Sport, Structured

English football’s second tier is the focus for the latest episode of the Sport, Structured podcast, as former West Ham, Wolves and Norwich City winger Matt Jarvis reflects on his experiences of playing in the EFL Championship and shares his views on what the future might hold for the world’s wealthiest second division.

Matt – who wrote the foreword to the new Leonard Curtis Football Finance Report – joins host James Cooper and regular guests, the world-leading football finance academic Prof Rob Wilson, and Leonard Curtis Business of Sport lead Alex Cadwallader.

Unravelling the key findings from the new report, the episode explores the last ten years of financial data in the Championship and what they tell us about its future; the potential impact of the league’s new Squad Cost Rules (SCR); and how parachute payments are distorting competitive balance in the division.

Also under the microscope are some of the key issues topping the in tray of the new Independent Football Regulator (IFR) and the challenges it will face in the Championship and across the wider game.

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Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction & Meet the Panel

1:53 – Rating the Championship's Health: Dying Man to Superman

3:18 – Inside the Report: A Billion-Pound League

5:20 – Parachute Payments: The Report's Biggest Shock

6:48 – Transfer Madness: Are Player Valuations out of Control?

9:52 – Debt, Ownership & the Gamble of Parachute Payments

13:42 – Fixing Parachute Payments: A Radical Proposal

17:07 – Promotion, Relegation & Rewarding Failure

20:06 – PSR and Squad Cost Rules: Do the Rules Help or Hurt?

22:54 – American Owners and the Rise of 'Premier League 2'

25:06 – Signing Superstars, Fan Loyalty & the Case for Jeopardy

30:51 – The Wrexham Effect: Storytelling, Hollywood & New Markets

37:43 – Is Football's Independent Regulator the Answer?

46:26 – Championship 2036: The Widening Gap with the Premier League

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Read our sports finance reports:

https://www.leonardcurtis.co.uk/business-of-sport

Follow us on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lcbusinessofsport/

Follow Alex Cadwallader on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/alex-cadwallader-84952228

Follow Prof Rob Wilson on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/prof-rob-wilson-a8501428

Follow James Cooper on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/jamescooper207

Follow Matt Jarvis on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-jarvis-5b385597/

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Filmed at University Campus of Football Business’ Wembley Podcast Studio

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Thank you to our UCFB student production team:

Lacey Moon - Production Assistant

Charlotte Jones - Production Assistant

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Disclaimer:

The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

English club rugby takes centre stage in the fifth episode of the Sport, Structured podcast, as former Harlequins CEO Mark Evans joins host James Cooper and regular guests, the ex-Bristol and Newcastle winger Alex Cadwallader, now a Leonard Curtis director, and sports finance expert Prof Rob Wilson.

With the 2026/27 Prem Rugby season just a month away, the discussion focuses on the impending move to an expansion league, as automatic promotion and relegation between Prem and Champ Rugby makes way for a new franchise-style model.

The move has sparked fresh investment in English clubs and boosted hopes that Prem Rugby finances can turn a corner. But will the new structure allow the game to deliver on its potential? How realistic is it that new teams will be added to the league over time? And what will it really take to improve the financial health of top-flight clubs?

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Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction

2:10 – Defining financial sustainability: Is Rugby Union insolvent?

4:03 – New money in: Red Bull, Northampton & the Dyson investment at Bath

6:57 – What's in it for investors? The CVC question

9:31 – Smart recruitment, buying clubs & the value of a rugby franchise

13:44 – COVID, collapsed clubs & the £340 million debt question

17:12 – Salary cap misalignment: Comparing Prem Rugby to the NRL

21:44 – Closing the league: Governance and the salary cap collar

26:03 – Building a closed league: Lessons from MLS and the NRL

28:02 – Do players lose out from financial restraint?

33:18 – Where should new franchises go? Markets, stadiums & the northwest problem

39:13 – One code or two? Rugby League, Union & the 1895 split

42:50 – Champ Rugby's future: A feeder league to Prem Rugby?

