The SportBusiness Podcast

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, we reveal just how much the global sports media market is worth (hint... it's a lot). Plus, Uefa selects its new national teams agency, Netflix's latest football rights move and an unlikely location for cricket's latest franchise league.

• THE NEWSROOM: A case of déjà vu as Relevent breaks an agency's grip on Uefa business, this time CAA Eleven and national team football. Also, Netflix's Big Event sports strategy takes it to Spain for the 2030 World Cup and commercial upheaval in Brazil amid the betting ban.
• INSIDE THE DEAL: Media Editor Joseph Perry joins to talk through the SportBusiness Global Media Report 2026. We discuss the properties dominating the table, where the money is heading, a knockout top 10 entrant and which market is on the downturn.
• AOB: The Rome Gladiators set to enter the arena, a cracking World Conker Championships and a temperature-raising sponsor in Swiss ice hockey.

You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.

Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.

Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin Ross

Contributors: Joseph Perry

Editor: Gwen Gourvellec

Sources:

1. Relevent alone lands Uefa national team rights | SportBusiness
2. EXCLUSIVE: CAA Eleven set to lose Uefa contract | SportBusiness
3. Netflix Spain in shock 2030 World Cup move | SportBusiness
4. Netflix, IMG gear up for Women’s World Cup test | SportBusiness
5. Shopee fills Corinthians shirt as betting ban bites | SportBusiness
6. Betting firms absent from CazéTV’s WWC line-up | SportBusiness
7. Global sports media rights value hits record $65.8bn | SportBusiness Media
8. PODCAST: High hoops: Netball bids for reach, revenue and relevance | SportBusiness
9. PODCAST: Grand Budapest Intel | SportBusiness
10. PODCAST: Eleven out of Ten(der): Uefa set to move on from CAA era | SportBusiness

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, we tackle a bruising sport’s place in the industry, two big European football leagues going to market with domestic media rights and a review of the rage-filled book making headlines.

• THE NEWSROOM: As Bare Knuckle Boxing mulls an equity sale to a rights-holding broadcaster, we analyse the emergence of the controversial combat sport, its safety and commercial appeal. Plus, different tactics for Ligue 1 and Serie A in impending domestic tenders and ice skating gets its centralised rights agency.
• INSIDE THE SPIEL: Executive Editor Imran Yusuf joins to cherry pick the sports industry tales in Ari Emanuel’s recently published memoir laden with expletives and almost as many deal numbers.
• AOB: Sponsorship signage confuses horses at Newbury, a ban on rhythmic jumping in Bochum and Premier Sports outs dodgy stick users.

You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.

Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.

Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin Ross

Contributor: Imran Yusuf

Editor: Gwen Gourvellec

Sources:

1. BKB open to stake sale in next media rights deal
2. Ligue 1 auction ‘to include’ rights from next season
3. French 20% pay-TV tax ‘to weigh on sports rights’
4. Serie A presents regulators with gloomy domestic picture
5. Serie A guidelines OK’d but warning on exclusivity
6. Centralised ISU agency contract for Two Circles
7. Tennent’s Sixes tackle on Premier Sports
8. Roll the Calls: A Memoir by Ari Emanuel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of that Manchester City ruling, Jonathan Rest and Martin Ross are back on The SportBusiness Podcast to discuss the industry’s headline issues and go deep on media rights in a major market.

• THE NEWSROOM: SportBusiness Sponsorship Editor Ben Cronin joins to talk about the Emirati elephant in the room. Plus, Infront nets ITTF business at a testing time for table tennis and the scale of the LIV threat on DP World Tour media rights returns is revealed.
• INSIDE THE DEAL: Frank Dunne is back to decipher the pay-TV sector in sub-Saharan Africa after Canal+’s Uefa club rights deal. Now the owner of MultiChoice, is it set for a market monopoly or can a mystery streamer stir new competition?
• AOB: Bookmakers betting on a political Brazilian legislation U-turn, Wigan gets a deadly new sponsor and juggling AI tech to generate sold-out crowds at empty venues.

You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.

Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.

Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin Ross

Contributors: Ben Cronin, Frank Dunne

Editor: Gwen Gourvellec

Sources:

1. City inflated sponsorship with ‘sham’ contracts
2. Etihad considers legal action against EPL
3. BeIN’s Sen succeeds Nivelle at Infront Pan-Asia
4. Infront nets global WTT sponsorship remit
5. TV rights drop swells PGA Tour’s European Tour sum
6. (PODCAST) In Da Red Zone: Unpacking losses at LIV, European Tour and DAZN
7. Canal+ power shows in sub-Saharan Uefa deal
8. SuperSport lands Afcon, more pay-TV deals coming
9. Brazilian football sets up talks on shock betting ban
10. One final bump on the long road to centralisation?
11. Q4 production tender to kick off Liga Portugal sales

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Ben Cronin and the SportBusiness Sponsorship editorial team host a live recording of the podcast at L’Escargot restaurant in London to mark the launch of the European Sponsorship Report.

