SportsPro Podcast

On the eve of the 2021 Masters at Augusta, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly speaks to BBC Sport golf correspondent Iain Carter and industry veteran Giles Morgan about the prospect of an elite world tour in the game. On the agenda: the incentives for the PGA Tour and European Tour in greater collaboration, the opportunity in combining with women’s golf, the spectre of the Premier Golf League, what fans and players want, and what sponsors and broadcasters are telling us. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to John Deadman, director of sport and co-curricular activity at Dr Challoner’s School, about how sport is shaping young people and vice versa.   John explains what went into building a culture of success, and what success really means, at the UK’s leading state-funded sports school of the past year. They also discuss what comes next: the lasting value of sport in schools and academic organisations, why getting students involved matters as much as trophies, and what the world of business can expect from these incoming arrivals in the workplace. The SportsPro Playbook is the place to go for agenda-free, pragmatic advice to understand how to navigate your organisation through change. Head to sportspromedia.com/playbook to catch up on our library of articles and podcasts, and learn more about how our new Playbook Labs programme can help you lead your organisation to success in 2021 and beyond.

SportsPro editor-at-large Eoin Connolly talks to Al Guido, president of the San Francisco 49ers. They discuss the implications of the NFL’s massive new set of broadcast rights deals, how the 49ers have adapted to pandemic restrictions and what they have planned for the return of fans, the job of turning Levi’s Stadium into a mass vaccination site, the lessons learned through their minority stake in Leeds United, and much more. Meanwhile, from his perspective as chairman and chief executive of Elevate Sports Ventures, Al lays out some of the challenges he believes are facing the sports business over the next decade. 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 Timo Lumme, the managing director of television and marketing services at the International Olympic Committee.    They discuss the adaptations made to pull the Games together for Tokyo 2020, the significance of a stable hosting schedule for the next decade, how the IOC’s TOP global sponsorship programme has been regenerated in recent years, digital expansion, athlete-led storytelling, original filmmaking and the other steps towards an Olympic media project that lives from “flame to flame”, and much more. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

Ahead of the new Formula One season, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly sits down with the BlackBook Motorsport's executive director Peter Jones and staff writer Georgina Yeomans to preview the upcoming campaign. Then (34.01), Yeomans in on the line with Ellie Norman, Formula One's director of marketing and communications, to hear what the series is doing to engage with younger fans, where important future markets lie and how the success of Netflix's Drive to Survive is benefiting the sport. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Jim Donald, the hugely experienced production director behind London's New Year's Eve fireworks display and a host of opening ceremonies and tech launches.  The discuss the creativity, communication and deep collaboration that goes into delivering complex events, when you need to consider everything from the weather to the realities of flying drones over a major capital. Jim explains how he manages stakeholders, prepares for the unexpected, and gives his teams both protection and room to grow.  The SportsPro Playbook is the place to go for agenda-free, pragmatic advice to understand how to navigate your organisation through change. Head to sportspromedia.com/playbook to catch up on our library of articles and podcasts, and learn more about how our new Playbook Labs programme can help you lead your organisation to success in 2021 and beyond.

With the NFL's new multi-billion dollar rights deals dominating the sports business headlines, SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam speaks to Patrick Crakes, principal of Crakes Media Consulting and Fox Sports' former senior vice president programming, research and content strategy. In a comprehensive roundup, Crakes gives experts insight into what the contracts mean for the NFL and the wider US broadcast landscape. He also picks the winners and losers from a set of deals that are set to see the league earn a staggering US$110 billion over 11 years. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

In this episode, The New York Times’ global sports reporter Tariq Panja returns to the podcast alongside SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly. The two look at the latest goings on for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2020, as well as what the state of play is for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Uefa and wider sport.    Then (41.48), Eoin speaks to Daniel Heal, partner and global head of sport at specialist risk consultancy Control Risks, to discuss sport's attitude to risk management, how that has changed over the past year and what needs to be done when approaching the subject. 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 Carsten Thode, founder and chief executive of the radical event startup Aphetor.   They discuss the insights about the traditional sports rights model that inspired this “gonzo journalism version of the X-Games”, how the “innovator’s dilemma” makes it harder for sport to break out of its commercial conventions, the value of building your own audience, the practical lessons of 2020's pilot edition, prospects for scale and plans for new events in different destinations with a whole range of content creators.   Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

In a new entry from the SportsPro Insider Series, editorial director Michael Long talks to Courtside VC partner Deepen Parekh, Drive by DraftKings managing partner and chief executive Meredith McPherron and Elevate president Chip Bowers about the sports tech ideas to invest in now.    They discuss the sports tech trends to watch, and be wary of, in 2021, as well as how the pandemic has changed the investment game, what to look out for after Covid recedes, and how they go about their own business. The next SportsPro Insider Series event – Monetising Sports Consumption – will be held on Wednesday 17th March. For more details, free registration, and the chance to catch up with every session online, head to www.sportsproinsiderseries.com