No Holds Barred is the podcast from SB Weekly where three leading sports executives reveal their industry bugbears, question accepted wisdom, and try to make sense of the major developments currently impacting the global business of sport. Each guest comes armed with a view on an industry topic that’s been piquing their interest over recent weeks, and in a short and impassioned pitch will explain exactly why they feel strongly about it, who’s going wrong and where, and what the implications could be for various sectors of the business. Nothing’s off limits, and the person who argues their case the best will be declared No Holds Barred winner and receive something far better than a trophy - industry kudos. In April 2017's No Holds Barred Matt Cutler is joined by Matt Rogan (Chairman of Two Circles and Executive Director at ESP Properties), Simon Banoub (Global Director of Marketing at Catapult Sports) and Richard Gillis (Founder of Unofficial Partner). Topics discussed include: - Why technology rarely solves rights-holder problems, and can actually cause more damage than good - How and why the media needs to be more responsible when building stories around data - Why 'passion' has become the default focus for lazy sponsorship activations.

SB Weekly - the sport business podcast

No Holds Barred - April 2017

Hussain Naqi, Senior Vice-President at NFL team the Jacksonville Jaguars, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly podcast. Though based in Florida, the Jaguars have played one home regular season game in London every year since 2013 as part of the NFL International Series. Based in London, Hussain heads up International Development for the team, overseeing the growth of the brand and sponsorship sales efforts in the UK. On the podcast, Hussain discusses: - What British Jaguars fans look like, and the growing fan demographics - The Jaguars sponsorship sell to potential UK brand partners - Grassroots activities to drive participation in American Football - The benefits of working closely with the commercial team at Fulham FC - Working closely with owner Shahid Khan, and what has made him such as successful businessman - The content strategy to drive strong fan engagement.

Hussain Naqi

No Holds Barred is the podcast from SB Weekly where three leading sports executives reveal their industry bugbears, question accepted wisdom, and try to make sense of the major developments currently impacting the global business of sport. Each guest comes armed with a view on an industry topic that’s been piquing their interest over recent weeks, and in a short and impassioned pitch will explain exactly why they feel strongly about it, who’s going wrong and where, and what the implications could be for various sectors of the business. Nothing’s off limits, and the person who argues their case the best will be declared No Holds Barred winner and receive something far better than a trophy - industry kudos. In March 2017's No Holds Barred Matt Cutler is joined by Jim Dowling (Managing Director, Havas Sports & Entertainment Cake), Oli Slipper (Co-Founder of PERFORM) and Eoin Connolly (Editor of SportsPro). Topics discussed include: - The problem with the word "right", and why it is getting in the way of collaborative brand partnerships - Where rights-holders should fit the major social media platforms into their media distribution strategy - Why sport has some of entertainment's best storylines - but needs to start telling them better.

No Holds Barred - March 2017

Paul Samuels, Executive Vice-President at AEG Global Partnerships, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. Part of sports and entertainment giant AEG - which owns numerous venues and sports teams across the world - AEG Global Partnerships is responsible for creating, selling and servicing marketing and other strategic opportunities for AEG assets. Paul manages the Global Partnerships division outside the United States and has negotiated deals with numerous blue-chip brands including O2, with whom he recently signed a 10-year naming rights extension for the AEG-run O2 Arena in London. On the podcast, Paul discusses: - Why O2's naming rights partnership with AEG works, and how it very nearly didn't happen in the first place - How rights-holders have to be hugely creative in their sponsorship proposals, just to get brand attention - Rapid global growth for AEG and how the investment opportunities come about - Why the ultimate success in sponsorship is renewing with a partner - Exactly how the demands of both rights-holders and sponsor brands have changed during the last decade - The huge opportunities presented by VR, and why AEG is perfectly positioned to capitalise on them.

Paul Samuels

Carsten Thode, Chief Strategy Officer at Synergy, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. Part of the Engine Group, Synergy positions itself as a brand-facing, creatively-driven and digitally-native sports agency that focuses on delivering business value for its array of clients, which include Standard Life Investments, Canterbury and Beko. Carsten started out his career at management consultancy Marakon Associates - working with clients such as Diageo, Schweppes and Lloyds TSB. En route to Synergy he also had a short stint at Manchester United as Head of Strategic Relationships. On the podcast, Carsten discusses: - What's exciting for sports marketing in 2017 - How Synergy is rapidly improving its offering through the Engine Group's capabilities - Work being done to optimise the delivery of branded content - Why there's a large disconnect between rights-holder and brand thinking - How the Formula One 'walled garden' is going to come down - to the benefit of agencies and brands - Why the age of the influencer is over - brands now want micro-influencers - What annoys him about the sports marketing sector in America specifically.

