The team talk shop with the head honcho of Mexican women’s professional football, Mariana Gutierrez, President of Liga MX Femenil. Mariana shares a wealth of information about Liga MXF, including its history, structure, governance, commercialisation, player salaries, talent pathways, broadcasting quirks and its ambitious plans to make Liga MXF one of the top 3 women’s football leagues globally. Before that Val, Steve and Dave discuss the finer details of the recently released 118 page NWSL collective bargaining agreement.
In this episode, Val, Dave and Steve bring back football finance expert Christina Philippou for a case study, where the team discusses a valuation model for Chelsea Women built by Steve and powered by the terms of the sale of Lyon Féminin to Michele Kang in 2023. The group uses the model to dive into questions such as: What did Kang pay for Lyon and how was the purchase price structured? What does Lyon's revenue look like? What would make Chelsea more or less valuable than Lyon beyond just revenue? And most importantly, should that deal be a template for other investors to follow, in bringing greater investment to the women's game? With Christina's assistance, we go into the weeds on the numbers and come out the other side with a valuation range for Chelsea Women and a greater understanding of how investment in women's teams in Europe may be evolving.But before we get to the high finance, Val confesses to a certain merchandise purchase and the team talks about the prospects of the new World Sevens competition and whether, with just a little over a month to go before kick off, the inaugural edition will feature big name players and attract large numbers of travelling fans to Portugal.Listeners can poke through our valuation model on Google Sheets, at this link: https://tinyurl.com/cwfcmodel
In this episode, we chat with former England international, Natasha Dowie, about her professionalisation journey and what the money and off-pitch support looked like across her long and storied senior career (2004 and 2023), and touch upon the growing importance of social media and player brand building in the women’s game. Val, Steve and Dave also discuss the fallout from the proposal to temporarily pause relegation in the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, provide a roundup of recent NWSL business stories and talk NWSL ambition rankings (https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/44170235/nwsl-ambition-rankings-2025-no-1). To support Tash’s first ever London Marathon run and the Owen McVeigh Foundation, please visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/natashadowielondonmarathonPlease rate and review our show, as it helps new listeners find us, and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-women-s-football-finance-podcast) as we regularly post additional content there.
In this episode we dive into the WPL’s controversial proposal to (temporarily?) hit the pause button on relegation from the Women's Super League. Val and Steve debate whether, from a business perspective, it will have its desired effect of bringing more investment into the top two tiers of English women’s football, or whether something more radical will be needed to unlock the hoped-for levels of investment. We also explore the growing trend of multi-club ownership in women’s football and discuss whether there are meaningful synergies across women's teams, or whether they are mainly a vehicle for spreading-out financial risk in an immature market. And Val reveals which NWSL team she’d destined to support forever. Please rate and review our show, as it helps new listeners find us, and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-women-s-football-finance-podcast) as we regularly post additional content there.
