Unofficial Partner Podcast

Today's guest is Dan Jamieson, who is chief executive and co-owner of ICONS, the world's biggest signed football memorabilia company. ICONS was founded in 1999, originally starting as an editorial website for footballers to connect directly with fans. The business successfully pivoted to focus on signed memorabilia, a niche subset of the broader merchandise market, valued at hundreds of millions annually within football. ICONS focuses on exclusive partnerships with superstars, holding the worldwide exclusive contract for Leo Messi’s signed memorabilia, which they combine with licenses from rights holders like FIFA and the Champions League. This strategy capitalizes on the trend of fandom increasingly shifting toward individual players. Authenticity is maintained through a "triple lock" system, which time-codes, geolocates, and video-records every signing session, linking the unique digital evidence to the physical product via an NFC chip. Their customer base includes retail buyers (often purchasing gifts) and B2B partners such as clubs and sponsors like Heineken, who use the items for promotions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Inside Edge is our cricket business series with co-host Mike Jakeman. Today's guest is Venkat Ananth on the money circling the IPL franchises. Check out Venkat's newsletter and blog, State of Play. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is the fame-making creative and sponsorship agency for brands in sport. Through exceptional creativity, deep sponsorship expertise, and flawless on-site delivery, they help brands, sponsors, and rightsholders unlock their full potential in sport - most recently picking up a Leaders Sports Award for their work with Lidl at UEFA EURO 2024. Everything they do is driven by a culture of effectiveness - because in sport, performance matters. Not just on the pitch, but in the work too. So whether you want to build buzz, connect with audiences, or do something that actually cuts through, Sid Lee Sport knows how. Visit sidleesport.com Sid Lee Sport - where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Olympic marketing pioneer Michael Payne discusses his book Fast Tracks and Dark Deals, exploring how sport became business through the lens of legendary figures like Horst Dassler, Bernie Ecclestone and Mark McCormack. He challenges federations on governance, examines whether the Olympics inhibits innovation, and addresses future issues including AI, implanted technology, and the Enhanced Games debate. Payne reflects on Beijing 2008's legacy, Trump's impact on LA 2028, and warns that political weaponisation threatens sport's ecosystem as profoundly as Cold War boycotts once did. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is the fame-making creative and sponsorship agency for brands in sport. Through exceptional creativity, deep sponsorship expertise, and flawless on-site delivery, they help brands, sponsors, and rightsholders unlock their full potential in sport - most recently picking up a Leaders Sports Award for their work with Lidl at UEFA EURO 2024. Everything they do is driven by a culture of effectiveness - because in sport, performance matters. Not just on the pitch, but in the work too. So whether you want to build buzz, connect with audiences, or do something that actually cuts through, Sid Lee Sport knows how. Visit sidleesport.com Sid Lee Sport - where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

This episode was recorded at the recent Sportradar Connect: Soccer Edition event at the London Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The podcast divides is in two parts. First is an onstage conversation on the evolution of football data analytics and AI featuring Jamie Carragher, Erik Durm and Nicolo D’Ercole. Jamie Carragher played 737 times for Liverpool and 38 times for England, in career that included the famous 2005 UEFA Champions League victory. Today he is one of the most popular and innovative analysts working in sports television, part of Sky Sports award winning Premier League production and CBS’s groundbreaking Golazzo show in the US. Erik Durm was a star of the Bundesliga, playing for Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt and was a member of Germany’s 2014 FIFA World Cup winning team. Nicolo D’Ercole is Executive Vice President of AI & technology at Sportradar. The second part of this episode is a roundtable conversation we convened at the end of the day featuring Nicolo along with Darren Small (SVP Managed Trading Services) and Nikolaus Beier (SVP Marketing Services) from Sportradar to discuss the key marketing and technology trends that dominate the sports, betting and entertainment industries. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Inside Edge is our series on the business of cricket, presented with co-host Mike Jakeman. Our guest is Phil Weston, head of cricket at TGI Sport, the agency owned jointly by George Pyne's Bruin Sports Capital and Quadrant Private Equity. England star Harry Brook is one of an impressive roster of talent across both the male and female games, including Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan, Jofra Archer and Sophie Devine. In 2024 TGI acquired Insignia to its international network that includes European-based tech-led media rights and virtual production agency ISG, New York-based virtual advertising solution provider Brand Brigade, UK-based Media Sales agency Sportseen, leading Australian sports agency TLA and talent management company SFX Sports Group. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is the fame-making creative and sponsorship agency for brands in sport. Through exceptional creativity, deep sponsorship expertise, and flawless on-site delivery, they help brands, sponsors, and rightsholders unlock their full potential in sport - most recently picking up a Leaders Sports Award for their work with Lidl at UEFA EURO 2024. Everything they do is driven by a culture of effectiveness - because in sport, performance matters. Not just on the pitch, but in the work too. So whether you want to build buzz, connect with audiences, or do something that actually cuts through, Sid Lee Sport knows how. Visit sidleesport.com Sid Lee Sport - where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Mark Oliver was the BBC's first head of strategy before creating Oliver and Ohlbaum in 1995, which remains one of the most influential media advisory boutiques in the market, with clients ranging from sports leagues and federations to media companies, tech platforms, venture capital firms and private equity groups. In this episode, Mark identifies the rationale that sits behind some of sport's most high profile investment stories, from NBA Europe, R360 rugby and World Volleyball through to the opportunities, red flags and roadblocks that exist for investors in Olympic sport federations. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is the fame-making creative and sponsorship agency for brands in sport. Through exceptional creativity, deep sponsorship expertise, and flawless on-site delivery, they help brands, sponsors, and rightsholders unlock their full potential in sport - most recently picking up a Leaders Sports Award for their work with Lidl at UEFA EURO 2024. Everything they do is driven by a culture of effectiveness - because in sport, performance matters. Not just on the pitch, but in the work too. So whether you want to build buzz, connect with audiences, or do something that actually cuts through, Sid Lee Sport knows how. Visit sidleesport.com Sid Lee Sport - where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

