Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Business Behind Sport Podcast

Sport is built on spectacle. But its value depends on trust.

In this episode, Jonathan Taylor KC, Partner, International Sports Group at Bird & Bird LLP, joins Jonny Gray to reflect on a career at the centre of sport’s most defining integrity battles.

From Russian state-sponsored doping and cricket match-fixing to landmark questions of competitive fairness, Jonathan shares first-hand insights into the rules and governance frameworks that help protect sport’s credibility.

As investment and innovation reshape the industry, the conversation also explores why integrity is the foundation of sport’s commercial value, and what is at stake when trust is compromised.

As European football evolves, who gets a voice in shaping its future?

In this episode, Gareth Farrelly, former Premier League midfielder, turned lawyer and CEO of the Union of European Clubs (UEC), joins Jonny Gray to unpack the growing debate around representation and governance in European football.

Against the backdrop of a landmark World Cup, Gareth lifts the lid on why many small and medium-sized European clubs feel increasingly disconnected from the decisions shaping the game, and what the UEC is doing to ensure their voices are heard.

From stakeholder dynamics to player development, this is a conversation about how football can remain sustainable and representative in an increasingly complex landscape.

Listen now!

200mph speeds. Public roads. An entire island at stake.

In this episode, Paul Phillips, Head of Motorsport at the Isle of Man Government, joins Jonny Gray to explore how the Isle of Man TT has evolved from an event in decline into a globally recognised sporting platform.

Operating at the intersection of sport, government and community, Paul shares what it takes to balance commercial growth, stakeholder expectations, authenticity and risk while managing one of the world’s most complex sporting events.

From growing global audiences to the impact of a major Hollywood film, the conversation explores how the TT continues to evolve while staying true to its heritage.

Listen now!

From PA to a golf super-agent.

In this episode of #TheBusinessBehindSport, Vicky Cuming, Head of Golf Clients (EMEA) at WME Sports, reveals how she became one of the sport’s first female 'super-agents' — carving out her place in a male-dominated industry.

With 30+ years at the centre of golf, Vicky lifts the lid on shaping high-stakes careers covering the role of agent vs manager, million-dollar partnerships, and the relentless pressure behind peak performance. 

Set against a sport in flux, she also shares her view on the disruption caused by LIV Golf and what’s shaping the sport's next chapter.

This is the business beyond the fairway. Listen now!

From banned to Commonwealth champion.

In this episode, Stacey Copeland, the first British woman to win a Commonwealth boxing title, joins Jonny Gray to share her extraordinary journey from exclusion to elite performance, forged against a backdrop of systemic bias and discrimination.

Raised in sports that were never designed to include her, Stacey went on to play elite football across three countries before making history in the boxing ring. Since retiring, she has continued to challenge gender stereotypes and drive for inclusion through her charity “Pave The Way”.

Her story reveals what it truly takes to pave the way for women’s sport and what happens when talent is finally given space to thrive.

Don’t miss this one! Listen now.

800 million fans worldwide. 24 million social media followers. Volleyball is a top three global sport entering a new phase of commercial opportunity.

In this episode, Ugo Valensi, CEO of Volleyball World, joins Jonny Gray to discuss how the sport is unlocking commercial opportunity through a 67/33 joint venture model, centralised rights, and a fan-first digital strategy.

The conversation covers:

• The future of the sport from LA 2028 to the reimagined Volleyball World Cup
• Transforming fragmented rights into a unified commercial engine
• An unconventional digital strategy from VBTV to creator-led streaming
• Gender equality and player storytelling as core drivers of growth

Listen now to discover one of the most significant transformations underway in global sport — and what other rights holders can learn from it.

Valued at ~$103 billion today and projected to reach ~$185 billion by 2035, sports sponsorship has become a strategic growth lever — shaping how organizations position themselves, engage global audiences, and drive commercial value.

In this episode, Giles Morgan, Founder of ‘The Sponsorship Doctor’ and former Global Head of Sponsorship and Partnerships at HSBC and Howden, joins Jonny Gray to unpack the evolution of sports sponsorship, and why clarity, strategy, and execution are fundamental to successful partnerships.

