Business of Sport

This week we are delighted to welcome Gary Rowett to the show. Gary has managed over 500 games working at some of the most historic clubs in English football, and played at the highest level with 381 appearances in the Premier League and EFL.  Much of his career has been spent managing across the Football League with the likes of Birmingham, Derby, Stoke, Millwall, Burton Albion. One of the most popular and respected men in the game, he gives a detailed overview of the pressures of management, how to bring the best out of players, why he turned down the chance to manage in the Premier League, and the importance of accountability.  It can often be a thankless task being a manager. It takes a specific type of character to ride the highs and lows and block out the noise. Then it’s the need for heightened empathy alongside a streak of pretty ruthless decision making. It’s not easy being a manager. Gary’s is a fascinating career and it’s far from over.  On todays show we discuss: From Player to Manager: The similarities and differences between being part of a dressing room and running one. Does managing a team that you played for make the job easier? How do you build a relationship with the fans? What part of the transition is the hardest to make and how do you get that first job opportunity? The essential skills of a manager; what can you not do without if you want to manage at the top level? Gary’s Club Management: Burton Albion, Birmingham, Derby, Stoke, Millwall; the pressures of managing some of England’s biggest teams. There isn’t much regret in Gary’s management career, but his time at one club did not go how he wanted. Who? What is it like to manage a club that has just been relegated to the Championship and has to adapt from the Premier League? Who were the best owners Gary worked with and what makes a great club leader?  What does Tom Brady bring to Birmingham? A Manager's Decision Making: Why being a manager is a sales job; you have to make the players believe in what you are doing. Get them to buy into it! How do you leave players out of a team or squad and still keep them motivated? What is the balance to find between youth and experience? Taking inspiration from Klopp, Guardiola, Ancelotti & Simeone. If you're lucky enough to choose whether to take a job or not, what are the factors to take into account? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/

This week we are joined by Cambridge United CEO Alex Tunbridge. Last week, Cambridge was in the news for activities off the pitch, as they unveiled a full rebrand of the club, most notably revealing a new crest to create a more modern and digital feel to the branding of Cambridge, while importantly maintaining the heritage and culture so valuable to its historic identity. Some of you may start to think we’ve got a bit of thing for League One clubs, and you may not be wrong. But when it comes to the business of football, they are some of the most intriguing organisations in the game. You face the constant challenge of chasing the gold in the Championship and Premier League, but also trying not to overstretch yourself financially and drop out of the league. How do you justify a pound spent away from the pitch? It’s our new favourite theme. Alex and Cambridge have been one of the most ambitious when it comes to value creation away from the pitch. New training facilities, club rebrands, stadium developments, matchday experience; all of these indirectly create a value in the club to position it for long-term success. But can success off the pitch be replicated on it? This is a conflict in ideology we love to talk about, and we love what Cambridge are doing.  In today’s show we discuss: Spending away from the pitch: How a full rebrand of Cambridge United came about, and why it is so important to make sure your visual identity is fit for the modern age. Why did the club build a new £3.5m training complex and how do you justify significant spend on infrastructure when the money could be spent on improving the team? Spending on non-performance shows long term strategy; how do you get fans onside and bring the fans on the journey with you? How difficult is it to build value into a club while operating on budgets of less than £10m? The role of a CEO: How did Alex become CEO of Newport County at the age of 29? What are the hardest jobs you have to take on when leading a football club? ‘Working in football is not a job. It’s a way of life’; the need for a top executive to be all in and commit fully to the development of the club. Does the CEO get involved with the football side of the business? The story of bringing the iconic Burger King deal to Stevenage and the value of new age digitalised commercial inventory.  The business of the football league: ‘The Premier League is the best league in the world, but our football pyramid is the best pyramid in the world’. How do we protect the pyramid? How much do Championship, League One and League Two clubs get from the current media rights deal? Where do the biggest challenges lie from a business perspective when running a football club in 2024? How can we protect the competitive balance of the leagues but also encourage teams to continue development and push boundaries to improve the product? Click here to see the full rebrand announcement & video: https://www.cambridgeunited.com/news/new-club-identity-revealed A huge thank you to our amazing partners: WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/  

This week, we are joined by Brady Stewart, CEO of the NWSL’s newest franchise Bay FC. The NWSL is going from strength to strength both on and off the field. San Francisco needed a franchise, and the birth of Bay as the women’s football team in the city steeped in sporting history is just the next step on the league’s mission to be the best women’s football league in the world. When global investment firm Sixth Street backed the franchise with $120m, the biggest single institutional investment in women’s sport, Brady was approached to lead the team. The biggest challenge? Getting it operational and a team on the pitch in a year.  Coming from outside of sport, Brady’s vision for the team and league is one where global brand meets performance excellence. Women’s sport and football in particular has always been a major feature in the US sporting landscape; now the rise of global and most importantly independent franchises is when this goes from being a strong local market asset to world renowned sports property. In today’s show we discuss: Building a team: From the awarding of the franchise slot to the first game a year later, how to build a brand new team from scratch? This was the first time the NWSL allowed for investment from Private Equity; the story behind Sixth Street’s $120m play. How was Brady brought into the role of CEO and why does a career from outside of sport allow her to bring additional value to the organisation?  What are the key things that need to be established in the first few months? How do you incorporate the city and community to make them feel this is their team before you have a product to put on the pitch? Attracting players to a new project is not easy. How do you convince them this is the team to play for? A competition for eyeballs: The attention economy is more competitive than it has ever been; how does the NWSL differentiate itself from other sports properties to engage a fanbase? The importance of a national media deal to deliver games to every fan; accessibility of content is the key to success. Why women’s football in the US should be the global standard to aspire to, and what needs to happen to get there. The rising tide lifts all boats: it is the job of the franchises to work together to ensure the development of the league. Football: The Product To build the biggest league you need to be able to attract the best players. How do you do this? Why the style of football in the US needs to adapt to appeal to both players and fans when compared to the European game. Why the NWSL has an opportunity the MLS is unlikely to have. How have the league regulated the club’s ability to spend on players to ensure equal competition from top to bottom? A huge thank you to our valued sponsors: WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/ And as promised on the show, some of the amazing content Bay have created around the franchise and their training ground development. Bay FC Hype: https://icnk.io/u/LmLVaMbnig5f/ Treasure Island Training Facility Announcement: https://icnk.io/u/P92fRIikqw76/  

