SportsPro Podcast

SportsPro managing director Nick Meacham heads up another entry from the SportsPro Insider Series, speaking to Rufus Hack, chief operating officer of golf's European Tour and Ryder Cup, and Charlotte Offord, UK senior marketing director at the NFL (4.04). They lay out approaches to developing an international media strategy, discuss the balance between OTT and linear options, explain the importance of original digital content and best practice in pricing, and run through other topics from the NFL Game Pass to Golf TV and plenty in between.

In a session from the SportsPro Insider Series, SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Octagon senior vice president Daniel Cohen and One Football commercial lead for OTT streaming Yannick Ramcke about the future of the sports rights market (4.50). They discuss what sports media rights are going to be worth in the years ahead, the impact of Covid-19, digital disruption, competition for share of wallet, bundling and unbundling, and the prospects for rights holders and broadcasters alike.

SportsPro editor at large Eoin Connolly talks to Guy Voisin, director of cycling, Eurosport, and head of GCN Racing at Play Sports Network, and Mike Rich, Eurosport’s global head of sports marketing solutions.  In this Tour de France podcast special, the three examine what the event will be like for the pan-European broadcaster amid the current climate and what changes to this year’s schedule have triggered throughout the business of cycling. Then (33:35), Eoin welcomes Darach McQuaid, chairman of GreenEdge Cycling, to hear about his experiences of a disrupted summer, his commercial hopes for the sport and expectations for the Mitchelton-Scott team at this year’s tour.  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 Paul Linden, founder and chief executive of specialist sports finance practice Endorser. Linden explains how the company has built its business on providing debt-free financing to live events operators in return for commercial-related income and discusses the longer-term implications of recent events, including how finance departments can develop a stronger strategic influence within sports organisations.  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 back on hosting duties for the latest podcast. He’s joined on this women’s soccer special by Lisa Baird, commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), to discuss the Challenge Cup, plans for growth, and ways to champion women’s sport.  Then (33:39), deputy editor Sam Carp speaks to Sarai Bareman, Fifa’s chief women’s football officer, about the journey to the 2023 Women’s World Cup and advancing the female game post-lockdown.  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 Iain Macintosh, director of narrative at The Athletic and founder of Muddy Knees Media, about what works and how in the sports podcast space (5.47). Iain relives the Muddy Knees Media journey from the month to month origins of The Totally Football Show in 2017, explains why creating content for Eurosport and the BBC was critical to a diverse business model, and reveals why the time was right to sell to The Athletic 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/  

As the Uefa Champions League returns this week, SportsPro journalist Ed Dixon is on the line with Tiago Craveiro, chief executive of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), to break down how the country plans to stage European club’s soccer elite competition. The pair also discuss the FPF’s wider activities (14:55), including how prioritising knowledge through launching the likes of Canal 11, and even its own university, has helped take Portuguese soccer to new heights.  Music: Surf Inspector by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4447-surf-inspector License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In another podcast from the SportsPro Insider Series, SportsPro events content manager Chris Stone talks to John Cave, vice president of information technology, football solutions at the National Football League (NFL).  They discuss how the league pivoted amid the Covid-19 pandemic to run a fully virtual NFL Draft, devising a concept, procuring equipment and securing networks to capture the drama from the homes of team officials, coaches and graduating prospects. 

Digital editor Tom Bassam is off the subs bench and steps up as host for the latest SportsPro Podcast. He’s joined by deputy editor Sam Carp, the author of an in-depth report in the latest edition of SportsPro Magazine on what to expect from their in-venue experience post-Covid-19.  The pair breakdown the feature with expert insight from Populous’ Christopher Lee, Realife Tech’s Adam Goodyer, WaitTime’s Elizabeth Grabowski, and VenueNext’s Anthony Perez. (0:23) Then, Sam speaks to Botan Osman, chief executive of Restrata, to find out how the technology and services company is working to help get UK fans safely back into stadia. (40:35)  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 latest entry from the SportsPro Insider Series, Bleacher Report senior director of social strategy Julian Patterson talks to broadcaster Lynsey Hooper, co-founder of soccer podcast The Offside Rule.  Patterson reveals how Bleacher Report devises content plans for channels including Instagram favourite House of Highlights, how it measures and compares audiences, how social media is maturing as a sector, the NBA’s live return and more.