SportsPro Podcast

The podcast discusses the rise of young darts star Luke Littler and the 2023/24 World Darts Championship. PDC CEO Matt Porter talks about professionalizing darts and reaching new audiences. The conversation covers the business side of darts and the surge in interest in the sport.

In this special NEW ERA podcast, SportsPro's Katie Preston, Yin Khoo and Jatila Blake discuss the true meaning of allyship and the importance of active support to achieve gender equity. Then, in part two (33:20), Elena Kouyoufa is joined by Santo Raggiri, the founder of Fair Play Project, where he shares practical advice and insight to the work that needs to be done to achieve gender equality in sports.

Formula One returns this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix and, to mark the start of the new season, BlackBook Motorsport writer Cian Brittle joins the pod to discuss all the major narratives from the paddock. Talking points: - Andretti's rejected bid to join the grid (2:56) - Keeping fans engaged when the competition is lacking (12:50) - New team sponsors and partnership challenges (22:36) - The expansion of F1 Academy (30:21) - Season predictions (37:31)

The second-ever Green Football Weekend was held earlier in February to encourage fans to adopt a more sustainable approach to following their teams. Pledgeball CEO, Katie Cross, and Helen Taylor, the former CEO of Forest Green Rovers, join the podcast to discuss the initiative and how best to tackle football's sustainability challenges. Talking points: What is the Green Football Weekend? (7:27) Why the focus on reducing meat consumption? (12:26) Are fan campaigns the most effective way of changing behaviours (16:36) Should the English football regulator be thinking about green issues? (25:30) Are broadcasters leading the way? (29:22)

Series five of Drive to Survive was watched for 90.2m hours in the first half of last year - one of Netflix's biggest hits. Box to Box, the creator of the show, is now applying the popular format across a number of different sports. Warren Smith, the production company's head of sport and factual, joins the podcast to give us the inside track on Box To Box's approach to making a hit sports documentary. Talking points: Smith's background and working at Box to Box (2:10) Why did Box to Box's style cut through so well? (9:05) Are the stars more open to the cameras now? (15:44) How the producers work on storylines and put the shows together (19:49) Waiting for the call to commission the next season and keeping the series fresh (29:47) Upcoming projects (33:51)

SportsPro has published its fifth annual class of sports technology startups worth investing your attention in. To mark the occasion, technology editor Steve McCaskill joins the pod to talk through the list before we hear from Gareth Lippiatt, co-founder and chief executive of one of the companies in this year's class, FanHub. Talking points: How the list comes together (1:08) The trends in this year's list (4:08) Steve picks his favourite startups on the list (9:58) Gareth Lippiatt interview (18:40)

Danny Townsend, the recently installed CEO of SRJ Sports Investments, has a fun job. Counting the PIF as its sole shareholder, SRJ (pronounced 'surge') has been set up to accelerate the growth of the sports sector in Saudi Arabia by targeting the acquisition of new events IP and commercial rights. Trying to unpick what that actually means is SportsPro's Tom Bassam, who sat down with Townsend to discuss how SRJ plans to spend the kingdom's money.

Since being founded in 2016, UK-based Castore has come from nowhere to establish itself as one of the most eye-catching brands in sportswear. Brothers Tom and Phil Beahon have overseen a rise that has seen the company go from handing out apparel outside gyms to having some of the biggest names in sports wearing Castore kit. Here, Tom Beahon makes a return to the SportsPro Podcast to tell George Breare and Tom Bassam about the next stage for Castore, as well as discuss some of the challenges of growing a £1bn company amid the intense pressure of the sportswear business. Talking points: An update on Castore's journey (0:40) Positioning the brand and the company culture (11:37) Working with Andy Murray (19:35) Bringing in new investment (24:45) Dealing with challenges and challenging the big brands (28:50) How Castore works with its partner teams (35:07) Moving into new markets and sports verticals (41:29) Running a family business (49:32)

As Everton (again) and Nottingham Forest become the latest Premier League clubs to fall foul of the Premier League's financial rules, George Breare, Tom Bassam and Josh Sim discuss that story, plus a potentially huge NFL-ESPN deal. Then Two Circles CEO Gareth Balch joins the show to talk about the Charterhouse move. Talking points: What's the story with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules? (1:04) Are the rules protecting clubs at the top? (7:28) The NFL-ESPN deal (18:03) Two Circles acquired by Charterhouse (29:49) Josh Sim interviews Two Circles CEO Gareth Balch (32:06)

Lenah Ueltzen-Gabell, Wasserman Group MD, and Women in Football board member Jo Tongue, who is also CEO of Tongue Tied Management - an agency that represents two of the biggest stars in the England team in Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh, as well as current Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes - join SportsPro's Tom Basam for a wide-ranging discussion about the state of play in women's football. Talking points: The media picture for women's football Is it the right time go behind a paywall? What's the right commercial structure for a game still growing? How to take advantage of the unique appeal of women's football Being set up for success at a governance level Looking ahead to 2024