Leaders Worth Knowing Podcast

In conversation with the billionaire co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. One Careful Owner is a new series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that features exclusive conversations with the people who invest billions into teams. Who have a unique handle on where the industry is going. On media rights. On globalisation. On asset creation. On trading players. On the risks, rewards and the pitfalls. On the pressures and demands. The unique challenges and often downright weird situations that only sports owners have experienced. And all while they’re doing their day job. Our first guest on One Careful Owner is Marc Lasry. In 2014, Marc bought the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise from long-time owner Herb Kohl. Kohl had paid $18 million for the team when he bought it in 1985. Marc – alongside his partners Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan – paid $550 million for it. According to the latest Forbes list, the franchise is worth $1.6 billion today. Marc founded Avenue Capital Group in 1995, building the hedge fund over time to the point at which it now has $11 billion under management. He lives in New York with his wife Cathy and they have five children. Leaders Chair Jimmy Worrall spoke to Marc towards the back end of 2020, with the NBA having just completed its truncated 2019/20 season.

One-on-one with video monetisation guru Yoav Arnstein | Olympics in peril | First thoughts on Clubhouse. Episode 104 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast sees us delve deep into the mechanics of Facebook's monetisation machine with the social giant's Director of Product Management Yoav Arnstein (conversation starts at 15:30). Video monetisation is arguably the top priority for any of the major sports publishers - including rights holders across the sporting spectrum - on Facebook, and Arnstein leads the development and roll out of the monetisation tools that the platform provides. He is one of the key internal stakeholders informing - and being informed by - the sports strategy that Peter Hutton and his team have been developing as Facebook has evolved its formal relationship with sport. On the conversational agenda: - The role video plays in fostering community; and the role community plays in monetisation strategies; - How Facebook currently monetises video, and why in-stream ads and pay-per-view are about to get big on the platform in 2021; - How the product roadmap is developed and implemented at Facebook, and the reason that traditional sports media products might not yet have been developed; - Arnstein's view on the video monetisation strategies in play at Amazon, YouTube and Facebook's other major competitors; - How Facebook attempts to find the balance between commercialisation and positive user experience.

  Leaders Founder and Chair Jimmy Worrall introduces the pilot edition of Rules of the Game, a new series unpacking the skills required to be an effective leader in 2021. In this edition, Jimmy explores the art of networking, identifying and explaining the keys to doing it well, adding value and forging connections that turn into longstanding relationships. Through extended conversations over several months with some of sport’s leading figures and expert networkers, and Jimmy’s own personal experiences with Leaders in Sport over the past 12 years, this is the ultimate practical guide to how to build and nurture your professional network – quick-fire tips and golden rules to network by. You’ll hear from: - Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil on asking questions, surrounding yourself with smart people and helping others to connect. - Kathy Carter, Chief Revenue Officer at LA 2028, on finding commonality, building trust and earning respect. - Former UK Sports Minister Tracey Crouch on treating everyone with respect and finding the right relaxing networking environment. - FA and Premier League ambassador David Dein on sticking your neck out, the importance of humour and how relationships were at the heart of the formation of the Premier League. Presented by Jimmy Worrall Produced by James Emmett Edited by Danny Garlick Music by Wataboi and lrobinson_sds (via Pixabay)  

The trading card ecosystem and its rapid growth | How team and player licensing agreements work | Working with athletes and maximising their value   Episode 102 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast lifts the lid on the inner workings of trading card licensing agreements, featuring conversations with Panini America’s VP of Sales and Product Development DJ Kazmierczak (starts at 1.55) and Malaika Underwood, SVP of Licensing at OneTeam Partners, the organisation that helps the likes of the NFL Players’ Association and other player unions maximise the value of athletes’ names and images (starts at 24.30).   On the conversation agenda: - How licensing agreements between teams/athletes and companies like Panini actually work; - The growth of the trading card ecosystem and the emergence of breaking; - The biggest challenge for licensees like Panini; - The importance of rookie cards; - Panini's production decisions around high value cards; - How OneTeam Partners is aiming to build more comprehensive partnerships and unlock new revenue streams for the player unions it works with; - What athletes want from licensing agreements; - The trading card from 2020 you ought to have in your collection.