In this episode, we sit down with Giulio Tedeschi, founder and CEO of Tedeschi & Partners, a pioneering agency dedicated to representing women football/soccer players. While the world of football agency has historically focused on the men’s game, Giulio and his team have been advocating for female talent for nearly 12 years, pushing for fairer contracts, family planning rights, better visibility for players and early focus on post-retirement opportunities. Giulio is a co-founder of the Italian Association of Football Agents and its Women's Football Delegate. In 2021, he wrote Inside the World of a Football Agent, critically analysing international regulations governing the industry. Now with five international offices, 15 employees and over 160 women footballers on his books, Giulio chats with Val, Dave and Steve about the changing landscape of player compensation and representation now that women’s football is starting to become big business on a global scale. The WFF Podcast team also discuss what San Diego Wave can do with the $1.1 million Naomi Girma transfer fee within the NWSL's strict cost control rules. And Steve and Dave agree to accompany Val on foot and by canoe on her quest to adopt the right NWSL team. For more information about Tedeschi & Partners: visit https://www.tedeschiepartners.soccer/Be sure to like and subscribe to our show! And follow us on LinkedIn for additional content (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-women-s-football-finance-podcast)
In this episode, the TWFFP team delve into the financial landscape of the often overlooked middle tiers of English women's football. In the spotlight are Chorley Women, a Tier 4 club with a humble budget but ambitious plans to drive revenue growth in order to push the team further along the professionalisation curve and higher up the pyramid. New club Chair, Jonny Slater, shares details of the club's strategy to grow sustainably and goes full 'open kimono' in sharing the club's detailed financial forecast for the 24/25 season.Val, Dave, and Steve share their take (and Chorley management’s first reaction) to the FA's new proposals to expand tiers 3 through 6 of the English women's pyramid and allow Professional Game Academy teams to parachute directly into Tier 4.Follow The Women's Football Finance Podcast on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-women-s-football-finance-podcast)
To kick off 2025, Val, Dave and Steve catch up on some of women’s football business news both big and small, from NWSL free agency to the un-naming of BOS Nation to WSL Panini sticker books. The hosts are then joined by Associate Professor and football finance expert, Christina Philippou, who shares her knowledge of the football club valuation process and the key price adjustments buyers make to reflect differences between clubs — and how it all applies to women’s football teams in Europe.Follow the Women's Football Finance Podcast's LinkedIn page for additional content and data (at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-women-s-football-finance-podcast)Get in touch via LinkedIn, Blue Sky @twffpod.bsky.social or X @Twffpod.
Val and Steve recap the big business & finance stories of the year in the world of global Women's Football. We catch up on attendance numbers, big efforts by Football Confederations, a new CBA in Spain, big gains in Australia, and other country-specific news around the USA, England, and beyond.Then, Steve explains why he thinks Michele Kang is a big deal for the growth and future of women's football, with her investments going well beyond the clubs themselves. And Val highlights the forthcoming accessibility of all Women's Championship matches on Youtube, and questions its reach and impact on attendance.
Val, Dave, and Steve are joined by Jennifer Haskel, Knowledge and Insights Lead in the Deloitte Business Sports Group, for a deep dive into Deloitte's research and projects on women's football, including their work on the:FIFA's Women's Football Benchmarking Report (https://inside.fifa.com/womens-football/news/setting-the-pace-fifa-womens-football-benchmarking-report);the Deloitte Women's Football Money League (https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/services/financial-advisory/analysis/deloitte-football-money-league-women.html); andthe Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance (https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-zone2/uk/en/docs/services/financial-advisory/2024/deloitte-uk-annual-review-of-football-finance.pdfPlus, a lively co-host debate on whether the NWSL missed a golden financial opportunity by choosing the CPKC Stadium for the 2024 NWSL Championship Final over a larger venue in a bigger city (that would have been easier for Val to get to...).
Val and Steve chat with Thayer Lavielle, Managing Director of The Wasserman Collective, about the increasing importance of commercial partnerships to the growth and sustainability of women’s professional football. The Collective is a team within the broader Wasserman agency which focuses on producing publicly-shared research to support greater gender equity in all corners of sports and entertainment.Thayer shares insights on the Return-on-Investment for brands investing in women’s sports, and why women’s leagues, teams, and athletes are now justified in seeking more value from commercial partners. They also discuss media visibility, social media's impact on sponsorship valuation, and appropriate tradeoffs to get butts in seats.Before that discussion, Val, Dave, and Steve reflect on The Collective's latest report, Her Love of the Game (https://www.wearethecollective.com/her-love-of-the-game), exploring the growth of female sports fans, what they care about when brands sponsor their favorite teams, and their loyalty to brands that align with their values. Dave and Steve also console Val on her daughter's decision to support Chelsea Women, and their excitement for upcoming international friendlies.