The story of Brentford is one of the most interesting and quoted case studies in European football over the last decade. The west London club been transformed on and off the pitch, from being saved from extinction by its own fans to a new era under the ownership of entrepreneur Matthew Benham. The club was promoted to the Premier League in 2021, marking a return to the top flight after 74 years. Since then, it has become the go-to case study for smart recruitment and data-driven approach to management decision making. So, what's gone right at Brentford? And why is hard for other clubs to copy its blueprint for not just surviving, but thriving in the most competitive football league in the world. Today's episode was recorded at Brentford Community Stadium and is a collaboration with Indeed, the club's official recruitment partner Our guests are Jon Varney, David Ornstein and Matt Price. Jon Varney is CEO of Brentford Football Club David Ornstein is Football Correspondent at The Athletic Matt Price is Senior Sales Director of Indeed Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

This is a special episode of Other People's Money is our regular series on sports investment which was recorded recently in front of an invited audience at the London headquarters of EY, the Big Four accounting and professional services group. Joining Richard and regular OPM co-host Matt Rogan were John Fallon and Vikram Banerjee. John Fallon was CEO of publishing giant Pearson during the white heat of digital transformation. His book Resurgent is an essential counter balance to the cliches that gather around the much discussed topic of disruption. Vikram Banerjee is managing director of The Hundred, and previously led the strategy, insights and business operations functions at the England and Wales Cricket Board. A former professional cricketer, he has played a key role in setting the strategic direction for the sport, including the creation of the ECB’s strategy for cricket – Inspiring Generations – and the South Asian Action Plan, which was launched in 2018. The other voices you’ll hear include questions from our audience including Alan Noble and Sarah Hanks, our hosts at EY, plus Gessica Howarth of Sphera Partners. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Nike, Drake and Beats have just released cricket themed campaigns. WTF? Is cricket cool? Richard asked Mike Jakeman and Simon Moore to list their best and worst cricket themed campaigns and the result is a conversation about cliches, tropes and cultural relevance. The following ads are referenced in the podcast. Beats by Dre 2025 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/homeground-london_checkshubman-gillshining-bright-in-the-activity-7376572600484782080-MxP2?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAADNCmgB-26i_-T9u7OfQ8UB-pRP3VJ8mew Nike Nocta and Drake https://sportsverse.substack.com/p/cricket-nike-drake-sportswear-west-indies-nocta-antigua KitKat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l83ANUS3I8E Pepsi - Change The Game - 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4tpN_egJnM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRbKZ7rkk7A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEnzSbQnFBg Nike India, Bleed Blue - 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eDoDQo_T1c Nike Yards - 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD59CpKMQY0 Make Every Yard Count - 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtxLmInvFcw Hilton - No Boundaries 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wif0tbWelrE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv3OPxbTARU Booking.com It starts with a booking 2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ozoQaqKkJ4 Cadbury’s Dairy Milk - Good Luck Girls 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_OtC06ndUE&t=40s Here’s the original from the nineties https://youtu.be/e7JATezA1nY?si=vPubhZaP4vZ8-AyU Emirates - Bollywood Cricket Welcome On-board Demo 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JfuwuDqjag Adidas - Made for Cricket - 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1TXNXe15fA Yorkshire Tea - Everything Stops for Tea -2013 Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

