Sports Management Podcast

Marcus Filipsson

Where top sports managers share experiences from and passion for the sports management industry.

  1. #230 Why Most Soccer Clubs Lose Money | Matt Driver

    −1 D

    #230 Why Most Soccer Clubs Lose Money | Matt Driver

    Welcome to episode 230 of Sports Management Podcast. Today's guest has lived football from every angle - player, coach, owner, executive, and advisor. Matt Driver is the founder of Soccer Universities and Football Club Advisory Group, and he's worked across Europe and the U.S. helping clubs move from survival mode to scalable success. In this episode, we talk about: Why most soccer clubs struggle financially What American sports get right that football often ignores How fan engagement, data, and commercial thinking will define the future of the game And much more! This is a masterclass in the business of football. SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today. Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:38 Why College Soccer Doesn't Create Pros 03:18 The Wake-Up Call Playing La Liga Clubs 05:30 Creating Real Player Pathways 08:10 Why Most Clubs Are Structurally Broken 11:13 A Bulgarian Club Case Study 15:09 Why Vertical Silos Kill Clubs 16:41 What American Sports Get Right 18:30 Why Fans Jump Between Sports 20:08 Why "We've Always Done It This Way" Fails 26:21 Turning Fan Phones Into Revenue 30:23 Monetizing Club Assets 35:47 Why Fans Must Be Entertained 55:26 Career Advice for Sports Professionals 01:05:54 Why the USL Could Explode Next 01:10:00 Outro Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media Instagram Twitter LinkedIn YouTube www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

    1 tim 15 min
  2. #229 Inside the IOC: How the Olympic Games Are Built Years Before the Torch Is Lit | Christian Klaue

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    #229 Inside the IOC: How the Olympic Games Are Built Years Before the Torch Is Lit | Christian Klaue

    Welcome to episode 229 of Sports Management Podcast. Today's guest has been at the center of that work for over a decade. Christian Klaue is Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at the International Olympic Committee. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of how the Olympic Games are planned, positioned, communicated, and ultimately delivered - from Milano Cortina to LA28 and beyond. If you've ever wondered how the biggest sporting event on earth actually comes together, this conversation is for you. SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today. Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 01:31 Life Inside the IOC Right Before the Games 02:45 What Olympic Communications Really Do 04:47 Why Positioning Matters More Than Reacting 05:06 Working on Multiple Olympic Games at Once 06:55 Why Milano Cortina 2026 Is Different 07:52 Legacy Beats New Construction 09:13 Avoiding Olympic "White Elephants" 10:12 Designing the Athlete Experience 11:22 Why the Olympic Torch Changes Everything 13:32 How the Torch Relay Really Works 15:21 The Power of Opening Ceremonies 20:09 Christian Klaue's Career Journey 27:42 Leading Through Olympic Crises 41:51 Advice for a Career in Sports Communication 43:00 Outro   Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media Instagram Twitter LinkedIn YouTube www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

    48 min
  3. #228 Why Women's Football Is the Best Sports Investment of the Next Decade | John P. Reynal, CEO The Women's Cup

    2 FEB.

    #228 Why Women's Football Is the Best Sports Investment of the Next Decade | John P. Reynal, CEO The Women's Cup

    Welcome to episode 228 of Sports Management Podcast. Today's guest is John P Reynal, the President & CEO of The Women's Cup - one of the most ambitious global platforms in women's football. John has spent his career building sports properties across continents and in this conversation, he makes a bold case: women's football isn't charity - it's one of the most undervalued growth opportunities in sports. We spoke about: Why over-investing early matters How TV rights and valuations are lagging behind reality Why the next decade of women's football could reshape the entire sports industry. His unconventional journey to and through the sports industry And much more! SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today. Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 02:21 Why women's football is a massive investment opportunity 04:18 "Women's football is a business" 04:50 What over-investing really looks like 06:53 Building a premium brand through experience 08:21 Fixing the production problem in women's football 10:07 How media rights unlock real growth 11:09 Why the US women's football model is different 13:30 The danger of women's teams as afterthoughts 15:45 Rethinking how women's football is marketed 21:58 Why investors are flooding into women's football 23:00 From $1M to $150M franchise valuations 26:01 Latin America's untapped audience power 31:01 The audience shift every club must prepare for 32:43 Why Brazil 2027 will change everything 45:00 Outro     Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media Instagram Twitter LinkedIn YouTube www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

    47 min
  4. #227 Ultimate Hoops: Turning Rec Basketball Into a Pro Experience, Alan Arlt