This week, we are joined by one of the most influential figures in the world of sport and entertainment: Michael Yormark, President of Roc Nation Sports International. With a career that spans over two decades at the intersection of business, marketing, and global talent representation, Michael has redefined what it means to manage athletes and entertainers in today’s fast-paced, multimedia-driven world.  For the agency established by Jay-Z, Michael has been the driving force behind Roc Nation’s global expansion in sport, instrumental in representing some of the industry’s biggest names, including Vinicius Jr, Kevin De Bruyne, Endrick, Siya Kolisi. Included in that remit; creating groundbreaking partnerships, and shaping the future of athlete empowerment as brand.  From orchestrating these multimillion-dollar brand deals to advocating for social justice initiatives, Michael is a visionary leader who’s not just pushing boundaries, he’s setting new standards.  On today’s show we discuss: The role of an agent: How to gain the trust of the biggest sports, media and entertainment stars. Building the Roc Nation family: person over revenue. If the best interests of the talent is put first, more often than not, everyone wins in the long run. What learnings were brought over from Roc Nation’s work in the music industry that have been applied so effectively to sport? All the best athletes, from Ronaldo to LeBron James, have had big teams around them to help them achieve greatness. What do these teams look like? Build the hype - why should Vinicius Jr win the Ballon D’Or? International expansion: The move from the US to Europe was driven by Michael’s willingness to move and set up from scratch. How did he go about building one of the most influential international sports talent agencies? What surprised Michael most about the difference between European and US sport? How did Roc Nation communicate their vision to the top football and rugby players to bring them into the family? What is it like representing Kevin De Bruyne, Vinicius Jr, Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Siya Kolisi, and how do you decide who is the right fit for the business? Athlete as brand: Players now need to be more than just their on field performance to maximise the role they can play in society. How do you help them achieve this? The difference between the star culture driven US sports environment and the collective team based one we see in Europe? Helping Vini Jr combat racism: how has the Roc Nation family supported their player as he encountered numerous racist interactions, often very publicly on the field? The biggest challenge for rugby players in maximising their profile? The game doesn’t want them to. Why? How important is it to commercial partners that the talent they partner with has a standing in society away from the sport they play? WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/  

Liam is the CEO of Lincoln City, who are currently competing in League One of English football, and who at Liam’s own admission, have been overperforming both their budget and performance expectations for years. The running of clubs further down the football pyramid is not easy. They have to operate as far more and sensible businesses rather than billionaire playpens. Liam not only brings some incredible insight into managing a team in the lower leagues, but as he sits on the board of the English Football League, a much broader perspective on the business of football. Existing in the same structure as enterprise Premier League, 3pm domestic broadcast blackouts, the financial controls required to protect the future of these most treasured community assets; this was a fascinating insight into the world of a football CEO.  After a week where the back pages were dominated by the Man City vs The Premier League, this was a real question of how do you protect the product we’ve done so well to create while ensuring top to bottom longevity of the industry? In today's show, we discuss: Rise of Lincoln City: Small budgets and non-league football status when he joined, how has Liam built a club to compete in the top tiers of English football? What are the key things to focus on when running a club? The revenue streams that a club must capitalise on to ensure they are able to compete with some of the biggest teams in the league. The value of a strong academy; first team feeder or profit driver? Bringing the glory back to Lincoln: what does it mean to the community to re-establish a club steeped in history? The £1.3m FA Cup run; what did this enable the club to do from an investment standpoint? Football League Challenges: The football industry is unsustainable. Why? There needs to be more money that filters down the pyramid to protect teams in the lower tiers. How do you do this? The transfer market is the key generator of cash for lower league clubs, but they need Premier League teams to keep buying from English teams to sustain that flow. Is the 3pm broadcast blackout an issue or vital to sustainability of the broader football ecosystem in the modern sporting environement? The Nuclear-Sub vs. a Canoe Football is full of inequalities. How do you operate in a market where there is such a spread of wealth and opportunity? League One is the eleventh most watched League in Europe, the product is better than ever. US investors: The rise of foreign ownership has opened new markets to promote teams and competitions How great owners and structured management can be the most important assets of a club regardless of their size. Leaders in Sport  https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/ WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/  

