Leaders Podcast

Rebuilding an international race calendar through Covid | New tracks, new formats, a new future | The next set of challenges major rights holders face. Episode 95 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Onside Law - features a conversation with Formula 1's Global Director of Promoters and Business Relations Chloe Targett-Adams (discussion starts at 11.50). Having joined the global motorsports series in 2009 as a senior legal counsel, Targett-Adams has been a key part of both the 'old' and 'new' leadership teams at Formula 1. She worked closely with former CEO Bernie Ecclestone, and is now a driving force within the executive team, led by CEO Chase Carey, set up by Liberty Media, which completed its $4.4 billion acquisition of Formula 1 in 2017. Targett-Adams is responsible for building and maintaining Formula 1's relationships with its race promoters and the government jurisdictions within which they sit. When Formula 1 was forced to break down then rebuild its season follow

Selling 750,000 tickets in a pandemic | Scenario planning and building consumer confidence | Athlete advocacy and sport as a platform for driving social change. Episode 94 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with Rugby League World Cup 2021 CEO and Customer Director Jon Dutton and Terri Lynam (begins at 18:34). With just over a year to go before the tournament - still scheduled to take place to full capacity crowds in venues across England - Dutton and Lynam look ahead to the 21st September opening of the ticket pre-sale window, and explain their strategy for shifting 750,000 tickets during a pandemic. Before that, David Cushnan and James Emmett discuss the plans being made across the sports industry for the return of socially distanced fans to sports venues, and look into the gathering momentum behind the athlete advocacy movement, and sport's role as a platform for protest. On the conversational agenda: - The factors that go into designing a ticketing plan; - How Rugby League World

The new Netflix CMO on the business of being badass | Leaving a big job at Endeavor for a bigger one at Netflix in the midst of a pandemic | The role of the modern marketer | The marcomms challenge in sport, who's done it best, and what comes next. Episode 93 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with new Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John (discussion starts at 8:42). Saint John is one of the most impactful marketers in modern corporate America. Her resumé reads like a Fortune 500 roll call: leading marketing roles at the intersection between consumer goods, tech, and entertainment at Pepsi, Apple, Uber and Endeavor presaged her current job as CMO of streaming giant Netflix, a role she took up at the beginning of August, one week after recording this conversation for Leaders. Wherever she has gone across her career, Saint John has made a deep impression, her skill for brand storytelling allied closely to her own executive boldness and sense of personal authenticity. She is currently combini

TikTok's move into sports | The balance between commercialisation and maintaining authenticity | Benny the Bull and the Chicago Bulls' TikTok success story. Episode 92 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with Harish Sarma (discussion starts at 8:47), Global Strategic Partnerships and Corporate Development at ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, for now at least, of social platform TikTok. TikTok is one of the fastest growing platforms in the world, with user numbers soaring over the course of the pandemic. As of June this year, TikTok's Monthly Active Users (MAUs) were estimated at 800 million. As the political rift between the US and China has deepened, Chinese tech firms have come under pressure from US authorities, none more so, perhaps, than TikTok. Just two weeks after Sarma joined us to record this episode, a hectic weekend of rumour, statement and politicking has seen President Trump apparently threaten to ban TikTok in the US, with ByteDance countering with an offer to full

What 'accelerated change' actually means during Covid | Connectivity and the new matchday experience | Start-ups to keep an eye on. Episode 91 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features two conversations on technology, innovation, and the route back from Covid for sport. The first is with AT&T Business Solutions Marketing Director Guy Poorman (discussion starts at 8:56) and focuses on connectivity and the enhancements to remote business operations and fan safety, security and engagement it's likely to bring. The second is with Fielding Jamieson, Strategy Director at Innovation Consultancy R/GA's Global Sports Venture Studios (discussion starts at 24:01). On the agenda: - The three pillars of business adaptation during Covid; - Bringing fans back to venues by making them feel 'connected, protected and respected'. - Is this really an era of accelerated innovation? - What the new in-venue fan experience will look and feel like; - The start-ups to keep an eye on into 2021.

