Unofficial Partner Podcast

Former professional cricketer Patrick Foster has written a searingly honest memoir about how he became addicted to gambling while at university, developing a habit that cost him £4million and ruined his relationships and career.So this is an opportunity to discuss sport’s commercial relationship with the betting industry, something that’s often couched in abstract terms, of new deals being struck by rights holder, team shirt sponsorship and Ray Winstone at half time.We don’t tend to hear from the people who are being targeted by all that marketing activity and how the sports business looks from the perspective of a gambling addict.Patrick Foster was a professional cricketer, who became a city trader.We talk about what it feels like to lose everything to addiction, and how he views the marketing strategies of the betting industry, its use of sport as a sponsorship and advertising medium, the psychological triggers within brand communications and the gateway drugs of gamification, fantasy football, the addictive nature of crypto currency trading and football’s embrace of fan engagement tokens.Patrick’s last bet was on King Crimson in the 2.10 at Wolverhampton on Thursday, March 22nd 2018.  Following rehab, he has a new career - educating young people about the perils of gambling. He can be contacted at Epic Risk Mangagement.Might Bite: The Secret Life of a Gambling Addict by Patrick Foster is published by Bloomsbury Sport.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 week the US Soccer Federation (USSF) and the US Women’s National Team settled a six year fight over equal pay. The players will receive $24m. The USSF has promised to equalise pay between men’s and women’s national teams for all competitions, including the FIFA World Cup.Why is this happening now?Next week the USSF elects its next president, whose tenure will include the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. The two candidates are former president Carlos Cordeiro and today's guest, the acting president Cindy Parlow Cone, who took over two years ago, when Cordeiro was forced to resign after his legal team filed court documents that implied men are better than women, so should get more money.“…by ignoring the materially higher level of speed and strength required to perform the job of a Men's National Team (MNT) player. A reasonable juror could conclude that the job of MNT player requires materially different skill and more responsibility than plaintiffs’ job does, while also taking place under materially different working conditions,” .Cue a shitstorm: Coke, Visa, Nike et al took umbrage and Cordeiro walked, leaving the USSF in chaos. And that’s saying something, given the organisation was led by Chuck Blazer for thirty years, until he was flipped by the FBI as part of their FIFA corruption investigation…So Cone for Prez? Maybe…Given the context, Parlow Cone appears a shoe-in for president. But the word is that the election will be close. So this week’s news feels very strategic. After six years, the pay dispute is suddenly settled days before the election.Cone is a former US international player and has Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and every pro-women, equal pay supporting liberal member of the USSF selling her campaign across social and mainstream media under the banner of ‘forward not back’.But elections are not about the candidates, they’re about the voters. Read the threads that followed the news of this week’s equal pay settlement and you’ll meet the usual culture warriors doing their thing. Carlos Cordeiro’s campaign is focused on his business background and a plan for the grassroots development of the game in America, a key USSF constituency. We’ll see.If you're interested in sports business analysis and comment, follow @UnffclPrtnr on Twitter and join thousands of busy sports execs who receive the UP Newsletter every Thursday. Sign up via unofficialpartner.com 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.

One of the biggest sports business stories of the past year has been in golf where the two major tours - European and PGA Tour - are in what some have called an existential battle for control of the game at the highest level. A new rival, the Golf Premier League led by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi money, is attempting to disrupt the tours, by offering enormous sums to the very best players. That story is moving as we speak, as major stars such as Dustin Johnson and Bryson Dechambeau back away from their earlier enthusiasm for the project.Whatever happens, our guest today is at the epicentre of the story.Guy Kinnings, deputy chief executive of the European Tour and formerly head of golf at IMG. So, poacher turned gamekeeper, who in his previous role would have been advising players as to whether to take the cheque or stay within the tour structure, and get a slightly lower cheque. Chubby Chandler, founder of rival ISM agency and a former guest of the podcast said of Kinnings: “Guy has got a range of skills that the European Tour needs. He has run golf tournaments, big accounts, hired players, hired people to look after players, sold sponsorship for players, sold sponsorship for tournaments. That is an unbelievable range of skills. It is the first time (Keith) Pelley has had a really good shoulder to lean on for European Tour knowledge”.As usual, every episode of Unofficial Partner can be found by using the big podcast providers, including Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via your favourite podcast app. We’d love it if you could take the time to rate us on Apple or Spotify, as it helps spread the word. And if you’re interested in more sports business comment and analysis, you can follow me on Twitter @UnffclPrtnr The weekly Unofficial Partner newsletter is read by thousands of people across the sports business every Thursday, to join them subscribe via 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.