    26 JAN.

    #227 Ultimate Hoops: Turning Rec Basketball Into a Pro Experience, Alan Arlt

    Welcome to episode 227 of Sports Management Podcast. Today's guest is Alan Arlt, founder of Ultimate Hoops and co-founder of ARLT Consulting. Alan built a recreational basketball league into a highly-engaged sports product with stats, highlights, and experiences that made everyday players feel like pros and he sold it with an 18x return in under two years. In this episode, we spoke about: What makes a sports product truly 'sticky' How to scale without losing quality How AI is changing the future of participation sports. And much more! SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today. Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 00:58 Building "sticky" sports products with ARLT Consulting  02:16 From sports nerd to sports entrepreneur  02:59 The Ultimate Hoops idea (treat everyone like Kobe)  03:42 From 6 teams to 40 teams in under a year  03:42 Acquired by Lifetime Fitness (18 months in)  04:26 The Carmelo Anthony moment ("I think I'm done")  05:11 The 18x return (and why he didn't plan an exit)  05:58 The "sticky product" flywheel (daily engagement)  06:54 Passion vs practicality (unit economics matter)  08:22 The 2-step decision process (gut → diligence)  09:46 Why athlete partnerships are everything (B2A mindset)  11:51 AI changed everything (stats + highlights at scale)  13:28 How ARLT uses AI with clients today  14:18 Why this model works for every sport  15:06 The golden rule (people want to feel special)  15:45 The post-game interview that proved the concept  17:24 Why AI will create "1,000 Ultimate Hoops"  19:53 The mindset shift (leaving Discovery to take the leap)  21:36 Why side hustles are the new advantage  22:50 The biggest founder mistakes (too fast vs too slow)  24:10 Best advice for founders (just get started)  25:47 How to use AI without losing the human edge  27:07 Leadership style (do every job, stay in the weeds)  30:28 Hiring without a vacuum (team fit matters)  32:11 Scaling too fast (when it stopped feeling like Ultimate Hoops)  33:02 COVID shutdown (the hardest stretch)  35:25 Letting 85% of the team go (and rebuilding)  37:02 Guest recommendations (SportsVisio + AIM Sports Group)  39:00 Outro Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media Instagram Twitter LinkedIn YouTube www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

    39 min
  5. #226 How Sports Teams Should Use Data | Neil Schwartz, SBRnet

    19 JAN.

    #226 How Sports Teams Should Use Data | Neil Schwartz, SBRnet

    Welcome to episode 226 of Sports Management Podcast. Today's guest is Neil Schwartz, President of SBRnet, one of the leading sports business data providers focused on fan behavior, monetization, and engagement. In this episode, we break down the difference between passive fans and active fans, why storytelling is the real skill behind data, and how teams can turn insights into revenue across tickets, merch, sports betting and more. Let's get into it. SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.   Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 00:59 What sports teams can learn from Disney 01:50 What SBRnet does: business-side sports data 02:46 Doing data before data was cool 04:25 Data is now traded like oil + early pushback from execs 07:28 Black box data vs transparent methodology 08:44 "If you only use your own data, you repeat the same mistakes" 09:29 Data is like making soup 11:16 SWOT analysis as a decision framework 12:57 The hardest question: "Why?" 16:41 Cross-fandom + cross-category sponsorship strategy 19:31 Active vs passive engagement explained 21:07 Neil's Dolphins example: passionate but passive fan behavior 22:49 Turning passive fans into active fans 25:08 Good data use is good storytelling 27:52 When teams reject data because of anecdotal bias 30:45 Privacy + anonymized data + integrity standards 35:14 Pandemic: removing live attendance questions to protect trend accuracy 37:15 AI fears + why people must stay in the decision-making equation 42:20 Career advice: internships + networking + better outreach emails 48:43 Sports gambling needs guardrails 52:31 Gambling growth plateau 53:19 Underage gambling problem 54:45 Guest recommendations 57:00 Outro   Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media Instagram Twitter LinkedIn YouTube www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

    58 min
  6. #225 What Sports Teams Can Learn from Disney: Vance Morris on Fan Experience, Service & Pricing Power

    12 JAN.

    #225 What Sports Teams Can Learn from Disney: Vance Morris on Fan Experience, Service & Pricing Power

    Welcome to episode 225 of Sports Management Podcast. Today's guest is Vance Morris, and in this episode we will uncover what sports teams can learn from Disney when it comes to service and fan experience. We spoke about: How Vance went from a security guard at a birth control factory to working for Disney Why he was a lousy employee Why his business charges 40% more than its competitors Taking the leap to starting his own business, and his wife getting sick 3 days later And much more! SPONSOR: Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.   Time stamps: 00:00 Intro: 02:21 From factory security guard to Disney 03:32 Experience design in boring moments 05:50 Engaging fans on non-game days 07:25 Linertainment explained 08:44 What teams can do between purchase & game day 11:18 Reaching younger fans with physical mail 13:01 On-stage vs off-stage mindset 15:26 Attention to detail & perceived value 17:30 Tellable moments & word of mouth 19:44 Systems create freedom 22:34 Cost of keeping vs acquiring fans 24:27 Why he charges 40% more 28:57 "The bar is set so low" 31:23 Service standards disconnect 33:29 Hiring for service mindset 38:19 Major career setback & resilience 40:00 Outro   Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media Instagram Twitter LinkedIn YouTube www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com

    43 min
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Where top sports managers share experiences from and passion for the sports management industry.

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