Why digital strategy is dead | Why in-house websites are not | The long-term impacts of Covid on football. This episode of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is supported by digital specialists iX.co, and as part of that support, they are giving the podcast audience an opportunity to receive a complementary Digital Maturity Audit. This audit will analyze your systems, processes and current digital engagement and provide valuable insights for improvement and a roadmap to make better digital decisions. This is an exclusive, limited time offer so go to https://www.ix.co/digital-maturity-audit today to request your Digital Maturity Audit. Episode 90 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation between iX.co's Becki Civello and AS Roma's Chief Strategy Officer Paul Rogers (discussion begins at 7:57). Rogers is based in Boston, where the Italian club’s ownership is headquartered, and is responsible for the club’s business and international strategy as well as Roma’s media department, including its

Behind-closed-doors broadcasting | Changes to production and to fan engagement techniques | The new rights landscape. This episode of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is supported by digital specialists iX.co, and as part of that support, they are giving the podcast audience an opportunity to receive a complementary Digital Maturity Audit. This audit will analyze your systems, processes and current digital engagement and provide valuable insights for improvement and a roadmap to make better digital decisions. This is an exclusive, limited time offer so go to https://www.ix.co/digital-maturity-audit today to request your Digital Maturity Audit. Episode 89 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast brings two perspectives on behind-closed-doors sports broadcasting. The rights holder view comes from LaLiga's Head of Content and Programming Roger Brosel (conversation starts at 13:36), who is in the midst of an ambitious project to broadcast every game, every day, from LaLiga's return on 11th June, to its scheduled

Tennis's tumultuous route to return-to-play | US Open World and what it will mean | The possibility of consolidation among tennis's multiple stakeholder groups. This episode of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is supported by digital specialists iX.co, and as part of that support, they are giving the podcast audience an opportunity to receive a complementary Digital Maturity Audit. This audit will analyze your systems, processes and current digital engagement and provide valuable insights for improvement and a roadmap to make better digital decisions. This is an exclusive, limited time offer so go to https://www.ix.co/digital-maturity-audit today to request your Digital Maturity Audit. Episode 88 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with USTA Professional Tennis CEO and newly named US Open Tournament Director Stacey Allaster (discussion starts at 6:19). The former WTA President has had one of the most difficult jobs in sport of late (in what is, admittedly, a crowded field), as sh

The moment for seismic change in world football | Plugging the revenue gap with new tournament revenues | How private equity and new investment can reshape sport. This episode of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is supported by digital specialists iX.co, and as part of that support, they are giving the podcast audience an opportunity to receive a complementary Digital Maturity Audit. This audit will analyze your systems, processes and current digital engagement and provide valuable insights for improvement and a roadmap to make better digital decisions. This is an exclusive, limited time offer so go to https://www.ix.co/digital-maturity-audit today to request your Digital Maturity Audit. Episode 87 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with Danny Sillman (starts at 11:22), the CEO of the Stephen Ross-owned football events and media company Relevent Sports, the promoter behind the International Champions Cup (ICC). The ICC was founded in 2013 and has evolved to become the preeminent

Why the WNBA President became the WNBA Commissioner title a year ago | Inside the WNBA draft | The opportunity to innovate. The new normal of sports behind closed doors presents its own set of challenges to keep fans loyal and engaged. Digital specialists iX.co can help. They're offering the Leaders Sport Business Podcast audience a personalised consulting workshop with their strategy team. The interactive workshop will provide a complete overview of the market, the increased role that digital products are playing, and how to apply all of these trends to your business at this critical time. This is an exclusive, limited-time offer, so go to www.ix.co/workshop today to request your custom workshop. Episode 86 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (begins at 04.46), recorded on 14th May, almost a year to the day that Engelbert accepted the top job at the WNBA. She become the first holder of the 'commissioner' title at the WNBA when she joined from

