Sports Pundit Podcast with Andy Marston Andy Marston

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Flora Bell, Business Director at LALIGA Studios.

Having worked in the marketing and advertising industry for the likes of M&C Saatchi and LOLA MullenLowe across huge brands such as Magnum, Kraft-Heinz, Dove, Mattel, and PG Tips, just over a year ago she was brought in to help set up LALIGA Studios.

Based in Madrid, LALIGA Studios is a new sports-related content production company which combines the forces of Banijay, a global content powerhouse with LALIGA, one of the most followed football leagues in the world. As well as serving all of LALIGA’s content production needs, as an independent studio, they have also since taken on work with leading brands like EA Sports and Logitech and have an ambition to expand to other sports and across other markets.



Timestamps

2:00 - From Sunderland to Madrid 

6:00 - Conceptualising LALIGA Studios

10:00 - Partnering with Banijay

14:00 - Netflix’s LALIGA: All Access and The Rise and Rise of Sports Docu-Series

19:00 - Expanding the Client Base Beyond Spanish Football 

23:00 - Operating with the LALIGA Name

28:00 - Expanding into New Markets 

31:00 - Telling Individual’s Stories 

37:00 - Creating Media That Cuts Through 

39:00 - Measuring Success

42:00 - Aspirations for LALIGA Studios 



Additional Links

LALIGA partners with Banijay Iberia to launch production arm

LaLiga Studios Expands Management Team, Announces Doc Project ‘The Power of Our Fútbol’

LaLiga launches FAST channel with behind-the-scenes content

Mike Tollin’s MTP and LaLiga Studios to Develop Slate of Soccer-Centric Projects

Connect with Flora on LinkedIn - Here

Connected with Andy on LinkedIn - Here

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Fara Gorsi, Americas Development Manager for the International Cricket Council. 

Before taking on the role with the ICC of developing cricket in the Americas, Gorsi was the UK's first registered female cricket agent, looking after Pakistan quick bowler Mohammed Amir, among others. 

Now based out in Colorado Springs, Gorsi looks after 16 associate nations in the Americas region, including both the U.S. and Canada, as well as countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.

Though in the Americas, West Indies, who co-hosted the recent T20 World Cup with the U.S., fall under central ICC control as they are classified as one of 12 full nations. This means they sit outside Gorsi’s remit, though they still provide a lot of inspiration to the rest of the region.

With this tournament having just finished, I spoke to Fara about the ICC's ambitions in the Americas following the event as well as in the build up to cricket’s Olympic debut at LA28.



Timestamps

2:00 - Fara’s Journey

5:00 - How Cricket has Evolved in the Americas 

7:00 - Learning from the West Indies

9:00 - Impact of the U.S. Beating Pakistan 

11:00 - Legacy of the T20 Cricket World Cup 

18:00 - The Role of Major League Cricket 

21:00 - Could Cricket Become a College Sport? 

24:00 - Impact of LA28

26:00 - Infrastructure and Addressing Participation Barriers

31:00 - Collaborating with Major League Sports 

37:00 - Schools Program 

39:00 - Future Plans



Additional Links

Connect with Fara on LinkedIn - ⁠here⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠here

On today's episode, I'm joined by Ben Ladkin, Managing Director of MLB Europe.



Although now representing a major American sports league, Ben's journey in sport began at Arsenal, where he spent 11 years, eventually leading the media group and building their digital and social media presence during the dot com era.



Now at Major League Baseball (MLB), he operates across three key pillars: content, events, and participation. While the content pillar aligns closely with his past experience, he has embraced the new challenges of organising major events like the London Series (which took place earlier this month) as well as fostering baseball participation in Europe.



This has required tapping into popular U.S. sports already capturing mind-share in Europe, finding alignment with popular global sports such as cricket, and tapping into culture and the wider export of Americana.



Timestamps 

2:00 - Ben’s Journey 

6:00 - How London Differs from other MLB International Markets 

8:00 - Tapping into Cricket Fandom

12:00 - Incorporating Education into Content

14:00 - Strategy and Ambitions Across the Wider European Market

17:00 - Tapping in to Merchandise and Music

24:00 - Who Gets to Play in the London Series? 

25:00 - Special Edition Merch

28:00 - Ballpark Food and Exporting Americana

31:00 - Future Plans and 365 Engagement Strategies   

Additional Links

Can Cricket SUPERSTAR Harry Brook learn how to hit a baseball in just 1 day?! 

Jos Buttler swaps cricket for baseball to advertise the World Tour in London

Rob McElhenney brought baseball to a Wrexham match

Official MLB MLB London Series x Titi Collection

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn - Here 

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here

On Today’s Episode, I’m joined by Joe Gray, the co-founder of MyoMaster as well as a rugby coach for London Scottish. 



