working for PwC in Auckland. She takes us inside the reality of the professional tennis circuit, comparing her experience with that seen on Break Point, the current Netflix series. We talk about the future of tennis as an entertainment and commercial product, the rise of paddle and pickle ball, Naomi Osaka's role in elevating the conversation around mental health of elite athletes, the post-Serena Williams era, and we question the existing structures of tennis federations against a backdrop of changes in viewing habits and participation rates around the world.  This is an episode of Re: Thinking Sport, our series created in collaboration with Portas, the global strategy consultancy dedicated to sport and physical activity.  Joining Marina Erakovic is Zineb Soulami, Sports Consultant at Portas Consulting and a passionate tennis player since the age of eight.  Zineb has a deep knowledge in racquet sports and leads the Active Places practice in Asia. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Moya Dodd has been one of the most influential women in international football for the past two decades. In 2013 she was one of the first women in 108 years to be appointed to the FIFA executive committee, the governing body's key decision making group. The former international player and lawyer led reform for gender equality including greater inclusion in the decision-making process and for there to be a larger investment in the women's game. FIFA passed her proposal and added a requirement that every continent must have a board seat filled by a woman. But after four years of rigorous campaigning, Dodd controversially lost her place on the FIFA Council to another candidate, who couldn't answer basic questions on the women's game. So what did the experience teach her about the cultural fit between FIFA and women's football and what are the options available to take full advantage of the growing popularity of domestic leagues? But we start by talking about FIFA's relationship with Saudi Arabia, and the recent story that this year's Women's World Cup was to be sponsored by Visit Saudi. We reference a piece written by Dodd in the Sydney Morning Herald, which is available to read here. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

The Bundle is our regular series on the sports media and streaming market, with guests Murray Barnett and Yannick Ramcke.Three main stories and a quick fire round. ESPN Takes a shot at creating a sports streaming hub; Apple's MLS opt-out and what would happen if that became the model for the relationship between rights holders and media; and the danger of misreading the bankruptcy of Bally Sports and  the state of the Regional Sports Network model in the US.Then there's a bit on the story of Serie A buying Sky Italia, which is not going to happen but interesting anyway; Sky and Amazon retaining Champions League in Italy and Paramount+ launching soccer-specific FAST channel with CBS Sports Golazo Network.Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Coca Cola and the Olympics is sport's most enduring commercial relationship. But how does it work on the inside? How relevant is the Games to today's Coke drinker? Is the Olympic TOP programme still fit for purpose? And how can the IOC balance its promises around sustainability with the reality of hosting massive, multi-sport events, and sponsored by companies such as Coca Cola, which is one of the biggest producers of plastic in the world?As VP of Olympic Assets and Marketing, James Williams was Coca Cola's man on the ground at three Summer Games, starting in London 2012, through Rio 2016 and onto the Covid delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021. What he's got to say talks to many of the big themes that dominate the sports business today and in to the future. Helping me ask the questions are my regular Buy Side co-hosts, Sally Hancock and Shaun Whatling.Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.