Carsten Thode

Nick Robinson, Managing Director of sports management and marketing agency ISC, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. ISC helps create partnerships for a variety of rights-holder and brand clients, but is perhaps best known for representing athletes and players across football, rugby and several Olympic and Paralympic sports. Nick cut his teeth at boutique talent agency AMI Sports and Entertainment before joining Octagon in 2009, where he was head of football and represented the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Saido Berahino. On the podcast, Nick discusses: - The case for sports agents - why they're needed and play an important industry role - Why many talent agencies are missing out by not being multi-faceted - What it's like being an agent during a transfer window - Why commercial deals for athletes not at the very peak of their sport are challenging to find - The reasons behind Premier League clubs making a cumulative net profit this transfer window - Rising costs for fans - and why sporting stakeholders need to control them better.

Nick Robinson

No Holds Barred is the podcast from SB Weekly where three leading sports executives reveal their industry bugbears, question accepted wisdom, and try to make sense of the major developments currently impacting the global business of sport. Each guest comes armed with a view on an industry topic that’s been piquing their interest over recent weeks, and in a 60-second spiel explains exactly why they feel strongly about it, who’s going wrong and where, and what the implications could be for various sectors of the business. Nothing’s off limits, and the person who argues their case the best will be declared No Holds Barred winner and receive something far better than a trophy - industry kudos. In February 2017's No Holds Barred Matt Cutler is joined by Murray Barnett (Chief Commercial Officer at World Rugby), Steve Martin (Global CEO of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment) and Roger Mitchell (Founding CEO of the Scottish Premier League), and topics discussed include: Why professional football leagues, clubs and players should be up in arms over the 48-team FIFA World Cup Exactly what's stopping some sports sponsors move from counting logos to a more sophisticated ROI model How the European Rugby Champions Cup needs to go back to the drawing board with its commercial model. 

No Holds Barred - February 2017

No Holds Barred is the podcast from SB Weekly where three leading sports executives reveal their industry bugbears, question accepted wisdom, and try to make sense of the major developments currently impacting the global business of sport. Each guest comes armed with a view on an industry topic that’s been piquing their interest over recent weeks, and in a 60-second spiel explains exactly why they feel strongly about it, who’s going wrong and where, and what the implications could be for various sectors of the business. Nothing’s off limits, and the person who argues their case the best will be declared No Holds Barred winner and receive something far better than a trophy - industry kudos. In January 2017's No Holds Barred Matt Cutler is joined by Ben Wells (Former Marketing Director of Chelsea FC), Dan Ayers (Lead Consultant at Seven League) and Charlie Dundas (Commercial Director at SMG Insight), and topics discussed include: Why sports organisations need to stop focusing on sales, and shift it to long-term strategy Who is best-placed to release the digital product that kills pirate streaming of live sport The need for rights-holders to work harder to understand who their fanbase is. 

No Holds Barred - January 2017

Rob Mitchell, commercial director at Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly.Bournemouth are one of the extraordinary success stories of English football. Struggling in the fourth-tier less than a decade ago, the Cherries are now in their second Premier League season and thriving under manager Eddie Howe. Rob’s been with the club throughout that rollercoaster journey, joining in 2008 following stints at creative design agency the Cedar Group and rival south-coast team Southampton. On the podcast, Rob discusses: How his commercial revenue target has increased by 750% The club's investment into Big Data and understanding its fanbase better How his team is approaching selling its sleeve sponsorship, a new piece of Premier League inventory Why a new stadium will be a commercial game-changer for the club How Bournemouth is positioning itself to attract more multi-national companies as sponsors Why a new website will be a key piece of additional sponsor inventory going forward. 

Rob Mitchell

Ben Morel, SVP at the National Basketball Association and Managing Director for operations across EMEA, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly.Ben originally joined the NBA from cosmetics giant L'Oréal in 1998, and nearly 20 years later he’s still going strong, overseeing the basketball league’s media distribution, events, merchandising and sponsorship activities this side of the Atlantic. On the podcast, Ben discusses: How UK interest in the NBA has undergone huge growth over the last 12 months Why having more games in London isn't integral for further growth in Europe Initiatives to turn casual basketball observers into active, loyal consumers The significant investment being made into grassroots that doesn't make headlines Why he hopes the battle for control in European club basketball reaches an amicable resolution, and soon Why Virtual Reality could be a game-changer in how basketball is consumed at home and on the move. 

