Sports Pundit Podcast

Today’s Episode, I’m joined my Michael Dhulst.

Michael is the Co-Founder and CEO of supertri, formerly known as Super League Triathlon. 

Since its bold emergence in 2017, this is a league which as carved out a well-earned reputation for disruption - built from the outset to shake up the swim-bike-run events space. 

Now, under its new supertri brand they aim to further embrace their ‘challenger’ status and build on the foundations they have put in place as the short-form specialists, aspiring to be to triathlon what Twenty20 is to cricket. And in order to get there, Dhulst and his co-founders, Leonid Boguslavsky and four-time triathlon world champion Chris McCormack, are putting their own capital, passion, and expertise on the line. 

Time Stamps: 

2:00 - Initial Interest in Triathlon 

5:00 - Identifying a Gap in the Market

8:00 - What is supertri? 

11:00 - Transitioning from Mass Participation to Spectator Sport

13:00 - Unlocking New Venue Opportunities

17:00 - Creating a Team Format 

25:00 - Capitalising on the Olympics

30:00 - Generating Revenues without the Big Media Cheque

34:00 - Analysing the Competition… 

37:00 - Hosting the eSports World Championships for Triathlon 

Additional Links

Video: Introducing supertri

Supertri rebrand builds on Super League Triathlon’s disruptive ethos

World Triathlon and Super League Triathlon unite for new esports series

Podcast: How Zwift Challenged the Tour de France with Kate Veronneau

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by CiCi Bellis. 

Cici is the Founder and General Partner of Cartan Capital as well as a former professional tennis player. Still only 24 years old, she’s never let age be a barrier, famously having won a match at the 2014 US Open as a 15 year-old against a top 20 opponent.

Having failed to shake-off a recurring injury, CiCi announced her retirement in 2020 and she has set to work on reaching the top in the world of venture.

This was initially set in motion thanks to WTA’s partnership with Indiana University where CiCi got her degree. She then joined leAD Sports and Health Tech Partners Investment Team before setting up as a solo GP and launching Cartan Capital in 2023, a $10 million pledge fund focused similarly on sports and health but more specifically now leveraging her network and her experience as an athlete. 

Time Stamps 

2:00 - Early Professional Tennis Career 

5:00 - Developing an Interest in Venture Capital 

12:00 - Cartan Capital's Areas of Interest 15:00 - The Opportunity in the Wearables Space 

18:00 - Cartan’s Investment into Proto Holograms

23:00 - Investing into Sports Betting 

27:00 - Finding a Silver Lining to First Hand Experiences in Rehab and Recovery

29:00 - The MASSIVE Opportunity to Invest into Femtech 

35:00 - Attracting attention from Female Founders and Athlete Founders 

Additional Links

Cartan Capital's Monthly Newsletter

Former tennis pro CiCi Bellis on launching her own VC to invest in sports and health tech

How former WTA World No. 35 launched a $10MM Sports & Health Tech Fund

Cartan Capital Invests in Proto Hologram

Flo Health on how its content drove daily app usage with pregnant mothers - 
ABBA Voyage passes 2 million tickets sold

Connect with CiCi on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by Chris Busey.

Chris is vice president of DEI & Community Impact at the United Soccer League.

A league which recently launched its signature diversity, equity and inclusion program: USL Forward. This multi-dimensional, leaguewide initiative prioritizes professional development for technical staff, league and club executives with the intention of increasing racial and gender diversity in leadership roles throughout the USL’s ecosystem.

Having previously spent time in academia, including at Texas State and the University of Florida, where he was an assistant and then associate professor, Busey only more recently made the move over to the world of professional sport, an area that he describes as the ‘last frontier'.

Time Stamps

4:00 - Chris’ Journey from Academia to the USL

6:00 - The DEI Backlash 

10:00 - Applying an Understanding of Racial Tensions to a Professional Sporting Environment

17:00 - The 'Danny Rose' Example

21:00 - Applying the Theories Beyond Head Coaching Roles 

24:00 - Addressing the Idea of a "Business Case" for DEI

28:00 - What About Diversity of Thought and Experience? 