Miguel is one of the sports industry’s leading commercial agents. Mbappe, Neymar, Beckham, Mourinho, Ricciardo; Miguel has been involved with all of them. This is the side of the sports industry we don’t hear about. Yet this is the side that drives more business than any other.  Having worked directly for Kylian Mbappe’s family office, and then for some of the worlds biggest agencies like CAA and Kin, Miguel’s experience of capitalising on the global profiling of sport’s biggest stars brings to life the art of the commercial deal.  How do you source a sponsorship? Who are the most in demand athletes? Who has capitalised on their profile the best, and who has struggled to do so. This is a conversation unlike any other we have had on the show. If you want to know the inside track on the business world behind the world of the athlete, this is a conversation for you. On today’s show we discuss: Athlete representation: What is the role of the off field agent?  Neymar, Mbappe and many more; how has Miguel worked with the top talent in sport to build their brand off the pitch? How is it different representing athletes in football compared to an individual sport like Formula One or tennis? Commercial deals are a major part of modern sport. What is the process like to source and deliver commercial partnerships for the biggest talent in the industry? What is the makeup of the behind the scenes team that top athletes now have to work with?  Who would Miguel most like to work with? Positive/Negative brand associations How do you decide if a particular brand is the right partnership to sign for an athlete? How important is it for athletes to know what their image and profile is looking to become off the field? What would an example of a negative brand association be? Is it company or industry driven? What factors come into play when negotiating access to a sports person as part of the brand deal? What are the best deals Miguel has been a part of? Is the demand on athletes to fulfil their commercial obligations manageable? Changing sports landscape How is the industry changing with its approach to commercial partnerships? Which athletes are proving the most sought after in the modern sporting landscape, and who needs to work harder to build a stronger profile. Some top players prefer to stay out of the commercial limelight. What does this mean for them? Will we see more productised business endeavour to replicate the CR7/RF type commercial agreements? Leaders in Sport  https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/ WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/  

Ollie is the vice captain of the England cricket team. Last month, with Ben Stokes out injured, he was made captain for the first time for the series against Sri Lanka. He has been a key part of the side that over the last few years has transformed how test cricket is both viewed and played. An insight into what is going on behind the scenes with England throughout this period is something we’ve wanted to dig into from the start of the show. It’s fair to say that the future of test match cricket hinges significantly on the format's ability to sustain the engagement of a changing demographic and provide the entertainment expected by a modern sporting audience. Ollie is at the heart of this. As tempting as it was to spend the whole time digging into Bazball, while obviously not calling it Bazball because they really don’t like that phrase, this is a rare unveiling of a cricketer's view of the modern game. England’s style has created an air of excitement that now surrounds the test match stage once more, but as Ollie outlines, the future needs to be more than India, England and Australia playing each other. From the view of the players, the ones that sit at the heart of this, how do you do it?  On this week’s show, we discuss: How to focus on your priorities: Why playing for England will always be the focus for Ollie as long as he is selected in the team. What was it like walking out onto the field as England captain for the recent test series against Sri Lanka? With a packed global calendar now incorporating test, short form and franchise cricket, how do you prioritise what to play in and what are the consequences of those choices? There is a place in the game for all these formats, but they need to work together to co-exist rather than compete aggressively and take players from each other. A new England: What changed when Brendon McCullum took over the role of England coach? How important is it to have the support and encouragement of the management team to drive your ambition and performance? The value placed on security; it is not to encourage complacency, but knowing you will have the time to prove yourself in the team and not be dropped for one bad performance helps establish great players. What makes this England team stand out? How have the players bought into the new ideas and objectives of the management team? The importance of experience. Having Stokes, Cook, Root, Anderson, Broad all play in the same team as Ollie throughout his career has enabled him to learn from some of the greatest players in the game. Becoming a professional: Cricket can have some strange pathways to the top. How did Ollie cope with being thrust into the England team after playing 15 first class games? With all the opportunity to play so many different styles of the game, has the rise of franchise cricket shaped how youngsters are learning how to play cricket? What do the contracts look like when you get into the sport and how does it work between county and country? What becoming an experienced member of the dressing room does for you as a player and your ability to act as mentor to the new teammates starting out. Leaders in Sport - BOS15 code https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/ WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/

Vikram is the Director of Business Operations at the England & Wales Cricket Board and is the man in charge of selling stakes in The Hundred franchises. Vikram was a professional cricketer before taking up his position at the ECB, playing short and long form cricket around the world. Domestic cricket has been under pressure in the UK. The international game is strong, franchise tournaments like the IPL and Big Bash have thrived, but county cricket, the foundations of the game, has struggled to sustain the attention. The Hundred was created not just to form a new short-form league to compete with the major international franchise tournaments, but to bring value back into the English game. After 4 years of successful implementation, Vik is now overseeing the ‘privatisation’ of the 8 franchises; an opportunity to bring in private investment, injecting millions of pounds into the cricket ecosystem. Franchise leagues are hot property. How will The Hundred franchises compare to not just other cricket assets, but the crop of new teams and leagues all competing for huge capital injections? On this week’s show we discuss: New Forms of Cricket: Why the sport needed to speak to a new audience to maintain its position as one of the most followed games globally. What do you need to protect and what is open to change; how decisions are made to attract a new audience but maintain the integrity of traditional formats. The IPL was a game changer and showed the world how it can be done. Is it replicable or a unique product of India’s cricket mad population? Short form cricket has helped facilitate the creation of more global sports stars who are integral for attracting a youth audience as interested in following the individual as a team. The Hundred How did the ECB come up with the concept of The Hundred and what were the key challenges in implementing the tournament? How does the current ownership structure of the franchises look and why was it set up this way? You need the top players in the world to be playing in your tournament. How do you attract players to ensure they participate on a regular basis? Why now is the right time to explore the privatisation of the teams, and the impact it’ll have on the wider English cricket ecosystem. Salaries: What do the top players get paid in The Hundred compared to other short form tournaments? Overcoming Crickets major challenges: Create an element of jeopardy; you need to have a system that distributes the best players equally to ensure competition remains. How do you do this? Tribalism drives engagement. How do you build affinity to new sporting organisations? Align the calendar and make sure the top tournaments are not competing with each other for eyeballs. Break the gender barriers in cricket. The Hundred combines both the men and women’s teams in the same package. Why is this so important? In England in particular, demonstrate that cricket is a sport for everyone.  Our Partners: Leaders in Sport  https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/ WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/  

