Sportspro Podcast

In this special episode of the SportsPro Podcast we hear from Sergei Palkin, the chief executive of Ukrainian soccer powerhouse Shahktar Donetsk, about the challenge of leading change in the face of conflict as his club struggles for survival amid the Russian invasion of his homeland. Recorded at SportsPro Live 2023, Palkin is in conversation with Empower Sports' Pedro Pinto. Talking points: How the war changed everything for Shakhtar and the Ukrainian people (6:30) Why was important to return to football (9:23) Fifa, Annexe Seven and the cost of losing players (11:28) Representation in the ECA and UEC (16:35) Pivoting from being a recruitment strategy to a development strategy (18:18) What others can do to support Ukrainian clubs (20:58) The reality of operating a club in a warzone (24:51) Quick-fire questions (30:25)

SportsPro Podcast hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam chop up the latest sports industry news and look at the impact of Netflix's latest sports docuseries, before Josh Sim joins the pod to give his thoughts on MLB's return to London. Talking points: Will 'Tour de France: Unchained' do for cycling what 'Drive to Survive' did for F1? (2:44) Unpacking Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami (12:20) Todd Boehly becomes the latest to move into the multi-club ownership game (18:24) Talking MLB in London (24:05)

Tom Bassam and George Breare return for a quick roundup of the week in sports industry news. Talking points: Why has Michael Jordan sold the Charlotte Hornets? (2:10) The Women's World Cup rights picture becomes clearer (8:14) The demise and legacy of the W Series (17:50) Chelsea and Stake.com, how did we get here? (24:29)

Tom Bassam and SportsPro technology editor Steve McCaskill have an in-depth conversation about the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund's move to control the elite tours in men's golf and how the kingdom's enhanced financial backing of its domestic soccer league could reshape the sport's ecosystem. There's also time for a few thoughts on another logistical Uefa mismanagement issue at a major event, with the recent Champions League final and the passing of a man who helped shape the competition in its modern form, Silvio Berlusconi. Talking points: The PGA Tour, the PIF and golf... what just happened? (1:01) Why has this merger happened now? (7:25) What we know is happening and what we don't (16:04) Will the PIF's investment in the Saudi Pro League change soccer or be another CSL? (25:53) What would a Saudi takeover of soccer look like? (34:26) Another Uefa nightmare in Istanbul (40:33) The legacy of Silvio Berlusconi (45:28)

Most people know what an electronic player tracking system (ETPS) is, but there is more to the technology than meets the eye. Barin Sports' director of business development, Daniel Shopov, speaks to SportsPro technology editor, Steve McCaskill, about the different types of systems on the market, their various use cases and the business aspect of procurement.

George Breare and Tom Bassam are back together for this week's podcast, discussing all things Champions League, plus we hear from SportsPro reporter Josh Sim who was lucky enough to attend the Women's Champions League final in Eindhoven. Talking points: Wasn't Istanbul supposed to host the final in 2021? (2:45) How the tournament can bring in major sponsors (4:30) Why it's important for Uefa to get this event right (8:23) Pepsi and creating an event around the final (10:17) Looking back at the Women's Champions League final (14:16) Josh dials in from Eindhoven (21:30) Rachel Yankey on the growth of the Women's Champions League (23:27) PepsiCo CMO Mark Kirkham on how the brand is tapping into the women's game (27:08) How Gatorade is activating at the final (31:44) Josh's pre-match thoughts from the Philips Stadion (33:33) Post-match reaction and big picture thoughts on the tournament (36:47) (Note: At around 6min Tom mistakenly mentions Istanbul Airport processes 200 million flights per year, this figure ac

As the curtain falls on the 2023 IPL and Premier League seasons, George Breare is joined by features editor, Sam Carp, to explore record-breaking campaigns and the twists and turns that took place on the pitch and in the boardroom, including: -          The huge broadcast numbers on Star Sports and Jio Cinema -          The IPL’s commercial pull for major global brands -          Why the WPL launched at the perfect time -          Is the Premier League really capable of self-governance? -          Why football’s relationship with geopolitics shows no signs of slowing

In February 2021, Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney surprised the world by completing a takeover of small National League football club Wrexham AFC. Alongside Strategic Advisor, Shaun Harvey, and Executive Director, Humphrey Ker, we lift the lid on the story behind the takeover and how the club has come to embody an innovative and bold approach, including: The impact of the Disney+ Welcome to Wrexham docuseries and the explosion of Wrexham fans in North America and globally How Wrexham have transformed the streaming landscape of the National League What does the future hold for Wrexham and their Hollywood superstar owners?