Making a brand impact with Arsenal and Manchester United | Using influencers to authenticate and embody your brand | Breaking through the noise in a busy 2021. Episode 101 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with Adidas VP of Brand for North Europe, Chris Walsh (starts at 2:41). Working across product range planning, brand marketing, advertising, creative and retail marketing, Walsh plays a key role in bringing the sportswear giant's sports and culture partnerships to life, chief among them the global deals with Arsenal and Manchester United, and new local partnerships with Glasgow Celtic and Leeds United. The episode also includes a brief discussion with Andy Childs (starts at 16.27), who leads 'connection planning' for Facebook in Europe, consulting with the top 100 brands on the platform on how to use digital marketing to drive business growth. On the conversation agenda: - The three pillars supporting all Adidas partnership marketing efforts; - The 18-month design-to-sales lifecycle of a 21st Century football kit; - How Adidas works with influencers to embody and authenticate the brand; - Andy Childs' tips for using digital marketing to break through the clutter in 2021; - Building Arsenal campaigns around the strengths and skillsets of Ian Wright; - Lessons in marketing from a tumultuous 2020.

The man writing the NFL's business playbook | The 'sportification' of political media coverage | How the biggest get bigger and what growth will look like for the NFL. Episode 100 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with NFL Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Chris Halpin (starts at 12:24). Halpin joined the league in 2013, making the move from the private equity world and his job as MD of Providence Equity Partners. Although he has held a number of roles since that point, strategy has always been a key focus, and Halpin has become a pivotal influence on the business of the league as it strives to achieve its much-vaunted target of $25 billion in revenues by 2027. Halpin was promoted to his current role in 2018 and has established himself as cornerstone member of the league's C-Suite. When Mark Waller left his role running the league's international business after the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, it was Halpin who took on his responsibilities. His purview is now as wide as it is long term and bears some breaking down: Halpin's responsibilities as Chief Strategy Officer Innovation Driving fan acquisition Maximising fan engagement Using data and analytics to propel all the above Halpin's responsibilities as Chief Growth Officer International Football development and play pathways Media distribution and digital engagement Legalised sports betting New markets and 'owner development' On the conversational agenda: - ‘Positive vigilance vs optimistic paranoia’ - the mood inside the NFL offices; - The processes and people Halpin relies on to keep on top of all of his objectives; - Where the NFL's next billion dollar revenue rise is coming from; - The link between private equity and sport and why Halpin's watching CVC's rugby play with interest; - How to be interested in things that matter: have a set of ‘virtual advisors whose insights you steal and morph into your own’ - Roger Goodell’s secret to success - How to present to a boardroom of 32 billionaires that make up the NFL ownership group.

How sponsorship in official groups can work | Community management | Partner make-goods | Unique content campaigns. Episode 99 of the podcast looks at how some sports rights holders are using Facebook groups to commercialise relationships with brands. We’ll hear from two experts in the field. First, Nick Marquez. He’s Facebook’s North American Sports Teams Partnerships Lead – and he works closely with a select band of major league franchises to maximise value through Facebook’s various functions and platforms. What that means in practice is a focus on four key areas, namely audience development, sponsorship and branded content; commerce and conversion; and direct revenue-generating products. One of the teams Nick works most closely with is the LA Clippers in the NBA. We’ll be hearing from the Clippers’ Executive Director of Digital Media and Content, Charlie Widdoes, and we’ll be homing in on the work that Charlie and his team have been doing on building and managing a community within the Clippers official Facebook Group, and looking at how they’ve already managed to commercialise that with their partners at Red Bull. Maquez and Widdoes – as well as many other sharp digital sports content folk – were interviewed for the latest Leaders Special Report. It’s called Activating Digital and it plots the accelerated route to digital the sports industry has now embarked on as a result of the pandemic, picking out areas of outstanding impact along the way. You can download the 24-page report for free from the Leaders website. This episode of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is supported by global facilities management firm ARC. ARC is continually developing life changing solutions for the world’s ever evolving workforce because they understand the need to restructure and remain safe during these unprecedented times. Their team of specialists has devised every conceivable variation to deliver working solutions, which are equally applicable for those working from home or in the office. Visit www.e-arc.co.uk for more information.