31:00 - Debunking the 'Box Ticking' Argument

36:00 - The USL Forward Program Explained

38:00 - The Importance of 'Equity'

40:00 - Magnifying Mistakes

United Soccer League Launches USL Forward to Increase Access and Opportunity Across USL Ecosystem

Dr. Christopher Busey on USL's Initiatives: Making Soccer Inclusive and Diverse | Morning Footy on CBS Sports Golazo

Making Diversity and Inclusion in Football a lot less Merky 

Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough Already with the Business Case
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by Kate Veronneau.

Kate is the director of Women’s Strategy at Zwift, a multiplayer online cycling and running training program that enables users to interact, train, and compete in a virtual world. 

A keen cyclist herself, Kate played an important role in bringing the Women’s Tour de France event, Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, to fruition.

This is an achievement which has since given her the opportunity to use her voice to advocate for parity and sing the praises of investing in women's sports, as well as to speak to the impact that technology can have in driving greater access and participation in sport more broadly.

Time Stamps

5:00 - Joining Zwift and the launch of the Zwift Academy

8:00 - Creating Women’s Only Rides

10:00 - What does Community Look Like on Zwift?

14:00 - The (Positive?) Impact of COVID? 

16:00 - The Creation of Virtual Events

17:00 - The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift

19:00 - Having Parity across Men’s and Women’s 

21:00 - The Commercial Case for Serving Women

23:00 - Making Triathlon a Stadium Sport

30:00 - An Opportunity for the Apple Vision Pro? 

33:00 - Could AI Reduce the Barriers to Entry for Cycling?

Additional Links

How the Zwift Academy changed Neve Bradbury's life – and how to watch the 2024 finals

Reddit Was Built On Legions of Fake Accounts

Zwift Signs On as Title Sponsor for Tour de France Femmes

Zwift report highlights positive impact of the Tour de France Femmes

How the arrival of Zwift changed triathlon training forever

Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift expands to new destinations in 2023

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by Rory MacFadyen. 

Rory is the co-founder of Reflo, a sustainable apparel brand made from recycled plastic waste and is also the chief marketing officer at the Icons Series, a team matchplay golf event featuring sporting icons such as Michael Phelps, Canelo Alvarez, and Harry Kane.

In this conversation, we talk about the merging on these two lives, getting investment from England’s all-time record goalscorer, tearing up the traditional apparel business model, taking a sustainability-first approach, as well as partnering with a Extreme E team, plans to partner with a Formula E team, and to potentially one day land deals in football, cricket, and rugby.

Time Stamps

2:00 - Working at the Icons Series and Meeting Harry Kane

4:00 - Expanding Beyond just Golf

9:00 - Developing a Passion for Sustainability

11:00 - 'McDonald's Makes Salads, it Doesn't Make them a Health Food Store’

16:00 - Accounting for the Difference in Costs

19:00 - The Opportunity for Going Digital 

22:00 - Moving into Teamwear 

23:00 - Introducing Reloop

26:00 - Balancing Sustainability and Commerciality 

30:00 - Harry Kane’s Investment into Reflo

35:00 - Could an Athlete do something Themselves in the Apparel Space?

⁠Additional Links

⁠Harry Kane deal can make our brand a behemoth

The Fortnite skin that grossed $50 Million for Epic Games

Roblox Launches Wimbledon World With Digital Swag From Andy Murray, Ralph Lauren

Managing Sir Andy Murray, One of Britain's Greatest Ever Athletes with Matt Gentry

Connect with Rory on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by Mihir Kumar.

Mihir is Senior Director for MLS Emerging Ventures, the in-house investment arm for Major League Soccer. Having taken up the role just over a year ago, it perfectly compliments his previous experience in finance (at BCG) and sport (at Overtime).