They dive into:

• The importance of clear sponsorship objectives — and the brand risk when they aren’t defined
• How sponsorship deals are structured in practice, from rights to activation
• Why connecting authentically with fan communities is critical to success — with real-world examples
• How digital tools are transforming ROI measurement and accelerating sector growth

In this episode, Jonny Gray is joined by David James, Global Managing Partner – Sport at Elevate Talent, to delve into the evolving dynamics of the sports industry and its impact on executive talent search.

They explore how the convergence of sports and entertainment - and shifting commercial priorities - has led sport organizations to tap into unconventional talent pools, the qualities top senior candidates need to thrive and the unique challenges of working in this fast-changing industry.

The conversation also looks ahead to emerging talent gaps and offers practical advice for graduates eager to break into the field. Whether you're a seasoned leader or new to the industry, tune in to discover the next era of sports talent.

🎙️✨ After winning the Sports Education award as part of the International Sports Convention (ISC) International Sports Awards, Jonny Gray and Jonathan Brown share some of their favorite moments, key learnings and insights our guests have discussed during previous conversations on this episode of The Business Behind Sport.

This episode is a must-listen! Relive the unforgettable stories that made our show what it is today.

FIFA recently confirmed Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in 2034. 

In this exclusive interview, Jonny Gray speaks to Polly Handford, General Counsel of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) to discuss the local reactions in the Kingdom to the news, as well as what hosting the World Cup means for Vision 2030 and what the organization of the tournament will look like. 

This month, our Ankura experts discuss the creation of The Hundred Cricket competition, and the England and Wales Cricket Board's (or ECB’s) plans to invite private investment into the tournament. 

Join Alecia Futerman, Jonathan Brown, and Torie Hamilton Wilson as they explore the potential implications for the sport and its stakeholders. Listen now to find out more about the history of the sport, as well as the investment process and strategy. 

Should sports arbitrations and tribunals continue to be held in private?

In this episode, we speak with one of the most high-profile sports barristers in England, Nick De Marco to discuss:

⚽ The arguments for and against private arbitrations in sports 
🏆 How do sports differentiate compared to other industries in terms of handling the privacy aspects of arbitrations or tribunals
🏓 How do you balance the perceived “right to know” of fans, the public, and concerned stakeholders with the privacy of the involved parties?
🏀 And much more…

At the Paris Olympics last week, Saudi Arabia submitted plans to build 11 stadiums - including one set 350 meters above ground level - as part of the country's bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

Listen to this episode of #TheBusinessBehindSport recorded live from London International Disputes Week where Jonny Gray speaks with Helen Waddell, Partner at Pinsent Masons, Richard Liddell KC at 4 New Square Chambers, and Jason Baston from Miller Insurance Services LLP to discuss the interactions between ambition, scale, governance, ESG, media, and commercial pressure in delivering ever-expanding global events like the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games. 

This month on The Business Behind Sport, Jonny Gray speaks to James Stebbing, a Senior Sports Executive who has held General Counsel and Legal roles at Six Nations Rugby, British & Irish Lions, and England Rugby. 

Throughout his career, he has been at the heart of some of the most pivotal moments in Rugby’s recent history, including the impact and response to the Covid crisis and planning for the Nations Cup, a new cross-hemisphere competition launching in 2026, involving 12 of the world’s top international teams.

They discuss:
• The current state of the game
• The financial sustainability of the sport
• Opportunities for commercial growth
• The rise of Women’s Rugby

Following the previous The Business Behind Sport episode, we continue our conversation on the club acquisition process, but this month we explore the investment and legal considerations.

Jonny Gray is joined by Tom Sheldon, Director at Ovation Corporate Finance, and Ben Hanglin, Partner at Onside Law to look at the deal structure, the legal contemplations throughout the process, and how to deal with any issues that may occur post-acquisition.

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This month on The Business Behind Sport, Jonny Gray is joined by forensics expert Charli Curran from Ankura and Kat Craig, a multi-award-winning human rights lawyer and the founder and CEO of Athlead, a sports and social impact consultancy.

They discuss trauma-informed governance in sport, focussing on the evolution of safeguarding over the last 10 years. They also address where the gaps in safeguarding in sport are, the importance of the correct stakeholders managing safeguarding and trauma issues, priorities to achieve better governance, and what change looks like for survivors and victims of abuse in sport.

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Thinking of buying a Football Club? In this special edition of #TheBusinessBehindSport podcast we are joined by Analytics FC to discuss the steps investors should consider when buying a football club.

With institutional investors and individuals showing more interest in purchasing football clubs, Ankura regulatory and financial risk expert Jonathan Brown and Jeremy Steele, Managing Director of Analytics FC , share their insights into the club acquisition process with Jonny Gray, Senior Managing Director and co-host of The Business Behind Sport and Alex Stewart, Head of Content and host of the Analytics FC podcast.  Collectively they discuss the commercial considerations, financial and sporting due diligence planning, as well as the governance and regulatory issues that prospective investors should consider before, during and after acquiring a football club in Europe.

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In this episode, Jonathan Brown, Senior Managing Director in Ankura's Sport Advisory team speaks with Richard Bush, Partner in Bird & Bird’s Media, Entertainment & Sports Group, and Charli Curran, Senior Director in Ankura’s Risk, Forensics and Compliance team to discuss investigating abuse in sport and the practical and legal considerations that need to be taken into account.

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As we hit the halfway point in the international cricket season for 2023 and as the Ashes series is currently underway, Jonathan Brown speaks to Simon Taufel, Former International Cricket Umpire and 5-time International Cricket Council Umpire of the year, in the latest episode of #TheBusinessBehindSport.

Listen to the full episode to hear more Simon reflect on his journey in cricket and his expert insights on:

•How to achieve excellence
•Maintaining focus as an umpire and in general
•Dealing with the pressures from players, crowds, TV audiences, officials, and yourself
•How sport can fix issues around ethics and integrity

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In this episode, Jonny Gray talks to Simon Hallett, majority owner and Chairman of Plymouth Argyle Football Club who, at the time of recording, had been recently promoted into The Championship League. 

Simon openly discusses everything around owning an English Football League Club and how he and his team managed to take Plymouth Argyle from being a loss-making League 2 (4th Tier) team to one of the most well-run clubs by challenging the "football way" of ownership at every turn. 

He also speaks about lessons he’s learned along the way, and what follows is a masterclass for existing and future investors in English Football and how they can create a beneficial club for the fans, sponsors, and community stakeholders.

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Our guest on this episode is Lloyd Thomas, General Counsel at Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club. In this conversation, Lloyd shares his career journey working in-house at football clubs, as well as some of the hot topics and challenges in football including; increases in sponsorships and the reputational risks associated with them, the upcoming initiative to bring in an independent regulator for football, and the idea of introducing a European super-league.

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In this episode, we hear from Jonny Gray, who has recently joined Ankura as a Senior Managing Director and key member of the Sports Advisory business.

Prior to joining, Jonny served as the founding CEO of The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).  Jonny discusses his involvement and reflections on the ITIA's three year project transforming integrity in tennis worldwide, and the importance and value of investing in sports integrity.

He also offers insight into lessons for other sports when approaching integrity and governance and the role that technology plays in supporting this area. Finally, we hear from Jonny as to what exactly has attracted him back into the world of consulting and the areas he’ll be focusing on in his new role at Ankura.

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In this episode, we hear from James Kitching, FIFA’s former Director of Football Regulatory and now an independent consultant advising the global sports industry on regulation, governance, integrity, and strategy matters. 

James reflects on how he established a career in the sports industry and the challenges and successes of his time with FIFA, including shaping the regulatory response to the Covid Pandemic when football ground to a halt. As the launch of the much-heralded FIFA Clearing House draws nearer, James also discusses his current role on its Supervisory Board and how it will revolutionise the mechanism for football transfers in the years to come.

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