SportsPro Podcast

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks to Emily Frazer, managing director of Matchroom Multi-Sport, about the confidence, collaboration and adaptability it takes to make things work inside one of the world’s pre-eminent sports promoters.   They discuss how the multi-sport project has developed out of the Matchroom Sport stable, preparing teams for the unexpected at home and abroad, and how Emily intends to pay forward the support she has received as a female leader in the sports industry.  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 returns to recap the second day of the SportsPro OTT Summit USA.    ESPN’s Burke Magnus and the PGA Tour’s Rick Anderson lay out the state of the union for SportsPro managing director Nick Meacham (2.18), and Verimatrix chief revenue officer Lu Bolden (20.20) talks to Eoin about how security solutions can keep up with an ever-wider range of integrated digital experiences.   Then there is more from the virtual conference stage, with insight from Concacaf on aligning responsibility with media strategy (41.25), from Formula E on moving a valuable target audience through the funnel (46.45), from Sinclair Broadcasting Group on the route to gamification and customisation (48.39), and from TikTok (51.40) about leaning into the creative culture on the platform. 

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly presents selected highlights from the first day of the SportsPro OTT Summit USA.   He shares part of his interview on the virtual stage with UFC chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein (2.50) about the MMA promoter’s media strategy, and talks to Jean Macher, the business development director for SaaS Solutions at platinum partner Harmonic (17.59), about supporting the accelerating demands of the OTT sector.   There’s also time to hear from keynote speaker and FuboTV co-founder and chief executive David Gandler (31.44) about what the platform’s record financial results tell us about its future, and to get notes from NBC Sports about the benefits of stake-free gaming products (38.22), from YouTube on getting value out of highlights (41.20), and from the NFL (43.05) about what the league has learned from streaming on Twitch. 

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly speaks to Jordan Gardner, chairman and co-owner of Danish Superliga soccer club FC Helsingor, about the dynamics of investment into the European game.    Gardner explains where he sees the opportunities in the sport, what he has learned in Denmark and through smaller investments in Championship team Swansea City and League of Ireland team Dundalk, his ownership group’s ambitions to scale their model elsewhere, and his thoughts on debates around  reforms to the competitive pyramid. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

With SportsPro's OTT Summit USA taking place next week, editor at large Eoin Connolly and digital editor Tom Bassam highlight some of the sessions to look out for, as well as discussing some of the more intriguing current trends from the world of over-the-top (OTT) broadcasting. Then (24.01), Eoin is on the line with Akamai's director of industry and product marketing for EMEA, Ian Munford, to hear how the company is working to combat piracy across sport. The SportsPro OTT Summit USA will be held virtually from 3rd to 4th March. To find out more and sign up, click here. For more information on Akamai’s content security solutions click here, or contact Akamai here. Akamai also invite you to review: Video Piracy - Reference Architecture Inside The World of Video Pirates - Whitepaper The Truth About Piracy – Presentation The Truth About Piracy: The Pervasive Problem That Won’t Go Away – Edge Live Video 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 chats with Paul Brown, the founder and chief executive of plant-based nutrition brand BOL Foods, about deciding on a purpose for a business and maintaining quality through growth.    They discuss Paul’s journey from the professional snowboard circuit to sustainable meals, how his focus on core principles inspired him cut the company in half, the qualities he looks for in an investor, the things others see when they buy into your ideas, and why what you put into a project is as important as what you get out of it.        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.

As the Six Nations continues, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly welcomes pirate-podcaster and veteran sports industry consultant Giles Morgan, and Blackstar Capital portfolio manager James Paul to talk all things rugby union. With the sport attracting private equity investment, it could be set for arguably its biggest shakeup since turning professional more than 25 years ago. Here, the three discuss rugby's future direction, what private equity means for the sport, as well as where its biggest challenges and opportunities lie. 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 Casper Stylsvig, the chief revenue officer at celebrated Italian soccer club AC Milan.   They discuss how the Serie A pace-setters have adapted commercially to the Covid-19 crisis, and maintained contact with fans with the San Siro closed, while Stylsvig also outlines a digital transformation project that will be at the centre of future relationships with supporters and partners worldwide.    They also cover the Rossoneri’s new in-house content production facility and explore the role of players and on-field performance in the modern sponsorship space. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

After SportsPro revealed its 2021 class of 20 sports tech ideas to invest in, editor at large Eoin Connolly and editorial director Michael Long go through the picks and assess why these early stage companies are ones to watch. Then (17.09), Eoin speaks to Daniel Kirschner, president and chief executive at Greenfly, to learn about the software solutions company's work in the world of video consumption and how it is helping sports brands with content creation and distribution. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

In the first of a new series of practical conversations with leaders inside and outside sport, SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan talks about how to build a strong base for your communication with Natalie Benjamin, partner at performance management consultancy Lane4. They discuss the importance of honesty and clarity in leadership communication, understanding what to share and how, and recreating some of the subtler aspects of internal and external exchanges in Covid-compromised times.  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.