This week we are delighted to welcome Claire Williams to the show. For nearly a decade, Claire served as the Deputy Team Principal of Williams Racing, one of the most iconic teams in F1 history. As the daughter of the legendary Sir Frank Williams, you could say she had the weight of her family’s legacy on her shoulders, but she forged her own path with courage, tenacity, and a relentless drive to succeed.  Claire's journey wasn’t just about steering a team through the competitive and challenging landscape of Formula 1. It was about breaking barriers in a male-dominated environment, changing the landscape of a sport in need of regeneration, and navigating the requirements to perform at the highest level while fighting to keep her family’s team alive. On today’s show, we discuss: Building a Formula One team: The Frank Williams story: how did he build on the most iconic teams in Formula One history? Work/life balance in the sport is very hard. You have to make sacrifices to become the best. What is the impact of dedicating yourself completely to the perseverance of perfection? How has racing changed over the years? From early beginnings to becoming one of the most sought after commercial and sponsorship assets in global sport. What are the key revenue streams that fund Formula One teams? Taking the reigns: What was it that led to Claire taking the controls of the team and how did she go about implementing her own ideas in delivering success to Williams? The challenge of finding your own voice when the legacy of your predecessor is so prominent. The changing role of a Team Principal; how has the job developed and what are the modern TP’s like Toto Wolff and Christian Horner doing differently to the likes of Frank? The need for sponsorship dollars. Frank Williams turned down a $40m title sponsorship when he was in charge because he had another one for $50m. Did Claire have the same demand for access to the Williams brand? The F1 meritocracy celebrated and favoured the best teams while leaving the others struggling to fund themselves. How did this change? The Business of a team: It is a very expensive sport to operate in. Are Formula One teams worthwhile and valuable investment opportunities? The mediafication of the sport has brought in a wealth of new opportunities for the key components to make money, but what do the teams get paid for and what goes straight to the F1 governing body? How much does it cost to pay drivers and the key members of staff that run the organisations? Value in kind deals can be an excellent way to drive value for new partners. What do these look like? The story around the sale of Williams and why it had to happen. Our Partners: Leaders in Sport  https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/ WSC Sports  https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management  https://tyndallim.co.uk/  

This week we are delighted to welcome Paul Tisdale to the show. A former Premier League player, Paul went on to manage over 600 games in the football league for the likes of Exeter City, Bristol Rovers, MK Dons, and Stevenage. His time at Exeter delivered a complete transformation of the club, taking them from the National League to League One via back to back promotions. He cultivated an elite pool of talent that included Ollie Watkins and Ethan Ampadu. He was labelled the most fashionable man in football. The approach to management is simple but so different to what you’d expect. But there is much more to the man than his achievements on the touchline. He has transformed his career to work alongside multi-club ownership models on a variety of projects, as well as venturing into the world of the sporting director, something we have been keen to dive into for a long time on this show.  The skills acquired in football as both a player and a manager and transferable in many ways. This is an education in how to build a profile across multiple areas of sport and beyond, with an excellent dose of how to be a top manager! We’re delighted to welcome Paul Tisdale to Business of Sport.  On today’s show we discuss: The Business of Lower League Football: Big budgets are a thing on the elite; how do you operate when you an towards the lower end of football in the UK and strike the balance between sustainability and ambition? The challenges of running Exeter City as a cashflow business, meaning it could not lose money. Player sales are a key revenue driver for clubs. How did selling Matt Grimes and Ollie Watkins benefit the club financially and what did the structure of those deals look like? What are the budgets of a club in League One or Two? Scrapping the scouting department was one of the major decision Paul made at Exeter. Why did he decide to cut this key part of a football club? “It’s survival of the adaptable, not the fittest”. What does Paul mean by this? Creating an Identity: Building a character than can deliver every week on a touchline was one way Paul was able to deliver success. Why did he do this? The power of fashion: dubbed the most fashionable man in football, what was the purpose of looking good in the dugout. Finding your place in sport is not something that comes naturally and being able to exist in an environment that has little forgiveness can be difficult for both players and managers. The challenge of moving teams is not something talked about enough. In football you are expected to move and slot straight in. It’s not that easy! Transferable Skills: There are few educations as powerful as the one you’ll get in football, but how can it be applied away from the pitch? The power of data - this is something utilised by every club in today’s game, but are clubs doing it right?  Staying relevant in football is not easy. What do you need to do to ensure there are roles available that may be unlike ones available previously?  What next? Would Paul get back into management if he was given the opportunity?  Our Partners Leaders in Sport - https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/ WSC Sports - https://wsc-sports.com/ Tyndall Investment Management - https://tyndallim.co.uk/

