In this episode of The Deal Room Sport from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by Adrian Wright, Ian Dutton and Harry Lynch to explore the rapid rise of women’s sport and the sponsorship opportunities it’s creating. They share live insights from SGI’s current deal activity, introduce new team member and football business graduate Lucy Overton, and dig into how women’s sport has evolved from being sidelined tobecoming a serious commercial asset.

 Key

Takeaways

Women’s football is described as “exponential” in its growth, not just ticking along.

Matchdays are seen as more family-friendly, with longer dwell time and a different atmosphere to the men’s game. Attendance figures at major tournaments and events across women’s sport are rising year on year, making the product increasingly attractive for brands and broadcasters.

Separate Value, Separate Inventory: Ian shares experience from Birmingham City, one of the founding clubs of the WSL, where the women’s team secured a separate shirt sponsorship rather than being bundled with the men. The different demographic and experience means women’s teams can attract brands (such as TGI Fridays) that would never touch the men’s game but see strong alignment with the women’s audience.

Growth brings requirements: minimum stadium standards, broadcast facilities and investment in training grounds and support staff. Some tier-three women’s clubs hesitate to be promoted due to the cost of stepping up, while others (like Plymouth Argyle) are investing long-term in women’s-specific facilities and pathways.

From SGI’s recruitment perspective, there is a clear rise in women-specific roles: CEOs and MDs of women’s teams, performance staff, marketing and pathway roles. Examples like Sarah Batters at London City Lionesses and leaders such as Emily Frazer at Matchroom showcase new career paths for women in the business of sport, not just on the pitch.

This Podcast episode gives the listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the leadership team driving SGI and Sporting Jobs — exploring how the organisations operate, evolve, and shape opportunities in the sports industry.

This is a chance to hear about data insights, expansion into new territories, recruitment secrets and how not to negotiate a Premier League front of shirt deal...

The Deal Room Sport podcast is now in full swing - as the team return for another episode focusing on the world of Sport Sponsorship and Recruitment!

Radio icon Ed Nell hosts the powerhouse trinity of the Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs brands - with Adrian Wright (Birmingham's best sport entrepreneur), Ian Dutton (the nicest man in football) and Harry Lynch (the sports recruitment G.O.A.T) all sitting down to share their experiences and opinions of the exciting yet crazy world of sport business.

In our latest episode, the team discuss meeting former World's Strongest Man Eddie Hall, the ever-growing presence of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and how Sporting Jobs are helping Saudi sporting entities recruit top-level staff from across the globe.

The team round off the discussion with naming their choices for the greatest Premier League defender of all time.

Episode 4 is due to be released on the 12th November.

To find out more about the Deal Room Sport podcast, Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, check out the website and social links below.

Websites

SGI - https://www.sportinggi.com/

Sporting Jobs - https://www.sportingjobs.co.uk/

LinkedIn

SGI - www.linkedin.com/company/sporting-group-international

Sporting Jobs - www.linkedin.com/company/sportingjobs

Instagram

SGI - https://www.instagram.com/sportinggi/

Sporting Jobs - https://www.instagram.com/sportingjobs/

TikTok/YouTube

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thedealroomsport

YouTube -https://www.youtube.com/@Sportinggi

Following our launch two weeks ago, The Deal Room Sport podcast returns with another insightful episode on the world of Sport Sponsorship and Recruitment!

Radio legend Ed Nell hosts the powerhouse trinity of the Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs brands - with Adrian Wright (Birmingham's best sport entrepreneur), Ian Dutton (the nicest man in football) and Harry Lynch (the sports recruitment G.O.A.T) all sitting down to share their experiences and opinions of the exciting yet crazy world of sport business.

In this week's episode, the team focus on the front of shirt sponsors changes that are coming in the Premier League - with betting sponsors being banned from the start of next season.

Ian talks about the need of securing long-term shirt sponsors in comparison to quick-fix deals, Adrian reveals how he managed to get a betting brand off West Brom's shirt and replace it with a non-betting brand and Harry talks about how sports clubs are beginning to realise the importance of investing in business intelligence teams.

The team round off the episode with an interesting debate on the greatest Premier League goalkeeper of all time.

Episode 3 is due to be released on the 28th October.

To find out more about the Deal Room Sport podcast, Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, check out the website and social links below.

Websites

SGI - https://www.sportinggi.com/

Sporting Jobs - https://www.sportingjobs.co.uk/

LinkedIn

SGI - www.linkedin.com/company/sporting-group-international

Sporting Jobs - www.linkedin.com/company/sportingjobs

Instagram

SGI - https://www.instagram.com/sportinggi/

Sporting Jobs - https://www.instagram.com/sportingjobs/

After months of planning and discussions, the Deal Room Sport podcast has officially launched!

The Deal Room Sport focuses on the constantly changing sport sponsorship and sport recruitment industries, with new episodes dropping every fortnight.

Radio legend Ed Nell hosts the powerhouse trinity of the Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs brands - with Adrian Wright (Birmingham's best sport entrepreneur), Ian Dutton (the nicest man in football) and Harry Lynch (the sports recruitment G.O.A.T) all sitting down to share their experiences and opinions of the exciting yet crazy world of sport business.

After discussing their careers and working history, Adrian recalls the summer that defined Sporting Group International - involving several front of shirt deals with Cazoo, Harry talks about discovering the niche in sports recruitment and Ian discusses his time in football and how the company must find a brand partnership for a well known Tier 1 contact.

The team also touch on several talking points across the two industries - such as maintaining key strategic partnerships, the important of being authentic and the necessity of building community and team focus at sports clubs.

To find out more about the Deal Room Sport podcast, Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, check out the website and social links below.

Websites

SGI - https://www.sportinggi.com/

Sporting Jobs - https://www.sportingjobs.co.uk/

LinkedIn

SGI - www.linkedin.com/company/sporting-group-international

Sporting Jobs - www.linkedin.com/company/sportingjobs

Instagram

SGI - https://www.instagram.com/sportinggi/

Sporting Jobs - https://www.instagram.com/sportingjobs/