Part one sees Tom Bassam joined by BlackBook Motorsport writer Cian Brittle to discuss crown jewel of US motorsport, the Indy 500 to look at why the Indy 500 stands alone in terms of fan experience and commercial outlook. Part two sees George Breare chat to Amir Mirzaee and Clayton Larcombe from Bayes Esports about what the next phase of the esports industry looks like, including: ·       Why the impact of Covid-19 on the esports industry is exaggerated ·       Why PAC Capital decided to lead Bayes’ recent Series A funding round ·       How esports needs to adapt its commercial model to thrive ·       How regional esports markets differ

This week regular hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam are joined on the podcast by SportsPro reporter Josh Sim to discuss the major off-field narratives ahead of the 2023 WNBA campaign.  Talking points: The expansion question (1:06) Scripps and the media rights picture for the WNBA (10:25) Are women's sports properties valued properly by media companies? (13:37) Does the WNBA need a new CBA? (19:31) The flaws with the ICC's new revenue distribution model (26:05) The Ottawa Senators sale and what it says about the current state of the NHL (37:44)

Back in January, Jane Fernandez was named as one of SportsPro's 'Ten Influencers' for 2023. Now, with the countdown on to the 2023 Women's World Cup, the chief operating officer for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand explains how the organisers are planning to deliver what could be a landmark soccer moment.

SportsPro Podcast hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam dive into the fine print of the EFL deal which will see Sky Sports broadcast the Championship, League One, League Two and the Carabao Cup in the UK until the end of the 2028/29 season. Talking points: The detail of the deal (1:33) The Saturday blackout remains and the headline changes (4:19) The end of iFollow (8:28) What it means for clubs in each division (16:40) The impact on matchday attendance (21:06) Will EFL club income get any closer to the Premier League? (22:48) Under the radar: Newcastle's new shirt sponsor (26:12) Under the radar: Matchroom's investment talks with CVC collapse (29:32)

Tom Bassam is joined by Sam Carp for a whiparound the week in sports industry news.  Talking points: Record attendances in the Women's Six Nations and Women's Champions League (1:24) Setting an example for others to follow (10:12) Where we're at after the third round of bidders for Manchester United (14:00) The fan influence on the takeover process (20:00) The Hundred changing course? (24:16) Gianni Infantino stands up for the value of the Women's World Cup (32:41)

This week SportsPro took over the Kia Ova to stage SportsPro Live 2023. George Breare, Tom Bassam, Steve McCaskill - as well as a few special guests - capture the sights and sounds of the two-day event in London.

The roles are reversed for this week's SportsPro Podcast as regular host George Breare is put in the interview chair by Tom Bassam for a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into putting together our flagship SportsPro Live event. Drilling into Breare's day job as senior content manager, the conversation explores the themes that shape this year's event at the Oval in London and how SportsPro thinks about drawing up its agendas (1:10). Then discussion turns to a couple of big industry news stories from the past week, the IPL's staggering audience figures for its opening weekend (32:00) and the growing revenues reported by Uefa for the Women's Champions League (39:03). The tenth edition of SportsPro Live, taking place on the 25th and 26th April at London's Kia Oval, will be our biggest event to date. Book your place today with a special SportsPro Podcast discount, head to:  live.sportspromedia.com/registration and use code POD20 for 20 per cent off (terms and conditions apply, not applicable to pre-existing p

This August in Glasgow - and across other parts of Scotland - the International Cycling Union (UCI) is holding its inaugural Cycling World Championships, where 13 individual titles will be decided in a true festival of the sport. On this week's podcast, SportsPro's Tom Bassam is joined by UCI digital transformation executive Adrien de Cheveigné and Jonny Murch, chief executive of Redtorch, to find out how they planning to ensure the event hits the mark on social media, while also discussing the role of the agency's #SportOnSocial report in shaping the strategy. Talking points: What is the role of the #SportOnSocial report? - (1:27) Are there any lessons to put into practice from the report? - (5:08) Will the report have any impact for the 2023 Cycling World Championships? - (12:08) How do you build a social strategy for so many different disciplines? - (16:13) The role of athletes in telling stories on social - (23:40) Integrating partners into the strategy - (30:02) How to nail sport for purpose messaging

This week SportsPro touched down in New York for the latest OTT Summit USA event. Hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam take you inside Citi Field to get a taste of the discussion onstage, while providing their own commentary on an insight-heavy agenda.

To celebrate International Women's Day this week's episode has been handed over to the women of SportsPro, with operations manager Milly Miller-Adams taking over as host. Talking points: SportsPro's head of marketing, Katie Devaney, and marketing executive, Alice Evans, on why pursuing equity is important for women in the industry and their personal experiences (1:10) Editorial assistant Elena Kouyoufa discusses being part of a male-dominated team (7:01) Event manager Jatila Blake and project coordinator Katie Preston explain some of the challenges they've faced in the industry and the importance of allies (13:49) Yin Khoo, production director, on being a female leader and mentor to others (24:06)

It’s Sustainability Week at SportsPro so Tom Bassam digs into the meaning of sport for purpose with SailGP’s chief purpose officer, Fiona Morgan, before George Breare talks to the team at Ottawa Tourism to find out why the Canadian capital prioritises events that deliver both a community and commercial benefit. Talking points: Fiona Morgan on the role of sport for purpose (3:26) Ottawa Tourism's approach to events with social benefits (24:54)

George Breare and Tom Bassam are joined by SportsPro's resident American and community lead Chris Stone to interrogate the forever booming business of the Super Bowl. The NFL title game continues to wrack up gaudy numbers and 2022 edition looks like it is going to be no different. Talking points: The media outlook for this year's Super Bowl (2:53) How has the NFL made the game so big? (7:13) The commercial business of the Super Bowl and what's new this year (18:42) Star power or lack thereof (26:16) The economic impact of hosting the Super Bowl (36:18)