The new 'approachable' McLaren F1 | The correction coming in sports finance | The future of sports sponsorship | The Last Dance. Episode 85 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a discussion with McLaren MD of Sales & Marketing Mark Waller (conversation begins at 20:28) from his home in Connecticut, USA. Waller joined McLaren in May last year, joining forces with his old friend Zak Brown, CEO of the Formula One team since 2018. Brown, who founded motorsport sponsorship specialist agency Just Marketing, had done plenty of business with Waller in the 1990s and early 2000s, when Waller held various marketing roles at global drinks giant Diageo. Waller joined the NFL in 2006 as CMO, going on to become EVP of NFL International. He retains an advisory role at the league. On the conversational agenda: - Brown's role at McLaren, how it came about, and why it's the missing piece in his career puzzle; - The new leadership culture being fostered at McLaren; - The difference partnerships can make in the fabr

How the Jets put their NFL Draft content plan together | The enforced pause as a launchpad for radical ideas | The two-track thinking across European football. Episode 84 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is brought to you by Onside Law. As a gesture of help, the specialist law firm is offering a number of free sports law clinics for those grappling with issues arising from Covid-19. Request a free session here. This episode of At home with Leaders features a conversation with Chris Gargano (begins at 32:42), the VP and Executive Producer at the New York Jets. He takes us inside the content operation at the NFL franchise and reviews the recent NFL Draft, which attracted a staggering 55 million viewers over the course of its virtual broadcasts on 23rd, 24th, and 25th April. Gargano and his team produced three live shows of their own, and attempted to transpose a series of Jets draft parties into a virtual environment. Before that conversation, James Emmett and David Cushnan are joined by Onside Law Partner

The difference between leadership and management | A new dawn for the DRL | Giving autonomy vs taking control in a work from home environment. Episode 83 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is brought to you by Onside Law. As a gesture of help, the specialist law firm is offering a number of free sports law clinics for those grappling with issues arising from Covid-19. Request a free session here. This episode of At home with Leaders features a conversation with newly installed Drone Racing League President Rachel Jacobson (conversation starts at 17:19). The former NBA SVP of Global Partnerships became one of a small number of female presidents in sport when she started the role earlier this week. Founded in 2015, the Drone Racing League now has broadcast deals with NBC, Sky, ProSeibenSat.1 and Youku, and has put on eye-catching events in venues such as Alexandra Palace in London, BMW Welt in Germany, and Chase Field in the US. Also joining James Emmett and David Cushnan for this episode is the Leaders Perf

How sponsor brands are reacting to the crisis | The deals that have been done | The business of de-organising a global activation. Episode 82 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Onside Law. As a gesture of help, the specialist law firm is offering a number of free sports law clinics for those grappling with issues arising from Covid-19. Request a free session here. Joining James Emmett and David Cushnan for this episode is Coca Cola's VP of Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships Ricardo Fort (conversation begins at 21:04). Fort began his marketing career at Unilever in his home country of Brazil in the early 1990s. He joined the Coca-Cola Company as a brand manager for Sprite in Brazil in 1998 before working his way up the marketing ladder. He left the company in 2011 for stints at Danone and Visa, before returning in 2016 to head up Coca-Cola's global sponsorship efforts from its headquarters in Atlanta. On the conversational agenda: - Scaling down or turning o

The financial imperatives for finishing league seasons | The slow return to activity in China | How to plan for a comeback. Episode 81 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is brought to you in partnership with Onside Law, specialist lawyers providing solutions to the sports industry from offices in London, Geneva, and Sydney. Onside Law are conscious of the pressures many in our industry are facing and, as a gesture of help, they are offering a number of free sports law clinics for those grappling with issues arising from Covid-19. Request a free session here. Joining David Cushnan, James Emmett, and Onside Law's Jamie Singer for this episode are football finance expert Ian Dixon (conversation begins at 22:26) and senior sports media executive Sam Li (conversation begins at 35:05). Dixon is the former Managing Director and Analytical Head of EMEA and APAC Infrastructure & Project Finance Group at Fitch Ratings. He was worked on financing projects across top tier sport, and notably structured the stadium

Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona viewed through sportsbiz goggles | The BBC’s Italia 90 semifinal coverage under the microscope | Where esports is plugging the gap left by the lack of live sport. Episode 80 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Onside Law - features a conversation with Neville Upton, founder and president of esports events and production company Gfinity, and Onside Law founding partner Simon Thorp (discussion starts at 18:58). On the conversational agenda: - How esports is helping to plug the programming gap; - The different approaches being taken by traditional rights holders and athletes moving into virtual sports; - The extra activity, audience, and engagement and if, when, and how it's translating into revenue; - The specifications and resource needed to set up virtual events; - The short-term impact and opportunities, and the long-term legacy for esports.

The creative options for bringing live sport back | Athletes in isolation | An ecosystem built on quicksand. Episode 79 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Onside Law - features conversations with Wasserman EVP Circe Wallace (discussion starts at 11:44) and Trinity Sports Management Director Andrew McQuaid (discussion starts at 28:48). West Coast-based Wallace is one of the most influential action sports agents in the business. A former athlete herself, her client roster includes the likes of Torah Bright and Travis Rice, and she has become an increasingly prolific documentary producer. London-based McQuaid runs Trinity Sports Management, an event management and talent representation agency. He represents the likes of Nicolas Roche and Owain Doull in cycling. On the conversational agenda: - How athletes are dealing with their own periods of isolation; - The financial distress to come in cycling; - The fate of the Tour de France this year; - Full Catastrophe Living - the

The athlete sacrifice conundrum | The mechanisms protecting sports teams and leagues | When and where the goodwill will run out. Episode 78 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Onside Law - features conversations with Triple S Sports and Entertainment MD Paul Stretford (discussion begins at 20:09) and Onside Law Partner Jamie Singer (discussion begins at 4:55). Speaking just hours before the Premier League announced it would be consulting its players on a potential 30% pay cut or deferral in the face of mounting public and media pressure, Stretford, whose agency represents the likes of England footballers Wayne Rooney and Harry Maguire, was happy to address what he sees as a mishandled process and a lack of understanding of the contribution many footballers are already making. Singer, meanwhile, gives an overview of the conversations he and his team are having with a range of rights holders looking to protect themselves in uncertain times and no clarity on when or where s

Building and selling a hundred million dollar company | The emotional impact of years of striving towards an exit | The responsibility and solace of sports ownership | Cost cuts and rescue packages across sport. Episode 77 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Onside Law - sees David Cushnan and James Emmett chat to Sydney Kings owner Paul Smith (conversation starts at 8:29). Paul founded and grew Repucom into one of the most trusted sports media measurement and consultancy businesses before selling it to Nielsen in a deal reportedly worth $195 million in 2016. After returning to his homeland of Australia, he took a majority ownership stake in National Basketball League (NBL) side the Sydney Kings through his Total Sport & Entertainment (TSA) agency before taking full control in March 2019. On the conversational agenda: - Thrills and spills at the SportAccord Convention in Sochi in 2015; - The journey of building Repucom into a saleable asset and the ultimate deal with

Getting through Coronavirus | The great calendar reshuffle | The surge in live streaming | The opportunity in esports. Episode 76 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast sees former BBC Sports News Correspondent Richard Conway (conversation starts at 7:41) and The Esports Observer CEO Chris Hana (26:06) talk via crystal clear internet connection to James Emmett and David Cushnan for another episode of At home with Leaders. On the conversational agenda: - How Richard coped with Coronavirus; - The media coverage of the fallout; - How sport is responding; - The surge in live streaming and the opportunity inherent in it; - Where the real engagement in esports is; - How 'traditional' sports organisations should be approaching esports now; - Do more eyeballs mean more dollars in the virtual world? - How to get an esports grounding during Corona-lockdown. Let us know what you'd like to talk about and who you'd like to hear from on At home with Leaders. @JamesEmmett and @DavidCushnan on Twitter. Stay safe, keep in touc