We took The Bundle to Monaco and recorded a live podcast on stage at Sportel, the famous sports media and technology marketplace. Joining Richard and regular co-host Murray Barnett were Glen Killane (EBU Sport), Peter Bellamy (Deltatre) and Louisa Clark (Queensberry Promotions). EPISODE SUMMARY Broadcasting live from Sportel Monaco's opening session, this special episode captures the sports media industry at a pivotal moment. With Apple's Formula 1 deal breaking over the weekend, Relevent's UEFA strategy dominating conversations, and the French football crisis providing a cautionary tale, our panel explores what delegates will be discussing throughout the week. The central question: in a market that's worked the same way for 30 years, where are rights holders placing their chips now? Key Theme: Out of chaos comes creativity. The industry faces forced evolution, and this is the "Monte Carlo casino moment" - how conservative or aggressive will rights holders be? Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Joining Richard and Matt Rogan is António Caçorino, founder & CEO of APEX, the sports fund manager known for its roster of over 70 athletes across 15 sports and 30+ leagues. Famous names attached to the fund include Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris (McLaren), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and Valtteri Bottas, footballers Raphaël Varane (Manchester United/France), Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount (Manchester United), Jan Vertonghen, Daley Blind, Luuk de Jong and John Stones (Manchester City). The Portuguese investment company has deployed capital in elite sports ventures such as TMRW SPORTS, the company behind TGL golf, technology companies Playsight and ScorePlay. Other investments include Baller League, €23 million ($24.1 million) in series A funding into the creator meets football startup. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

What Just Happened - Episode Summary Rugby League's Private Equity Play: Super League Seeks Investment The Rugby Football League is in talks with private equity firms, including Lion Cap Global and Oakwell Sports Advisory, about selling a stake in Super League. This comes 30 years after Super League's formation with Sky backing, yet the sport remains in a similar position—geographically concentrated in Northern England with passionate but limited fan base. The move raises questions about IMG's role, as they're only three years into a 12-year "re-imagining" partnership. The episode questioned why the sport needs PE investment if IMG's transformation was succeeding, and how multiple stakeholders (PE, IMG, diverse club owners) would navigate competing visions for the sport's future. Breaking news during the recording revealed York Knights and Toulouse as the two new teams joining the expanded Super League, notably excluding London despite assumptions about PE interest in southern expansion. The Bill Murray Effect: Stars Trump Sports in Modern Broadcasting Bill Murray will front a new Paramount Plus/BBC documentary series touring Irish golf courses, described by the BBC as a "genre-bending road trip" where "golf is just the excuse." This exemplifies the shift toward personality-driven sports content, where the star matters more than the sport itself. The discussion extended to Ari Emmanuel launching interview series on X, and the broader trend of influencers acquiring rights (like French influencer Zach Nanny getting French U21 football rights). Traditional broadcasters are caught between old methods and chasing new audiences through celebrity-led formats, often appearing to lack confidence in the sports themselves as sufficient draw. TNT's Ashes Coverage Controversy: Expertise vs. Entertainment TNT's announcement of their Ashes broadcasting team sparked backlash among cricket fans, with rugby commentator Alistair Ekin and cycling commentator Rob Hatch as lead voices, plus football/boxing reporter Becky Ives presenting. The debate centered on whether generalist broadcasters can match specialist expertise, with examples like Andrew Cotter and Jim Rosenthal as counterpoints. The deeper question: are broadcasters too focused on capturing "promiscuous outer layer" fans while neglecting devoted audiences? With matches at 3am UK time and Sky declining to bid, the episode questioned TNT's strategy and whether cricket fans might cobble together YouTube/TikTok alternatives rather than subscribe—potentially undermining the traditional broadcast model entirely. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

We went to the London offices of Sid Lee Sport to host Cause and Effect: Why sponsorship needs an effectiveness revolution. A live recording featuring industry professionals from across the sport sponsorship marketplace, who came together in front of an invited VIP audience to ask some big questions as sport's role as a marketing platform for brands. Taking part were: Hosting the event was Charlotte Thomson, founder of The One10 Collective and formerly head of women's football at Copa90. Joining Charlotte on stage were Charlie Dundas (GSIQ), Sarah Kendall (The Football Association), Rebecca Martin (Barclays/ESA), and Rory Natkiel (Sid Lee Sport) as founding board members of the Sponsorship Effectiveness Forum, a not-for-profit, cross-industry platform dedicated to raising the standard of sponsorship effectiveness. "By building benchmarks, sharing case studies, and challenging old assumptions, our mission is to help sponsorship achieve its true potential and claim its rightful place at the heart of brand building. This is just the start. Over the months ahead we’ll be publishing research, hosting events, and creating the tools the industry needs to move beyond exposure metrics and prove the real impact of sponsorship." Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Today's conversation was recorded at the Two Circles European Summit which took place a few weeks ago at the Institute of Engineering and Technology overlooking the Thames, next to the Savoy. Gareth Balch, founder and CEO of Two Circles is our guest, and as ever with Gareth, nothing was off limits, and its useful to periodically check in on what he's seeing right across the European and North American sports markets, where they encourage their clients to think about their relationship with the key trends, sharing nuggets of useful information that lurk just below the day to day headlines. We explore the state of sports business, what fan engagement means in 2025 and the evolving relationship between sports IP, audiences, and revenue. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