Recently MLS Emerging Ventures announced the launch of the MLS Innovation Lab, a program designed to shape the future of sports through the identification of cutting-edge startups and advanced technologies to help develop the next generation of athletes, enhance the fan experience and drive continued growth for the League and its Clubs. 

In this conversation, we talk about what spurred this innovation, the companies in the initial cohort, and the areas of interest for potential future cohorts.

Time Stamps

3:00 - Mihir’s Experience Working at Overtime

5:00 - Launching the MLS Innovation Lab

8:00 - Applying Innovation Across the MLS Ecosystem

12:00 - Sourcing Investment Opportunities 

13:00 - The Initial Cohort of MLS Innovation Lab

19:00 - Figuring out the ‘Moat’ and Confronting Competition 

25:00 - Areas of Focus for MLS Innovation Labs’ Future Cohorts

30:00 - TOCA and Opportunities Around Live Experiences

32:00 - Could MLS Create their Own Consumer Products within Health & Wellness? 

Additional Links

MLS Launches Innovation Lab Startup Accelerator Program

Game On: Experiential Venues Worth a Shot to Engage Fans Outside the Stadium

Sweaty Equity: Why Sports Leagues are Setting up Investment Funds

Chelsea FC launches new sports nutrition app called Blue Fuel

PRIME Example: Rightsholders could benefit from Dodging industry incumbents

Connect with Mihir on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by Matt Gentry. Matt is the co-founder of 77 Sports Management, a boutique sports marketing agency which he co-founded alongside business partner Gawain Davies and British tennis legend, Sir Andy Murray. 

As well as dealing with a number of young professional athletes, the company also deals with all aspects of Andy’s career, including commercial deals, formulation of brand, PR, media and management strategy - and they have even overseen 50+ seed investments - including a notable investment in Castore - a company recently valued at more than £900m.

Matt first started working with Andy while at talent agency, 19 - where he also managed individual talent and media strategy, which included work with Lewis Hamilton and David Beckham - who he coincidently will be joining up with again in his next career move...

Time Stamps

2:00 - Starting 77 Sports Management with Andy Murray 

7:00 - Leaving Money on the Table and Being Value-Driven 

11:00 - Getting Involved in Early-Stage Investing and THAT Castore Deal 

13:00 - Getting Educated on Investing

18:00 - Finding the Right Balance Between Sponsorship and Investing 

20:00 - Why Sponsorship Benefits Go Beyond Monetary Value 

22:00 - Managing the Different Phases of an Andy’s Career

24:00 - Setting up Andy Post-Playing Career 

26:00 - Investing into the Hexagon Cup and the Rise of Padel 

29:00 - The Other Sport that Andy would be Interested in Investing In 👀

31:00 - Matt’s Next Career Move - Being Reunited with David Beckham, alongside other talent at Authentic Brands Group 

Additional Links 

77 Sports Management

Andy Murray leaves Under Armour, will end career wearing Castore outfits

Podcast: How Castore built a billion dollar British sportswear brand - Business of Sport 

Podcast: Meet The Man Behind Conor McGregor’s +$650M Empire - My First Million 

Tennis Star Andy Murray Launches Padel Team

Book: A List Angels by Zack O'Malley Greenburg   

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by Julia Wall Clarke. Julia is the current Head of Communications for the Hexagon Cup, a new, innovative padel tournament, which aims to transform the sport by bringing a new approach - an approach which is brought over by a senior leadership team that has also been behind the likes of Formula E, Extreme E, and the E1 Series.

It was at Extreme E that Julia first started working with this team as a Communications Manager, before quickly scaling the ranks to be Head of Communications and then Head of Impact and Communications.

Prior to this, she'd already gathered a wealth of experience in communications across a wide range of sports properties including Arsenal, Tennis Australia, Wimbledon, and Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. 

We start this conversation by diving into the Hexagon Cup, which now, at time of release is only one week away (31st January), before diving into some of those lessons from throughout Julia’s career so far.