This week, we are delighted to welcome Charlie Methven to the show. Charlie is the co-owner and CEO of Charlton Athletic. He was part of the consortium that bought the London club in 2023, and was appointed CEO earlier this year. But as many of you will have seen in the infamous ‘Sunderland til I Die’ Netflix documentary, this isn’t his first dabble in football club ownership.  He was part of the group that took over Sunderland as they attempted to recover from back to back relegations. What followed was the most transparent insight into what happens when it all goes wrong at a club, both on and off the pitch. You can’t rely on the owner to pick up the tab at the end of every month; you have to build a sustainable business behind the passion and fanfare. That’s not as easy as it sounds.  It’s the realities of decision making at the highest level, the understanding that universal popularity is impossible, underpinned by what goes into running a sports entity as a business. We’re delighted to welcome Charlie to the Business of Sport. On today’s show, we discussed: Navigating Football Finances: What did the business of Sunderland look like when Charlie and the new owners bought the club in 2018? How to manage going from £200m a year revenues to £20m. Owners cannot be left to pick up the bill. A club has to be sustainable if it wants to progress. What does it cost to buy a team outside of the Premier League? How are budgets spent? The cost of running the academy, first team, women’s team, behind the scenes staff. The problem with relegation clauses; why they’re very important but often hard to implement when attracting the top talent. The Sunderland Experience  Balancing the business objectives of a football club alongside fan expectation can be the hardest job of an owner. How do you navigate it? There were ingrained cultural issues at the club. How did Charlie go about changing these? Managing a player wage bill that was more similar to a Premier League club than a League One club. How did they go about turning a £27m a year loss making club into a breakeven Championship team in just a few years. Buying Charlton What did the new ownership buy Charlton for and how does that compare to the current revenues across the club? The unique academy set-up that plays a huge part in the successful running of Charlton, and the strength of the local population that feeds it. What are the ambitions of the team over the coming years and how are the ownership looking to achieve them? The challenge with running a women’s team in an environment that isn’t set up for success; how the FA missed a golden opportunity to make women’s football great.  

This week, we’re delighted to welcome Marcos Galperin to the show. Marcos is the founder of Latin American e-commerce giant Mercado Libre. Last year, he bought the Miami Sharks, a Major League Rugby expansion franchise, combining a lifelong passion for the game with asset ownership in a high potential league and market. There are some crazy numbers in the world of sports valuations, and the opportunity to identify value where it is not yet maximised is becoming increasingly hard. Can rugby make it in the US? Hosting the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup is a huge opportunity to build community and engagement in the sport, but a strong domestic league needs to underpin the temporary arrival of a major tournament, and that is what Marcos is looking to help create in Miami.  Understanding the motivations of owners is crucial to helping fans establish a deep relationship with their teams. This is the story of why one of the tech industry's best entrepreneurs went all in on franchise rugby.  In today’s show we discuss: Rugby in the US: Why the 2031 Rugby World Cup taking place in the US is a huge opportunity to build a strong community required to sustain attention on the game. Major League Rugby is an emerging league with increasing potential to challenge more established sporting organisations in the country; what needs to happen to grow the league? What are the key revenue drivers behind teams in the league? Does the league negotiate and broker deals or do franchises have the opportunity to do so at a local level? Miami Sharks has a strong South American following and community. Who are their fans? What do they want to see when they go to games? Running a franchise: What is the cost of entry to buy an expansion franchise in Major League Rugby? Sports ownership can often be an ego play rather than financially driven business endeavour. What was the motivation behind Marcos purchasing the team? It is crucial to form an identity to be able to take out to market and sell to partners looking to work with you. How have Miami done this to build a roster of sponsors many MLS and NFL teams would covet? How important has it been to have the right people in place behind the scenes to execute the vision of the ownership? MLR has a salary cap to ensure overspending and subsequent financial mismanagement can’t happen. Is this good or bad? The global profile of rugby: Why the need for a global league aligned to the international calendar has never been greater. There are not many global stars in rugby, and rugby clubs need to encourage their players to build and leverage their brand to boost the sport as well as the wider ecosystem. Riding the Miami wave; how the growth of Inter Miami and the ‘Messi effect’ has created a buzz in the area to take advantage of.  The social value of rugby is huge! Why Marcos thinks his time playing the game was more valuable than his traditional education in preparing him for life in the business world.  What would Marcos do if he was in charge of World Rugby?

This week, we are delighted to welcome Alexis Ohanian. Alexis has become a prolific sports asset owner and investor, with controlling stakes in the NWSL’s Angel City, TGL franchise Los Angeles Golf Club, and new athletics venture Athlos. Alongside his involvement in sport, Alexis is the Founder and General Partner of 776, an early stage venture capital firm with $970m AUM. He is also one of the co-founders of Reddit. You add all that together and apply it to sport, the outcome is pretty special. Married to tennis legend Serene Williams, they have been huge advocates for the development of women’s sport. His belief is simple. Women’s sport hasn’t scratched the surface of its potential as an entertainment product, investment opportunity, or social needle mover. Great investors take advantage of untapped value. To do this while elevating the profile of an entire industry is pretty special.  On today’s show we discuss: 1. $31M in Revenue: The P&L of a Sports Team: What are the core revenue drivers for Angel City Football Team? How did Alexis convince Doordash to write the largest-ever brand sponsorship check to have the Doordash name on the Angel City shirt? How much money does Angel City make from ticket sales per year? What does the revenue from merchandise look like for Angel City? How has it changed with time? 2. How to Spend $31M Annually To Run a Team: What are the single biggest costs in running a sports team? Does Alexis believe that salary caps are good or bad for leagues? How much money is spent by clubs on content and software today? How should that change? Sports team optimised to be media companies; how to build the profile of your atheletes away from the pitch. 3. More Cash in Sports Than Ever: Prices for teams are at an all-time high. Are we in a bubble for sports assets? What remains under-priced and what is over-priced today? What are the pros and cons of private equity entering sports ownership in a meaningful way? Who is the worst sports team owner who despite his mismanagement, still made billions?

