Unofficial Partner Podcast

There's a race on to define the next era of the sports business. The winners will reap enormous financial returns. The losers will likely disappear from view. Sports media and gambling have always been bedfellows. But what comes next is a complete convergence of the two, a seamless offer that puts betting at the very centre of the business model.  The appeal is obvious: Gambling companies gain access to valuable new customers; sports teams and leagues gain new licensing opportunities and fan engagement channels; and media companies retain and increase viewer interest, driving increased advertising revenue. But there are barriers too: cost of technology, the threat of legislation and the basic marketing problem of differentiation between the mass of platforms now available to fans.We discuss each of these with today's guest Sam Sadi, CEO of gaming and media business, LiveScore Group, one of the runners in the convergence race which delivers real-time sports scores and free-to-air live streams along with gambling opportunities via LiveScore Bet and Virgin Bet. The company recently received a £50m strategic investment from Swiss media company Ringier, which values the LiveScore Group business at £500m.As you'll hear, this is a frank and often revealing conversation about one of the most important macro trends in the sports business today. 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.

Everything you need to know about ambush marketing, the dark art of associating with a major event without paying to be an official sponsor. We've gathered a posse of the smartest experts in fields such as brand marketing, sponsorship, sports law, creative and sales promotions agencies. Together we pick apart the idea of official partnership, that underpins the commercial model of FIFA and other sports governing bodies. Official partners buy category exclusivity and have contracted rights to the imagery and marques, protecting their investment from rival brands trying to leverage the massive global interest in the World Cup. But...does it work? Is category exclusivity a promise that can be delivered? Do fans and customers know or care about the official - unofficial divide? Are ambushers seen as exciting mavericks or boring chancers, and can the sports economy evolve beyond the official partner concept to a model that better suits today's marketing environment?  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.

FTX, the second biggest cryptocurrency exchange filed for bankruptcy in the US, and the company's founder Sam Bankman-Fried, previously referred to as the King of Crypto, stepped down as chief executive. In the filing, FTX estimated that it had between $10bn and $50bn in assets and liabilities and more than 100,000 creditors, including some of the biggest names in sport, from the Miami Heat to Tom Brady, Mercedes Formula One team and the MLB.The FTX brand has become a familiar presence over the past two years, signing a series of high value sport sponsorships. So what happens now? Both to the money promised and not yet delivered but also to the sports economy more widely, as its relationship with crypto and associated categories comes under intense scrutiny.What are the conversations taking place today throughout the commercial offices of Premier League football clubs, Formula One teams and other major sports rights holders. To pick this apart we have three people with extensive experience of the commercial reality of the sponsorship marketplace. Nathan Homer is chief commercial officer at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and formerly held senior global roles at the European Tour golf, Barclays and Proctor and Gamble.Gary Linke is one of the busiest and most experienced brokers of sponsorship deals working today, having held senior commercial roles at Football League and Rugby Football League, the RFL. Ben Wells is chief commercial office of PTI Digital, and formerly head of marketing at Chelsea Football Club and commercial director at Reading FC and Bath Rugby Union Club.For more analysis and comment on the business of sport, subscribe to the Unofficial Partner newsletter, delivered to thousands of people across sport every Thursday.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.

Today’s guests are Mo Bobat, Performance Director of the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Omar Chauduri, Chief Intelligence Officer of Twenty First Group.The topic is high performance and its fundamental link to the commercial success of sport. Mo and Omar’s teams worked extensively together on the ECB’s new High Performance Review, chaired by former England captain Sir Andrew Strauss. This aims to improve the quality of both the domestic structure and the men's national side, aided by an advisory board including Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth, former FA Performance Director. The review made 17 proposals, each seeking to focus attention on the difficult question of What It Takes To Win (WITTW). You can read the review HERE. But the performance conversation is often put into a silo, and treated separately from the commercial side of sport. As we’ll hear in this episode, that’s a mistake. This conversation, more than anything, is about the product of sport, what’s the difference between a successful sport’s tournament, event or team, and the rest. How does performance data help create entertaining teams and events? What’s the commercial value of jeopardy?These are questions which drive everything; from fan engagement through to media rights income, sponsorship revenue and other forms of investment. The conversation took place at the Clerkenwell offices of Twenty First Group in London against the backdrop of England’s progress at the ICC T20 World Cup taking place in Australia. You’ll hear us reference a previous podcast with Ed Smith, recorded at Leaders London in October. That’s available along with 276 other episodes in the Unofficial Partner back catalogue, accessible via the website, Apple, Spotify, Google or your usual podcast app.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.

