SportsPro Podcast

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and editorial director Michael Long are joined by Yannick Ramcke, OTT commercial lead at OneFootball, to look back on the second and final day of the 2020 SportsPro OTT Summit.  They discuss why an NFL sales bonanza could reorder the rest of the sports media business, how rights holders and broadcasters are changing how they think about monetising content, and whether the path is opening up for women's soccer to go its own way.  Then, in a round-up of the sessions on day two, NBC Sports Group's Jon Miller presents his US market projections (36.40), Fifa's Eva Norroy explains the legal picture in piracy control (42.35), LiveLike co-founder Miheer Walavalkar talks best practice in fan engagement (45.55), and TikTok's Harish Sarma (49.25) weighs up the value of live sport and highlights.

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and deputy editor Sam Carp are joined by sports consultant Drew Barrand to review day one of the SportsPro OTT Summit. They discuss Drew’s state of the industry conversation with former Sky Sports MD Barney Francis, as well as Amazon’s sports strategy and Eoin’s panels on gamification and storytelling.    There’s then time to drop in on a few sessions from the opening day, as Marie Donohue defines sport’s place in the Amazon ecosystem (23.59), Joe Markowski explains why DAZN is looking to linear TV options (27.38), Michael Sutherland of Real Madrid shares his reasons for optimism about VR and AR (31.11), and Gui Pellan reveals why Olympique de Marseille (36.13) built a studio just for Twitch.   

SportsPro senior contributor Matt Rogan returns to discuss the post-Covid outlook for the sports industry with editor at large Eoin Connolly, completing a picture of the world in 2022.   Matt outlines a five-point plan to help sports bodies weather the macroeconomic turmoil to come in the next few years, from localisation to government intervention to inflation and pressure on profit margins. Then the conversation shifts to purpose (43.10), and working towards meaningful, tangible change in the wider world through initiatives that grow from within an organisation.   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 SportsPro's OTT Summit next week, editor at large Eoin Connolly, editorial director Michael Long, and digital editor Tom Bassam preview the virtual event and what to look out for over the two days.  The three also discuss the stories that have caught their attention in recent weeks, including Amazon's landmark New Zealand cricket streaming deal in India. Then, in the latest cut from SportsPro's Insider Series, Eoin speaks to Lee Price, head of PR and mischief at Paddy Power (24:33). During the session, Lee revisits the bookmaker's much-publicised 'Save Our Shirt' campaign, as well as explaining Paddy Power's unique take on sponsorship and what other brands can learn from this approach. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam talks to Paul Barber, the chief executive of Premier League soccer club Brighton and Hove Albion, about an extraordinary year in the English game.   They discuss what lies ahead for the business of soccer after the Covid-19 pandemic, the ins and outs of Project Big Picture, the lessons of the Premier League’s pay-per-view experiment, and the continued importance of matchday income to even the biggest teams. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

With the ATP Finals midway through its London swansong, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly and editorial director Michael Long are joined by David Law, BBC Radio 5 Live tennis commentator and co-host of The Tennis Podcast, for an in-depth discussion on the business of tennis. As well as talking through the men’s season-ending ATP Finals before its move to Turin, the three also touch on how tennis has coped over the course of a disrupted year, consider the mooted ATP-WTA merger and chew over reasons for the sport to be optimistic in 2021.  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 Anouk Mertens, Eleven chief operating officer, Neo Studios managing director and executive producer of the Leeds United documentary series Take Us Home.   Mertens explains how the project came together, reveals what it took to get Oscar-winner Russell Crowe on board as narrator, and discusses the future of Neo Studios and the value of original and documentary programming in sports media. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

As the Masters tees off, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly welcomes Giles Morgan, respected global sports sponsorship consultant and executive vice president of Pumpjack Dataworks, and Richard Gillis, creator of the Unofficial Partner podcast, to talk the business of golf.  Forming something of a sports industry podcast supergroup, given Giles' experience at the helm of the Captain's Table, the trio preview the delayed Masters tournament at Augusta National, muse on how golf has fared during 2020, as well as its future prospects, and discuss what the sport needs to do to stay relevant. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam talks to Mallory Rubin, the editor in chief at The Ringer, about how it approaches its podcasts across sports, entertainment and culture.    They discuss what goes into developing a Ringer podcast series, what the company has learned about what works in the medium, and building communities around shows, while Rubin also reveals how operations and ambitions have changed since a US$200 million acquisition by Spotify early this year. Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

Joining editor at large Eoin Connolly on the latest edition of the podcast are editorial director Michael Long and deputy editor Sam Carp. The three preview the latest SportsPro magazine (02:07) before diving into some of the noteworthy news from the sports industry, including Fan Controlled Football (07:46), relaxed commercial inventory (15:16) – including US sports betting – and the continued absence of fans (23:33).  Then, Eoin speaks to Joseph Hopkins (31:47), senior vice president corporate and business development at video solutions company LTN Global, to find out about the changes in the world of broadcast production 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/