This week we’re delighted to welcome Brett Johnson to the show. Brett is the co-owner of Ipswich in the Premier League and Phoenix Rising and Rhode Island in the US. The rise of Ipswich since his group takeover is nothing short of ownership dreamland, seeing the club achieve back to back promotions from League One to the Premier League. But this is only the most recent success for Brett in football. The joy of speaking to owners on the show is getting access to the people behind the numbers and strategies. Who really are our owners? He has been a key driver of development in the US, building infrastructure, brand and talent in the league under the MLS, the USL. Phoenix Rising has seen huge success over the past decade, from rebrand to new stadium to Didier Drogba, and his new team Rhode Island is set to do great things both on the pitch and in the community.  Sports ownership is one of the most opaque parts of the sports industry. This conversation draws back the curtain. Owners like Brett are what the game needs.  On today’s show we discuss: Founding franchises: Identifying opportunity: there are many cities in the US with massive football communities that don’t have an MLS team. What can you create outside of the top system? How the birth of Phoenix Rising led to the build of a new stadium, development of young talent, and the recruiting of the legendary Didier Drogba as player and part-owner. Location, Location, Location - these franchises are more than sports teams. They play key roles in the community, from employment to infrastructure/real estate to social value. Why Rhode Island and what is the opportunity with this new USL franchise? There is value in the MLS and no one is complaining, but the league needs to become more than a retirement league.  US sports leagues: Huge value, but limited jeopardy; why it is so hard to facilitate top to bottom relevance in a league season and retain maximum asset value. What are the buy-in prices for football in the US? It is rumoured that MLS team expansion franchises are now worth $600m. A USL franchise is worth $20m. Which one represents better business? A deep dive on the USL and why there is so much opportunity from a business perspective and value add from a talent perspective.  How do these businesses run? What are the key revenue streams and how do you ensure you build a business that relies on a strong foundation not fanciful equity valuations.  Ipswich & English football If you want to be big in football, you need to be in England. This was always Brett’s ambition when becoming a team owner. The next question was which club? From being approached by Peter Kenyon to buy Newcastle to deciding Ipswich was the club to go after; what were the key factors in buying the club? Open leagues create the most incredible highs and lowest lows, from both the business side and for the fans. Relegation may decrease value, but rising through the leagues can add hundreds of millions to the value of a club. The value of English football is so because of the commercial and media revenues it can generate. Can the MLS create that same value without having promotion and relegation, and what is the impact of not doing that?

Carolyn is the co-owner and Governor of current NWSL champions Gotham FC. The NWSL is the flourishing women’s football, or soccer, league in the US. Much like the MLS, franchise slots for the league have become a coveted asset to own, with former Disney CEO Bob Iger reportedly paying $250m for Angel City last month.  Carolyn and her family’s ownership stake in Gotham was announced in 2023. They also own the NFL’s New York Giants. Carolyn also ran Peloton’s marketing department as the company rose from promising start-up to multi-billion fitness empire.  The success of women’s sport is a hot topic and while there are concerns over the structure and commercial viability of football in Europe, the US seems to have found a solution. In this show, we find out how.  In today’s show, we discuss: How to own a team: What is the process like to become the owner of an NWSL franchise?  Why the skills and experiences of owners are increasingly valuable as sports assets become more than ‘performance’ organisations. Learnings from building Peloton into one of the leading brands in an increasingly competitive fitness industry. Carolyn’s family are owners of the NFL’s New York Giants. What are the similarities between owning an established franchise in a developed league and an emerging team in a developing system?  The NWSL: an emerging player? Women's football has been a driver of women’s sport in the US for many years, but a developed and successful league is key to building value into the industry. What does the league do well and where are there areas for improvement? How easy is it to implement change? Ensuring engaging competition from top to bottom is crucial to the competition’s success. How do you maintain that level of competitiveness and equality within the system? Can NWSL teams become billion dollar franchises? What needs to happen to build value across the league to elevate the standing of the assets? Women’s sport on the rise: In recent history, women’s sport was not part of modern culture; the importance of changing the profile of various sports to propel female athletes into popular culture. Female athletes have a major role to play in society outside of the sporting environment they operate in. Building on the success of women’s football in the US to drive increased brand exposure and experiential opportunity for communities. 99% of investment in sport went into the men’s industry, but that is starting to change and the results are beginning to show.