47:09 – Expanding wisely & closing reflections

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Read our sports finance reports:

https://www.leonardcurtis.co.uk/business-of-sport

Follow us on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lcbusinessofsport/

Follow Alex Cadwallader on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/alex-cadwallader-84952228

Follow Prof Rob Wilson on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/prof-rob-wilson-a8501428

Follow James Cooper on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/jamescooper207

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Filmed at University Campus of Football Business’ Manchester Podcast Studio

------------------------------

Thank you to our UCFB student production team:

Rowan MacLellan, Editor

Calum Spiller, Autocue

Evie Malcom, Production assistant

Ella Mazurke, Camera and lighting

Louis Jones, Audio

------------------------------

Disclaimer:

The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

The fourth episode of the Sport, Structured podcast, hosted by James Cooper, puts English domestic cricket in the spotlight, with three Leonard Curtis directors joining the discussion: Iain Nairn MBE, former captain of the England Physical Disability cricket team, David Brown, who played county cricket for Gloucestershire and Glamorgan, and Alex Cadwallader, a former rugby union player and the Leonard Curtis Business of Sport lead.

With county cricket at a crossroads amid the growing prominence of global franchise competitions, and a £520m windfall from sales of equity in The Hundred’s eight teams, this episode examines the opportunities and challenges facing the domestic game.

Drawing on some of the key findings from the first edition of the Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report, the discussion also assesses how disability cricket, women’s cricket and university cricket are set to evolve in the coming years.

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Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction & meet the guests

2:16 – State of the game: rating cricket & the player-to-business shift

4:15 – Cricket vs rugby: governance and Rob Andrew at the ECB6:01 – Is this the golden age for players? The Hundred's winners and losers

8:32 – The treadmill: schedule congestion, burnout & player freedom11:23 – Loyalty, money & inside the Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report

13:33 – The 'haves' and 'have nots', demutualisation and club membership

21:12 – Governance lessons & how counties will spend The Hundred windfall

25:10 – The £520m question: what does success look like?

28:13 – Grassroots cricket and the university pathway

33:08 – State schools and disability cricket: widening access

38:52 – Women's cricket: investment, impact & comparisons with rugby

45:01 – Cricket in 10 years: predictions and the future of The Hundred

49:24 – What's in it for investors? Closing thoughts

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Read our sports finance reports here: https://www.leonardcurtis.co.uk/business-of-sport?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sport-structured-ep3&utm_content=business-of-sport

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lcbusinessofsport/

Follow David Brown on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/david-brown-106b4070

Follow Iain Nairn MBE on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iain-nairn-mbe-9552675

Follow Alex Cadwallader on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/alex-cadwallader-84952228

Follow James Cooper on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/jamescooper207

------------------------------

Filmed at University Campus of Football Business’ Manchester Podcast Studio

------------------------------

Thank you to our UCFB student production team:

Rowan MacLellan, Editor

Calum Spiller, Autocue

Evie Malcom, Production assistant

Ella Mazurke, Camera and lighting

Louis Jones, Audio

------------------------------

Disclaimer:

The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

Episode three of the Sport, Structured podcast welcomes former Ashes-winning England captain Michael Vaughan to the studio as we turn our attention to the future for English county cricket.

Hosted by James Cooper, the conversation unpacks the key findings of the newly launched Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report 2026. Vaughan, who wrote the report’s foreword, shares his views on how counties can work together and develop stronger player pathways.

He is joined by another ex-England skipper - Leonard Curtis director Iain Nairn MBE, who led the England Physical Disability team - and Prof Rob Wilson, co-author of the report.

