The Sports Marketeer by Amar Singh

Amar Singh
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  • Marketing
  • Updated Monthly

I'm Amar, SVP for Content & Comms at sports marketing agency MKTG and Professor in Football Content & Marketing at the Football Business Academy. Join me and a series of special guests as I explore some of the trends around sports marketing, content and culture.

  1. May 17

    Julien Laurens on Mbappé, Zidane, and the political weight of Les Bleus 2026

    France goes into the 2026 World Cup as one of the favourites — defending finalists, 2018 world champions, qualified with a near-perfect record. They're also a country in which the National Rally is now the largest single party in the National Assembly, and which is being represented this summer by a team that is, in its overwhelming majority, of African and North African heritage. This week I sit down for an hour with Julien Laurens — football journalist for TNT, BBC, ESPN, 5 Live, RMC, and Talksport, and author of Kylian Mbappé: The Definitive Biography, out 28 May via Bonnier Books, twelve days before France play their opening game against Senegal in New Jersey. We talk about Kylian Mbappé's transformation since 2018, the moment he was given the captaincy and what his parents told him, the surprise Camavinga omission, the end of the Deschamps era, why 1998 cast a longer shadow than 2018, the 2010 Knysna strike and the new Netflix documentary The Bus, why Julien believes the French far right doesn't actually want France to win, Zinedine Zidane preparing to take over as manager, and why this summer's tournament carries weight that goes well beyond a trophy. 📖 Kylian Mbappé: The Definitive Biography by Julien Laurens — out 28 May via Bonnier Books. Pre-order: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kylian-Mbappe-Definitive-Biography-World/dp/1399629565 Chapters00:00 Welcome01:30 The book — why now, and why you?04:00 What surprised Julien in the research06:00 Mbappé in 2026 vs Mbappé in 201809:30 The Pelé note after the 2018 final13:00 The squad announcement — Camavinga, Kolo Muani17:00 The Deschamps era — 14 years and counting20:00 Knysna, 2010, and the Netflix doc The Bus24:00 1998 vs 2018 — same victory, different countries28:00 The dynasty question31:30 The captaincy — what Mbappé's parents told him38:00 Mbappé and Le Pen40:30 What failure would cost45:30 The personal stakes49:00 Zidane the successor55:00 The prediction58:00 The European bonus Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thesportsmarketeer.substack.com/Follow on X: @amarjournoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amarsinghdigital/

    59 min

  2. Apr 30

    Tim Vickery: Brazil, the World Cup, and a birthright taken away

    Brazil hasn't won a World Cup in 24 years. There is now a generation of Brazilians who have never, in a footballing sense, known what their parents knew - and this summer, under a foreign coach for the first time in their history, they have to do something about it. This week I sit down for an hour with Tim Vickery - the BBC's voice on South American football, Rio resident of more than 30 years, and co-author of the brilliant new book Mundiales: A South American History of the World Cup (with Mark Biram, out now via Pitch Publishing). We talk about the weight of the yellow shirt and the trauma of the Maracanazo, the lost generation that's only known heartbreak, why Tim thinks the 4-1 to Argentina last March was actually worse than the 7-1, the Nike '98 airport ad and the marketing of Jogo Bonito, Carlo Ancelotti as the first foreign Seleção boss, the political weaponisation of the amarelinha, Pelé's place in the 20th century alongside Ali and Martin Luther King, and why Tim still wouldn't rule Brazil out 📖 Mundiales: A South American History of the World Cup by Tim Vickery & Mark Biram - out now via Pitch Publishing. Chapters00:00 Welcome01:24 Mundiales — the book04:41 30 years in Rio: the mood eight weeks out06:39 The Maracanazo and Brazil's Nelson's Column10:42 Nike, Michael Jordan, and the '98 airport ad13:00 The lost generation21:06 Neymar, Vinicius, Endrick22:49 Jogo Bonito as marketing ghost27:55 The Ancelotti question34:42 The heat, the brand, the World Cup at risk42:00 If Brazil wins it — what changes?46:25 Pelé, Ali, and 52 years after slavery53:53 Brazil v Morocco: the prediction58:33 The turtle