They discuss:

• THE SIZE OF THE MARKET: How much was the European sponsorship market worth in 2025 and which two sports accounted for 67% of the overall value?
• SPONSORSHIP SURVEY: The team reads the mood of the sponsorship industry and unpacks the findings from this year’s reader survey. Which sponsorship categories are expected to grow over the next 12 months and how is AI changing the way people work?
• TOP PROPERTIES: Which teams and leagues came out on top in our ranking of the biggest sponsorship properties in Europe?

You can purchase your copy of the European Sponsorship Report 2026 here.

You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.

Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.

Host: Ben Cronin

Contributors: Matthew Williams, Faaez Samadi, Matthew Glendinning

Editor: Gwen Gourvellec

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, with Martin Ross taking a well-earned break, Joseph Perry is back at the microphone to talk through his recent whistle-stop trip to Australia, which coincided with the NFL being in town.

• THE NEWSROOM: All the top lines from the SportNXT Conference in Melbourne. Plus, we discuss a senior executive reshuffle at DAZN and its latest push for profitability, a landmark decision at World Athletics and record US Open audiences for ESPN.
• INSIDE THE DEAL: Ahead of the 2026-27 season NBA season, Matthew Glendinning talks through changes to the teams' jersey patch landscape. AI and fintech brands are in vogue, of course, and which agencies are getting the deals done? 
• AOB: Naming ceremony for a Rwandan gorilla, some unfortunate publicity for Hyrox and just how much would you pay to get up close and personal to a David Moyes team talk?

You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.

Enter SBPODCAST30 at checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.

Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Joseph Perry

Contributor: Matthew Glendinning

Editor: Gwen Gourvellec

Sources:

1. Melbourne trades futures as the NFL comes to town | SportBusiness
2. Delany, Gersh head DAZN hires as Mascia exits Dach | SportBusiness
3. Four investors, one question: why sport? | SportBusiness On the Money
4. Athletics history made as Kenya lands Worlds | SportBusiness
5. Shelton reels in record US Open audience for ESPN | SportBusiness
6. AI and fintech deals push NBA jersey patch values
7. Excel brokers Lakers, Albert patch deal | SportBusiness
8. Euroleague’s SuperCup to launch in Abu Dhabi | SportBusiness
9. How sport holds squeezed Australia market together

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast and following a frenetic few days of high-profile sales, would-be sales and Chapter 11 proceedings, Jonathan Rest and Martin Ross break down what it all means for the industry.

• THE NEWSROOM: Infront’s sale of Hyrox – why now, what motivated the deal on both sides and what next? Plus, what anyone acquiring Castore would be buying and IMG tops LIV Golf’s list of unsecured service provider creditors.
• INSIDE THE DEAL: Ben Cronin is back from IFA Berlin where Chinese consumer electronics powerhouses Haier and Hisense both announced Uefa sponsorship deals. Insight on why the deals were done and how UCL sponsorship sales are tracking for the new cycle.
• AOB: FIS creates more inventory to sell, American success at US Open boosts ESPN and everything you ever wanted to know about the World Stone Skimming Championships.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube 

Enter SBPODCAST30 at the checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here. 

Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin Ross

Contributor: Ben Cronin

Editor: Matt Storey

Sources:

1. Infront cashes in with Hyrox sale to consortium
2. Castore founders weigh up sale options
3. IMG heads LIV’s unsecured vendor creditor list
4. UCL pact won’t affect club deals, says Haier brand chief
5. Haier bags standalone Champions League deal
6. Hisense reduces inventory with Euro 2028 only deal
7. Hyundai ends Champions League car sponsor search
8. FIS clean sweep for Infront with four-year Worlds deal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We mark ‘la rentrée’ by bringing you up to speed with analysis of 11 major industry stories to break in the last two weeks. From US major leagues to European football and from squash to rugby league, it’s all covered.

• THE NEWSROOM: An extended version includes: TWG probe hits Mark Walter’s sports empire; raising a glass to DAZN’s latest US move; Amazon primed for top Mexican rights; end in sight for Ligue 1+ but the beginning for Jamie Vardy’s Bundesliga’s party. Plus, Liverpool’s shirt sponsor, rights overspill, LIV creditors and Enhanced Games losses.
• AOB: Another facelift for athletics with the Ultimate Champs, credible football viewing figures shorn of spin and Preston North End’s sponsorship own goal.

You can subscribe to The SportBusiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. 

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.

Enter SBPODCAST30 at the checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here.

Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin Ross

Editor: Gwen Gourvellec, Matthew Storey

Sources:

1. PSA not expecting end to Walter’s squash backing
2. DAZN trades equity in EverPass takeover
3. Amazon adds El Tri amid LatAm spending plans
4. NHL drafts Bayern Munich in bid to conquer Germany
5. LFP domestic tender plan ‘signals end of Ligue 1+’
6. Bundesliga sticks with UK streamers for 22 matches
7. Overspill impact prompts Serie A to pull Tring’s feed
8. EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool shirt available as Standard Chartered window closes
9. EQT storms into NRL with Melbourne majority stake
10. LIV Golf ‘prepares ground’ for bankruptcy filing
11. Enhanced Games debut prompts $62m group loss
12. World Humanoid Robotic Games thread

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Inside Track, SportBusiness’ new podcast series giving organisations the opportunity to tell their story in their own words.

Each episode takes the form of an in-depth 1:1 conversation between a guest and the SportBusiness editorial team, going beyond the headlines to explore the thinking, strategy, and vision behind an organisation or a landmark deal.

Whether it's unpacking a major partnership, examining an innovative new approach, or sharing a perspective on where the industry is heading, listeners will get a unique window into the people and organisations shaping the future of sport.

In this first episode, Executive Editor, Imran Yusuf, speaks with Heidi Pellerano, Chief Commercial Officer at Concacaf, the governing body for football across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, representing 41 member associations.

A decade on from the organisation's much-documented low point, Pellerano reflects on a transformed commercial landscape. She discusses how Concacaf is converting 2026 Fifa World Cup momentum into year-round regional interest, navigating markets that span mature and emerging economies, and its media rights approach. She also explores evolving brand expectations, the rise of the women's game, and the regional 2031 Women's World Cup bid.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.

Enter SBPODCAST30 at the checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here. 

Host: Imran Yusuf

Guest: Heidi Pellerano

Editor: Lumi Lehmuskallio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we mix up The SportBusiness Podcast format and take an in-depth look at OneFootball’s recovery four years on from the NFT deals that nearly sent it under. We interview CEO Patrick Fischer, dissect the verticals of a now ‘asset-light’ business and unearth plenty of financial detail. Plus:

• THE NEWSROOM: Sponsorship controversy aplenty as Aston Villa’s NordVPN deal reignites the piracy debate and Sunderland hold advanced Visit Ghana negotiations. Plus, the streamers end beIN’s hold over LaLiga in France.
• AOB: European Athletics Championships’ swathes of empty seats, dreaming of centralised rights sales in Madeira and Uruguayan football on a collision course.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. Enter SBPODCAST30 at the checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here. 

Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin Ross

Contributor: Ben Cronin

Editor: Lumi Lehmuskallio

Sources:

1. Villa shrugs off criticisms to strike NordVPN deal
2. Sunderland in advanced Visit Ghana shirt talks
3. VPN sponsorship of football under scrutiny due to piracy concerns
4. Villa turns attention to stadium deal after Visit Rwanda takes shirt
5. BeIN ousted in LaLiga’s French streaming deals
6. Disney+ streaming widens Formula E distribution
7. Benfica makes fresh move to stall centralisation

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The SportBusiness Podcast, we profile the latest addition to the gambling-free Premier League shirt sponsor market, while its US media behemoth results season again and there’s a full post-mortem of Glasgow keeping the Commonwealth Games alive.

THE NEWSROOM: What next for Fifa after failed World Cup privatisation plan, UFC success fuels Paramount's sports rights buying appetite, White House PPV hits TKO and WTA's IMG production deal puts another nail in ATP merger coffin.

INSIDE THE DEAL: Matthew Williams turns an eagle eye to Crystal Palace's new shirt sponsor, Temporal. Why has a B2B firm targeted the Premier League?

AOB: We measure the success of Glasgow’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games, take a peak at the in-tray of MLS' new commissioner in-waiting and uncover a football sponsorship activation from EasyJet.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. Enter SBPODCAST30 at the checkout for monthly and annual SportBusiness.com subscriptions for a 30-per-cent discount here. 

Co-hosts: Jonathan Rest, Martin Ross

Contributor: Matthew Williams

Editor: Lumi Lehmuskallio

Sources:

1. Chastened Fifa drops World Cup investor plan
2. TKO boosts revenues, takes White House UFC hit
3. Ellison: UFC reaffirming Paramount belief in sport
4. IMG adds production role to WTA remit
5. Palace has power to add following Temporal shirt deal
6. ‘We want to reach the person writing the code’ | Clair Byrd, Temporal
7. Berg succeeds Garber as next MLS commissioner
8. Sadleir: Amdavad 2030 to meet 60% budget criteria
9. Liverpool John Lennon Airport (@LPL_Airport) on X

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.