Leaders Podcast

An unfiltered discussion between the leaders of the BBC and Wimbledon.Leaders in Conversation is a new series that puts you in the room, fly-on-the-wall style, for a discussion between the most influential leaders in sports and media. Our first episode is with Tim Davie and Sally Bolton, both of whom took the helm at their historic British institutions just over a year ago.Tim Davie became Director-General of the BBC on 1st September 2020. He is the 17th Director-General of the Corporation. Prior to this, Davie was Chief Executive of BBC Studios, the BBC’s principal commercial subsidiary. Responsible for creating and distributing content globally; Davie led BBC Studios from April 2013. Whilst in the role, he oversaw the merger between the BBC’s production arm and BBC Worldwide, the Corporation’s distribution company, and was responsible for an annual turnover of over £1.4billion.Sally Bolton is Chief Executive at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, having previously held the roles of Strategic Planning & Op

In conversation with the billionaire that has ownership interests across the NBA, NHL and Premier League. One Careful Owner is a new series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that features exclusive conversations with the people who invest billions into teams. Who have a unique handle on where the industry is going. On media rights. On globalisation. On asset creation. On trading players. On the risks, rewards and the pitfalls. On the pressures and demands. The unique challenges and often downright weird situations that only sports owners have experienced. And all while they’re doing their day job. Our latest guest is Josh Harris, the Co-Founder of Apollo Global Management, one of the world’s largest alternative investment firms. He is also one half of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the New Jersey Devils, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Prudential Center, the Dignitas esports team and has a stake in Elevate Sports Ventures, which provides venue, ticketing and hospitality solutions acro

Behind the scenes at Leaders Week, London.David Cushnan and James Emmett are joined by former FIS General Secretary Sarah Lewis to review the action from day two of an action-packed return to sports industry conferencing at Leaders Week, London.On the agenda:Contractual flexibility and long-term relationships in sports sponsorship;The best conference session of any conference in any industry from any time;'Proportionality' and reacting to crises, plus other golden gobbets of leadership wisdom;BBC Director General Tim Davie, Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton, Purplebricks CMO Ben Carter, Rugby League World Cup CEO Jon Dutton;Reaching new diverse audiences, and (trying!) to create inclusive environments in sport (and at Leaders);Techno, techno, techno, techno.

Behind the scenes at the Leaders Sport Business Summit.David Cushnan and James Emmett are joined by Nielsen Sports' Samantha Lamberti to review the action from a barnstorming return to face-to-face conferencing at the first day of the Leaders Sport Business Summit in London.On the agenda:The buzz on the conference floor; and re-learning how to network;The big themes from the day: change, change, and more change;The huge momentum behind women's sport as new research indicates that 21% of UK adults follow more women's sport than they did 18 months ago.HBSE's Josh Harris, Sky Sports' Jo Osbourne, and Unity's Peter Moore;NFTs, and the new wave of technological innovations sweeping sport and the conference halls;How evolving consumer habits, new technologies, and creative approaches to monetisation are changing the way we produce and consumer sport.Join us on Thursday for another full day at Leaders, and another live wrap-up show.

Going inside ‘the full Sky Sports treatment’| Innovation in sports broadcasting | The commercialisation of the Women’s Super LeagueAppointment to View is a series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that features conversations with rights owners, broadcasters, creators and innovators at the epicentre of the shifting sports media landscape.The series examines how sport is packaged, produced, consumed, distributed, and monetised.The third episode in the series features Gary Hughes, Sky Sports’ Head of Football who oversees football production across all Sky Sports platforms. He joined the broadcasting giant in 1995 as a producer on Sky News, before moving across to Sky Sports News, where he led a production team for ten years. He ran Sky’s Champions League coverage for 5 years before taking the Head of Football role in 2014.This conversation was held a few days after the opening weekend of the new WSL season, the first match week of a new rights cycle that has seen Sky and the BBC sign a landmark deal to br

The pressures of leading one of the most historic sports bodies in the world | Rights re-packaging for new consumption habits| Adapting to the challenges that came with the pandemic.Appointment to View is a series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that features conversations with rights owners, broadcasters, creators and innovators at the epicentre of the shifting sports media landscape.The series will examine how sport is packaged, produced, consumed, distributed, and monetised.In the first episode, we heard from Bo Han, the US-based media entrepreneur and former Twitter executive who is reimagining search and discovery for sport with his new notification-based streaming app Buzzer.This week, our guest is the chief executive of one of the most historic and preeminent rights owner organisations in sport, the FA. Mark Bullingham succeeded Martin Glenn in the role of CEO at English football’s governing body in July 2019, having served as Glenn’s Chief Commercial Officer since joining the FA in 2016. He wa

