Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan hit the studio again for a wander through the sports industry stories of the week.

On the eve of the Uefa Champions League draw, they’re joined by Uefa Marketing Director Guy-Laurent Epstein to help explain the revamped competition format and the reasons behind the changes.

Epstein also discusses partner reaction to the new-look tournament; 30 years of Champions League brand finessing; the rise of the Women’s Champions League; North America’s growing interest in football and what that means for organisations like Uefa; what he’s looking for in an agency partner, as a new sales cycle looms; and the approach to innovation in a football market that prizes tradition.

Marina Storti has spent over 20 years in the sports industry delivering strategies to accelerate commercial growth, engage diverse fans and impact positive change.

And she’s been bringing all of that experience and expertise to her new role as CEO of WTA Ventures – the commercial arm of the WTA – having previously earned her sporting stripes at Sky and NOW TV.

One year into the role, she joined David Cushnan and James Emmett to reflect on an incredibly exciting time for women’s professional tennis; the partnerships that she’s overseen during her tenure so far - most notably with Saudi Arabia - and how she’s planning to guide WTA Ventures in an innovative new era of the WTA.

This episode is part of the Leaders in Focus series, produced in partnership with IMG.

Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan take an amble through the sports industry week, joined by Seven League and Rematch Founder Richard Ayers.

They discuss how politics and sport are mixing during the UK General Election campaign, and as French President Emmanuel Macron calls a snap election just weeks before Paris hosts the Olympics.

It’s a free-flower of a conversation, taking in evolving agency models; what Richard plans to digitally transform next; table tennis and badminton’s incessant rise; how government sports policy is formed, and the impact a future UK sports industry trade body could have; creating live, theatrical ‘immersive’ experiences inside and outside sports venues, and the evaporating barriers between the physical and digital worlds.

The Leaders team bring you their thoughts on the current sports broadcast space, along with a Q&A with the NBA’s Head of Fan Engagement & DTC.

The Leaders Broadcast Disruptors Audio Bulletin is a regular podcast for discussion, debate, and exploration around the latest developments in sports content production, distribution and monetisation. 

Leaders Editor-at-Large and Head of Content James Emmett and David Cushnan unpack a Q&A with the NBA’s Head of Fan Engagement & DTC for EMEA, George Aivazoglou, which was recorded back in March at our Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi event. Aivazoglou doffs his cap to Fortnite, Nike and Roblox in a fascinating conversation on micropayments, the metaverse, and the process of innovation.

But first, James and David offer their views on the latest happenings in the sports content space, with talk around the issue with subscription models in the midst of a cost of living crisis, Spotify’s big plans in the global sports content space, and what FIFA’s new gaming strategy reveals about the purpose of FIFA+.

Behind the Scenes of the inaugural edition of our 4SE event experience in NYC with two key leaders from Elevate Sports Ventures.

Leaders on the Ground takes you behind-the-scenes at our in-person events – and this one’s a bit different. The Leaders team has been in New York this week, working with our sister companies Sports Business Journal and SportTechie to launch 4SE, a brand-new event experience providing a much-needed opportunity for senior executives to explore and navigate the collision of sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture.

Leaders Editor-at-Large James Emmett is joined by colleagues Matthew Stone and Javan Odegah in a Manhattan backroom to explain more.

James is also joined by Al Guido, President of the San Francisco 49ers and Chairman and CEO of Elevate Sports Ventures, and Shawn Doss, newly promoted to run Elevate’s international business.

Formed in 2018 in partnership between the San Francisco 49ers and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Elevate is a leading consulting firm that has quickly become something of juggernaut in the sports and entertainment sector, and the trio sat down for a conversation about where and how sport meets entertainment in 2022, how an organisation like Elevate fits into that, and the company’s global aspirations.

4SE, at the intersection of sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture, is due to become an annual fixture in the calendar each year in May. Do join in on all the action by visiting https://4-se.com/#contact to register your interest for 2023.

Leaders Editor-at-large and Head of Content James Emmett and David Cushnan bring you their thoughts on the latest trends and developments in the sports broadcast space.

The Leaders Broadcast Disruptors Audio Bulletin is a regular podcast for discussion, debate, and exploration around the latest developments in sports content production, distribution and monetisation. 

On this episode’s conversational agenda: The long anticipated announcement of DAZN Bet, and how DAZN are differentiating themselves in a saturated market; What is (and perhaps what is not) working with FIFA’s new streaming service; Our critique of the broadcast coverage for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix; Intriguing developments in the Olympic World, and the ramifications for broadcast and production; OneFootball’s huge new investment round and the next chapter of its success story; a quick mention of how, despite UK government pressure, Channel 4 are building up an impressive sport portfolio; and a shout out the impressive growth of Swedish entertainment group NENT.

Next week we will be hosting our inaugural 4SE event in New York, which will be around the intersection between sports, entertainment, lifestyle and culture. We will be opening the week with a Broadcast Disruptors Think Tank, unpacking the D2C conundrum over three facilitated hours. If you in the area and wish to attend, please contact James or David at james.emmett@leadersinsport.com or david.cushnan@leadersinsport.com. 

