For Women's Sport Week, we share a conversation between SportsPro editorial director Michael Long and Micky Lawler, the president of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). The interview, recorded as part of our special series to mark the WTA's 50th anniversary in June, covers the early days of the tour, its progression as a business and the direction of travel as women's tennis enters a new era. 

Talking points:

-          The WTA’s foundation in 1973 (02:48)

-          Commercial partners involved in the tour’s growth (04:46)

-          The WTA’s purpose and the push for gender parity (06:43)

-          Setting the commercial benchmark for women’s sport (14:51)

-          Expansion into Asia and the tour’s future in China (18:53)

-          CVC’s investment and the creation of WTA Ventures (25:03)

To mark Women's Sport Week at SportsPro, we have a special NEW ERA episode of the podcast with Milly Miller-Adams, Elena Kouyoufa and Katie Preston exploring the meaning of taking risks. 

Our hosts take it in turns to interview three women at different stages of their careers in the sports industry to find how they view taking risks and the biggest roll of the dice they have made so far.

Talking points:

Regular SportsPro Podcast hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam are joined by technology editor Steve McCaskill to talk all things SW19 as the British tennis Grand Slam takes hold for its two weeks in the sun (and rain).

In this special episode of the SportsPro Podcast we hear from Sergei Palkin, the chief executive of Ukrainian soccer powerhouse Shahktar Donetsk, about the challenge of leading change in the face of conflict as his club struggles for survival amid the Russian invasion of his homeland. Recorded at SportsPro Live 2023, Palkin is in conversation with Empower Sports' Pedro Pinto.

Talking points:

SportsPro Podcast hosts George Breare and Tom Bassam chop up the latest sports industry news and look at the impact of Netflix's latest sports docuseries, before Josh Sim joins the pod to give his thoughts on MLB's return to London.

Talking points:

Tom Bassam and George Breare return for a quick roundup of the week in sports industry news.

Talking points:

Tom Bassam and SportsPro technology editor Steve McCaskill have an in-depth conversation about the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund's move to control the elite tours in men's golf and how the kingdom's enhanced financial backing of its domestic soccer league could reshape the sport's ecosystem. There's also time for a few thoughts on another logistical Uefa mismanagement issue at a major event, with the recent Champions League final and the passing of a man who helped shape the competition in its modern form, Silvio Berlusconi.

Most people know what an electronic player tracking system (ETPS) is, but there is more to the technology than meets the eye. Barin Sports' director of business development, Daniel Shopov, speaks to SportsPro technology editor, Steve McCaskill, about the different types of systems on the market, their various use cases and the business aspect of procurement.

George Breare and Tom Bassam are back together for this week's podcast, discussing all things Champions League, plus we hear from SportsPro reporter Josh Sim who was lucky enough to attend the Women's Champions League final in Eindhoven.

Talking points:

(Note: At around 6min Tom mistakenly mentions Istanbul Airport processes 200 million flights per year, this figure actually refers to passengers)

As the curtain falls on the 2023 IPL and Premier League seasons, George Breare is joined by features editor, Sam Carp, to explore record-breaking campaigns and the twists and turns that took place on the pitch and in the boardroom, including:

-          The huge broadcast numbers on Star Sports and Jio Cinema

-          The IPL’s commercial pull for major global brands

-          Why the WPL launched at the perfect time

-          Is the Premier League really capable of self-governance?

-          Why football’s relationship with geopolitics shows no signs of slowing