This is the fourth and final episode of our series What's Sport Selling? Created in collaboration with the Redtorch research and creative agency. Today's guest is Tim Hollingsworth, who led Sport England for eight years, managing the £300m annual budget derived from government and national lottery funding. His tenure spanned COVID, energy crisis, and fundamental strategy reset via "Uniting the Movement." Over the past three episodes, we've explored how sport can drive meaningful social impact, tackle the global physical inactivity crisis, and unlock powerful business opportunities for the industry. This conversation brings all of those themes together. If you'd like to learn more about Redtorch, the independent research and creative agency dedicated to making sport more relevant, visit Redtorch.Sport. We thank them for their support. Much appreciated and what has been a really interesting and broad series. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Jen Topping and Jo Redfern are our guests critique the arguments around sport’s relationship with the creator economy, the control v chaos philosophy divide inherent in digital IP monetisation and audience building, and the PR battles being waged for premium advertising among the big platforms. Plus, the Beano. Jen Topping’s Business of YouTube Substack newsletter is great, as is Jo’s Kids Media Club podcast. Both are broader than sport and all the better for it. Plus: The "Taylor Swift Data Fallacy" - This explores how top-tier creator success (like MrBeast's) is mistaken for average outcomes when creators transition to streaming, leading to unrealistic expectations. The Data Reliability Crisis - Addressing the fundamental problem that much online engagement isn't authentic, with nearly half of internet traffic coming from bots. Generation Z's "Creative Maximalism" - Examining how younger audiences have developed entirely new creative frameworks that challenge traditional media production. The D2C Imperative - Why direct-to-consumer strategies are becoming essential rather than optional for traditional producers. Creator-Led Sports as a Microcosm - Using sports leagues as an example of broader shifts in entertainment consumption and production. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Our guest is Sam Sadi, CEO of LiveScore Group, and a regular visitor on Unofficial Partner. Last week he announced a groundbreaking new partnership between the LiveScore sports content and betting platform and xAI, the Elon Musk owned social media platform's artificial intelligence company. This gives LiveScore access to X's data/content APIs and xAI's technology for real-time sports conversations, sentiment analysis, and AI-powered engagement tools. What happens next will tell us much about some of the big words we use a lot on the podcasts: personalisation, content, audience sentiment and engagement. Don't miss it. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

This is Inside Edge, which is our cricket business podcast. Regular co-host Mike Jakeman is away this week, but our guests are Beth Barrett-Wild and Jen Vile from the ECB. Beth is the Tournament Director at ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 & Director of Women's Professional Game at ECB, and Jen Vile is Marketing Director at (ECB) So we are talking women's cricket, the T20 World Cup in England next year, and the hundred, the impact of the new money flooding into the hundred on women's cricket. There's a lot there and we hope you enjoy it. Leaders in Sport connects the most influential people and the most powerful ideas in global sport to catalyse discussion, and drive the industry forward. The Summit, part of Leaders Week London (their flagship event), is taking place next week on Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 October at the Allianz Stadium and this is a final call to secure your place. This is your opportunity to be in the room with the who's who of our industry, it's the most significant gathering of the entire ecosystem of global sport - we're there every year and can testify to that. We will be there, so please come and say hello to us in the Partners Village. Visit leadersinsport.com/UP for more information and use UP15 for a 15% discount on your Summit passes. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Three stories from a week in the sports business. James Emmett comes fresh from the IMG-Redbird Summit. David Cushnan on what and who lurks behind The Enhanced Games. Richard on Jamie Redknapp and Richard Thompson's new football agency. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.

Welcome to The Bundle, our regular series on the sports media and streaming marketplace with co-hosts Yannick Ramcke, General Manager of OTT at the streaming service OneFootball and Murray Barnett, founder of 26West Consulting and formerly of F1, World Rugby and ESPN International. Leaders Summit: 2 Weeks To Go Leaders in Sport connects the most influential people and the most powerful ideas in global sport to catalyse discussion, and drive the industry forward. For the past 15 years, Leaders has been the organiser of the most prestigious conferences in global sports business with annual editions North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The Summit, part of Leaders Week London, is now just 2 weeks away, taking place at The Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on 1st and 2nd October. With forums, think tanks, multiple events, award ceremonies, masterclasses and new experiential get-togethers across the week, this is your opportunity to understand the global trends impacting the sport business landscape and how to commercialise them. http://leadersinsport.com/UP Visit leadersinsport.com/UP for more information and use UP15 for a 15% discount on your Summit passes. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.