Unofficial Partner Podcast

This is episode 10 of The Bundle, our regular deep dive in to the media rights markets around the world with co-host Yannick Ramcke.The current conversation is dominated by the huge new NFL domestic rights deals, which were announced formally a few hours after we recorded this episode.We ask the pros and cons of longer rights contracts and the difficulty facing many OTT streamers in getting stuck in the middle, between going direct to consumer and or doing deals with big media carriers.We deconstruct Facebook’s approach, comparing it to Amazon. The former wasn’t in the bidding for the NFL, whereas Amazon will be home for Thursday Night Football on Prime in the US.There’s a bit on F1’s flirting with the idea of a dedicated Amazon channel, ESPN’s National Hockey League multi platform deal for $400million a year and we ask how much of the value of the sports rights market is leaked by pirates.If you enjoy the podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly Unofficial Partner newsletter. Sign up today and get it direct to your inbox every Thursday.Here’s some links to the stories.Double your money….ESPN, MNF and the NFL auction rumoursF1 in talks with Amazon over channel deal as well as rights saleUnofficial 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.

Until last month, Ricardo Fort had the job of deciding where Coca Cola’s vast sports marketing budget was spent. This is one of the most powerful roles in sport, because the soft drinks giant is omnipresent across major events, tournaments, leagues and athlete endorsements, from Olympics, FIFA World Cup, Euros, Premier League and McLaren F1 through national leagues and teams, personal endorsement of athletes and gamers and through to grass roots programmes around the world.So what did Ricardo Fort learn and what’s he doing next?If you like the Unofficial Partner podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly newsletter, which is read by thousands of people across the global sports business, and is where we talk about the topics and themes that arise from our podcast conversations. We can send it direct to your inbox every Thursday, all you have to do is sign up via unofficialpartner.com, where you’ll also find our back catalogue of podcasts.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 is Facebook’s plan for sport? The social media giant chose not to bid for live NFL rights in the US and recently announced they were backing away from their existing UEFA Champions League and La Liga agreements in Latin America and India, respectively.A recent statement, via Sportico, has made waves: “the reality is that traditional media rights deals like these aren’t compatible with our current video business model. We also don’t think they’ll create the most sustainable value for the industry moving forward.”So what does this phrase mean for sports rights holders? Does it mark a new strategic direction in Facebook’s relationship with sport?We talk to Peter Hutton, Facebook’s global sport partnerships director about what rights holder can expect from Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and Facebook in the coming months and years.The conversation that strays in to other areas too, and we talk about private equity’s role in media rights negotiations, whether VR is ever going to be a thing, what social media has done to our definition of football fans and the cultural and philosophical differences that separate the sports business and Silicon Valley.If you like the Unofficial Partner podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly newsletter, which is read by thousands of people across the global sports business, and is where we talk about the topics and themes that arise from our podcast conversations.We can send it direct to your inbox every Thursday, all you have to do is sign up via unofficialpartner.com, where you’ll also find our back catalogue of podcasts.Links here to Sportico article and previous Facebook podcast referenced in the show.[Facebook: ‘The Live Sports Broadcast Business Model Needs to Evolve’ – Sportico.com]Unofficial Partner podcast #13 with Peter Hutton [PODCAST | Unofficial Partner - Sports Business Podcast]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.