The man behind the hottest new app in sports media | Notifications, micropayments, and additional audiences | Building a sports media business from scratch. Appointment to View is a new series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that features conversations with rights owners, broadcasters, creators and innovators at the epicentre of the shifting sports media landscape. The series will examine how sport is packaged, produced, consumed, distributed, and monetised. The first episode is with Bo Han, the former Director of Live Content at Twitter, who spent three years building out the live sports proposition at that platform, before leaving in 2019 to found his new business, Buzzer, which launched in January 2020. Buzzer is a notification-based platform that alerts fans to when key moments are happening across a number of sporting properties before directing them to live coverage. It already has a number of major rights owners - including the NBA, the NHL and the PGA Tour - onboard and is monetising via a num

In conversation with the man who brought Brighton back from the brink. One Careful Owner is a series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that features exclusive conversations with the people who invest billions into teams. Who have a unique handle on where the industry is going. On media rights. On globalisation. On asset creation. On trading players. On the risks, rewards and the pitfalls. On the pressures and demands. The unique challenges and often downright weird situations that only sports owners have experienced. And all while they’re doing their day job. Our guest today is Tony Bloom, the man from the south coast of England who made his money as a professional gambler – betting on sport and at poker tables around the world – before investing in his home town football club, Brighton & Hove Albion, and leading them to the top tier division after 34 years away from it and numerous failures along the way. Tony is a rare breed of modern sports owner. His family have always been fans of the club – a

England Men's Football Head Coach Gareth Southgate joins Leaders Founder and Chair Jimmy Worrall for a special episode of Rules of the Game to go in depth on an intangible but imperative leadership characteristic: resilience. Released on the eve of European Championship Final at Wembley - England's first appearance in a major final for over 50 years - and recorded as Southgate was putting the final touches to his preparations for the tournament, this episode of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast unpacks what it means to have resilience - as a leader, and as a team. On the agenda: - The skill of resilience: what it is and what it does for you; - How to develop resilience in yourself and in diverse teams; - Channeling failure into growth experiences: the penalty miss and relegation with Middlesbrough; - Growth mindset: analysis, reflection and review; - Handling pressure, handling criticism, handling scrutiny. For more on Leaders podcasts and its regular series of global sports industry events, visit leadersins

Billy Beane, Barry Hearn, Michele Roberts, and Jonathan Barnett join Leaders Founder and Chair Jimmy Worrall to discuss the art of negotiation. In the second episode of Rules of the Game, Leaders Founder and Chair Jimmy Worrall explores the art of negotiation and what it takes to do it effectively. He sets out his five golden rules to follow, and offers a practical set of tips to reinforce your own negotiating style. To unpack this fundamental skill, he's joined by four of the finest exponents of deal-making from across the world of sport: - Oakland A's EVP of Baseball Operations Billy Beane - Mr 'Moneyball' himself - who pioneered data analysis in baseball to gain an edge in player trade negotiations; - Serial sports promoter Barry Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport and one of the most successful all-round commercial operators in any number of sports and across any number of revenue streams; - NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, who has spearheaded several rounds of successful negotiations between the N

In conversation with the billionaire co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. One Careful Owner is a new series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that features exclusive conversations with the people who invest billions into teams. Who have a unique handle on where the industry is going. On media rights. On globalisation. On asset creation. On trading players. On the risks, rewards and the pitfalls. On the pressures and demands. The unique challenges and often downright weird situations that only sports owners have experienced. And all while they’re doing their day job. Our first guest on One Careful Owner is Marc Lasry. In 2014, Marc bought the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise from long-time owner Herb Kohl. Kohl had paid $18 million for the team when he bought it in 1985. Marc – alongside his partners Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan – paid $550 million for it. According to the latest Forbes list, the franchise is worth $1.6 billion today. Marc founded Avenue Capital Group in 1995, building the hedge fund over time to

One-on-one with video monetisation guru Yoav Arnstein | Olympics in peril | First thoughts on Clubhouse. Episode 104 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast sees us delve deep into the mechanics of Facebook's monetisation machine with the social giant's Director of Product Management Yoav Arnstein (conversation starts at 15:30). Video monetisation is arguably the top priority for any of the major sports publishers - including rights holders across the sporting spectrum - on Facebook, and Arnstein leads the development and roll out of the monetisation tools that the platform provides. He is one of the key internal stakeholders informing - and being informed by - the sports strategy that Peter Hutton and his team have been developing as Facebook has evolved its formal relationship with sport. On the conversational agenda: - The role video plays in fostering community; and the role community plays in monetisation strategies; - How Facebook currently monetises video, and why in-stream ads and pay-per-view are abou