Today’s conversation is a masterclass in sports sponsorship strategy prompted by recent changes to the way FIFA is packaging its commercial rights.Our guests are two people whose views I go to first whenever a major deal is done, so I’m very pleased to be able to get them around the microphone at the same time.For two decades, Ricardo Fort was in charge of the global sports programmes for Visa and Coca-Cola, overseeing relationships with FIFA and the IOC among many others. He now runs his own consultancy Sport by Fort. Shaun Whatling is CEO of Redmandarin, the renowned sponsorship strategy consultancy which has advised many major global brands in and around the top table of sport, again including World Cups and Olympics.So this is a deep dive in to the incentives, behaviour and psychology that sits just behind the decision making process at big corporate marketing departments, and the lens that is applied to sports rights and activation. As usual, every episode of Unofficial Partner can be found by using the big podcast providers, including Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via your favourite podcast app. We’d love it if you could take the time to rate us on Apple or Spotify, as it helps spread the word. And if you’re interested in more sports business comment and analysis, you can follow me on Twitter @UnffclPrtnr The weekly Unofficial Partner newsletter is read by thousands of people across the sports business every Thursday, to join them subscribe via 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.

Today's episode was prompted by a question posed by author, journalist and regular listener Mike Jakeman: How do you market test cricket successfully?"The national cricket boards have figured out that the big money comes from success in the shorter formats. And certainly in England, their focus has been on building success in one day in 2020. It's been very successful. England obviously won the 2019 ICC World Cup and they reached the final of the T20 World Cup late last year.But test cricket, it's fun too. And it delivers slow burn, sporting excellence in ways that limited overs cricket just can't replicate. So how do we sell test cricket to broadcasters, sponsors and even the cricket boards themselves?"To answer Mike's question we recruited Omar Chaudhuri and Tony Singh. Tony Singh is the chief commercial officer of the England and Wales cricket board, leading the teams responsible for all ECB fan engagement and revenue generating activity across England cricket, The Hundred, recreational and professional games. Omar Chaudhuri  is chief intelligence officer at Twenty First Group, which advises sports bodies, such as the Premier League, European Tour, USGA and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. This conversation builds on other cricket related podcasts.Omar is a former guest on the podcast where we talked about jeopardy and the use of data to inform sporting formats - UP181 The Business of Jeopardy. Also mentioned in the podcast is the excellent Sky Sports Ashes Vodcast, featuring Ian Ward, Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain and Rob Key.Our conversation with ECB CEO Tom Harrison is referenced, from May 2021. Hear that on UP161. UP16 Ed Smith, former head England cricket selector and author.UP50 We Need To Talk About Cricket with journalist Tim Wigmore.UP 125 Rajasthan Royals franchise owner Manoj Badale on the lessons of the IPLUP145 2005 And All That, the story ofUnofficial 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 week, sports agency Two Circles bought Livewire Sport, a content production company that works for clients including the Premier League, Wimbledon, World Rugby, ECB and the International Paralympic Committee. This follows on from last year’s buyout of TRM Partners, the commercial sales agency.So Sean and I went to Two Circles headquarters in London to find out why and to ask what it says about the way the sports business is evolving. Our guests are Two Circles founder Gareth Balch and Pranav Soneji, one of the founders of Livewire and the conversation was an opportunity to ask about the future direction of sports governing bodies, federations and tournament rights holders and about the battle lines of the next ten years, between two conflicting ideologies.Every episode of Unofficial Partner can be found by using the big podcast providers, including Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via your favourite podcast app. We’d love it if you could take the time to rate us on Apple or Spotify, as it helps spread the word. And if you’re interested in more sports business comment and analysis, you can follow us on Twitter @UnffclPrtnr The weekly Unofficial Partner newsletter is read by thousands of people across the sports business every Thursday, to join them subscribe via 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 is episode 10 of ReThinking Sport, our series created in collaboration with Portas, the global strategy consultancy dedicated to sport and physical activity.  The focus today is on the idea of professional sport. What does it mean when a sport is professionalised. And what are the trade offs in terms of access to opportunity, competitive balance and for the well being of the athletes themselves. It’s a conversation that talks to the very nature and broader purpose of the sports business, where much of the attention is taken up by huge rights fees, sponsorship deals and the wealth of a few lucky superstars at the top of the pyramid. Our guests are Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson, England rugby player turned media pundit Ugo Monye and Rowena Samarasinhe, expert partner at Portas Consulting.  Every episode of Unofficial Partner can be found by using the big podcast providers, including Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via your favourite podcast app. We’d love it if you could take the time to rate us on Apple or Spotify, as it helps spread the word. And if you’re interested in more sports business comment and analysis, you can follow me on Twitter @UnffclPrtnr The weekly Unofficial Partner newsletter is read by thousands of people across the sports business every Thursday, to join them subscribe via 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 is a deep dive in to the relationship between sports fans and teams, with Ben Phillips and Mike Brady from InfrontX. And specifically, we break down the component parts of the value exchange that exists between a football club and a fan, particularly when the relationship is conducted almost entirely via digital channels.I’ve written about this topic in this week’s UP Newsletter,  so you can see the Elements of Value model that we reference in the podcast. Every episode of Unofficial Partner can be found by using the big podcast providers, including Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via your favourite podcast app. We’d love it if you could take the time to rate us on Apple or Spotify, as it helps spread the word. And if you’re interested in more sports business comment and analysis, you can follow me on Twitter @UnffclPrtnr The weekly Unofficial Partner newsletter is read by thousands of people across the sports business every Thursday, to join them subscribe via 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.