Perhaps the biggest, most interesting, surprising sports business story of the last year has been the takeover of Wrexham football club by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.Like you, I saw the announcement and the social media campaign and wondered, why? What’s their plan, are they serious about investing in the third oldest professional football club which now resides in the lower reaches of the English Football pyramid, or is just about making a behind the scenes documentary, a content play or a way of promoting gin?So, to answer these questions we’ve got hold of the two people entrusted to carry out the plan on behalf of the two superstar owners.Humphrey Ker is a friend and colleague of Rob McElhenney, and a writer on the Apple TV show Mythic Quest. He’s the one who put the idea in McElhenney’s head in the first place and is now the club’s Executive Director.With him is Shaun Harvey, who many of you know will know as the former CEO of the EFL and before that Chief executive of Leeds United and Bradford City football clubs. Harvey has been working as a consultant for Wrob and Wryan, via his connection to Inner Circle Sports, the boutique investment bank focused on the sports industry.So, if anyone knows what’s going on, it’s these two. And over the course of an entertaining fifty minutes or so, all your questions will be answered, and more besides.If you like the Unofficial Partner podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly newsletter, which is read by thousands of people across the global sports business, and is where we talk about the topics and themes that arise from our podcast conversations.We can send it direct to your inbox every Thursday, all you have to do is sign up via unofficialpartner.com, where you’ll also find our back catalogue of podcasts.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 market for sports memorabilia and collectibles has grown rapidly during the pandemic, and is currently a $10billion industry and our guest today is at the centre of it.Ken Goldin is founder of Goldin Auctions which was recently the subject of $40million dollar investment from The Chernin Group and a number of celebrities from across sports and entertainment. Peter Chernin, an investor in Barstool Sports and the Action Network, led the round, accompanied by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, NBA stars Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade, NFL star Deshaun Watson, internet celebrity Logan Paul and media star Bill Simmons.Founded in 2012, Goldin Auctions has become one of the largest auction houses for sports collectibles, trading cards and memorabilia. The company grossed $800,000 in its first year, and more than $100 million in 2020. To date, it has overseen more than $300 million in sales.We talk about the market for nostalgia, and the future of the industry, and specifically the rise of crypto assets and digital memorabilia such as NBA Topshots and other Non Fungible Tokens, or NFTs.What’s the value of this new asset class, how’s it going to evolve and what happens when every sports team and league floods the market with their own branded trading products. If anyone in the world knows the answer to that, it’s Ken Goldin.If you like the Unofficial Partner podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly newsletter, which is read by thousands of people across the global sports business, and is where we talk about the topics and themes that arise from our podcast conversations.We can send it direct to your inbox every Thursday, all you have to do is sign up via unofficialpartner.com, where you’ll also find our back catalogue of podcasts.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 winter, Channel 4 has been broadcasting the test series between India and England live in the UK. It’s the first time test cricket has been live on UK television since the 2005 Ashes, one of the most celebrated moments in the game’s recent history.It also marked the end of the Channel 4’s award winning cricket coverage, as the ECB, England cricket’s governing body controversially sold all rights to Sky Sports, which meant test cricket disappeared from free to air television for a generation.This decision remains one of the most hotly debated topics in sports media circles, and is used to frame the debate about sport’s relationship with pay television, and the critical balance between generating money at the expense of exposure and audience reach.To tell the story of what happened back then, we’ve recruited two people who played central roles in the drama.David Brook was head of strategy for Channel 4, the architect of the broadcaster’s fresh new approach to the game and who led the pitch to acquire the rights from the ECB.One of the people on the other side of the table was Terry Blake, who was marketing and commercial director of the ECB, who helped shape the decision to take cricket to Channel 4 and away from the BBC, the game’s traditional home.So this is a conversation that reveals how the deal was done and its long term implications for the game as a whole.If you like the Unofficial Partner podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly newsletter, which is read by thousands of people across the global sports business, and is where we talk about the topics and themes that arise from our podcast conversations.We can send it direct to your inbox every Thursday, all you have to do is sign up via unofficialpartner.com, where you’ll also find our back catalogue of podcasts.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 we’re talking about Pele, the greatest footballer ever, discuss. And specifically the new documentary film of his life, released on Netflix this week.The film chronicles Pele’s life on and off the field from his first World Cup appearance in 1958 through to the great final of 1970, a period in which Brazil moved from democracy to dictatorship, and Pele himself from an unknown teenager to the most famous sportsman in the world.Our guests are the film’s directors Ben Nicholas and David Tryhorn, and we discuss the storytelling challenge inherent in long form sports documentaries, the issue of editorial integrity and the expectations we project on to the athletes when it comes to social and political activism. If you like the Unofficial Partner podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly newsletter, which is read by thousands of people across the global sports business, and is where we talk about the topics and themes that arise from our podcast conversations. We can send it direct to your inbox every Thursday, all you have to do is sign up via unofficialpartner.com, where you’ll also find our back catalogue of podcasts.The newsletter that accompanies this podcast is 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.

Today’s conversation is about the role of agencies in helping clients be culturally relevant in fans lives across sport, music and esports. And we ask why some brands seem able to build a bridge across those cultural divides, and some don’t.Our guests are Richard Adelsberg and Owen Laverty from the independent creative agency Ear to the Ground, where something seems to be going right.Despite the pandemic and the widespread cancellation of sport, Ear to the Ground has had a stellar year, tripling net profits and broadening its client portfolio that includes New Balance, Sony PS5, STATSports and Therabody, the performance tech brand.If you like the Unofficial Partner podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly newsletter, which is read by thousands of people across the global sports business, and is where we talk about the topics and themes that arise from our podcast conversations.We can send it direct to your inbox every Thursday, all you have to do is sign up via unofficialpartner.com, where you’ll also find our back catalogue of podcasts.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.

Ralf Reichert is one of the true pioneers of esports.He co-founded ESL in 2000 and has seen it grow in to one of the biggest and most influential event rights holders in the world.As will become clear, I come to this conversation with all the misconceptions of someone who never got in to gaming.But by the end, I’m a bit of a convert.I still don’t know much, but an hour with Ralf Reichert has put me straight on some of the redundant cliches people like me carry around with them.This is a conversation I’ve been wanting to have for a long time, but as you’ll hear in the first bit of this interview, it’s not always easy to set these thing up.If you like the Unofficial Partner podcasts, you’ll really like our weekly newsletter, which is read by thousands of people across the global sports business, and is where we talk about the topics and themes that arise from our podcast conversations.We can send it direct to your inbox every Thursday, all you have to do is sign up via unofficialpartner.com, where you’ll also find our back catalogue of over 140 podcasts.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.

We’re talking about where audio fits in to digital strategy, with guests Sophie Hind of Voiceworks.ai and Charlie Beall of Seven League.We start on FIFA Sound, the governing body’s new collaboration with Universal Music, fronted by Liam Payne of One Direction, and move quickly through Alexa Skills, voice commerce, official club podcasts and of course, Clubhouse.To go deeper in to this topic and themes that run through the podcasts, you should sign up to Unofficial Partner’s weekly newsletter, which can delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday afternoon. Head to unofficialpartner.com to sign up.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.