This week we’re delighted to welcome Sean Fitzpatrick to the show. Sean was capped 92 times by New Zealand, 51 of those as captain. A World Cup winner and key member of one of the best rugby union teams, he is recognised as one of the greatest All Blacks of all time.  Sean is more than the sum of his rugby achievements. He has been an integral part of bringing the now famous All Black culture to wider sport and business. Key ideals such as ‘sweeping the sheds’ and ‘play where your feet are’ have been brought to life in James Kerr’s excellent book ‘Legacy’. We often look at how numbers, revenue, media engagement etc. builds value in sport. Sean explains how mentality and values are the first building blocks in creating the brand that people want to buy.  This is also about rugby more broadly. Sean’s perspective on the role of private equity investing in international rugby having been involved in Silver Lake’s minority acquisition of the All Blacks demonstrates the value that lies within the sport. But it begs the question, why is the sport still struggling?  On today’s show we discuss: The All Blacks Culture What does it mean to play for one of the most iconic badges in the world of sport? The life of a rugby player before the game became professional in 1995. How the culture of the All Blacks transcends sport, and the value that can be extracted by people living a life away from the field. ‘Play where your feet are’, ‘when you’re at your best, change it’. What do these sayings mean and what was the role of mindset in creating one of the greatest international teams of all time? It’s about the team, not the individual. However is this changing in today’s game with the need for ‘celebrity’ that wasn’t there before? ‘I don’t believe in work life balance’; you have to be 100% in'. Sean & Performance  Winning the first Rugby World Cup in 1987 and the story of transitioning from domestic rugby to the international stage. The danger of complacency; how being the best can lead to a team dropping their standards. When this happened to Sean in the early 90’s, how did they turn this around? The 1995 World Cup in South Africa is now an iconised occasion in sport and popular culture; what was it like to be on the other side of that famous final and Nelson’s Mandela’s drive to unite a country using sporting success. Being asked to return to the All Blacks fold on two different occasions having decided to move on. The Business of Rugby The increasing role of private equity in both teams and leagues across the game; why are they investing millions? What do they see as most valuable? A lack of global superstars is holding the sport back; the game needs individuals like Jonah Lomu to bring it to the front of the attention economy. Experiential is the key to driving value. Create amazing experience and capitalise on a reported 1 billion engagement with the All Blacks brand. Building a global IPL/F1 tournament series would bring the entertainment and excitement to the club level like we haven’t seen, but are the barriers to doing this insurmountable? We are delighted to partner with Tyndall Investment Management for this show. To learn more about Tyndall and their incredible work in the wealth management sector, please visit https://tyndallim.co.uk/ James Kerr - 'Legacy' (must read!) https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/james-kerr/legacy/9781472103536/ 

Today, we are delighted to welcome Alfonso Diaz, CEO of La Liga’s Real Mallorca. We’ve wanted to do a show featuring a Spanish club for a long time, and Mallorca is a truly unique club to do this with. From an ownership structure featuring legendary NBA All Stars Steve Nash and Steve Kerr, to mobilising not just a hugely passionate local island fanbase, but a booming tourist industry, Real Mallorca is re-establishing itself as one of the country’s most prominent clubs. They have been down to the third division and back over the last ten years, but now after four consecutive seasons in La Liga and a historic run to the Copa del Rey final last year, it’s time to build on the success of the club both on and off the field.  Alfonso is playing a key role in this from the business side. The importance of media rights, leveraging shall we call it ‘island status’ to drive brand and partnerships, building a new stadium and enhancing fan experience; this is the inside track on how to run a team in Spain.  In today’s show, we discuss: Reemergence of Real Mallorca The importance of stability. Relegated to the third division of Spanish football in 2017, the club is now off the back of its fourth consecutive year in La Liga.  What goes into transforming a club? The role of Alfonso and the leadership team in returning this historic club to the top division. New ownership from the US including NBA legends Steve Nash and Steve Kerr, and the value of engaged ownership groups. The impact of a memorable run to the Copa del Rey final and building bridges with a passionate fanbase. Football finance: How do clubs make money?  The difference in revenue as you move through the divisions; from €5m to €85m and the impact of media rights on a clubs ability to spend. The importance of sponsorships and aligning with brands that share the same values. What are the opportunities provided by being an island community when driving business growth?  How the CVC investment of €2bn in La Liga has allowed the clubs to accelerate projects that would have taken them 10 years to finance. Developing club brand: The challenges with recovering brand value when on the field performance doesn’t match the history of the club. Capitalising on a booming island tourist industry; 17 million people visit the island each year. What is the value of being the third most engaged with club in Japan on social media and how to create commercial value from international markets. Building a new stadium with a focus on experiential to give the fans more than just the 90 minutes of football they watch each weekend. We are delighted to partner with Tyndall Investment Management for this show. To learn more about Tyndall and their incredible work in the wealth management sector, please visit https://tyndallim.co.uk/

This week I’m delighted to welcome Paul McVeigh to the show. We spend a lot of time looking at sports away from performance reviews. When we focus on players or athletes, we want to know, who are the people and personalities behind the faces we become so familiar with, and how do they convert what they've learnt beyond sport? Footballers as intelligent, creative, innovative individuals is not something normally considered. We have a picture painted of what a player is like and the stereotype has stuck. This has changed slightly over the years, but the fact remains, understanding their value and opportunity to influence outside of the sport is often overlooked. Paul McVeigh has played a major role in shifting this perception. With over 300 appearances for top teams like Tottenham and Norwich and a full international for Northern Ireland, he has played at the highest level possible in the game. But then we add this. An early adopter is sports psychology before it became commonplace. A passion for business away from the field. A masters in sports psychology. Keynote speaker to Microsoft, Deutsche Bank, Allianz and many more. How has he achieved this? Why did he decide to go down this path? What is it about Paul that these companies see as so valuable? This is a conversation that more than validates the title of Paul’s book and his firm belief; ‘the stupid footballer is dead’.  On today’s show, we discuss: Treading your own path: How moving from Northern Ireland to London opened Paul’s eyes to the multi-faceted football industry. Redefining his first contract from Tottenham owner Alan Sugar and the fight to retain focus on achieving your goals when money and notoriety interferes. The confidence to try new things is intimidating for many; people don’t like change. How a yoga mat created a stir in the Norwich City dressing room. The impact of reading Tony Robbins book set Paul on the path to exploring the importance of sports psychology in a time where physical performance ruled above all. Work on your mind! Psychology is the most important part of a professional sportsperson’s career. Work on it as much if not more than you do your technique or physique! Learn, unlearn, relearn: stages of your career require different skills to succeed. Winning a professional contract won’t be the same as becoming one of the best players in the Premier League. ‘Football is the most ruthless industry in the world’. What does Paul mean by this? What makes the sport so unforgiving? Be an innovator, don’t be a sheep. Change is what drives success in many top organisations, but the majority fear new habits and environments they’re not familiar with. Value away from the pitch Paul’s career as a keynote speaker to some of the world’s biggest companies has been a huge success. How did he discover this was something he could make a living from? ‘The Stupid Footballer is Dead’ is the title of Paul’s book. Footballers are stereotyped based on cultural assumptions on their interests and personalities. Why is it important to change this narrative? Performance, leadership, teamwork; the three most valuable aspects of a footballer that translate effortlessly into great business people. How socio-economic factors have reduced opportunities for footballers to build careers in ways rugby and cricket players have managed to. Do you want to know how Premier League teams build world class environments? Check out Paul's 'Teamwork Masterclass' https://teamworkmasterclass.carrd.co/ We are delighted to partner with Tyndall Investment Management for this show. To learn more about Tyndall and their incredible work in the wealth management sector, please visit https://tyndallim.co.uk/  