Today we talk about the launch of PickGuru, a new social gaming disruptor app launched by Oli Slipper, the Stats Perform and DAZN Co-Founder, who recently completed a seed funding round, securing an enterprise investment of £2.6 million, which values the company at £6million.Slipper leads PickGuru’s enterprise team formed by Paul Cobley the ex founder of Matulo Software as CTO and former Sportsquake and Stats Perform financial lead Paul Watkins as COO.The press release for the launch says its ‘a concept built and refined by some of the most successful sports entrepreneurs in the UK, PickGuru will allow users to test their knowledge to win big cash pots for small stakes in nationwide leagues or compete with their friends in mini-leagues,”.So we went to Putney in south west London to talk to Oli Slipper along with the company’s CEO Olly Roland Jones and Nick Compton, the former Middlesex and England cricketer and one of Pick Guru’s sporting experts on hand to help customers to make better prediction decisions.You can download the PickGuru app in the App Store or Google Play.For listeners of the UP podcast, PickGuru has created a free to play Unofficial Partner mini league. Follow this link: https://926ft.app.link/0hfPEfahfnb, or enter access code:  XKHA-20569-WKWJKWe will put up 2x tickets to the Darts World Championships to the winner of the UP Mini League.  Good luck. 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.

Next week is the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the first city to host both a Winter and Summer Games. Go back to 2008 and the story the IOC was telling was one of engagement and the power of the Olympics to open up China to the West. By contrast, the run up to this event has been dominated by human rights violations in Hong Kong, the appalling treatment of Uighur Muslims and the fate of tennis player Peng Shuai. The intervening 14 years has seen many false narratives, as organisations from across the sports business seek to build sustainable and profitable businesses in China, with the promise of selling their sport to the 1.4billion people in the country.Mark Dreyer moved to Beijing to cover the 2008 games and has stayed ever since, so he’s had an up close view of the many twists and turns in the relationship, through the boom and bust of President Xi’s football strategy to the NBA’s media blackout and the on-off story of China’s World Cup 2032 World Cup bid. Dreyer has written a book about it all, called Sporting Superpower: An Insider’s View on China’s Quest To Be The Best, which we reference in the conversation. Every episode of Unofficial Partner can be found by using the big podcast providers, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or via your favourite podcast app. The weekly Unofficial Partner newsletter is read by thousands of people across the sports business every Thursday, to join them subscribe via 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.