SportsPro Podcast

As in-person conferences resume in pockets of the sports industry, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly checks in with staff writer Rory Jones, on the ground this week at Sportel in Monaco. Rory shares his impressions from the influential sports media and tech event, sizing up the priorities of delegates and understanding how the experience has been adapted with Covid protocols. He also talks through the key themes that have been animating the sports media community this year, and looks ahead to new developments in how Sportel is delivered. Then former Liverpool FC chief executive Peter Moore, now the senior vice president and general manager of sports and live entertainment at 3D engine giant Unity Technologies, gives an insight into sport’s future in the metaverse – the shared virtual spaces that will evolve from the internet. He explains how Unity’s Metacast will create unique platforms for sport, and how best to understand the changes that are coming next.  Click here for a brief glimpse of the Metacast technology in action.

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Nick Meacham, managing director at SportsPro. In this episode Matt learns about SportsPro’s journey over the last two years, navigating international expansion, transitioning further into the digital space and managing through the pandemic - all while creating confidence in the parent company.  SportsPro operates across many of the spaces that impact our world: OTT, private equity and talent - things that resonate with all of us. With that in mind, this is an advertorial-free, candid wander exploring what is really going on in our sector at the moment and what impact that is having on SportsPro.

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by two guests from the award-winning Ear To The Ground agency, chief executive Richard Adelsberg and chief innovation officer Owen Laverty. As EA Sports prepares to release the latest edition of its all-conquering FIFA videogame series, they discuss how that title and others like it have created communal spaces for fans, and what brands need to understand if they are going to add value. They also talk about the role of music and influencers, the importance of embracing play and participation, and the trends that are now shaping digital communities.

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly speaks to Christian and Damien Devaux, the co-founders of World Chase Tag, about the realities of launching a new sport in the 21st century. The brothers reflect on WCT’s brief journey from the back garden to a burgeoning global series, refining the rules and creating a global network of athletes, enthusiasts and promotional partners. They also explain how they have been working out their commercial strategy, from digital content to relationships with broadcasters like ESPN and Channel 4, the governance and business models they are looking to, and what they are learning about how to get fans invested in a sport.

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and Matt Slater, football news reporter at The Athletic, discuss the push to stage the Fifa World Cup every two years instead of four. They look at what is driving soccer’s global governing body to pursue such radical change, who is behind the move politically and financially, and what it says about the battle for control of time and talent. They also ask what happens next and consider where it might be possible to find common ground in the debate over soccer’s international calendar.  Then, Videoflow co-founder and chief executive Jan Umansky explains how the platform is giving greater control and new monetisation opportunities to content creators, and explores some of the implications of decentralised, direct-to-fan networks online. 

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Dan Roan, the sports editor at BBC News. They discuss Dan’s path to one of the most visible roles in British sports media and the unpredictable nature of following developing stories. Dan also reflects on how the growth of the industry has brought sports news closer to hard news in the past two decades, how the emergence of digital media and podcasts has created a wealth of storytelling opportunities, and the implications of these changes for senior leaders in sport. 

As SportsPro launches its list of the world’s 50 Most Marketable Brands in 2021, editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by Scott Tilton, co-founder and chief executive of data partner Hookit, to explore some of the key themes.  Tilton explains the methodology behind the list and lays out its value for the sports industry. He also considers why Nike and Adidas have been able to make such an impact, looks at the emergence of Dream 11 and how sponsors in different sectors are performing, and identifies the longer-term trends and lessons that brands should be acting upon. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and managing director Nick Meacham dip into a couple of the week’s big media stories. They discuss Amazon’s last-minute deal in the UK with free-to-air Channel 4 for the US Open final between Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez, and ask whether to expect more opportunistic agreements and non-exclusive partnerships in the future. They also explore former ESPN and DAZN boss John Skipper’s latest venture, original content business Meadowlark Media. Then (36.37) Nathan Saunders, product manager for DRM solutions at Verimatrix, looks back on the company’s projects securing live streams and workflows during Uefa Euro 2020, and explains what to expect as remote and cloud-based production becomes the norm. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Ali Krieger, soccer player for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride who has been capped 108 times by the US women’s national team.  They discuss how Ali – who was seventh on SportsPro’s list of the world’s most marketable athletes in 2021 – has gone about nurturing her public and commercial profile, both individually and with wife and teammate Ashlyn Harris, and about the freedom and authentic fan connections that can come with living your true self. They also cover how life in the women’s game has changed and continues to change, and how actions like the US women’s national team’s campaign for equal pay will leave a better environment behind for those players who follow. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by Tom Huggins, co-founder and chief operating officer at Greenroom Digital, and Sven Gloor, senior manager of global brand partnerships for HSBC, to talk about how digital content and data have changed best practice in sponsorship. They discuss how HSBC assesses the value and impact of its sponsorship portfolio, from golf to Wimbledon tennis to British Cycling and beyond, and how performance measurements are used to deliver on a range of internal and external outcomes. They also talk about how Greenroom helps brands and rights holders to identify the right data metrics that make partnerships more effective, how rights holders can rethink their assets to better appeal to sponsors, and how sport and digital marketing are helping HSBC through intense competition for younger consumers. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/