SportsPro Podcast

Jenny Mitton, the women’s sport lead at M&C Saatchi Sports and Entertainment, joins Eoin Connolly and SportsPro news editor Tom Bassam to preview Uefa Women’s Euro 2022.  They look at the expectations being set for the tournament over the next three weeks, the impact it can make in host nation England, and the commercial development of women’s soccer. Mitton also explains what is being learned about the competition’s fanbase - which combines hardcore followers and big eventers - and how brands are approaching the opportunity.  Then, they ask what will come next for the women’s game in Europe and beyond.

Quentin Thom and James Newman, co-heads of PerfORM Due Diligence, join Eoin Connolly to explain what sport needs to understand about the crypto marketplace.  They discuss the risks that sports teams and organisations should recognise before entering into crypto partnerships, especially given the complexity of companies in the sector and the speed of change. In that context, they then detail the ambitions their practice has for creating specialist operational due diligence services that facilitate smarter, more secure business in the space.  They also discuss the path towards greater regulation and why sport’s relationship with crypto differs from other industries.

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro news editor Tom Bassam are joined by Alex Duff, author of Le Fric: Family, Power and Money – The Business of the Tour de France.  They discuss how the model of cycling’s biggest event has been shaped by the decades-long ownership of the Amaury family, consider its role as an elite global challenge and national showpiece, and ask how the outsized prominence of the Tour continues to affect the wider business of the sport.  They also look to the future of the Tour, including the Zwift-backed women’s event, data partnerships and a new Netflix series.

SportsPro news editor Tom Bassam and media and tech editor Steve McCaskill join Eoin Connolly to reflect on another week of industry news. First, they look ahead to The Championships at Wimbledon, asking whether the removal of rankings points will really hamper the appeal of tennis’ grass-court Grand Slam and reviewing the latest tech innovations introduced at SW19 by IBM and other AELTC partners.  Then they look back on a busy week for soccer in North America, piecing together the implications of a landmark deal between Apple and MLS and confirmation of host venues for the 2026 Fifa World Cup. 

In another session from SportsPro Live at London’s Kia Oval, Eoin Connolly speaks to Matthew Primack, senior vice president of international development at ecommerce and merchandising giant Fanatics.  Matthew explains how Fanatics has built partnerships with the likes of the NFL, the NBA and Formula One, where it aims to innovate and how its operations are being affected by supply chain and sustainability concerns.  They also discuss the implications of the company’s rapid growth in recent years, with widespread inward investment, the acquisition of collectibles brand Topps, and new projects in web3 and sports betting creating a digital fan platform. 

Eoin Connolly is joined by SportsPro news editor Tom Bassam and features editor Sam Carp to unpack one of 2022’s biggest deals so far.  They discuss a bumper set of media rights sales for cricket’s Indian Premier League, with Disney’s Star retaining traditional TV coverage as Reliance and Paramount’s Viacom18 venture swoops in for digital rights. With over $6 billion on the board, they examine a changed picture for cricket and Indian sport.  They also reflect on the first weekend of LIV Golf and ask whether the ATP’s latest reforms will help head off a rebel threat in tennis. 

Eoin Connolly is joined by SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam and media and tech editor Steve McCaskill to run through another week of industry developments.  As LIV Golf tees off for its first event in St Albans, they ask what the contentious Saudi-backed series aims to bring to the sport and who it can bring along other than its opening field.  Then, as Forbes reports LeBron James to be the first active NBA player worth US$1 billion, they ask what athlete power will look like in the generation ahead, and Steve explains sport’s place in Apple’s latest software rollout. 

In a session from SportsPro Live in London, Eoin Connolly talks to senior leaders from this year's Rugby League World Cup: chief executive John Dutton, social impact director Tracy Power and tournament director Dean Hardman. They lay out a distinctive vision for the event, which will unite the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments in England in October and November. They discuss its aims to support key community initiatives, the challenges of managing such a complex commercial and logistical delivery in Covid conditions that triggered a one-year delay, and the chance for the sport to excite new and existing fans alike.

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam are joined by Paris-based independent comms consultant Dan Tunna to reflect on a dramatic sporting weekend. Dan shares an on-the-ground account of a chaotic Uefa Champions League final at the Stade de France, which was delayed by 36 minutes as fans faced dangerously packed queues, disorganisation and heavy-handed policing outside. The trio also discuss the need to reconsider how major soccer events are run as another major final comes under intense scrutiny. There is also a quick look at a bumper Indian Premier League rights tender and the latest movements in US motorsport.   

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam are joined by James English, managing partner for sport at Fuse, for a commercial preview of the Uefa Champions League final.  They discuss the work going on in Paris to deliver for the competition’s sponsors, and ask whether different formats for the concluding week could add value for partners, hosts and fans.  Then they explore how the Uefa Europa League and Europa Conference League have added depth to the continental season, and consider how the Uefa Women’s Champions League final could deliver progress for the sport.