In this episode, three inspiring advocates for diversity discuss what they have learned about standing firm and speaking out.

Leaders in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the equality, diversity and inclusion space.

This episode features an unmissable conversation led by Shona Crooks, who works as Management Futures Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She is joined by Sarah Cartwright, coach, trainer, speaker and Associate of Management Futures, and by Darnelle Morgan-Johnson, a sports and events professional currently working as the Events Services Operations Manager at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.

Within the discussion, the trio offered their valuable insight and practical advice that they have taken away from C-Suite and Future Leader programmes that were delivered by Management Futures as part of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series. Among the topics of exploration were setting boundaries and how this may be affected be race and gender stereotypes, psychological safety and how to offer feedback, and the uncomfortableness but cruciality of establishing non-negiotables with leaders.

The Leaders in EDI podcast is part of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series, delivered in partnership with Meta, which provides a platform for executives within sport to come together to drive diversity across the industry, accelerate the pace of change and inspire the next generation of executives, through thought-leadership events and digital forums. To find out more about the Leaders Meet: Diversity series, please visit https://info.leadersinsport.com/l/856843/2021-04-21/hfhrj.

DFL Digital CEO Andreas Heyden joins the team to reveal how technology is enriching the fan experience.

Leaders Live is our studio talk show on hot button issues facing the industry, featuring interviews with leaders from across and beyond sport. On this episode, we are examining the ultimate matchday experience – what is it, how has it changed, and how can we deliver it?

To provide answers to our burning questions this month: Andreas Heyden. Heyden is the Executive Vice President of Digital Innovation at DFL, and the CEO of DFL Digital, and thus speaks with deep knowledge on smart solutions for enhancing the matchday experience for fans both at home and in-venue. He explains how DFL’s ‘glass to glass’ strategy is revolutionising how the Bundesliga interact with fans, why aiming under the age average will maximise your appeal across all age groups, and the potential of the Metaverse and other developing technology to elevate the fan experience holistically as the present and future converge.

To watch the broadcast in video, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_9sxxs0y08

In this episode, we bring you a conversation on Inclusive Leadership with the CEO of English Football’s leading equality and inclusion organisation. 

Leaders in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the equality, diversity and inclusion space. It also shines a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport.  

This episode includes a guest interview with Anthony Burnett, the CEO of Kick It Out. Kick It Out have been working throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change in the game for almost 30 years.  

Having previously had experience in senior roles within organisations such as Ford, Lloyds Banking Group, and the West Midlands Police, and having worked across the world within the EDI Space, Burnett brings a strong, fresh, and global perspective on the topic of inclusive leadership. Within the discussion, Burnett offers fascinating insight on the distinction between re-examining and re-inventing, lists some examples of leaders setting a shining example, and laments the significant negative impact of when imposter syndrome meets longstanding systemic messaging.  

The Leaders in EDI podcast is part of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series, delivered in partnership with Meta, which provides a platform for executives within sport to come together to drive diversity across the industry, accelerate the pace of change and inspire the next generation of executives, through thought-leadership events and digital forums. To find out more about the Leaders Meet: Diversity series, please visit https://info.leadersinsport.com/l/856843/2021-04-21/hfhrj

Digital expert and newly appointed CEO of Stadion gives his views on the innovations happening in the space. 

The Leaders Broadcast Disruptors Audio Bulletin is a regular podcast for discussion, debate, and analysis around the latest developments in sports content production, distribution and monetisation. 

On this episode, James Emmett and David Cushnan are joined by Russell Stopford, a giant in world of sports digital, who is newly-installed as CEO of digital agency Stadion, following over a decade of leading digital activity at three of football’s biggest clubs, Manchester City, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.  

In an insightful and informative conversation, the trio dive into the latest happenings in the space, such as the NFL’s plans for a new subscription streaming service, Spotify’s giant sponsorship deal with FC Barcelona and of course, 2022’s biggest buzzword, the metaverse. In the process, Stopford offers his expert perspective on the complexity of developing a huge new project like the NFL’s, the untapped potential in the crossover between sports and music, and the big tech question in the development of the metaverse that demands to be solved.  

Atlanta Hawks CMO Melissa Proctor in conversation with Leaders Head of Content David Cushnan. 

Melissa Proctor is an accomplished leader with 20 years of experience across sports and entertainment. She began her professional life with Turner Broadcasting as an intern, before going on to assume multiple roles during a nine-year stint, such as Director of Insights & Inspiration for the Turner Media Group, Senior Director of Strategy Development at Cartoon Network & Adult Swim, and eventually VP of Brand Marketing & Content at upwave.  

Proctor joined the Atlanta Hawks in 2014 as the Vice President of Brand Strategy and quickly rose up the ranks, first assuming the role of Senior Vice President of Strategy in 2015, and then to Executive VP and CMO in 2016. Her interest in the NBA first began as a teenager when she was the first ball girl for the Miami Heat, an experience that went on to inspire the title of her bestselling book ‘From Ball Girl to CMO’. 

In an insightful conversation conducted live as part of our Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi in mid-March, Proctor reveals how the leading NBA franchise is cornering international markets, delving into the details behind the international strategy, the process of working with key stakeholders in new regions and the balance between global expansion and serving the home fanbase.  

She also offers her valuable perspective on how the role of CMO has changed in an increasingly digital world, the importance of being a civic asset and how the unique nature of Atlanta as a city informs her marketing approach. 

The big issues facing football around the world, as seen by three international leaders in developing the game.

Leaders in Conversation is a series that puts you in the room, fly-on-the-wall style, for discussions between the most influential leaders in sports and media. Our latest episode features James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia, Laura Georges, Secretary General at the French Football Federation and Robbie Fowler, the former England and Liverpool player, in an on-stage session led by Dubai Eye 103.8 host Chris McHardy. This discussion, titled ‘Football Development around the World’, was recorded in mid-March, as part of the Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi.

James Johnson is the CEO of Football Australia, the country due to co-host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Prior to joining Football Australia in January 2020, Johnson held senior roles across the world of football, such as Director of International Relationships and Development at the Asian Football Confederation, and Head of Professional Football at FIFA.

 An esteemed former player for the French national team, Laura Georges is now Secretary-General of the French Football Federation, the current men’s World Champions, and one of the national federations at the forefront of progressing the women’s game. Committed to the promotion of women’s football, Georges served as ambassador of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 in France and has overseen the development of the women’s refereeing plan.

 Robbie Fowler is a former player and current manager, best known for his time with Liverpool between 1993 and 2001. To date, he remains Liverpool’s top scorer in the Premier League and is the eighth top scorer in Premier League history. Following his time in the UK, Fowler played in Australia and Thailand and has since transitioned into management, where he most recently managed East Bengal of the Indian Super League.

In this fascinating and wide-ranging discussion, the panel discuss, among many other topics, the possibility of biennial World Cup; what works and what doesn’t in different markets across the world when it comes to coaching and talent pathways; and how the development of technology is changing football, for better and for worse.

Behind the Scenes of the fourth edition of the Leaders Sport Business Summit in Abu Dhabi

Leaders on the Ground takes you behind-the-scenes at our in-person events, where our team will review the action and key takeaways from the on-stage sessions. In partnership with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Leaders team invited 400 senior executives to the world-renowned Yas Marina Circuit for the fourth edition of Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi on 16th and 17th March, where we explored the new dynamics of global sport. This episode recaps the two-day summit and explores the key themes.

First, our Head of Content David Cushnan and Content Producer Cameron Macdonald are joined by Ryan Norys, Chief Revenue Officer ay AS Roma, to recap the action from Day One. The trio touch on a number of topics, including (but not limited to) the renewed focus on purpose in shaping the identity of clubs, the growing desire to bridge the gap between the elite, professional of sport and the grassroots, community-focused end, and what it is like to be in thick of trying to sell these multimillion pound deals, such as the one recently announced between FC Barcelona and Spotify.

Later in the episode, from 23.48, David is joined by Phil Cotton, CEO at Elevate, and Laura Georges, Secretary General of the French Football Federation. In this section, the three discuss the goings-on on Day Two and their review of the summit overall. On the conversational agenda; the impact of investing in new ways to engage fans in the culture, the impact of inspiring women and girls to participate in sport, and the fascinating dynamic created when two of our speakers had opposing views.

Leaders' Content Director David Cushnan is joined by Javan Odegah, for the latest on the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series. 

They reflect on the recent Diversity breakfast hosted at 4se New York, touch on reports Anthony Joshua may be about to buy a stake in his hometown football club, Watford FC, and consider how Arsenal's newly-adopted anthem, North London Forever, has taken hold.

Then you'll hear a portion of an on-stage conversation from 4se New York, our sports-entertainment-business event, featuring Curry Brand GM Ryan Drew. Drew, talking to Business of Fashion's Dan-Yaw Miller, shares how involved Curry has been in honing the values of the company and his qualities as a pitchman, as well as how the brand is likely to evolve as Curry's playing career winds down.

The final deadline for Leaders Sports Award entries is Monday 11th June - to find our more and to enter any of the nine refreshed categories, visit leadersinsport.com/LSA.

In today’s episode, we bring you an important and insightful conversation between three champions for allyship.

Leaders in EDI is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion space. It also shines a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport. This month’s episode, recorded live at our International Women’s Day pop-up event, sees three trailblazing advocates for women in sport discuss the importance of allyship. 

First on our panel is Katie Shaw, an inspiring female leader in sports and entertainment. Shaw spent seven years at prominent sports marketing company Fuse, before leaving in the latter half of last year to begin a new role of Global Head of Brand Engagement at Entourage Sports & Entertainment Company. A keen champion for women in sport, Shaw was a committee member at Omniwomen UK during her time at Fuse.

Joining Shaw is Manisha Tailor, Assistant Head of Coaching at Queen’s Park Rangers, and a leader who has dedicated much of her working life to supporting women and those with mental illness through work in education. A qualified head-teacher with over 15 years of experience working in schools across the UK and Internationally, Tailor is also an education worker for Show Racism the Red Card, and Founder/Director of Swaggarlicious Limited, which uses the power of football and education to engage with diverse community groups and organisations to help them lead a healthy lifestyle and develop lifelong learning skills.

Rounding off our panel is the man Tailor sees as a great example of allyship, Chris Ramsey, a former professional footballer and Taylor’s colleague at QPR, where he serves as Technical Director. He has coached and managed at all levels of football, and has been listed among the 30 Most Influential Black People in Football by the Voice, the UK’s leading black newspaper. As an outspoken advocate of social justice and EDI, Ramsey has been lauded as a trailblazer for changing the face of the QPR Academy in a positive way.

In an illuminating and educational discussion, the three panelists talked to Leaders hosts Javan Odegah and Laura McQueen about different facets of allyship, such as how to implement allyship on a day-to-day basis, traditional line management vs allyship and how exactly you can “microwave someone’s learning.”

The Leaders in EDI podcast is part of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series, delivered in partnership with Meta, which provides a platform for executives within sport to come together to drive diversity across the industry, accelerate the pace of change and inspire the next generation of executives, through thought-leadership events and digital forums. To find out more about Leaders Meet: Diversity series, please visit https://leadersinsport.com/leaders-events/leaders-sport-business-summit-abu-dhabi/.

The fourth edition of Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi returns on 16th and 17th March. To find out more and register your interest, please visit https://leadersinsport.com/AD2022

Note: This is a live podcast recording, so there may be some slight distortion in the panel section, but this should not take away from your listening experience.

Former BBC exec Stuart Rowson reveals the secrets of making content for younger audiences.

The Leaders Broadcast Disruptors Audio Bulletin is a regular podcast for discussion, debate, and analysis around the latest developments in sports content production, distribution and monetisation.

On this episode, James Emmett and David Cushnan are joined by Stuart Rowson, a multi-platform expert with a mission to help brands and media companies engage with children and younger audiences. In a fascinating and varied conversation that includes talk of Cocomelon, Hey Duggee and the NFL’s Nickelodeon broadcast, Rowson discusses how he oversaw BBC Sport’s younger audience strategy, the unique work he is doing with Chelsea FC, and reveals what you may be doing wrong in your approach to engaging younger audiences.

The fourth edition of Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi returns on 16th and 17th March. To find out more and to register your interest, please visit http://www.leadersinsport.com/AD2022

Serial challengers reveal how a distinctive mindset has fuelled their success. 

Leaders Live is our monthly studio talk show on hot button issues facing the industry, featuring interviews with leaders from across and beyond sport. On this episode, we unpack what ‘the challenger mentality’ actually means, analyse what it takes to build something new, and explore how to make an impact with something different in the sports industry. 

There’s something inherent in sport about the concept of ‘the challenger’. Not just a necessary half of any one-on-one contest, but something deeper: a romantic notion of potential triumph against the odds; a compelling story that sweeps people up and drives competitors and fans alike; a mindset that inspires, energises and informs strategy. But what about the business of sport? Do the same notions apply here? And how do the most successful start-ups use the challenger mentality to their advantage? 

To help us answer these questions, we are joined by Philip Sharpe, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Infront X, who is an expert in helping global sport brands engage with audiences and monetize their investments by identifying opportunities enabled by digital technology.  

Our second guest is Tim Godfrey, Chief Marketing Officer of the Professional Triathletes Organisation, a two-year-old entity that seeks to showcase the passion, ability, setbacks and accomplishments of all those who participate in triathlon, from newbies to professionals, through motivational content, inspiring events such as the Collins cup, and first-of-its-kind ranking technology. 

Last but certainly not least we are joined by Sharon Fuller, Chief Content Officer at the new eSkootr Championship, the world’s first electric scooter racing series. Launching this year in six different countries across Europe and North America, the series’ goal is to revolutionise micromobility by turning it into a competitive sport for the very first time. The mixed-gender championship has a mission to drive positive change in sport by advocating for inclusion, accessibility and sustainability. 

If you would also like to watch this episode in video form, visit https://twitter.com/LeadersBiz/status/1496499676299808773?s=20&t=ZrbEETMbE_vJWO8UAnLIwg 

On 16th and 17th March, we are partnering with Abu Dhabi Sports Council to bring you The Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi. To find out more and register your interest, please go to https://www.leadersinsport.com/AD2022 

In today’s episode, we bring you two conversations with two key leaders in sport around the importance of measuring progress and implementing change in the ED&I Landscape. 

Leaders in EDI is a monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the equality, diversity and inclusion space. It also shines a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport. 

Our first conversation, beginning at 08:40, is with Leaders’ Managing Director Laura McQueen and Nielsen Sports’ Head of Brands, Lynsey Douglas. The focal point of the discussion was the survey that Leaders ran in collaboration with Nielsen in order to benchmark where members of the Leaders Meet: Diversity series feel we are in the EDI space. The pair cover key statistics from the survey findings and what changes we can make to ensure even better results over the coming year, and take the opportunity to discuss having ambition to drive change, the importance of having an inclusive work environment as we return to the office space, and the key approach to joining a community.   