  Leaders Founder and Chair Jimmy Worrall introduces the pilot edition of Rules of the Game, a new series unpacking the skills required to be an effective leader in 2021. In this edition, Jimmy explores the art of networking, identifying and explaining the keys to doing it well, adding value and forging connections that turn into longstanding relationships. Through extended conversations over several months with some of sport’s leading figures and expert networkers, and Jimmy’s own personal experiences with Leaders in Sport over the past 12 years, this is the ultimate practical guide to how to build and nurture your professional network – quick-fire tips and golden rules to network by. You’ll hear from: - Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil on asking questions, surrounding yourself with smart people and helping others to connect. - Kathy Carter, Chief Revenue Officer at LA 2028, on finding commonality, building trust and earning respect. - Former UK Sports Minister T

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

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

The man writing the NFL's business playbook | The 'sportification' of political media coverage | How the biggest get bigger and what growth will look like for the NFL. Episode 100 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast features a conversation with NFL Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Chris Halpin (starts at 12:24). Halpin joined the league in 2013, making the move from the private equity world and his job as MD of Providence Equity Partners. Although he has held a number of roles since that point, strategy has always been a key focus, and Halpin has become a pivotal influence on the business of the league as it strives to achieve its much-vaunted target of $25 billion in revenues by 2027. Halpin was promoted to his current role in 2018 and has established himself as cornerstone member of the league's C-Suite. When Mark Waller left his role running the league's international business after the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, it was Halpin who took on his responsibilities. His purview is now as wide as it is long t

How sponsorship in official groups can work | Community management | Partner make-goods | Unique content campaigns. Episode 99 of the podcast looks at how some sports rights holders are using Facebook groups to commercialise relationships with brands. We’ll hear from two experts in the field. First, Nick Marquez. He’s Facebook’s North American Sports Teams Partnerships Lead – and he works closely with a select band of major league franchises to maximise value through Facebook’s various functions and platforms. What that means in practice is a focus on four key areas, namely audience development, sponsorship and branded content; commerce and conversion; and direct revenue-generating products. One of the teams Nick works most closely with is the LA Clippers in the NBA. We’ll be hearing from the Clippers’ Executive Director of Digital Media and Content, Charlie Widdoes, and we’ll be homing in on the work that Charlie and his team have been doing on building and managing a community within the Clippers official F

Out of Dana White's head and onto UFC Fight Island | The logistics behind a ready-made sports bubble | the new Covid-era fan data driving sport's decision-making processes. Episode 98 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Arc - features a conversation with UFC COO Lawrence Epstein (begins at 7:15) on the eve of the MMA promotion's latest event on 'Fight Island' in Abu Dhabi. Epstein has been a driving force within the UFC since 2007, under the previous ownership of Zuffa and the Fertittas, and, since the $4 billion acquisition in 2016, under Endeavor. On the conversational agenda: - How the UFC managed to come back first with Fight Island; - The Making of UFC Fight Island; - The operational challenges - and efficiencies - that Covid-era, fanless fights entail; - Why and how the UFC's media deal with ESPN has proved transformative; - How life has changed under Endeavor; - What the UFC knows about its fans and how it knows it; - Dana White: the frontman, motivator, spirit an

Transforming a football business into a media and entertainment investment firm | Buying into Leeds United | The 4-point plan driving 49ers Enterprises | Why date nights are sacrosanct in the pandemic. Episode 97 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Arc - features a conversation with Paraag Marathe (first part begins at 05:12, second part begins at 46:21), EVP of Football Operations at the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, President of 49ers Enterprises, board member at Premier League side Leeds United, and Chairman of USA Cricket. Having been with the 49ers since 2001, Marathe has developed into one of the most versatile and broad-minded senior executives in sport. His current responsibilities include the management of the 49ers player contracts and salary cap; the strategic direction and day-to-day oversight of 49ers Enterprises, the franchise's innovative, growth-focused investment vehicle; representing the 49ers' viewpoint on the board of Leeds United, in which the 49ers too

The plight of athletes in a pandemic | Building businesses off the field | The new environment for social justice campaigning in sport. Episode 96 of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast - brought to you in partnership with Onside Law - features a conversation with two current NFL athletes: Michael Thomas, a safety for the Houston Texans, and Brandon Copeland, linebacker for the New England Patriots (discussion begins at 14:02). They’ve been in the league for eight and seven years respectively, and both play active leadership roles in the NFL Players union - the NFLPA. In fact, Michael and Brandon are high achieving examples of what the NFLPA calls #AthleteAnd - a programme of activity that helps NFL athletes build businesses and interests away from the field of play and to define themselves as more than an athlete. Both players have numerous business interests, charitable endeavours, and qualifications - Brandon is even a professor of financial literacy - and we delve into all of that, as well as the fight for