The SportBusiness Podcast

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, we reveal just how much the global sports media market is worth (hint... it's a lot). Plus, Uefa selects its new national teams agency, Netflix's latest football rights move and an unlikely location for cricket's latest franchise league.THE NEWSROOM: A case of déjà vu as Relevent breaks an agency's grip on Uefa business, this time CAA Eleven and national team football. Also, Netflix's Big Event sports strategy takes it to Spain for the 2030 World Cup and commercial upheaval in Brazil amid the betting ban.INSIDE THE DEAL: Media Editor Joseph Perry joins to talk through the SportBusiness Global Media Report 2026. We discuss the properties dominating the table, where the money is heading, a knockout top 10 entrant and which market is on the downturn.AOB: The Rome Gladiators set to enter the arena, a cracking World Conker Championships and a temperature-raising sponsor in Swiss ice hockey.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 PerryEditor: Gwen GourvellecSources:Relevent alone lands Uefa national team rights | SportBusinessEXCLUSIVE: CAA Eleven set to lose Uefa contract | SportBusinessNetflix Spain in shock 2030 World Cup move | SportBusinessNetflix, IMG gear up for Women’s World Cup test | SportBusinessShopee fills Corinthians shirt as betting ban bites | SportBusinessBetting firms absent from CazéTV’s WWC line-up | SportBusinessGlobal sports media rights value hits record $65.8bn | SportBusiness MediaPODCAST: High hoops: Netball bids for reach, revenue and relevance | SportBusinessPODCAST: Grand Budapest Intel | SportBusinessPODCAST: Eleven out of Ten(der): Uefa set to move on from CAA era | SportBusiness

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, we tackle a bruising sport’s place in the industry, two big European football leagues going to market with domestic media rights and a review of the rage-filled book making headlines.THE NEWSROOM: As Bare Knuckle Boxing mulls an equity sale to a rights-holding broadcaster, we analyse the emergence of the controversial combat sport, its safety and commercial appeal. Plus, different tactics for Ligue 1 and Serie A in impending domestic tenders and ice skating gets its centralised rights agency.INSIDE THE SPIEL: Executive Editor Imran Yusuf joins to cherry pick the sports industry tales in Ari Emanuel’s recently published memoir laden with expletives and almost as many deal numbers.AOB: Sponsorship signage confuses horses at Newbury, a ban on rhythmic jumping in Bochum and Premier Sports outs dodgy stick users. 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: Imran YusufEditor: Gwen GourvellecSources:BKB open to stake sale in next media rights dealLigue 1 auction ‘to include’ rights from next seasonFrench 20% pay-TV tax ‘to weigh on sports rights’Serie A presents regulators with gloomy domestic pictureSerie A guidelines OK’d but warning on exclusivityCentralised ISU agency contract for Two CirclesTennent’s Sixes tackle on Premier SportsRoll the Calls: A Memoir by Ari Emanuel

In the wake of that Manchester City ruling, Jonathan Rest and Martin Ross are back on The SportBusiness Podcast to discuss the industry’s headline issues and go deep on media rights in a major market.THE NEWSROOM: SportBusiness Sponsorship Editor Ben Cronin joins to talk about the Emirati elephant in the room. Plus, Infront nets ITTF business at a testing time for table tennis and the scale of the LIV threat on DP World Tour media rights returns is revealed.INSIDE THE DEAL: Frank Dunne is back to decipher the pay-TV sector in sub-Saharan Africa after Canal+’s Uefa club rights deal. Now the owner of MultiChoice, is it set for a market monopoly or can a mystery streamer stir new competition?AOB: Bookmakers betting on a political Brazilian legislation U-turn, Wigan gets a deadly new sponsor and juggling AI tech to generate sold-out crowds at empty venues.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: Ben Cronin, Frank DunneEditor: Gwen GourvellecSources:City inflated sponsorship with ‘sham’ contractsEtihad considers legal action against EPLBeIN’s Sen succeeds Nivelle at Infront Pan-AsiaInfront nets global WTT sponsorship remitTV rights drop swells PGA Tour’s European Tour sum(PODCAST) In Da Red Zone: Unpacking losses at LIV, European Tour and DAZNCanal+ power shows in sub-Saharan Uefa dealSuperSport lands Afcon, more pay-TV deals comingBrazilian football sets up talks on shock betting banOne final bump on the long road to centralisation?Q4 production tender to kick off Liga Portugal sales

This week, Ben Cronin and the SportBusiness Sponsorship editorial team host a live recording of the podcast at L’Escargot restaurant in London to mark the launch of the European Sponsorship Report.They discuss:THE SIZE OF THE MARKET: How much was the European sponsorship market worth in 2025 and which two sports accounted for 67% of the overall value?SPONSORSHIP SURVEY: The team reads the mood of the sponsorship industry and unpacks the findings from this year’s reader survey. Which sponsorship categories are expected to grow over the next 12 months and how is AI changing the way people work?TOP PROPERTIES: Which teams and leagues came out on top in our ranking of the biggest sponsorship properties in Europe?You can purchase your copy of the European Sponsorship Report 2026 here.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.Host: Ben CroninContributors: Matthew Williams, Faaez Samadi, Matthew GlendinningEditor: Gwen Gourvellec