    58 min

  3. 09/27/2025

    Confronting the Far Right: The role of sport in troubled times

    Across the UK, the US, and beyond, anti-immigration rhetoric and far-right ideologies have marched into the mainstream. Just weeks ago, more than 100,000 people filled London’s streets in a rally organised by white supremacists, underscoring the scale of this shift.With some polls showing that 30 per cent of the public would back the nationalist Reform party at the next election, ethnic minority communities in the UK are deeply concerned. In this climate, what role can sport play in easing divisions?This was the premise for the latest episode, in which I was joined by two brilliant guests. Sanjay Bhandari MBE wears many hats across UK sport - as Chair of Kick It Out, Super League Basketball and Athletics Ventures, Sanjay has been at the forefront of pushing for fairer representation, opening doors for ethnic minorities, and making sure leadership in sport and business better reflects the communities they serve. Javan Odegah brings the connective tissue to Leaders in Sport, where he shapes partnerships and programmes with a real focus on inclusion, diversity and equity. His work is all about making sure big conversations in sport translate into genuine impact, both inside organisations and across the wider industry. This is an episode I have wanted to record for some time, and it was genuinely fascinating to understand the perspectives of two professionals who are committed to driving equality and inclusion through sport. We discuss sport’s responsibility to make spaces more inclusive, the important work of groups like Kick It Out, and how football so often goes hand in hand with politics and national pride. We also get into why ‘taking the knee’ seemed to lose momentum, and whether gestures can still be powerful or needed at this time.

    56 min

  4. 09/12/2025

    Power, politics and the rise of the FIFA World Cup with Jonathan Wilson

    The World Cup has always been about far more than football. From Mussolini’s Italy in 1934 to Qatar in 2022, the tournament has provided a global stage where politics, power, and image collide. In the latest episode of The Sports Marketeer podcast, I’m joined by Jonathan Wilson - one of the most influential voices in football journalism and the author of The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup. With the 2026 World Cup set to take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico at a time of societal polarisation and strained global relations around issues such as immigration and the economy, many are predicting that we are heading for the most political World Cup yet. Check out the episode to hear Jonathan's take on: -The tournament’s legacy across continents. From the USA in 1994 to South Africa in 2010, Russia in 2018, and Qatar in 2022, every World Cup carries both cultural triumphs and political baggage. -How Italia 1990 heralded a new era for football in Europe -How the 1970 World Cup gave football it's first truly global audience -What to expect from US President Donald Trump at next year's event -Whether 2026 will be a success for the USA -Lessons from history and how sponsors should approach the tournament

    55 min

  5. 05/31/2025

    Inside Carlsberg and Liverpool FC’s legendary partnership with global sponsorship director Louise Bach

    For this episode of The Sports Marketeer, I caught up with Louise Bach, Global Sponsorship Director at Carlsberg, about the brand’s iconic 30+ year partnership with Liverpool FC.Louise is one of the most accomplished sponsorship professionals I have come across in the business and it was fascinating to understand more about what makes her tick and the strategy behind a collaboration that has been venerated for years. We explored how the Liverpool FC partnership helped Carlsberg accelerate its global growth in the 1990s, the club’s deep ties to Scandinavia, and the brand’s commitment to responsible marketing -including thoughtful decisions around Player of the Match awards and alcohol-free celebrations. For example, Carlsberg are very respect of the religious beliefs of Mohamed Salah, while they also recently benefitted from players such as Alisson Becker, who enjoyed his celebratory moment with a Carlsberg during Liverpool's title celebrations. Louise shares insights into Carlsberg’s innovative fan-first campaigns, capitalising on Liverpool’s title celebrations, how they adapt to industry shifts like Gen Z drinking less, and the rise of 0.0 beer. The conversation also covers Carlsberg’s growing investment in women’s football, their recently-announced UEFA sponsorship, and Louise’s passion for empowering women in sports business.

    52 min

  6. 02/14/2025

    The Big Super Bowl LIX review: From Kendrick Lamar to Nike to the NFL's unstoppable rise

    I got together with Mundo NFL presenter Martin del Palacio and digital marketing director James Hamlin to explore the cultural impact of America's biggest sporting event and global growth of the NFL.

    1h 11m

  7. 12/14/2024

    E9: A voice for change, Azeem Rafiq on racism and reform in cricket

    This special episode features a session I ran at MKTG Sports + Entertainment’s London office recently, with the former professional cricketer and anti-racism campaigner Azeem Rafiq.  We had around 70 guests including leaders at the ECB and counties including Surrey, Middlesex and Somerset, as well representatives from some of the sponsors of the game including Vitality and Sage. Utilising data and insights from a recent survey of UK cricket fans, we explored how the game's stakeholders can help challenge issues such as racism and elitism to drive forward a positive change. I hope you enjoy the episode.

    55 min

  8. 11/03/2024

    E8: Vinicius Jr, Simone Biles, Travis Kelce and more: A closer look at the world's most marketable athletes

    What makes Simone Biles the world's most marketable athlete? How is Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr the most appealing footballer to brands ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? What will happen to the global appeal of Formula One when Lewis Hamilton retires? I got together with Michael Long, editorial director of SportsPro and Subomi Odanye, CEO Divrse Media to explore what it takes to become a global, culturally relevant and, therefore, marketable athlete in 2024. Check out the full list of the world's most marketable athletes at: https://50mm.sportspro.com/

    1h 9m
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About

I'm Amar, SVP for Content & Comms at sports marketing agency MKTG and Professor in Football Content & Marketing at the Football Business Academy. Join me and a series of special guests as I explore some of the trends around sports marketing, content and culture.

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