SportsPro Podcast

In this episode of the Playbook Podcast, host Matt Rogan sits down with a business leader whose organisation has successfully ridden the storm of the pandemic. Heatley Tector is the former owner of Move Media and was in the middle of establishing HBV Studios, a Dublin-based audiovisual production company, as the health crisis started to unfold. An experienced TV and radio presenter, Tector has a longstanding connection with sport. He talks to Rogan about the challenges of managing the new business during a pandemic and offers his reflections and learnings as the company emerges on the other side.  

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam talk to Kieran Maguire, co-host of the Price of Football podcast, and go over some of the week’s developments in the business of soccer. They discuss the launch of the Fifa+ direct-to-consumer digital platform – a new free service hosting original content and up to 40,000 live games a season – and ask what it means for the global governing body’s media and commercial strategy. There’s also time to reflect on Uefa’s revamped financial regulations for clubs, and go under the radar with the crypto-powered WAGMI United takeover of fourth-tier English side Crawley Town.

Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam are joined by Sportico’s Emily Caron to reflect on a busy spell of US sport.  Emily reviews the return of college basketball’s March Madness, and explains the implications of an expanding sports betting market and opportunities created by new NCAA name, image and likeness (NIL) rights rules for student-athletes.  There’s also time to discuss a landmark week for sport in Las Vegas, with Formula One confirming a Grand Prix and Oak View Group planning a US$3 bllion campus, as well as women’s sports stories on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.

In this special edition of the Playbook Podcast, regular host Matt Rogan chats to SportsPro editorial director Michael Long about the release of the CEO Playbook 2022, a free and interactive how-to guide for business leaders in sport. Rogan reflects on why he teamed up with SportsPro to launch the Playbook in March 2020, a time when the sports industry was reeling from the impact of the Covid pandemic amid a prevailing sense of shock and uncertainty. Additionally, he picks out his personal highlights and takeaways from more than 24 hours of conversations recorded since the Playbook Podcast debuted a little over 12 months ago. There’s also a look ahead to Rogan’s forthcoming in-person session at SportsPro Live, where three top executives - Surrey County Cricket Club's Steve Elworthy, Vicky Gosling of British Ski & Snowboard and Six Nations Rugby’s Ben Morel - will be on hand to share their views on the major challenges and changes impacting the role of the CEO in 2022.

Eoin Connolly is joined by SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam and media and tech editor Steve McCaskill to review another week of industry news. Steve reviews his trip to the season-ending SailGP event in San Francisco, explaining the series’ sustainability incentives and team ownership experiment with a blockchain-enabled decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO).   Then the trio discuss a US$1.4 billion stadium deal for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, involving up to US$850 million in taxpayer funding, and compare it with European projects. There’s also time for a quick take on scripted sports content, EA Sports and Fifa, and sport climbing’s Discovery deal.

Eoin Connolly talks to Peter Hutton, director of sport at social media giant Meta, about the company’s relationship with sport and the future of live experiences in the metaverse. They discuss how Meta approaches its partnerships in sport and the role played across each of its platforms, from Facebook and Instagram to the messaging service WhatsApp, and the prospects for greater adoption of Oculus virtual reality products. Hutton also shares how his understanding of sports storytelling has evolved in his time at Meta and his media career at companies like Sky and Discovery-owned Eurosport.

The Athletic football news reporter Matt Slater returns to join Eoin Connolly and SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam and cover a busy week in the soccer business. As the Raine Group receives plenty of bids for Chelsea, discussion centres on an accelerated sales process at Stamford Bridge and what lies ahead for the English soccer giants, as well as asking what influence the prospective new owners could have on the wider game. They also reflect on a Deloitte Money League table that has Manchester City at the top for the first time and tells a story of the Premier League’s financial dominance.

For this episode of the Playbook Podcast, SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan is joined by Allistair McCaw, a leading consultant and advisor on maximising human performance, team culture and leadership. The author of multiple best-selling books and a five-time duathlon world championship competitor, McCaw has spent more than 25 years working with Olympic gold medalists, Grand Slam champions and Fortune 500 companies, as well as NCAA colleges and professional sports teams. Having spent recent weeks exploring the many areas on a chief executive’s to-do list, this episode focuses on the specific skills required to lead an organisation. The conversation sees the pair discuss ways in which you can develop and look after yourself as a leader, and they also share some actionable insights to apply to your own time.

SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam and media and technology editor Steve McCaskill join Eoin Connolly to review another week of stories and trends from around the sports industry. Steve recaps key talking points at the SportsPro OTT Summit USA, from the big streaming picture at Turner Sports and ESPN to a widespread interest in betting and the burgeoning commercial appeal of women’s sports media. Then the trio pore over Apple’s deal with Major League Baseball, asking how the tech giant’s sports strategy could play out, and look at under-the radar news including the latest on the Premier League’s NFT rights.

On the eve of a new Formula One season, Eoin Connolly talks to Oracle chief marketing officer Ariel Kelman and Christian Horner, team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing. They discuss how Oracle’s analytics and cloud solutions helped power Max Verstappen to an unforgettable first world driver’s title in 2021, how the partnership is expanding this year, and why machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies are playing an ever bigger role in racing, development and fan engagement.   Ariel also explains how sports partnerships showcase Oracle’s positioning, and Christian talks about getting the team ready for another challenging campaign.