SportsPro Podcast

The SportsPro editorial team get together for the first of a two-part review of 2020, with Eoin Connolly, Michael Long, Tom Bassam and Sam Carp looking over some of the big themes of the sports industry year.   Remembering the sudden halt to sporting activity in March and how that exposed underlying frailties in the industry, while also unleashing unprecedented creativity, they consider how the forced migration to digital platforms created glimpses of what might outlast the crisis, and how a summer of protests emboldened athletes to pursue meaningful change.   There’s also time for some thoughts on 2021 and New Year’s resolutions for the sports business from Nick Meacham, Marisa Reich, Charlie Beall and Professor Simon Chadwick.   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 Peter Feigin, president of the Milwaukee Bucks, in the build-up to an unusual new NBA season.   They discuss the challenges of heading back to the Fiserv Forum behind closed doors, including the logistical and production plans behind that return and the financial measures helping teams through a campaign that is set for limited fan attendance.    Then Feigin describes the experience of an emotional summer of protests against racial inequality – one where the Bucks withdrew from a playoff game after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin – and explains how his outlook on the social responsibility of sports teams has been influenced by the events of 2020.  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 esports-focused episode, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly is joined by staff writer, and the podcast's very own producer, Ed Dixon to talk through the latest developments in competitive gaming.   Then (20:54), Eoin speaks to Amir Mirzaee, chief operating officer at Bayes Esports. Having worked in business development at the Google subsidiary Waze, Mirazee is the latest executive to make the switch to gaming. Here, he discusses Bayes' involvement in esports, the sector's investment appeal and more, including what to expect 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/ 

In a final entry from the SportsPro Insider Series for 2020, SportsPro event content manager Chris Stone finds out about how cycling events promoter Sweetspot and carmaker Skoda are working together on the Women’s Tour.   Chris is joined by Sweetspot chief executive Hugh Roberts, Skoda communications manager Lisa Kirkbright, and professional cyclist Lizzy Banks, who explain how the sponsorship operates, how the Women’s Tour sets the standard internationally, and why women’s cycling offers so much potential for prospective partners.

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/