Ben Morel

Leading football lawyer Daniel Geey is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. Currently a partner at sports and media law firm Sheridans, Daniel was involved in the recent American takeover of Swansea City, and is currently preparing for a busy winter football transfer window, opening after the Christmas break. On the podcast, Daniel discusses: Working with and advising young footballing talent What's underpinning the recent wave of Premier League club investment The huge challenge illegal streaming presents to large rights-holders How all sports stakeholders need to pay serious attention to data security The potential impact of Brexit and Trump on the football industry. 

Daniel Geey

Elliot Richardson, ‎President and Co-Founder of digital football platform Dugout, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. Launched officially at the end of November - following months of industry hype - Dugout publishes exclusive content featuring some of Europe’s biggest clubs and footballers, and is touted as a way for those same clubs and players to both grow their fanbases, and better monetise their digital footprints. To date, Dugout boasts an enviable portfolio of partners that includes Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, Gareth Bale and Neymar, with more announced on an almost weekly basis. On the podcast, Elliot explains: Why Dugout isn't a Facebook for Football - despite media descriptions How football fandom forms in a different way compared to decades ago How both the platform and clubs benefit from data insight around content What content works best, and how that's judged Why he believes Dugout will succeed where other digital projects in the past have failed What the sports industry can learn from his background in the insurance sector. 

Elliot Richardson

Matt Stevenson, ‎Head of Sports Sponsorship at mobile operator EE, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. EE has over 27 million customers in the UK, making it the region’s biggest mobile network, and last year it was acquired by BT for £12.5 billion, creating a formidable new telecoms giant for the UK market. In a career that’s included stints at Nike and O2, Matt has over 20 years of brand and communications experience - most of which has been dedicated to sponsorship and partnership activations - and at EE he leads the company’s sports sponsorship portfolio which includes Wembley Stadium, for which EE is the lead partner. On the podcast, Matt explains the importance of using EE's sponsorship portfolio to improve the fan and customer experience; how EE and Wembley have built a strong rights-holder/brand partnership; why social media influencers are becoming more and more powerful, and useful to brands; and the reason EE isn't ready to move into e-sports...quite yet.

Matt Stevenson

BBC News Sports Editor Dan Roan is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. A familiar face and voice to sports fans across the world, Dan covers a wide range of sports news and business stories for the public-service broadcaster's TV, radio and online platforms, which include the One, Six and 10 O'Clock News; Radio 4's Today programme, 5 Live and the BBC News Channel. Dan’s been at the BBC on and off since 1998, when he first joined as a trainee, and over that period he’s secured exclusive interviews with the likes of Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Sepp Blatter, Bernie Ecclestone and Thomas Bach, the latter of whom he quizzed recently on the topic of doping, and Russia’s participation in this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio. On the podcast, Dan explains how he has landed some of the sport business' biggest exclusives during a tumultuous two years for sports news, how he builds rapports with senior sports executives, and how he approaches the sometimes fractious relationship between journalism and PR.

Dan Roan

Scott Bowers, Director of Communications at The Jockey Club, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. The Jockey Club is the largest commercial group in British horseracing, owning and running 15 of the UK’s leading racecourses including Cheltenham, Aintree and Epsom Downs. Scott’s been there for nearly seven years now, and was last month inducted into the Leaders Under 40 Class of 2016 in recognition of his contribution to record racecourse attendances and revenues. Previous to the Jockey Club Scott was Head of Sport at PR firm Weber Shandwick, where he worked on several international award-winning campaigns, including Sochi's successful bid to host the 2014 Olympic Games. On the podcast, Scott discusses the importance of external and internal communications for the long-term health of a major sports organisation, the importance of transparency and maintaining healthy relationships with the media, and why he believes sports organisations need to better understand the crossover between their communications and marketing functions.

Scott Bowers

SB Weekly is a must listen podcast for anyone working in the sports industry or with a keen interest in the business of sport and those who work in it. Each episode features an interview with a senior sports executive where Matt Cutler gets to know them, what makes them tick, and the reasons for their career successes to date, a little bit better.

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SB Weekly - the sport business podcast

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