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, with Martin Ross taking a well-earned break, Joseph Perry is back at the microphone to talk through his recent whistle-stop trip to Australia, which coincided with the NFL being in town.THE NEWSROOM: All the top lines from the SportNXT Conference in Melbourne. Plus, we discuss a senior executive reshuffle at DAZN and its latest push for profitability, a landmark decision at World Athletics and record US Open audiences for ESPN.INSIDE THE DEAL: Ahead of the 2026-27 season NBA season, Matthew Glendinning talks through changes to the teams' jersey patch landscape. AI and fintech brands are in vogue, of course, and which agencies are getting the deals done? AOB: Naming ceremony for a Rwandan gorilla, some unfortunate publicity for Hyrox and just how much would you pay to get up close and personal to a David Moyes team talk?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 PerryContributor: Matthew GlendinningEditor: Gwen GourvellecSources:Melbourne trades futures as the NFL comes to town | SportBusinessDelany, Gersh head DAZN hires as Mascia exits Dach | SportBusinessFour investors, one question: why sport? | SportBusiness On the MoneyAthletics history made as Kenya lands Worlds | SportBusinessShelton reels in record US Open audience for ESPN | SportBusinessAI and fintech deals push NBA jersey patch valuesExcel brokers Lakers, Albert patch deal | SportBusinessEuroleague’s SuperCup to launch in Abu Dhabi | SportBusinessHow sport holds squeezed Australia market together

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast and following a frenetic few days of high-profile sales, would-be sales and Chapter 11 proceedings, Jonathan Rest and Martin Ross break down what it all means for the industry.THE NEWSROOM: Infront’s sale of Hyrox – why now, what motivated the deal on both sides and what next? Plus, what anyone acquiring Castore would be buying and IMG tops LIV Golf’s list of unsecured service provider creditors.INSIDE THE DEAL: Ben Cronin is back from IFA Berlin where Chinese consumer electronics powerhouses Haier and Hisense both announced Uefa sponsorship deals. Insight on why the deals were done and how UCL sponsorship sales are tracking for the new cycle.AOB: FIS creates more inventory to sell, American success at US Open boosts ESPN and everything you ever wanted to know about the World Stone Skimming Championships.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: Matt StoreySources:Infront cashes in with Hyrox sale to consortiumCastore founders weigh up sale optionsIMG heads LIV’s unsecured vendor creditor listUCL pact won’t affect club deals, says Haier brand chiefHaier bags standalone Champions League dealHisense reduces inventory with Euro 2028 only dealHyundai ends Champions League car sponsor searchFIS clean sweep for Infront with four-year Worlds deal

We mark ‘la rentrée’ by bringing you up to speed with analysis of 11 major industry stories to break in the last two weeks. From US major leagues to European football and from squash to rugby league, it’s all covered.THE NEWSROOM: An extended version includes: TWG probe hits Mark Walter’s sports empire; raising a glass to DAZN’s latest US move; Amazon primed for top Mexican rights; end in sight for Ligue 1+ but the beginning for Jamie Vardy’s Bundesliga’s party. Plus, Liverpool’s shirt sponsor, rights overspill, LIV creditors and Enhanced Games losses.AOB: Another facelift for athletics with the Ultimate Champs, credible football viewing figures shorn of spin and Preston North End’s sponsorship own goal.You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. 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 RossEditor: Gwen Gourvellec, Matthew StoreySources:PSA not expecting end to Walter’s squash backingDAZN trades equity in EverPass takeoverAmazon adds El Tri amid LatAm spending plansNHL drafts Bayern Munich in bid to conquer GermanyLFP domestic tender plan ‘signals end of Ligue 1+’Bundesliga sticks with UK streamers for 22 matchesOverspill impact prompts Serie A to pull Tring’s feedEXCLUSIVE: Liverpool shirt available as Standard Chartered window closesEQT storms into NRL with Melbourne majority stakeLIV Golf ‘prepares ground’ for bankruptcy filingEnhanced Games debut prompts $62m group lossWorld Humanoid Robotic Games thread

Welcome to Inside Track, SportBusiness’ new podcast series giving organisations the opportunity to tell their story in their own words. Each episode takes the form of an in-depth 1:1 conversation between a guest and the SportBusiness editorial team, going beyond the headlines to explore the thinking, strategy, and vision behind an organisation or a landmark deal. Whether it's unpacking a major partnership, examining an innovative new approach, or sharing a perspective on where the industry is heading, listeners will get a unique window into the people and organisations shaping the future of sport. In this first episode, Executive Editor, Imran Yusuf, speaks with Heidi Pellerano, Chief Commercial Officer at Concacaf, the governing body for football across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, representing 41 member associations. A decade on from the organisation's much-documented low point, Pellerano reflects on a transformed commercial landscape. She discusses how Concacaf is converting 2026 Fifa World Cup momentum into year-round regional interest, navigating markets that span mature and emerging economies, and its media rights approach. She also explores evolving brand expectations, the rise of the women's game, and the regional 2031 Women's World Cup bid. 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.  Host: Imran YusufGuest: Heidi PelleranoEditor: Lumi Lehmuskallio 

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