This a live podcast recorded at the London HQ of LiveScore, to commemorate the company's 25th anniversary. It's a conversation with Sam Sadi, CEO of LiveScore about our relationship with tech, from colour television to AI.  To mark the occasion, LiveScore has created the Evolution of Fan report which delves into the last quarter-century of football fan culture amidst the dynamic backdrop of technological progress. Download the report from the LiveScore Group website.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.

You might know Utilita Energy from the front of Luton Town's shirt, the journey of the newly promoted club is one of the stories of the Premier League season. But there's so much more to the company than that. Luton and Utilita have partnered since 2015, back when the club was still in the fourth tier, becoming front-of-shirt sponsor in February 2022.It is just one part of a comprehensive and wide ranging sponsorship strategy that uses football to educate fans and club owners about how to tackle energy poverty.Our guest is Jem Maidment chief marketing officer of Utilita Energy . Joining Jem is Shaun Whatling of Redmandarin, as we unpick the strategy that drives one of football's most prolific and innovative sponsors.  This podcast is sponsored by SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit, which is taking place in the UK this year at Birmingham’s ICC. From 7 to 11 April global leaders and senior execs from over 125 International Sport Federations, the IOC, rights holders, professional leagues, host cities and major event organising committees from all continents will be meeting to make decisions that will shape the future of sport. With a thought-provoking conference programme, busy exhibition and a host of networking events, evening receptions and cultural activities SportAccord is your chance to organise a year’s worth of meetings in a week with executives from across the global sport ecosystem. With senior execs from FIBA to FORTNITE, from FIA to Kansas City Chiefs don’t miss the chance to rub shoulders with the worlds sports and business leaders.SportAccord are offering Unofficial Partner listeners a discount of 10%, just click on this link to get your Unofficial Partner 10% discount.More information at sportaccord.sportUnofficial 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.

More Than Equal's mission statement is to find, nurture and develop female racing drivers, while identifying and removing the systemic barriers they face. It was founded by 13-times Grand Prix winner David Coulthard and the entrepreneur and philanthropist, Karel Komarek.Their website explains why having a woman as an F1 World Champion matters."Imagine the rewards for our sport and for women everywhere when the chequered flag comes down on that first female champion. Every girl deserves an equal opportunity to achieve her dreams: whether that is running a global company, leading a country, or dominating in elite motorsport. That is why More than Equal exists."So what are the real world challenges that lie ahead and what does More Than Equal say about the relationship between F1 and women. Our guests are CEO Ali Donnelly and Jordan King, one of More Than Equal's driving programme coaches.Ali was previously Executive Director of Sport England and Deputy Official Spokesman and Head of News for the British Prime Minister.Jordan is a hugely experienced racing driver with 129 podium places to his name who has worked as Alpine Formula 1 Development Driver and Reserve and Development Driver for the Mahindra Formula E team.  Jordan King has been assigned as one of the programme’s coaches 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.

Thomas Hitlsperger is the former German international footballer who played for several leading British and European clubs during a career that took him to Aston Villa, VFB Stuttgart, Lazio, Everton and West Ham, culminating in over 100 Premier League appearances and 52 caps for Germany. He was director of football and then CEO of Stuttgart and now balances media work with a business career that combines football and food. He is part of the ownership group of Danish club Aalborg, having bought 20% of the shares via Sports Strategy Excellence 22. He's also the proprietor of one of the most storied French restaurants in Soho, L’Escargot, where this conversation took place - and we thank Gary Linke for the introduction to Thomas. In 2014, Hitzlsperger announced publicly that he was gay and has been a vocal campaigner for LGBTQ+ issues, making his views on sport's relationship with Saudi Arabia particularly relevant. This podcast is sponsored by SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit, which is taking place in the UK this year at Birmingham’s ICC. From 7 to 11 April global leaders and senior execs from over 125 International Sport Federations, the IOC, rights holders, professional leagues, host cities and major event organising committees from all continents will be meeting to make decisions that will shape the future of sport. With a thought-provoking conference programme, busy exhibition and a host of networking events, evening receptions and cultural activities SportAccord is your chance to organise a year’s worth of meetings in a week with executives from across the global sport ecosystem. With senior execs from FIBA to FORTNITE, from FIA to Kansas City Chiefs don’t miss the chance to rub shoulders with the worlds sports and business leaders.SportAccord are offering Unofficial Partner listeners a discount of 10%, just click on the link in the show notes or in the newsletter to get your Unofficial Partner 10% discount …and just to note, Unofficial Partner will be at SportAccord so see you there!More information at sportaccord.sportUnofficial 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.