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Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction & meet the panel

2:02 – Report headlines: The widening financial gap

5:24 – Rating county cricket

7:31 – Yorkshire, demutualisation & outside investment

9:48 – ECB funding, collaboration & smaller counties' success stories

12:02 – Youth development: Playtime, burnout & pathways

16:27 – The £520 million question: Debt, Durham's hotel & smart spending

18:34 – Will The Hundred Survive? Lalit Modi's prediction & the calendar squeeze

21:41 – The 2028 broadcast deal & expanding The Hundred

23:04 – Sussex, Covid resets & the case for new franchises

24:56 – Grassroots engagement: The Barclays scheme & state school cricket

27:25 – Player digital footprints & social media revenue

29:36 – Could cricket have its own 'Drive to Survive'?

32:38 – Closing thoughts

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Read our sports finance reports here: https://www.leonardcurtis.co.uk/business-of-sport?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sport-structured-ep3&utm_content=business-of-sport

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lcbusinessofsport/

Follow Iain Nairn MBE on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iain-nairn-mbe-9552675/

Follow Prof Rob Wilson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/prof-rob-wilson-a8501428

Follow Michael Vaughan on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/michael-vaughan-7ba4641a1/

Follow James Cooper on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jamescooper207

------------------------------

Filmed at University Campus of Football Business’ (UCFB) Manchester Podcast Studio

------------------------------

Thank you to our UCFB student production team:

Rowan MacLellan, Editor

Calum Spiller, Autocue

Evie Malcom, Production assistant

Ella Mazurke, Camera and lighting

Louis Jones, Audio

------------------------------

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

In episode two of the Sport, Structured podcast, host James Cooper is joined by Leonard Curtis director Alex Cadwallader, sports finance expert Prof Rob Wilson and Sky Sports Golf analyst Simon Holmes to discuss the findings of the first Leonard Curtis Golf Finance Report.

The conversation examines the future for the professional game following the decision by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF to end its funding for LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season.

The episode considers the potential impact of the latest developments on player earnings, the PGA Tour’s financial dominance, and the wider golf ecosystem, from fans and sponsors to women’s golf.

------------------------------

Read our sports finance reports:

https://www.leonardcurtis.co.uk/business-of-sport

Follow us on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lcbusinessofsport/

Follow Alex Cadwallader on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/alex-cadwallader-84952228

Follow Prof Rob Wilson on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/prof-rob-wilson-a8501428

Follow James Cooper on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/jamescooper207

Follow Simon Holmes on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/simonholmes1

------------------------------

Filmed at University Campus of Football Business’ Manchester Podcast Studio

------------------------------

Thank you to our UCFB student production team:

Rowan MacLellan, Editor

Calum Spiller, Autocue

Evie Malcom, Production assistant

Ella Mazurke, Camera and lighting

Louis Jones, Audio

------------------------------

Disclaimer:

The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

In the first episode of the Leonard Curtis Business of Sport Podcast, host James Cooper is joined by Leonard Curtis Director Alex Cadwallader and sports finance expert Prof Rob Wilson to explore one of the biggest questions facing the industry today: is professional sport operating on a sustainable financial footing?

Drawing on insights from the Leonard Curtis Business of Sport report series, the discussion examines why so many clubs and governing bodies continue to face financial pressure despite growing revenues. The episode covers governance, ownership, regulation, competitive balance and the structural challenges affecting rugby, football, cricket and other sports.

Whether you work in sport, invest in the sector or simply want to understand the business forces shaping the games we love, this episode provides a clear and insightful introduction to the financial issues at the heart of modern sport.

------------------------------

Read our sports finance reports:

https://www.leonardcurtis.co.uk/business-of-sport

Follow us on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lcbusinessofsport/

Follow Alex Cadwallader on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/alex-cadwallader-84952228

Follow Prof Rob Wilson on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/prof-rob-wilson-a8501428

Follow James Cooper on LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/jamescooper207

------------------------------

Filmed at University Campus of Football Business’ Manchester Podcast Studio

------------------------------

Thank you to our UCFB student production team:

Rowan MacLellan, Editor

Calum Spiller, Autocue

Evie Malcom, Production assistant

Ella Mazurke, Camera and lighting

Louis Jones, Audio

------------------------------

Disclaimer:

The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.