Time Stamps

2:00 - Introduction to The Hexagon Cup 

5:00 - Taking Lessons from Formula E and Extreme E

8:00 - Injecting Sport with Purpose

12:00 - Embracing Celebrity Ownership 

15:00 - The Significance of Choosing the ‘Right’ Broadcast Partners

19:00 - Taking Investment from DMG Ventures 

23:00 - Retaining Authenticity While Innovating 

25:00 - Applying Key Communication Skills Across Different Rightsholders  

28:00 - The Difference Between Working for an Established vs Challenger League

36:00 - Applying Julia’s Career Lessons to Women’s Football

Additional Links

Book Tickets - Hexagon Cup, Madrid (31 Jan - 4 Feb)

DMG Ventures announces investment in €1M team padel tournament Hexagon Cup

ITV to Broadcast the First ever Hexagon Cup Event as Tournament Chiefs Hail the Groundbreaking Deal for the Sport 

Lon-Glorious Addition: Hollywood Actress Provides Hexagon Cup Another Dimension

Video: Start With Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek

Connect with Julia on LinkedIn - here

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by Leanne Bats. Leanne is President of The RugbyDAO and also holds the title of Head of Web3 at New Zealand Rugby, where she has been an advisor since 2019.

She has also done work for New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and consults in the women’s sport area with READY Sport. Not to mention she has also founded the internet's coolest climate action corporation, Tres Cool.

In this discussion, we talk about her early involvement in sport and the important role that community has played throughout her playing days and into her professional career – as well as her transition into, and fascination with, Web3 and digital innovation more broadly.

Time Stamps

1:00 – Growing up Sport-Mad

5:00 – Community as a Common Thread

6:00 – Taking Inspiration from the Bored Ape Yacht Club

13:00 – Implementing Innovation, and Web3, within anOrganisation

16:00 – Launching an NFT Campaign with NZ Rugby and World of Women

28:00 – Attitude Towards the Term Web3

30:00 – Online will become ‘On Chain’

38:00 – Introducing RugbyDAO

48:00 – Democratising Creativity with AI

Additional Links

All Blacks' Performance Labs

New Zealand Rugby Takes First Step into the Metaverse

Pioneering the Future of Rugby with Emerging Tech

Video: How an NFT Book Can Fight Climate Change - Web3 Academy

Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn - ⁠here⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠here

Today’s episode, I’m joined by Jo Redfern. In September, Jo became Wind Sun Sky’s first-ever managing director of kids.

Before joining the Vancouver-based animation studio, Jo was global head of brand at 24 Watts, leading content strategy and expanding the studio’s Cozmo & Friends property into an animated series for YouTube and into a Roblox game. 

Prior to that, she was head of brand at BBC Children’s & Education for eight years, overseeing live events, consumer product launches and opening a CBeebiesLand Theme Park and Hotel in 2017. She has also served in marketing and media consultant roles at companies such as WWE and Disney Branded Television.

Like in these consultancy roles, this conversation aims to apply her vast experience in kids content over to the world of sport & entertainment - leading to a ton of fresh ideas you may not have thought about before...

Time Stamps

1:30 - Why Should Sport Create Content that Resonates with Kids?

4:00 - Monetising kids Content

7:00 - What is Roblox?

10:00 - Branded Experiences on Roblox

15:00 - Why are Kids Platform Agnostic? And Why Does it Matter?

18:00 - Repackaging IP

25:00 - Personalisation of Content (Thanks to AI)

30:00 - Creating A New Sport like ‘Blade Ball’

37:00 - The YouTuber Approach to Monetisation

40:00 - Removing the Distribution Barrier

45:00 - Using Content to Educate Kids and Change Behaviour

Additional Links

Jo's Kids Media Club Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Evan Shapiro's Substack - Media War & Peace

Zoe Scaman's Substack - Musings of a Wandering Mind

Mean Girls reposts entire movie to TikTok

Is TikTok the Future of Television?

Why Should New IP Launch on Roblox?

Connect with Jo on LinkedIn - here

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - here