The SportBusiness Podcast

This week we mix up The SportBusiness Podcast format and take an in-depth look at OneFootball’s recovery four years on from the NFT deals that nearly sent it under. We interview CEO Patrick Fischer, dissect the verticals of a now ‘asset-light’ business and unearth plenty of financial detail. Plus:THE NEWSROOM: Sponsorship controversy aplenty as Aston Villa’s NordVPN deal reignites the piracy debate and Sunderland hold advanced Visit Ghana negotiations. Plus, the streamers end beIN’s hold over LaLiga in France.AOB: European Athletics Championships’ swathes of empty seats, dreaming of centralised rights sales in Madeira and Uruguayan football on a collision course.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. Enter SBPODCAST30 at the checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here. Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin RossContributor: Ben CroninEditor: Lumi LehmuskallioSources:Villa shrugs off criticisms to strike NordVPN dealSunderland in advanced Visit Ghana shirt talksVPN sponsorship of football under scrutiny due to piracy concernsVilla turns attention to stadium deal after Visit Rwanda takes shirtBeIN ousted in LaLiga’s French streaming dealsDisney+ streaming widens Formula E distributionBenfica makes fresh move to stall centralisation

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, we profile the latest addition to the gambling-free Premier League shirt sponsor market, while its US media behemoth results season again and there’s a full post-mortem of Glasgow keeping the Commonwealth Games alive.THE NEWSROOM: What next for Fifa after failed World Cup privatisation plan, UFC success fuels Paramount's sports rights buying appetite, White House PPV hits TKO and WTA's IMG production deal puts another nail in ATP merger coffin.INSIDE THE DEAL: Matthew Williams turns an eagle eye to Crystal Palace's new shirt sponsor, Temporal. Why has a B2B firm targeted the Premier League?AOB: We measure the success of Glasgow’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games, take a peak at the in-tray of MLS' new commissioner in-waiting and uncover a football sponsorship activation from EasyJet.Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. Enter SBPODCAST30 at the checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here. Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin RossContributor: Matthew WilliamsEditor: Lumi LehmuskallioSources:Chastened Fifa drops World Cup investor planTKO boosts revenues, takes White House UFC hitEllison: UFC reaffirming Paramount belief in sportIMG adds production role to WTA remitPalace has power to add following Temporal shirt deal‘We want to reach the person writing the code’ | Clair Byrd, TemporalBerg succeeds Garber as next MLS commissionerSadleir: Amdavad 2030 to meet 60% budget criteriaLiverpool John Lennon Airport (@LPL_Airport) on X

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, with the World Cup finished, Jonathan Rest and Martin Ross turn their attention to European club football with a major sponsorship deal on the horizon and a new US broadcaster for the Bundesliga.THE NEWSROOM: Hyundai is poised to become the latest blue-chip brand to sponsor the Uefa Champions League, ECB avoids betting embarrassment as The Hundred shirt sponsorships are finalised and fines for 'parasitic' ambush marketing in Italy at the Winter Olympics.INSIDE THE DEAL: Joseph Perry analyses the Bundesliga's US rights gamble, a deal that increases its cable exposure but sees the bulk of matches streamed on a ticketing platform making its first foray into sports broadcasting.AOB: On the ground in Glasgow as the scaled-back 2026 Commonwealth Games begin, Under Armour has last laugh over pink boots and a Turkish shooter doppelganger. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. Enter SBPODCAST30 at the checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here. Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin RossContributor: Joseph PerryEditor: Matthew StoreySources:1 TV records fall as La Roja earns second star2 EXCLUSIVE: Hyundai in, Just Eat out for UCL3 Milan-Cortina ‘parasitic’ marketers fined €2.5m4 The Hundred fills shirt sponsor slots at 11th hour5 Bundesliga rolls the dice with Versant, Telemundo6 TV deals for Glasgow 2026 in Apac, Caribbean, Africa7 Cost-cutting keeps Commonwealth Games alive8 Ticket sales ‘on track’ for ‘on budget’ Glasgow 2026

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, Jonathan Rest and Martin Ross discuss a major development in the commercialisation of European football as the World Cup enters the final straight.THE NEWSROOM: With CAA Eleven out of the race for Uefa men’s national team rights and Relevent in the mix, what could the future look like under a new agency model? Plus, Visit Rwanda’s surprise shirt deal with Aston Villa following the end of its controversial Arsenal sleeve sponsorship.INSIDE THE DEAL: Faaez Samadi explains why Ralph Lauren invested heavily in a Wimbledon sponsorship, fashioning new inventory after losing its line judge asset.AOB: MLS plans to ‘Take It From Here’ post World Cup, tins hats out for the next Ligue 1 rights auction and who's buying a Premier Padel tote bag? You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here. Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin RossContributor: Faaez SamadiEditor: Gwen GourvellecSources:EXCLUSIVE: CAA Eleven set to lose Uefa contractVisit Rwanda makes the switch to Aston VillaCompetition drives Ralph Lauren uplift for WimbledonBramly picked to replace de Tavernost at LFP MediaMLS targets World Cup momentum with biggest-ever campaignFanatics lands Premier Padel merchandising deal

In a change to the usual format, the SportBusiness Podcast comes live from the city of London. There's the usual World Cup chat, we discuss whether 'Brand Beckham' is a help or hindrance, and we take questions from attendees at SportBusiness Live.THE NEWSROOM: We debate football in the US once the World Cup leaves, whether rugby union will lose out after the NRL's multi-billion TV deal and debundling of commercial rights in women's sport.AOB: Silverstone's pit lane turns into a catwalk, Wimbledon finals and the new football season is under way before the old one has ended.You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin RossContributors: Joseph Perry, Matthew Williams, Maria Kholodova, Matthew Glendinning Editor: Lumi LehmuskallioSources:Tebas leads charge against Fifa’s ExpressVPN deal | SportBusinessVPN sponsorship of football under scrutiny due to piracy concerns | SportBusiness MediaWomen’s cricket has achieved commercial ‘lift off’, says ICC’s Dahiya | SportBusiness SponsorshipHosts break World Cup TV records - for the last time? | SportBusinessNRL enters history books with record TV deals | SportBusinessNetflix outmuscles rivals for Women’s World Cup | SportBusiness Media

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, Martin Ross returns from the World Cup to chew the fat with co-host Jonathan Rest in the week that we also launch the new SportBusiness Gameday newsletter.THE NEWSROOM: On-the-ground World Cup reflections and an interview with On Location President Paul Caine on how hospitality sales are tracking. Plus, the UCI foregoes profit in a bid to accelerate cycling’s growth in Africa.INSIDE THE DEAL: New recruit Jake Holmes joins the pod to introduce SportBusiness Gameday and explain the AELTC’s ongoing expansion travails nearly eight years on from its deal with Wimbledon Park Golf Club.AOB: The latest on the possible NBA Europe franchise line-up, emotional support tacos for World Cup losers and who’s charging what for bull running TV rights?You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin RossContributors: Jake HolmesEditor: Gwen GourvellecSources:Smaller price gap aids On Location World Cup salesUCI posts seven-figure loss after hosting fee dropWimbledon’s court battle heads to tie breakAELTC rejects alternative on-site court planEuroLeague, football clubs in NBA Europe contentionEXCLUSIVE: Handful of bidders for London’s ‘$1bn NBA team’

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, Joseph Perry completes his stand-in duties alongside Jonathan Rest. The pair discuss an upcoming tender in one of European football's challenger leagues, a seismic announcement in Canadian TV and the week’s industry snippets, including a special dispatch from Lions Sport in Cannes.THE NEWSROOM: The Polish Ekstraklasa has hired IMG to lead its upcoming domestic media rights sales process. What will the agency bring to the table, and who may challenge serial incumbents Canal+ and TVP? Plus, a sponsorship agency appointment highlights growing synergies between MotoGP and F1.INSIDE THE DEAL: Catherine Davies returns to the pod to discuss a bombshell decision in Canadian sports media, as CBC calls time on its 75-year run broadcasting primetime Saturday night NHL games. What next for CBC, and Rogers' sublicensing hopes?AOB: Musings from Cannes, previewing Uefa Champions League rights deals to come in the US and South Korea, a tax-friendly NBA mega trade and predicting football's next fashion fad.You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.  Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Joseph PerryContributors: Catherine Davies, Imran YusufEditor: Lumi Lehmuskallio1 CazéTV hails success of World Cup streams | SportBusiness2 IMG to lead Ekstraklasa domestic rights process | SportBusiness3 Ekstraklasa and Canal Plus sign off on PLN1.3bn, four-year contract | SportBusiness4 CAA Sports adds MotoGP to motorsport portfolio | SportBusiness5 MotoGP manufacturers in milestone collective deal | SportBusiness6 Rogers calls time on CBC’s 75-year NHL run | SportBusiness Media7 Rogers ‘to shell out’ $7.7bn for NHL renewal | SportBusiness8 Korean broadcasters given 10 days to make Uefa bids | SportBusiness

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, Joseph Perry steps in as co-host alongside Jonathan Rest, while Martin Ross provides a Fifa World Cup punter's perspective after attending Scotland-Haiti.THE NEWSROOM: Record-setting audiences tune in for the opening games of the World Cup while we debate TV studios and complain of sleep deprivation. Jon returns from Dubrovnik to give the lowdown on E1's investment search, commercial model and why celebrity owners are here to stay.INSIDE THE DEAL: Ben Cronin joins to analyse the sponsorship dollars generated by Fifa for this World Cup. Where are the deals coming from, what new categories have been opened up, and what does it tell us about the next sales cycle?AOB: Previewing what's on the agenda for the IOC's new head of media rights following a double departure, Man Utd finally says yes to All or Nothing, and Capelli's Cape Verde bet pays off.You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.  Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Joseph PerryContributors: Ben CroninEditor: Lumi LehmuskallioSources:1 World Cup kicks off with record US TV audiences | SportBusiness2 PIF committed to E1 amid broader sports rethink | SportBusiness 3 E1 nears €20m raise to fund second fleet, US push | SportBusiness On the Money 4 US brands and Aramco mega-deal drive record Fifa sponsorship income | SportBusiness Sponsorship5 AB InBev extends World Cup rights to 2030 | SportBusiness6 EXCLUSIVE: Rights team exits prompt IOC search | SportBusiness7 Amazon lands Man United for All or Nothing series | SportBusiness