At 21:15, we then move to a guest interview with Leon Mann, an entrepreneur, activist, broadcaster, filmmaker and founder of sports consultancy and production company, Refresh Sport. This conversation expanded on the theme of change, with a focus given to the distinction between short-term change and long-term reform. Within it, Mann offers his valuable insight on reflecting on your own biases, holding leaders accountable, and how taking action in the diversity space will maximise the performance of your business.  

The Leaders in EDI podcast is part of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series, delivered in partnership with Meta, which provides a platform for executives within sport to come together to drive diversity across the industry, accelerate the pace of change and inspire the next generation of executives, through thought-leadership events and digital forums. To find out more about the Leaders Meet: Diversity series, please visit https://leadersinsport.com/leaders-meet-diversity-2

The fourth edition of Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi returns on 16th and 17th March. To find out more and register your interest, please visit https://leadersinsport.com/AD2022

Leaders Editor-at-large and Head of Content James Emmett and David Cushnan are joined by Sky’s Director of Product Management to discuss what’s going on and why it matters across the sports media industry.

The Leaders Broadcast Disruptors Audio Bulletin is a regular podcast for discussion, debate, and analysis around the latest developments in sports content production, distribution and monetisation.

On this episode, James Emmett and David Cushnan first consider some of the latest stories in the space, such as the new phase in the discussions around BT Sport: DAZN is out and Discovery is in; and UEFA’s decision to split its next cycle of club competition rights between incumbent TEAM Marketing and US newcomers Relevent Sports.

The pair are then joined by Dave Gibbs, Sky’s Director of Product Management – Group Content (Sports & News), Apps, Partner Content & Advertising.

On the agenda: the ‘streaming wars’ and how they benefit the customer; the Metaverse and how it will enhance the viewer experience; and the evolving role of UGC in sport and how it fits into Sky’s product strategy.

The fourth edition of Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi returns on 16th and 17th March. To find out more and register your interest, please visit http://www.leadersinsport.com/AD2022

Sue Anstiss leads a discussion with two female leaders in sport.

Leaders in Conversation is a 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 second episode is with Jo Osborne and Kelly Simmons in a moderated conversation led by Sue Anstiss.

Jo Osborne has worked in television production for two decades, the entirety of which she has spent at Sky Sports. She assumed the role of Executive Producer in June 2021, and throughout the duration of her career has been committed to increasing the visibility of women’s sport.

Kelly Simmons took up the new role of Director of the Women’s Professional Game in September 2018 to help deliver and transform professional women’s football in England. Simmons was previously The FA Director of Participation and Development, overseeing the implementation of a £200m four year investment programme into children’s and grassroots football.

Sue Anstiss worked in sports marketing and sports PR for over 30 years, delivering highly successful campaigns to get more women and girls talking part in sport and physical activity. In 2020, Anstiss established Fearless Women, a company with powerful ambition to drive positive change for women’s sport.

In this discussion recorded as part of October’s Leaders Week London as a session titled ‘To What Extent Should Women’s Sport Replicate The Men’s Sports Commercial And Broadcasting Template?’, the three leaders discuss finding and targeting new fans for women’s sport, building new formats, and the importance of criticism as part of broadcast coverage. The session coincided with the launch of our Special Report, which was produced in partnership with Sky and centered around the women’s sports landscape in the post-pandemic era. To download the report, visit http://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-special-report-womens-sport-bouncing-back-from-the-pandemic

On 16th and 17th March, we are partnering with Abu Dhabi Sports Council to bring you The Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi. To find out more and register your interest, http://www.leadersinsport.com/AD2022

The Leaders team invite industry experts to discuss the tech world’s hottest buzzword on our monthly live show.

Leaders Live, now converted to audio form, is our monthly show featuring discussion on the major issues and topics facing the industry, featuring interviews with leaders from across and beyond sport. Our first episode of 2022 is dedicated to the metaverse and the various ways in which, over time, it could impact sport. You can also watch the broadcast in video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMbaTU8asxw

Are you a sceptic? Are you a believer? Are you somewhere in between? Who are the sports organisations to watch in this new online era? What are the easy mistakes to make? Could sport be an ideal showcase and educational tool for the tech boffins working on making the metaverse happen? And does it represent the fundamental change some insist it will be, or simply another way to connect with and engage with fans? We attempted to explain what we know - and what we don't - as the metaverse becomes a reality.

To help do so, we were joined by Ashley Shaner, Senior Digital Consultant at Seven League. An MBA graduate with over 12 years of experience with clients in the UK and the US, Shaner is an expert in digital marketing with a keen sense of the ways in which new technology can connect us, and the intersection in changing the business landscape.

Our second guest is Carsten Thode, the former Chief Strategy Officer at Synergy who has gone on to create sports entertainment platform Aphetor. Founded in 2019, the Aphetor Games – described by some as the ‘Metaverse Games’ - brought together popular social media creators across many different platforms. 

On 16th and 17th March, we are partnering with Abu Dhabi Sports Council to bring you The Leaders Sport Business Summit Abu Dhabi. To find out more and register your interest, visit http://www.leadersinsport.com/AD2022

In conversation with the Premier League’s first head of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Leaders in EDI is a new monthly series covering news, views, comments and debates happening across the diversity space. It also shines a spotlight on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in EDI across sport.

