SportsPro Podcast

Eoin Connolly is joined by Andrew Parsons, the president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).  They discuss a year of relentless challenges for the IPC, with back-to-back Covid-era Games in Tokyo and Beijing within just a few months, and a ban for Russian and Belarusian para-athletes after the invasion of Ukraine.  They also talk about how the IPC sees its future leadership role shaping up within the wider movement, with the creation of the Para Sport platform and a new commercial strategy being developed, while Andrew shares his biggest ambitions for the second four-year term he secured in December.

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam are joined by Angela Ruggiero, Olympic ice hockey champion turned Sports Innovation Lab co-founder and World Rugby exco member.  They reflect on the DFL’s Sports Innovation event in Düsseldorf, which offered a creative on-field showcase of new technologies. They also consider the possibilities of Discovery’s BT Sport joint venture and the NBA’s latest virtual reality play with Meta, and ask where Fifa’s gaming strategy goes after its EA Sports split.  There’s then time to look ahead to a decade of Rugby World Cups that will take in debut tournaments in the USA.

In what really is the final instalment of the Playbook Podcast, Matt Rogan is joined by Will Gaffney, the 17-year-old founder of the Bat for a Chance cricket charity. Will discusses how and why he decided to start the charity and reflects on his experiences of pitching the idea to senior chief executives while balancing the running of the organisation with the daily rigours of school life. The pair also consider how the next generation is bringing fresh perspectives to the sports industry, why younger people are more likely take risks and what the leaders of tomorrow look like.  

Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams returns to give Eoin Connolly an American perspective on the latest sports business developments.  They discuss what Todd Boehly’s US track record – especially his ownership of MLB’s LA Dodgers – suggests about his future as owner of Premier League club Chelsea. Elsewhere in soccer, they look at Uefa’s Champions League reforms and EA Sports’ split from Fifa after three hugely successful decades.  Across the Atlantic, there’s a review of Formula One’s glitzy Miami Grand Prix debut, the WNBA’s prospects are sized up as its season starts, and there’s an update on the sale of the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

As SportsPro says goodbye to its print magazine after 117 issues, Eoin Connolly is joined by three other former editors – SportsPro editorial director Michael Long and Leaders’ James Emmett and David Cushnan – for a very special podcast. They reflect on how the magazine came to reflect and adapt to a changing sports industry across its 14-year lifespan, finding new ways to tell stories and meet the needs of its community of readers. They also share some favourite features and moments, personal memories of how each edition was brought to life, and thoughts on the appeal of print publications.

Eoin Connolly reviews another week of industry news with SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam and senior staff writer Ed Dixon.  Tom unpacks more developments in the Chelsea ownership saga, with Todd Boehly’s consortium in place as the preferred bidder despite late interest from Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Then Ed reflects on a historic night in New York, where Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano became the first female boxers to sell out Madison Square Garden.  Finally, GreenPark Sports chief strategy officer Tony Grillo lays out a vision for a mobile fan metaverse for leagues like the NBA and La Liga.  

Matt Rogan is joined by the chief executives at Six Nations Rugby, GB Snowsport and Surrey County Cricket Club for a live recording of the Playbook Podcast at SportsPro Live.

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam are joined by a series of guests at SportsPro Live 2022, an in-person return for the flagship conference.  Event host Kait Borsay and SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham explore inclusivity and representation in the industry and the growth of women’s sports. SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan and GB Snowsport CEO Vicky Gosling lay out the challenges facing businesses in 2022.  Sam Shave, co-managing director of sustainability consultancy thinkBeyond, reflects on green initiatives trialled at the Kia Oval, and Elena Razzano explains how the European Space Agency’s activities could help develop new sports innovations. 

In this special excerpt from the StreamTime Podcast, SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham talks to Jonathan Licht, managing director of UK pay-TV powerhouse Sky Sports. Jonathan reflects on the development of the Sky Sports offering through an era of rapid change in delivery and the rights market, explaining what the company has learned about sports broadcasting and audiences across three decades.   He also reveals how the growth and diversification of the Sky group and platform has influenced its thinking about its consumer positioning, as well relationships with sports like the Premier League and Formula One and its own media competitors.  

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam run through another week of industry news, and hear from DFL executive vice president of AV rights Steffen Merkel about the latest media developments in German soccer’s Bundesliga.  With the endgame approaching in the contest to take over world soccer champions Chelsea, Tom and Eoin discuss a diverse range of team investment stories, from Serie A’s AC Milan to the NFL’s Denver Broncos and the NHL’s Seattle Kraken.  Then Stefan explains how 5G, AI and other technologies have built out the Bundesliga’s storytelling and fan engagement capabilities.