This episode of The Women’s Football Finance Podcast focuses on women’s professional football in France, with the help of our guest Pedro Iriondo, former Deputy General Manager of Olympique de Marseille and General Manager of the women’s football section.Hosts Valerie Goldstein, Dave Powell and Steve Estes talk with Pedro about the constraints women’s professional teams face in France, the various obstacles suppressing growth and how parent-clubs and the French Football Association can be both a help and a hindrance. They also discuss disparities in team operating budgets and player pay and Pedro offers insight into the tricky decision-making process around where a women’s team plays its matches.The team also analyses the new £65M Sky / BBC broadcasting deal for the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship in England, and provides some background on the development of women’s professional football in France and how it’s currently performing on key growth metrics such as attendance and broadcast revenue.
This episode of The Women’s Football Finance Podcast delves into the world of sports broadcasting with the help of Hannah Brown, Co-CEO of Women’s Sport at global sports-media giant, DAZN. The team provide a peak into the world of broadcast "rights deals" and speak with Hannah on a wide range of topics, including DAZN’s bold strategy to be the first to build a large portfolio of women’s football properties globally. She shares perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for broadcasters who are first to buy rights to a new sport or competition, how a broadcaster can reinforce clubs' efforts to grow their fanbase, being the first broadcaster to provide media visibility to the UEFA Women’s Champion’s League and the importance of leagues, broadcasters, sponsors, clubs and players all pulling in the same direction to build a great fan experience. And whilst on a frolic of their own, co-hosts Valerie Goldstein, Dave Powell and Steve Estes spar over the new naming of NWSL Club "BOS Nation FC", and offer some free brand advice...
In this episode of The Women’s Football Finance Podcast, Paul Barber OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, joins the pod. We talk about his club's journey of investing in its women’s team, from its decision in 2017 to apply for a club license and fully professionalise its women’s team to its plans to build the first ever purpose-built women’s football stadium in Europe. Paul describes the rationale behind Brighton's financial commitment to its women’s team, including investing millions “ahead of the revenue curve”, and their path to financial sustainability. He also shared thoughts on the need for cost controls, lessons from North American sports leagues, the financial challenges of competing with the top teams in the WSL, and much else. Come for the pros and cons of playing in Crawley, stay for the discussion of changing-room toilets.Hosts Valerie Goldstein, Dave Powell and Steve Estes also discuss the merits of possible solidarity payments between men’s and women’s football, and how that could work.
In this episode the Women's Football Finance Podcast team chats with Kelly Simmons OBE, who from 2018-2024 was Director of the Women's Professional Game in England. Capping her 30-year career at the FA, Kelly led the transformation of the Women's Super League from a largely semi-professional and amateur structure to arguably the best women’s football league in the world.Kelly shares the insider's view on how the BBC-Sky broadcast deal got done, including the "reach vs revenue" debate, and the evolution of women’s professional football from being a large cost centre for The FA to what is now an independently owned and operated company that generates significant centralised revenue. She also offers her opinions on the impact of promotion and relegation on the bottom line, the controversial Saturday 3 PM blackout spot, and the lack of solidarity payments between men’s and women’s football.Also in this episode, the team offers a short recap of the history of women's football in England, and an overview of the key structural differences between the top women's leagues in England vs the United States, while kicking around their takes on salary caps and the glittering prize that could be a main attraction for capital investment in women's teams across Europe: the UEFA Women's Champions League.Be sure to like, comment and subscribe! You can follow The Women's Football Finance Podcast at:LinkedInYoutubeTwitterFacebookThe Women's Football Finance Podcast is a Pure Gold Projects production.
In this episode of The Women's Football Finance podcast, hosts Valerie Goldstein, Dave Powell, and Steve Estes discuss the current financial landscape of women's professional football. With our guest, Kieran Maguire, we explore the key metrics for measuring the success of a women's professional football league - such as revenue, attendance, level of professionalisation, player wages and the value of broadcast deals. The conversation also highlights the impressive but uneven growth of the Women's Super League and Women's Championship in England, and notes the parallels between the women's professional game and a start-up business.Be sure to like, comment and subscribe!Follow The Women's Football Finance Podcast on:LinkedInYoutubeTwitterFacebookThe Women's Football Finance Podcast is a Pure Gold Projects production.