SportsPro Podcast

This week regular hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam are joined on the podcast by SportsPro reporter Josh Sim to discuss the major off-field narratives ahead of the 2023 WNBA campaign.  Talking points: The expansion question (1:06) Scripps and the media rights picture for the WNBA (10:25) Are women's sports properties valued properly by media companies? (13:37) Does the WNBA need a new CBA? (19:31) The flaws with the ICC's new revenue distribution model (26:05) The Ottawa Senators sale and what it says about the current state of the NHL (37:44)

Back in January, Jane Fernandez was named as one of SportsPro's 'Ten Influencers' for 2023. Now, with the countdown on to the 2023 Women's World Cup, the chief operating officer for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand explains how the organisers are planning to deliver what could be a landmark soccer moment.

SportsPro Podcast hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam dive into the fine print of the EFL deal which will see Sky Sports broadcast the Championship, League One, League Two and the Carabao Cup in the UK until the end of the 2028/29 season. Talking points: The detail of the deal (1:33) The Saturday blackout remains and the headline changes (4:19) The end of iFollow (8:28) What it means for clubs in each division (16:40) The impact on matchday attendance (21:06) Will EFL club income get any closer to the Premier League? (22:48) Under the radar: Newcastle's new shirt sponsor (26:12) Under the radar: Matchroom's investment talks with CVC collapse (29:32)

Tom Bassam is joined by Sam Carp for a whiparound the week in sports industry news.  Talking points: Record attendances in the Women's Six Nations and Women's Champions League (1:24) Setting an example for others to follow (10:12) Where we're at after the third round of bidders for Manchester United (14:00) The fan influence on the takeover process (20:00) The Hundred changing course? (24:16) Gianni Infantino stands up for the value of the Women's World Cup (32:41)

This week SportsPro took over the Kia Ova to stage SportsPro Live 2023. George Breare, Tom Bassam, Steve McCaskill - as well as a few special guests - capture the sights and sounds of the two-day event in London.

On this special episode of the SportsPro Podcast, Tom Bassam is joined by Sabrina Ibáñez, secretary general of the FEI, who is one of the nine women in leadership roles out of 39 summer Olympic federations. Together they discuss wider representation challenges, leading a diverse organisation and addressing unconscious biases in evolving times. Talking Points: Female under representation at a senior level  (01:40) How do we put practical measures in place in regulatory level? (02:39) Things the FEI is doing differently in regard to DEI compared to other federations? (05:38) How do you try to influence other federations (09:26) FEI initiatives in parasport (14:46) The power of using athletes for storytelling (17:37) Looking ahead to Paris 2024 (19:13) LQBTQ+ issues in a gender neutral sport (20:50) Efforts to modernise the FEI (26:34)

George Breare and Tom Bassam return for a whiparound of the latest news in sports business, taking in the Premier Legaue's gambling ban, the talks of Saudi interest in T20 cricket, as well as the latest on Dan Snyder selling the Washington Commanders. In part two our hosts try to figure out how they would fix boxing and rugby union. 

The roles are reversed for this week's SportsPro Podcast as regular host George Breare is put in the interview chair by Tom Bassam for a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into putting together our flagship SportsPro Live event. Drilling into Breare's day job as senior content manager, the conversation explores the themes that shape this year's event at the Oval in London and how SportsPro thinks about drawing up its agendas (1:10). Then discussion turns to a couple of big industry news stories from the past week, the IPL's staggering audience figures for its opening weekend (32:00) and the growing revenues reported by Uefa for the Women's Champions League (39:03). The tenth edition of SportsPro Live, taking place on the 25th and 26th April at London's Kia Oval, will be our biggest event to date. Book your place today with a special SportsPro Podcast discount, head to:  live.sportspromedia.com/registration and use code POD20 for 20 per cent off (terms and conditions apply, not applicable to pre-existing purchases).

The Masters, arguably golf's most iconic major, will see the eyes of the sporting world turn to Augusta this week. It may be a tradition unlike any other, but does it still make sense as a business? Golf's other big events make more money and offer a more modern fan experience. George Breare and Tom Bassam explore the reasons why the Masters can afford to be stuck in its ways, while also asking what the tournamemt's future looks like. Talking points: What the clash with LIV Golf does for the Masters (1:52) The Masters as a proxy in the battle (5:14) How the business of the Masters works (7:08) Can this traditional approach endure? (15:40) We are up for an award! Here is how you can vote for us (18:20) Plus, the NBA's new CBA (20:00) Endeavor's deal for WWE (28:13) The EFL and Sky enter exclusive rights talks (34:04) The SportsPro Podcast is delighted to have been nominated (for the second year in a row) for a Sports Podcast Award in the sports business category. If you enjoy the show we would really appreciate it if you could give us a vote here or via www.sportspodcastgroup.com/podcast/sportspro-podcast-2/ (you will need to register before voting).

SportsPro senior staff writer Ed Dixon joins regular hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam for a special Live Event Week pod where they seek to identify the best live experience in sports. Considering both fan experience and commercial opportunity, the trio set out their criteria before trying to convince each other why their personally chosen event should come out on top: Talking points: The key metrics (1:16) We are up for an award! Here is how you can vote for us (15:56) The Super Bowl (17:00) The Masters (24:00) Formula One (30:53) Wimbledon (41:12) Influencer boxing (47:48) The Hundred (52:44) The SportsPro Podcast is delighted to have been nominated (for the second year in a row) for a Sports Podcast Award in the sports business category. If you enjoy the show we would really appreciate it if you could give us a vote here or via www.sportspodcastgroup.com/podcast/sportspro-podcast-2/ (you will need to register before voting).