For our inaugural episode, we explored the topic of ‘intentional inclusion’, with a man whose role is about those very two words. Former professional footballer and manager, Iffy Onuora, became the Premier League’s first Head of Equality, Diverity and Inclusion last year. The role was created to manage EDI matters at the league, and to encourage and support best practice at the 20 Premier League clubs.

The conversation explored how Onuora is implementing purposeful action-based plans that are focused on advancing positive change at one of the world’s largest sports leagues.

The Leaders in EDI podcast is part of the Leaders Meet: Diversity Series, delivered in partnership with Meta, which provides a platform for executives within sport to come together to drive diversity across the industry, accelerate the pace of change and inspire the next generation of executives, through thought-leadership events and digital forums. To find out more about the Leaders Meet: Diversity series, please go to https://info.leadersinsport.com/l/856843/2021-04-21/hfhrj

Leaders Editor-at-large and Head of Content James Emmett and David Cushnan bring you their predictions on the sports broadcast space for 2022

Leaders Editor-at-large and Head of Content James Emmett and David Cushnan bring you their predictions on the sports broadcast space for 2022. 

The Leaders Broadcast Disruptors Audio Bulletin is a new regular podcast for discussion, debate, and exploration around the latest developments in sports content production, distribution and monetisation. 

On the conversational agenda: 

-How sports content producers will find alternative ways to seek new audiences, while utilising old methods of monetising existing audiences. 

-Where we may see an increase in ‘pop-up’ sports broadcast events. 

-How rights holders will put lockdown learnings into action. 

-How women’s sport will be used as a crucible for innovation in the sports broadcasting space. 

-How the Metaverse could factor into the reach of sports broadcast in remote locations. 

Along with these topics, James and David discuss exciting new developments, causes for concern and some more left-field predictions for the future of sport. 

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 & Operations Director and Head of Corporate Affairs at the Club. Prior to this, Bolton spent two years as Managing Director of the Organising Committee for the London World Athletic Championships in 2017. Bolton assumed this role having led the team that delivered a highly successful Rugby League World Cup in 2013, a role for which she was recognized with the award of an OBE.

In this unmoderated conversation recorded as part of October’s Leaders Week London, the two leaders reflect on the challenges of reforming, modernising and pioneering in what was a fascinating glimpse in to the day-to-day of leading uniquely British establishments.

Andy Anson is preparing Team GB for a golden summer in Paris. The British Olympic Association CEO is the guest on this month's Leaders in Focus, where he looks ahead to the Olympics; considers the major challenges the Olympic world faces; and discusses whether athletes should be paid directly for winning medals at the Games.

He reflects on a long and varied career in sports and media: developing his love of brand at Disney; takeovers and working under the Glazers at Manchester United; and working out what went wrong with England’s bid for the 2018 Fifa World Cup, a campaign he fronted. 

Anson also reveals the leadership traits he’s learnt – and the leaders he’s learnt from – along the way, as well as how he dovetails his BOA commitments with his role as Chair of Lancashire County Cricket Club and the advice he has for the next generation of sports CEOs.

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 across the industry. 

In a keynote conversation conducted live as part of October’s Leaders Week London, Josh discusses his ownership philosophy, the differences between owning US and UK teams and where he sees brilliant investment potential. He also shares his perspective on the European Super League, the impact Covid has on team owners, changing consumption habits and paints a picture of what it’s really like in the room when team owners get together.  

Our next sport business conference, Leaders Meet: Qatar 2022, takes place on 28 – 29 November (later this month) and will see global sports industry decision-makers connect, share insight and do business with international sponsors, clubs, leagues and broadcasters involved or investing in Qatar. Visit leadersinsport.com to find out more and to join us in person, or from wherever you are.  

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 League

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 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 broadcast the league that has been reported as the richest in domestic women’s football. Gary covers the tone and texture of the coverage, and the importance of the marketing push behind it.

To join over over 1,000 other sports industry leaders at Leaders Week from 5th to 7th October, visit www.leadersinsport.com. 

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 was recruited to the FA following five successful years as CEO of the Fuse Sport + Entertainment agency.

Bullingham spoke to Leaders founder and chair Jimmy Worrall a few weeks before the start of this summer’s European Championship. The conversation covers Bullingham’s career journey and his rise to one of the top jobs in world sport, touching on his evolving leadership philosophy, the challenge of growing into the role during the pandemic.

The FA has been developing its own D2C media offering for some time, and this year made headlines with eye-catching rights deals in women’s football: signing the richest rights deal in domestic women’s football for the WSL with Sky and the BBC, and signing up ITV to broadcast England women’s national games from this year.

Bullingham is a shrewd commercial operator and his views on market consolidation, rights re-packaging for new consumption habits, and monetising media in non-traditional ways are required listening.

To join CEOs like Bullingham and over 1,000 other sports industry leaders at Leaders Week from 5th to 7th October, visit www.leadersinsport.com. 

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 number of methods including micropayments.

Bo Han will be speaking at Leaders in London, from 5-7 October at Twickenham. To join him and 1,000 sports industry leaders, visit www.leadersinsport.com.

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 – and so has he. He’s put hundreds of millions of his own money into Brighton since he became chairman in 2009, and taken not a penny out. He’s been patient and he understands the fabric of the club. For him, a return is not about ROI, but creation of a legacy, and leaving the club in much better place than he found it.

It was rare and candid interview which we recorded soon after Brighton had secured another season of Premier League football earlier in the summer. We talk about how ownership has changed and how it will in the future; investing in a football club; what he’s most proud of; his ambitions for the club – which have evolved and grown as the club has; how much time he spends on the club and who he trusts within it; and of course, what he thinks of the attempted breakaway to form a European Super League.

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 leadersinsport.com.

And if you're looking to keep pace with an ever-changing high performance landscape, enquire now to become a member of the Leaders Performance Institute – the world's elite high performance community that challenges thinking and shares insights, spanning all sports and all aspects of performance.

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 NBA and its players, and was a key factor in the league's ability to come back from the pandemic to complete its season in the Disney 'bubble'.

- 'Super agent' Jonathan Barnett, Founder and Chairman of Stellar Group and the architect of some of world football's most eye-catching deals, including Gareth Bale's 100 million euro transfer from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013.

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 the point at which it now has $11 billion under management. He lives in New York with his wife Cathy and they have five children. Leaders Chair Jimmy Worrall spoke to Marc towards the back end of 2020, with the NBA having just completed its truncated 2019/20 season.

Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan take stock of a big week of sports, entertainment and business at 4se New York.

As the green room is dismantled around them in Chelsea, they reflect on some of the big themes of the event: storytelling in all its forms, the rise Cowboy culture, and the budding relationship between sports organisations and the music industry.

US Ski & Snowboard CEO Sophie Goldschmidt also stops by to discuss one of the big stories elsewhere this week - the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s new deal with the Women’s Tennis Association - and share her thoughts on the impressive group of Gen Z athletes, snowboarders Red Gerrard and Hailey Langland and NASCAR driver Rajah Caruth, she shared the stage with at 4se.

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 about to get big on the platform in 2021;

- How the product roadmap is developed and implemented at Facebook, and the reason that traditional sports media products might not yet have been developed;

- Arnstein's view on the video monetisation strategies in play at Amazon, YouTube and Facebook's other major competitors;

- How Facebook attempts to find the balance between commercialisation and positive user experience.

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 Tracey Crouch on treating everyone with respect and finding the right relaxing networking environment.

- FA and Premier League ambassador David Dein on sticking your neck out, the importance of humour and how relationships were at the heart of the formation of the Premier League.

Presented by Jimmy Worrall

Produced by James Emmett

Edited by Danny Garlick

Music by Wataboi and lrobinson_sds (via Pixabay)

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 unlock new revenue streams for the player unions it works with;

- What athletes want from licensing agreements;

- The trading card from 2020 you ought to have in your collection.

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 lifecycle of a 21st Century football kit;

- How Adidas works with influencers to embody and authenticate the brand;

- Andy Childs' tips for using digital marketing to break through the clutter in 2021;

- Building Arsenal campaigns around the strengths and skillsets of Ian Wright;

- Lessons in marketing from a tumultuous 2020.

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 term and bears some breaking down:

Halpin's responsibilities as Chief Strategy Officer

1. Innovation
2. Driving fan acquisition
3. Maximising fan engagement
4. Using data and analytics to propel all the above

Halpin's responsibilities as Chief Growth Officer

1. International
2. Football development and play pathways
3. Media distribution and digital engagement
4. Legalised sports betting
5. New markets and 'owner development'

On the conversational agenda:

- ‘Positive vigilance vs optimistic paranoia’ - the mood inside the NFL offices;

- The processes and people Halpin relies on to keep on top of all of his objectives;

- Where the NFL's next billion dollar revenue rise is coming from;

- The link between private equity and sport and why Halpin's watching CVC's rugby play with interest;

- How to be interested in things that matter: have a set of ‘virtual advisors whose insights you steal and morph into your own’

- Roger Goodell’s secret to success

- How to present to a boardroom of 32 billionaires that make up the NFL ownership group.

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 Facebook Group, and looking at how they’ve already managed to commercialise that with their partners at Red Bull.

Maquez and Widdoes – as well as many other sharp digital sports content folk – were interviewed for the latest Leaders Special Report. It’s called Activating Digital and it plots the accelerated route to digital the sports industry has now embarked on as a result of the pandemic, picking out areas of outstanding impact along the way. You can download the 24-page report for free from the Leaders website.

This episode of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast is supported by global facilities management firm ARC. ARC is continually developing life changing solutions for the world’s ever evolving workforce because they understand the need to restructure and remain safe during these unprecedented times. Their team of specialists has devised every conceivable variation to deliver working solutions, which are equally applicable for those working from home or in the office. Visit www.e-arc.co.uk for more information.

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 and ethos.

This episode of the Leaders Sport Business podcast is supported by global Facilities management firm Arc. ARC has proudly brought some amazing imagery and stunning visual vibrancy back to the heart of London with the most incredible range of graphics. Team ARC embraced its client’s design brief and has quite literary transformed many of London’s iconic development sites into some of the most visually impacting areas in Europe. visit www.e-arc.co.uk for more information.

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 took a 10% stake in 2018; and the development of a Twenty20 cricket league in the US.

On the conversational agenda:

- Why managing an NFL salary cap is like managing an investment fund portfolio;

- The 2014 decision that transformed the 49ers from a "billion-dollar lemonade stand" to a media and entertainment juggernaut;

- The 4-point plan driving 49ers Enterprises: 1) Incubate; 2) Invest; 3) Consult; 4) Capitalise;

- The dynamics of attraction between sport and the VC world;

- Why the 49ers invested in Leeds United, and why a further investment could be around the corner;

- Switching off from work through a commitment to running and date nights.

Elsewhere in the podcast, James Emmett and David Cushnan reflect on some of the key themes covered at Leaders Week Direct, including the process for preparing venues to reopen to crowds after a pause for the pandemic. They're joined for the discussion (which starts at 33:20) by Suri Suriyakumar, CEO of Arc.

ARC is at the forefront of reshaping the way the world’s businesses have remained operational with their unique range of social distancing signage, safety products and services. Their consultation and on-site and on-line survey process have transformed a complex problem into a simple solution for thousands of global clients. For more information, visit e-arc.co.uk.

We're grateful to Suri and his team for their support.

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 racial justice that is playing out across the front line of sport.

Before that though, we speak to Sophie Wilkinson, partner at our partners at Onside Law, to set the scene briefly from this side of the Atlantic, to reflect on some of the major issues athletes are experiencing as sport stutters back, and to look at where flexibility and an open mindset have paid dividends.

On the conversational agenda:

- Flexibility in endorsement contract options and partnership opportunities;

- The fight for racial justice and how the mood has shifted among the players in the NFL;

- Taking the opportunities presented by the players union;

- Setting up systems to spread and filter the education and benefits that come from the NFL down through communities;

- Leveraging your status as an athlete to get calls returned, emails answered, and businesses set for the future;

- The experience of playing in front of empty stadiums;

- The biggest mistakes Michael and Brandon ever made.

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 following the outbreak of the pandemic, it fell to Targett-Adams and her team to piece together a race calendar that would meet FIA specifications, hit revenue-unlocking contractual obligations, keep promoters and governments onside, and maintain safety and security.

On the conversational agenda:

- The remarkable feat of rebuilding the calendar into a workable 17-race, international schedule;

- The stresses, strains, challenges and pitfalls along the way, and the stakeholder tensions in play;

- New circuits, new formats, and the chances of taking both forward into the future;

- The return to 'normal' in 2021;

- What good leadership has looked like in 2020;

- The F1 of 2009 vs the F1 of now - a modern organisational overhaul for a 21st Century company.

Leaders’ Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan lean into the sports industry stories of the week.

They're joined by Anna Edwards, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at executive search and advisory firm Elite Performance Partners (EPP), to discuss Manchester United' Co-Owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's new work-from-office edict and, as the WNBA continues to expand, how to structure a start-up sports organisation's front office.

They also discuss the latest Leaders Special Report, Succession in Sport, produced in partnership with EPP and the challenges of smooth executive change, managing internal leadership candidates and the skillsets a modern sports CEO should possess.

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 Cup 2021 organisers intend to hit their 'aspirational target' of 750,000 tickets sold;

- Balancing commercial imperatives with accessibility and inclusivity objectives amid the uncertainty of a new Covid events landscape;

- Scenario planning;

- Stakeholder communications and new, remote way to run major events teams.

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 combining her new role with continued work on a series of podcasts co-hosted with TV journalist Katie Couric - Back to Biz with Katie and Boz - and the completion of a five-week set of digital personal and professional workshops - the Badass Workshop.

On the conversational agenda:

- The 'authentic self' and how to define it; bringing it to bear every day; and how you look and how you feel play into that;

- The business of being badass - the what, why and how behind the workshops;

- The job of the marketer and how that changed - and changed again - over the course of the pandemic;

- Lessons in shutting down and starting again from Back to Biz with Katie and Boz: guests include Kara Swisher, Judd Apatow, Mary Barra, Brian Chesky, and Ashley Graham;

- Zoom fatigue and communicating in the new digital-first age, and offenders who turn off mic and camera;

- The chutzpah it takes to start a big new job during Covid;

- What great leadership looks like today.

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 fully divest the management and, crucially, data storage of its US operation to a US company. Microsoft appears to be that company and it now has 45 days to get a deal done.

Sarma, who was recruited for the position at ByteDance from his role as Director of International Media Distribution at the NBA a year ago, remains focused on the development and maturation of the platform as a commercial proposition.

On the agenda:

- How TikTok went from Sarma's client at the NBA to his employer today;

- What sport means to TikTok;

- The 'show me the money' question and where TikTok could sit in the sports rights ecosystem;

- How to 'do TikTok' as a sports entity, and approaches to content marketing that are working;

- 'Selling out' vs making money: the fine line that any maturing platform needs to tread;

- The trend for odd job titles at social media companies and what employee satisfaction looks like.