When they retire, some professional footballers train to become coaches, and a few rise to become the team manager or director of football.But very, very few players do what Maheta Molango has done, and cross the divide between the playing side and the C-suite, to become the CEO of a top club. It’s a massive Church and State divide, a journey that reveals much about the person who is now in charge of the PFA, The Professional Footballers' Association,  the union for all current and former footballers in the Premier League, the FA Women’s Super League and the English Football Leagues.Molango passed his law degree during a playing career in Spanish and English football, going on to specialise in employment and sports law. In 2015 he was seconded to Atlético Madrid where he served as legal counsel, focused on contract and transfer negotiations and the following year was appointed the Chief Executive of RCD Mallorca after the takeover by former NBA star Steve Nash and Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver. His four years at RCD Mallorca saw the club achieve back-to-back promotions in to La Liga.Molango became Director of FIFA’s Diploma in Club management programme, where he helps train executives, with speakers ranging from Arsène Wenger to Fabio Cannavaro.So this podcast is about the role of the players in the football business conversation. We discuss Molango’s change agenda for the PFA, the launch of a new Business School and the broader questions on the relationship between those who run the game and the men and women who play it. This is an episode of ReThinking Sport, our series created in collaboration with Portas, the global strategy consultancy dedicated to sport and physical activity.  My co-host for the podcast is Adam Paker, partner at Portas who was formerly Director of FIFA Marketing, delivering on the commercial rights of two FIFA World Cups, and Chief Executive of two British national sport federations, Commonwealth Games England and Swim England.For our weekly aUnofficial 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 looking deep in to the sports broadcast, streaming and media rights market in the company of Yannick Ramcke, Murray Barnett and Charlie Boss.Today's headline topics are: DAZN acquires Eleven Sport; NBA's latest D2C play; World Rugby acquires Rugby Pass; Potential Saudi (PIF) investment into BeIN sport. For previous episodes of the series, search 'The Bundle' on Unofficial Partner/podcastTo get the best analysis of the sports business in your inbox every week, sign up to the Unofficial Partner Newsletter, via substack. 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.

This is episode 3 of For What It's Worth our regular series in collaboration with Turnstile, the sponsorship valuation service. Today's special guest is Danny Townsend, the CEO of The Australian Professional Leagues, aka the A-Leagues, home of professional soccer, comprising men's, women's, youth and esports competitions. Townsend formerly held global leadership roles at Repucom and Nielsen Sport before becoming chief executive of Sydney FC, and then moving to head up the league.In December 2021, the APL announced that Silver Lake, the private equity firm, had made a significant minority investment in the organisation, which it said would 'drive technology enhancements and innovation aimed at improving the fan experience and driving further development of the game in Australia'. The transaction values APL at approximately USD$300m / AUD $425M.So, what's it like when private equity comes on board? What is the basis of their investment outlook, and how do they put a value on their investment?Joining the conversation is Dan Gaunt, General Manager of Turnstile. For our weekly analysis of the sports business, subscribe to the Unofficial Partner Newsletter, available via Substack or UnofficialPartner.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.

This podcast is a recording of the Unofficial Partner Web3 brainstorm which took place at Emirates Stadium in London, the home of Arsenal Football Club, who were our collaborators on the project. The subject matter covered NFTs, blockchain, crypto and DAOs. To make things interesting, we gave a group of experts a problem to solve over the course of the evening. The conceit of the brainstorm was this: UP FC is a middling Premier League club with ambitions to ‘enhance fan engagement via web3, NFTs and blockchain’.What are the opportunities and problems we'll face? What are the mistakes that are common to sports clubs, leagues and federations when entering this exciting and confusing space?The first person you'll hear is Juliet Slot, Arsenal's Chief Commercial Officer. Juliet's objective is to help facilitate the industry conversation around football's relationship with web3, and we're grateful for her support and the hard work of her team at Arsenal for helping to get the event off the ground. The brainstorm featured the following people:Alex Amsel, SoulcastSunil Singhvi, RaribleTim Mangnall, Capital BlockTom Greene, Martian Premier LeagueIvan Peric, UnagiCarsten Thode, AphetorPreeti Shetty, Brentford Football ClubJames Newman, SociosPet Berisha, Sporting CryptoAlex Balfour, Generate DigitalPeter Hutton, MetaTo follow up on the issues raised by the event, you can get in touch with us by signing up to Unofficial Partner's sports industry leading newsletter, available 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.

Ed Smith is one of the most innovative thinkers in sport. The former test cricketer turned author and broadcaster co-created the Institute of Sports Humanities, and in 2018 was made chief selector for England men's cricket. His new book is called Making Decisions: Putting the Human Back in the Machine, in which he asks some very important questions facing sport and business today, offering a framework for identifying and maximising talent, spotting team weaknesses and communicating ideas that lead to stronger leadership, clear judgments and ultimately, improved performances. The conversation took place on stage at the Leaders conference at Twickenham Stadium.Unofficial Partner podcasts has a global audience of people from across the professional sports industry: to join the dots on the various conversations and to keep up with key trends and analysis from across the business, subscribe to the Unofficial Partner newsletter, published every Thursday.   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.

Kara Nortman is one of the three founders of Angel City Football Club, along with Julie Uhrman and the actor Natalie Portman, and it’s the first women’s professional soccer team in Los Angeles for over ten years.But the story has been about far more than football. A host of famous people have come on board, Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, Mia Hamm, Eva Longoria and Jessica Chastain to name just a few of the club’s investors, who are buying in to one of the sports business’s most intriguing case studies. Nortman brings financial expertise from her role as managing partner of Upfront Ventures, so we talk about how US investors view women’s and men’s football, the opportunities and pitfalls ahead for women’s pro leagues, the questions associated with private equity and the benefit of an outside perspective in growing the women’s game.To keep up to date with all our podcasts, you should sign up to the Unofficial Partner newsletter. It goes to thousands of people across sport, every Thursday. 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.