SportsPro Podcast

SportsPro
SportsPro
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Join SportsPro writers and guests for comment, insight and analysis on the matters of the moment in the global sports industry.

  1. Aug 25

    Inside Wrexham’s Rise: Growth, Investment and Global Ambition

    Three promotions. A fanbase that's grown from 116,000 to 27.6 million in five years. Wrexham AFC director Sean Harvey sits down with SportsPro's CEO Nick Meacham to unpack what's actually driving the club now that the Hollywood novelty has worn off.   Harvey walks through how Wrexham has built out a full executive structure to support its growth, including a CEO handling day-to-day operations and the deliberate tension between staying "different" and moving into football's mainstream.   He breaks down the commercial engine behind the club: record sponsorship revenue from brands like United Airlines, Meta Quest and HP, why the US market is now the primary growth audience, and how family companies tied to the ownership group handle sponsorship inquiries directly.   The conversation also covers the investment side - new capital from Apollo and private family offices, and what Harvey calls "the Wrexham effect" on other US buyers entering English football, plus his take on football's incoming independent regulator, visibility gains through AFL's streaming platform, and what the future of Ryan Reynolds and McElhenney's ownership actually looks like.

  2. Aug 19

    How do you build an investible disruptor sports property?

    In this special live edition of the SportsPro podcast, recorded at SportsPro Investment Summit in London, SportsPro editor Steve McCaskill is joined by Bex Smith, founder and CEO of Crux Football, and Michael Broughton, co-founder and partner at Sports Investment Partners, to look at the rise of disruptor properties. They discuss disruptors as an investment asset and what separates a genuine opportunity from a money pit. What are the potential gaps in the market, business models and possible pitfalls? The panel also attempt to answer why investors are increasingly drawn towards creating new sports properties rather than backing existing ones, identify potential new revenue streams and suggest which disruptors have come closest to cracking the code.

  3. Aug 13

    The New Economics of Fandom with Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke

    For decades, the sports industry has relied on broadcasters to fund growth, distribute content and monetise audiences. But what happens when that model starts to change? In this episode, SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham sits down with Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, to explore how leagues, teams and technology companies are adapting to a new era of fan monetisation.   Locke discusses Genius Sports' evolution from its betting roots into a global technology business, the company's acquisition of Legend, the growing role of AI and data ownership, and why he believes the next generation of sports growth will come from direct relationships with fans.   The conversation also examines the changing economics of media rights, the company’s NFL partnership, gaming as a future distribution channel and what sports organisations need to do to thrive in a more personalised digital world. This is the first episode in SportsPro's New Economics of Fandom series, exploring how sport's commercial future is being rewritten.   Key topics: Is the era of broadcast-driven sports growth coming to an end?What does the future of fan monetisation actually look like?Who will benefit most from AI in the sports industry?Why did Genius Sports spend up to US$1.2bn acquiring Legend?What might be the next billion-dollar revenue opportunity in sport?

    The New Economics of Fandom with Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke

  4. Aug 10

    How great short-form content is transforming the sports business

    Sport’s best content doesn’t happen by accident. Behind every viral clip, every campaign that cuts through, every piece of creative work that moves the needle commercially, there's a person, a team, and a strategy. But rarely does that person, team or strategy get the recognition or coverage they deserve. SportsPro and Greenfly’s recently launched Short-Form Showcase is designed to fill that void by amplifying the talent and teams behind the best short-form content being produced across the global sports industry. Unveiled in July, the Showcase recognises the human craft, creativity and collective effort that goes into creating content that stops the scroll and delivers commercial impact by celebrating the people who make it happen. This is not a ranking or an award – it’s a curated exhibition of best-in-class operators and a collection of their most memorable work. On this episode, SportsPro’s Michael Long is joined by Greenfly’s Gabby Vidal Castillo and Melissa Lawton, SailGP’s chief content officer and one of the 39 specialists named in the Showcase, to discuss the value and important of exceptional content operators, how strategy and insight guide the creative process, and where social-first sports content is heading next. To view the full Short-Form Showcase, visit Home - SportsPro x Greenfly - Short-Form Showcase

    How great short-form content is transforming the sports business

  5. Aug 6

    "Sport first": F1's Liam Parker on growth, partners and the limits of entertainment

    F1 has gone from 13 commercial partners a decade ago to around 33 today, from a paddock that barred drivers from posting on social media to an always-on content operation, and from a linear US broadcast deal with ESPN to a streaming partnership with Apple.   Liam Parker, chief communications and corporate relations officer at F1, has a simple framing for all of it: none of it works unless the racing does.   In this episode of the SportsPro Podcast, produced in collaboration with Mics Out from BlackBook Motorsport, Parker joins motorsport editor Cian Brittle to discuss what "redefining reach" means in the Apple era, how F1 decides when its global partner roster is full, and why he would swap the word Americanisation for modernisation.   Recorded ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the conversation also covers the collaborative fix to this season's new power unit regulations, fan activation work with Heineken and Lego, the markets F1 believes are underserved — India chief among them — and how the sport is contingency-planning the end of its season amid geopolitical uncertainty.

  6. Jul 30

    What soccer can learn from motorsport as it embraces the AI future

    SportsPro speaks to Paceteq chief executive Alexander Bodo to learn how decades of data analytics and AI experience in motorsport can be harnessed by soccer to drive performance, aid recruitment, and drive further efficiencies on and off the pitch. Bodo explains why culture and technology has held back soccer in recent years, with a lack of unified data platforms and in-house skills among the barriers to adoption. However, there are signs that things are changing, with a generation of data-savvy coaches and players and game changing AI technologies ready to deliver a revolution in soccer analysis.

  7. Jul 23

    What a career in English cricket taught Ed Smith about sports leadership

    Former England cricketer and national team selector Ed Smith talks to SportsPro about the changing nature of leadership. He explains how leaders must balance data driven decision making with human judgement and the need for human centric AI strategies. He also discusses the importance of building strong teams and the value of formal education in leadership. Ed Smith is the co-founder and director of the Institute of Sports Humanities.

  8. Jul 16

    Katie Sadleir on Glasgow 2026: The reset that could save the Commonwealth Games

    The Commonwealth Games have faced one of the most turbulent periods in their history. After Victoria pulled out as host in 2023, uncertainty loomed over the event’s future, its relevance, and whether the traditional model could survive. Now, with Glasgow hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games on a significantly reduced budget and a condensed planning timeline, Commonwealth Sport is positioning the event as the beginning of a new era, built around a leaner, more sustainable model designed to attract more host cities in the years ahead. In this episode of the SportsPro Podcast, SportsPro reporter Josh Sim is joined by Commonwealth Sport chief executive Katie Sadleir. She discusses the lessons learned from Victoria's withdrawal, Glasgow's rapid turnaround, the Games' evolving commercial and broadcast strategy, and why she feels the reset will secure the Commonwealth Games' future well beyond 2026.

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About

Join SportsPro writers and guests for comment, insight and analysis on the matters of the moment in the global sports industry.

Information

  • Channel
    SportsPro
  • Creator
    SportsPro
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    515
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © SportsPro
  • Show Website
    SportsPro Podcast

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