Having retired from professional rugby in 2022, Gray is the only player in history to have won every trophy available to players in the top two tiers of English rugby, including both European trophies. Throughout his illustrious career, he has represented England and played for top clubs such as Harlequins, Northampton Saints, and Saracens. 



In 2018, he founded the sports recovery business MyoMaster with his wife Lottie. Earlier this year, they made a memorable appearance on the British reality TV show Dragon’s Den, securing an investment from former Manchester United and England footballer Gary Neville and renowned British businesswoman Sara Davies. 



Leveraging his extensive experience as a top-level athlete, Gray developed MyoMaster's initial product, a massage gun, and has continued to innovate, aiming to democratise access to high-quality sports recovery products. 



Timestamps

2:00 - Joe’s Journey 

5:00 - Sending CVs to Professional Rugby Clubs

9:00 - Founding MyoMaster

13:00 - Wider Interest in Entrepreneurship 

14:30 - What is MyoMaster? 

17:00 - How Can Sports Teams Support Athlete Founders? 

19:00 - The Role of Athlete Partnerships 

22:00 - Appearing on Dragon’s Den 

30:00 - The Value of Video Content

35:00 - Future Ambitions for MyoMaster



Additional Links

Wellness Wonders: Meet the CEO of sports recovery specialist MyoMaster



MyoMaster, revolutionising recovery to transform performance



Joe Gray's start-up scores big following prime-time appearance on national TV

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn - Here

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Kahlen Macauley, Head of International Sports Media and Partnerships at Snapchat.

 

Having worked across the sports media landscape at the likes of TalkSport, ESPN and Pulselive, Kahlen then joined the International Olympic Committee in 2016, leading their digital partnerships team with a main focus on aiming to engage with younger audiences beyond broadcasts. 



It was here, among the other social platforms, that Kahlen started interacting and working with Snapchat, who he then joined in 2019 to lead their sports partnerships for EMEA - identifying the opportunity that the company had as an under appreciated platform for sports rightsholders who were all wishing to engage with that younger generation.



Bringing his 360 view of the sports media and marketing landscape, Kahlen has sought to help position the platform to better fit the marketing strategies of sports teams, leagues, and brands.



Timestamps: 

2:00 - Kahlen’s Journey to working at Snapchat

5:30 - Lessons Across Different Areas of Sports Media

9:00 - Working with Snapchat while at the IOC

10:30 - Addressing Misconceptions Around Snapchat 

13:00 - Snapchat’s Product Suite 

15:00 - How does Snapchat Enhance the Fan Experience? 

18:00 - How Athlete’s Engage Differently on Snapchat 

24:00 - Blurring the Lines Between Sport and Fashion

28:00 - Importance of Sport to Snapchat Strategy 

35:00 - What does a Snapchat Partnership Look Like? 

42:00 - Future Plans for Snapchat in Sport



Additional Links

The Snapchat Game On Lens

Gen-Z love 'blokette' fashion sparking boom in young sports fans

Research: Gen Z falling back in love with sport

Snapchat Statistics: Revenue and Usage Trends in 2024

Connect with Kahlen on LinkedIn - here

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Cherry Beagles, the founder of The 400 Club, an all-female members club redefining what it means to be a sports fan and increasing culturally relevant brand deals in women’s sport.

Having studied law at the University of Manchester and gained experience at the likes of NBC Universal and Dentsu, Cherry founded The 400 Club as a side hustle to address an audience that was being underrepresented in traditional sports marketing - and an audience she herself fell in to. 

Since launching, she has brought on successful female founders, international athletes, and Olympians, as well as hosted events with the likes of Nike, and done brand campaigns with rightsholders such as Arsenal - all within her first year of starting the club - suggesting that Cherry is very much on to something big. 

We discuss her perspective on women’s sport, why this is not to be confused with a female-fan strategy, and the importance of engaging not just the biggest female brands, but those that hold the most cultural relevance.

Time Stamps

2:00 - What is The 400 Club and who are the members

4:00 - Recruiting New Members

8:00 - The Athlete x Brand Flywheel

13:00 - Creating a Female-Fan Strategy

17:00 - Culturally Relevant Brand Partnerships and Collaborations

20:00 - That Taylor Swift Jacket

28:00 - What Athletes can Learn from Social-First Brands

32:00 - Creating a Campaign with Arsenal FC

35:00 - Giving Rugby a 400 Club Twist

44:00 - Future of the 400 Club

Additional Links

The 400 Club x Nike for The FA Cup Final

Follow The 400 Club on Instagram

Connect with Cherry on LinkedIn - Here

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here