Manchester City are in the process of extending their most important and lucrative sponsorship deal, with Etihad, the Abu Dhabi-based airline, whose brand is synonymous with the club following the takeover by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), which bought 90 per cent of the club from Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, in 2008. But, for obvious reasons, this is not just another sponsorship renewal. The City-Etihad relationship plays a central role in a much bigger story: The Premier League has accused Manchester City of more than 100 violations of its financial regulations, rules breaches that it says began more than a decade ago and continue to present day.Manchester City says it has done nothing wrong and declared itself “surprised” at the airing of what it referred to as “alleged breaches.” So the looming court case will match the one of the world’s richest sporting competitions against its most successful member clubs. The catalyst for today's conversation is a piece written by Nick Harris, former Mail on Sunday investigative journalist, and one of our guests today.Joining Nick is Stefan Borson, a corporate lawyer and investment banker who helped manage the sale of Manchester City in 2008. It's fair to say they don't agree. This week’s podcast is sponsored by We Are Sweet, the leading provider of digital platforms for the sports industry.  Are you responsible for digital but not sure what to do with all the data you’ve collected?  We Are Sweet excels in crafting best-in-class software, ranging from unique engagement experiences to next-generation websites. With more than a decade of innovating alongside names like IMG, ATP, Professional Triathletes Organisation and F1,  you can trust that their software delivers.Whether you're looking to kickstart your community and transform the way you communicate with professional players, bring data to life in a second-screen experience, or need a website that monetises fans, We Are Sweet is the digital partner you need.   Visit www.wearesweet.co.ukUnofficial 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 deep dive news analysis podcast on the sports media marketplace, with co-hosts Yannick Ramcke and Murray Barnett.00:27 Discussion on Discovery Fox, Warner Brothers, JV00:58 Deep Dive into the Raptor Project01:52 The Great Rebundling: A New Era in Sports Broadcasting03:19 The Uncertainties and Challenges of the New Model05:20 The Future of Sports Streaming and Bundling11:13 The Impact of the New Model on Rights Holders17:31 Apple's Venture into MLS Season Pass18:05 Analyzing the Success of MLS Season Pass22:15 Apple's New Sports App: A Game Changer?25:22 The Potential of Apple's Affiliate Model25:45 The Business Model of Driving Eyeballs26:43 The Role of Affiliate Marketing in App Monetization27:11 The Future of Apple Sports and Affiliate Marketing28:10 Relevant Sports to Buy EFL Media Rights for the Americas29:08 The Value of EFL in North America31:41 The Role of Middlemen in Sports Marketing34:22 The Ryan Reynolds Question and the EFL37:59 French Senate Investigates LFP and CVC38:59 The Impact of Private Equity in Sports44:15 The Challenges of Private Equity Investments in Sports49:31 Governance Issues in Private Equity DealsUnofficial 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.

Jason Stockwood grew up in Grimsby, became a hugely successful tech entrepreneur and came back to his home town to buy the local football club, Grimsby Town FC.One of the best articulations on the reality of the football business, the mistakes and myths, the role and limits of private equity in sport and the ineffable magic that makes football so very different than any other industry. We recorded the podcast at L'Escargot, the legendary Soho restaurant now owned by Thomas Hitzlsperger and we thank him and his staff for their kindness and support in allowing us to use the venue for our recording.This episode is a sponsored by SportAccord.  SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit is taking place in the UK this year at Birmingham’s ICC from 7th to 11th April. Global leaders and senior executives from over 125 International Sport Federations, the IOC, rights holders, professional leagues, host cities and major event organising committees from all continents will be meeting to make decisions that will shape the future of sport.With a thought-provoking conference programme, busy exhibition and a host of networking events, evening receptions and cultural activities SportAccord is your chance to organise a year’s worth of meetings in a week with executives from across the global sport ecosystem. Senior execs from FIBA to FORTNITE, from FIA to Kansas City Chiefs don’t miss the chance to rub shoulders with the world's sports and business leaders. Visit sportaccord.sport for more information.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.

A conversation on the potential and limits of AI technology in a sports context, both performance and commercial. What's possible, what's probable, what will get in the way of progress. Will AI be an engine for inequality between the haves and have nots of sport, and what can we do now, today, to embrace the coming wave.Our guests are two leading experts in sport and technology.Gonzalo Zarza is Chief Data Officer of Sportian and holds a PhD in this space.Leanne Bats, head of web3 at New Zealand rugby and president of The Rugby DAO, the decentralized group aiming to bring fan powered revolution and innovation to rugby.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 caught up with Roger Mitchell while he was in London, to talk about his new book Sports Perfect Storm: An Industry Now Totally Adrift. Roger describes himself as 'a chartered accountant from Glasgow' who at the end of the 1990s 'made his personal passion for sport a profession' when he became CEO of the Scottish Premier League, giving him a seat at the UEFA table. Now he runs his own boutique investment firm Albachiara, from his home on Lake Como.  The venue for the conversation was upstairs at L'Escargot the French restaurant in Greek Street, which is one of the great institutions of Soho. And a big thank you to its new owner Thomas Hitzlsperger.  This week’s podcast is sponsored by We Are Sweet, the leading provider of digital platforms for the sports industry.Are you tired of the same old headaches when it comes to building digital platforms?We Are Sweet excels in crafting best-in-class software, ranging from unique engagement experiences to next-generation websites. With more than a decade of innovating alongside names like IMG, ATP, Professional Triathletes Organisation and Formula 1,  you can trust that their software delivers.Whether you're looking to kickstart your community and transform the way you communicate with professional players, bring data to life in a second-screen experience, or need a website that monetises fans, We Are Sweet is the digital partner you need.Visit www.wearesweet.co.uk to turn your digital aspirations into tangible success stories.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 Super Bowl is the biggest day in sport. So who will be in Vegas for the game and how much have they paid for a ticket? And of course, has Taylor Swift had an impact on demand and price for those tickets?We're joined by Cris Miller, Chief Business Officer at StubHub and Global Managing Director at viagogo.Cris is joined by Rob Wilson, Professor of Applied Sport Finance at Sheffield Business School.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.