Out of Dana White's head and onto UFC Fight Island | The logistics behind a ready-made sports bubble | the new Covid-era fan data driving sport's decision-making processes. Episode 98 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Arc - features a conversation with UFC COO Lawrence Epstein (begins at 7:15) on the eve of the MMA promotion's latest event on 'Fight Island' in Abu Dhabi. Epstein has been a driving force within the UFC since 2007, under the previous ownership of Zuffa and the Fertittas, and, since the $4 billion acquisition in 2016, under Endeavor. On the conversational agenda: - How the UFC managed to come back first with Fight Island; - The Making of UFC Fight Island; - The operational challenges - and efficiencies - that Covid-era, fanless fights entail; - Why and how the UFC's media deal with ESPN has proved transformative; - How life has changed under Endeavor; - What the UFC knows about its fans and how it knows it; - Dana White: the frontman, motivator, spirit and ethos. This episode of the Leaders Sport Business podcast is supported by global Facilities management firm Arc. ARC has proudly brought some amazing imagery and stunning visual vibrancy back to the heart of London with the most incredible range of graphics. Team ARC embraced its client’s design brief and has quite literary transformed many of London’s iconic development sites into some of the most visually impacting areas in Europe. visit www.e-arc.co.uk for more information.

Transforming a football business into a media and entertainment investment firm | Buying into Leeds United | The 4-point plan driving 49ers Enterprises | Why date nights are sacrosanct in the pandemic. Episode 97 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Arc - features a conversation with Paraag Marathe (first part begins at 05:12, second part begins at 46:21), EVP of Football Operations at the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, President of 49ers Enterprises, board member at Premier League side Leeds United, and Chairman of USA Cricket. Having been with the 49ers since 2001, Marathe has developed into one of the most versatile and broad-minded senior executives in sport. His current responsibilities include the management of the 49ers player contracts and salary cap; the strategic direction and day-to-day oversight of 49ers Enterprises, the franchise's innovative, growth-focused investment vehicle; representing the 49ers' viewpoint on the board of Leeds United, in which the 49ers took a 10% stake in 2018; and the development of a Twenty20 cricket league in the US. On the conversational agenda: - Why managing an NFL salary cap is like managing an investment fund portfolio; - The 2014 decision that transformed the 49ers from a "billion-dollar lemonade stand" to a media and entertainment juggernaut; - The 4-point plan driving 49ers Enterprises: 1) Incubate; 2) Invest; 3) Consult; 4) Capitalise; - The dynamics of attraction between sport and the VC world; - Why the 49ers invested in Leeds United, and why a further investment could be around the corner; - Switching off from work through a commitment to running and date nights. Elsewhere in the podcast, James Emmett and David Cushnan reflect on some of the key themes covered at Leaders Week Direct, including the process for preparing venues to reopen to crowds after a pause for the pandemic. They're joined for the discussion (which starts at 33:20) by Suri Suriyakumar, CEO of Arc. ARC is at the forefront of reshaping the way the world’s businesses have remained operational with their unique range of social distancing signage, safety products and services. Their consultation and on-site and on-line survey process have transformed a complex problem into a simple solution for thousands of global clients. For more information, visit e-arc.co.uk. We're grateful to Suri and his team for their support.

The plight of athletes in a pandemic | Building businesses off the field | The new environment for social justice campaigning in sport. Episode 96 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Onside Law - features a conversation with two current NFL athletes: Michael Thomas, a safety for the Houston Texans, and Brandon Copeland, linebacker for the New England Patriots (discussion begins at 14:02). They’ve been in the league for eight and seven years respectively, and both play active leadership roles in the NFL Players union - the NFLPA. In fact, Michael and Brandon are high achieving examples of what the NFLPA calls #AthleteAnd - a programme of activity that helps NFL athletes build businesses and interests away from the field of play and to define themselves as more than an athlete. Both players have numerous business interests, charitable endeavours, and qualifications - Brandon is even a professor of financial literacy - and we delve into all of that, as well as the fight for racial justice that is playing out across the front line of sport. Before that though, we speak to Sophie Wilkinson, partner at our partners at Onside Law, to set the scene briefly from this side of the Atlantic, to reflect on some of the major issues athletes are experiencing as sport stutters back, and to look at where flexibility and an open mindset have paid dividends. On the conversational agenda: - Flexibility in endorsement contract options and partnership opportunities; - The fight for racial justice and how the mood has shifted among the players in the NFL; - Taking the opportunities presented by the players union; - Setting up systems to spread and filter the education and benefits that come from the NFL down through communities; - Leveraging your status as an athlete to get calls returned, emails answered, and businesses set for the future; - The experience of playing in front of empty stadiums; - The biggest mistakes Michael and Brandon ever made.