Jonathan is a board member at Tottenham. We’ve covered ownership, management, players, but what happens in the boardroom of football's biggest clubs? Brought in by Daniel Levy, and a lifelong fan with a background in investment and technology, Jonathan brings the breadth of experience and perspective that’s increasingly valuable in football. How much of a meeting is focused on business strategy and how much is performance? How do you measure success? These are the questions we don't get an insight into and fans want to understand, and Jonathan’s role at one of the biggest clubs in the country provides a fascinating insight into the behind the scenes world of football governance.  On today's show, we discuss: What goes on in the boardroom: How much of the conversation in board meetings is short term performance related vs long term strategy?  A balance between good business and winning on the field can be hard to find. Why?  The new stadium was a major part of developing Spurs into a global football power. What opportunities have been created by having one of the best stadiums in the game? Work in the community is a major part of the club’s social value. Why is this so important to teams? What makes Daniel Levy such a good businessmen and in turn operator of a football club? Tottenham’s global brand Value of the Premier League to an international audience and the brands it has been able to create out of its clubs. Having an international reach puts pressure on the schedule to travel and take games to places like Australia and South Korea. It’s estimated Tottenham have over 200 million fans globally. How do clubs measure this and what do they do to maximise the experience of supporting the club for all fans?  Growth of the game in the US has provided incredible opportunity to add further value and audience to the League.  Jonathan’s role and motivations A lifelong fan with a huge passion for football, how Daniel Levy asked him to join the board and be a part of the decision making setup. How a background in investment and tech made him the perfect person to bring a new set of skills and perspectives to the board. Football clubs, much like any business today, need to think like technology companies. What does this mean? Building the right infrastructure behind the scenes is a key part of establishing success. How has the board recruited across performance and operations? We are delighted to partner with Tyndall Investment Management for this show. To learn more about Tyndall and their incredible work in the wealth management sector, please visit https://tyndallim.co.uk/

This week, we are delighted to welcome Matt Higgins to the show. Concisely explaining Matt’s career is a challenge. In the world of sport, he has been a managing executive at the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in the NFL, founder of sports events and media company Relevent Sports, an early investor in the Drone Racing League.  In the business world, the story is equally impressive. The youngest press secretary in New York City history, founder of investment first RSE Ventures, one of the sharks on US TV’s ‘Shark Tank’, Wall Street Journal Bestselling author for his recent book ‘Burn the Boats’.  You know on this show that we like to explore what fuels the sports industry through the perspectives of those that live it behind the scenes every day. Matt brings all of that and some, often accompanied by timely anecdotes, alongside the perspective of someone who has lived a life outside of sport.  In today’s show we discuss: Career in the NFL: Matt held the position of Executive Vice President at the New York Jets and Vice Chairman of the Miami Dolphins. What did these jobs involve? Key revenue streams in NFL franchises - from tickets, to suites, to sponsorships, how do the behind the scenes team maximise the commercial performance of major sports organisations? The importance of adopting new technology and innovative strategy as a sport and an independent franchise. Building and funding the MetLife stadium in New York; from financing to naming rights deals and everything in between.  Big money and sport Investment in sport from private equity, nation states, high net worth individuals has been on the rise in recent years. Why? Is private equity good for sport? The importance of retaining control and governance as investment is received. More money is good; less control is not. The importance of having people who have been operators before running the business of a sports entity. You can’t learn it from a spreadsheet. Why every franchise or team should have their own fund/financing vehicle. Owning a sports asset provides next level access to deals and the opportunity to become early adopters. A career alongside sports management Setting up investment fund RSE Ventures and investing in/founding organisations like Relevent Sports and Drone Racing League  Owning a stake in a pickleball team alongside LeBron James and the opportunity presented by new sports to disrupt the existing ecosystem  Matt’s attempt to purchase Formula One was eventually unsuccessful when Liberty Media purchased the company. What did he see in the opportunity? Bringing the biggest teams in Europe to the US through the creation of the International Champions Cup. Matt's book 'Burn the Boats' is an amazing read. We highly recommend checking it out here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Burn-Boats-Overboard-Unleash-Potential/dp/006308886X We are delighted to partner with Tyndall Investment Management for this show. To learn more about Tyndall and their incredible work in the wealth management sector, please visit https://tyndallim.co.uk/