UP450: WTF Is Infinite Athlete? Unofficial Partner podcast

55:50

Intellectual Property is the basis of the sports business. Two Circles have mapped the global market to create a Sports IP Revenue List. Founder and CEO Gareth Balch has analysed what it says about the business of sport. Some headlines: The big get bigger : in the last decade, the % value share of the Top 20 Sports IP Owners of total revenue has grown from 35% to 44% Market concentration : The Top 25 make 50% of the revenue Top 100 make 70% of revenue 65% of the Top 20 grew revenue faster than the market last year 100% of the Top 20 Sports IP Owners grew revenue faster than the market in the last decade Sport remains a B2B business : 70% of the Top 20's revenues come from sponsorship and media vs 66% of the rest of the Top 500 Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP475 Inside Edge: 'India already had a monopoly, now they've got hotels on Park Lane and Mayfair' 1:13:44

5 days ago1:13:44

1:13:44

Inside Edge is where we overthink the business of cricket, with co-host Mike Jakeman. Today's guest is Lawrence Booth, Editor of the Wisden Almanack, the conscience of the game. Released last week, Booth pulled no punches in his editor's notes: "2024 was the year cricket gave up any claim to being properly administered, with checks, balances, and governance for the many, not the few. India already had the monopoly: now they had hotels on Park Lane and Mayfair." Is he right? Closer to home, how will The Hundred play out for the game in England? And Richard reports back from Lord's after attending the launch of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, to be played across England in 2026. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is a new breed of agency that combines world class creativity with deep sponsorship expertise, flawless operational delivery, and a culture of marketing effectiveness. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know their team over the last couple of months. They’re an impressive bunch, who believe that sports marketing can and should be done better. They have a creative philosophy of producing famous campaigns and activations that build buzz and conversation in a category that too often looks and sounds the same. And they're pioneering a new standard of effectiveness in sports marketing, using econometrics and attribution models to go beyond traditional media ROI. So if you're looking for an agency to take your brand to the top, get in touch with the team at Sid Lee Sport, where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP474 Wedge Issues: The Jazzy Golfer Joins UP 35:08

9 days ago35:08

35:08

We met Jasmine Sanders aka The Jazzy Golfer when we held our roundtable event at European Tour HQ at Wentworth during the BMW PGA Championship in 2024. Now she's come on board as a co-host for Wedge Issues where we overthink the business of golf. Jasmine is one of the leading golf creators, host of CNN's Living Golf and founder of the Women's Golf Community, where she campaigns for greater inclusion for women and children in to the great game of golf. Listener questions can be submitted to Jasmine@UnofficialPartner.co.uk Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP473 What was your Business Moment of the Year? UP goes inside the FEVO Sport Industry Awards judging room 1:14:40

12 days ago1:14:40

1:14:40

There's a new award category at this year's FEVO Sport Industry Awards - Business Moment of the Year. And for the first time, the judging process is revealed, as we chair the conversation ahead of the big reveal on the night of May 15th at Battersea Evolution in London. Our illustrious judging panel is Richard Scudamore, Lucy Wray, Allan Noble and Nick Keller himself, the founder of the FEVO Sport Industry Awards. The award shortlist can be found here. Click here to buy a table for the awards. And include the code UP2025 to receive a free bottle of champagne for your table. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is a new breed of agency that combines world class creativity with deep sponsorship expertise, flawless operational delivery, and a culture of marketing effectiveness. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know their team over the last couple of months. They’re an impressive bunch, who believe that sports marketing can and should be done better. They have a creative philosophy of producing famous campaigns and activations that build buzz and conversation in a category that too often looks and sounds the same. And they're pioneering a new standard of effectiveness in sports marketing, using econometrics and attribution models to go beyond traditional media ROI. So if you're looking for an agency to take your brand to the top, get in touch with the team at Sid Lee Sport , where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP472 The Business of Swimming 48:10

16 days ago48:10

48:10

Today we're talking about swimming and so we went to the London Aquatics Center in Stratford, located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Obviously the venue for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic games, but also the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, which were on while we were there. It was an opportunity to talk about the sport in detail from lots of different angles with Aquatics GB's Chief Executive Drew Barrand and Simon Rowe, whose role is Senior Vice President at Pentland Brands, which includes things like Mitre, Canterbury, but also Speedo, who are an official partner of Aquatics GB. You are hear because it's a swimming competition. You'll hear a load of noise in the background, but ignore that. The conversation was really good. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP471 UP Live at EBU: What the FIFA Club World Cup reveals about Free-to-Air in the YouTube era 48:01

19 days ago48:01

48:01

Guests: Mark Oliver, Oliver and Ohlbaum Amy Lee, TV2 Denmark, EBU Member Tomos Grace - YouTube Context: A live podcast recorded at the European Broadcast Union's Annual Assembly in Bratislava. DAZN has paid $1billion for the rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. FIFA has sold the rights to DAZN for $1billion. DAZN is sub-licensing the rights, with a brief to build as big an audience as possible. Many people in the room are the targets, as DAZN seeks to recoup some of their billion dollar outlay. Session Provocation : So, a good time to ask the panel and the EBU audience: if you were DAZN/FIFA, what would you do? How does FIFA view the role of Europe's premier publicly funded television platforms in building value for their new product? What is the role of YouTube in their thinking? What are the lessons of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup process? What is the value exchange between major sports properties and the EBU's membership? We use this framework to talk more generally about the themes of sport's relationship with free to air television in Europe in the platform era. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport . Sid Lee Sport is a new breed of agency that combines world class creativity with deep sponsorship expertise, flawless operational delivery, and a culture of marketing effectiveness. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know their team over the last couple of months. They’re an impressive bunch, who believe that sports marketing can and should be done better. They have a creative philosophy of producing famous campaigns and activations that build buzz and conversation in a category that too often looks and sounds the same. And they're pioneering a new standard of effectiveness in sports marketing, using econometrics and attribution models to go beyond traditional media ROI. So if you're looking for an agency to take your brand to the top, get in touch with the team at Sid Lee Sport , where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP470 Other People's Money: How patient is patient capital when it comes to women's rugby? 1:06:24

27 days ago1:06:24

1:06:24

Other People's Money is our regular series on sports investment, with Matt Rogan, co-founder of Two Circles. The Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off in August, hosted in here in England. The tournament is a critical moment in the game's development. But what is the financial state of women’s professional club rugby in this country. We talk to Genevieve Shore, herself a former England World Cup winner in 1994, who is now the Executive Chair of Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), the league that is part owned by the RFU. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is a new breed of agency that combines world class creativity with deep sponsorship expertise, flawless operational delivery, and a culture of marketing effectiveness. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know their team over the last couple of months. They’re an impressive bunch, who believe that sports marketing can and should be done better. They have a creative philosophy of producing famous campaigns and activations that build buzz and conversation in a category that too often looks and sounds the same. And they're pioneering a new standard of effectiveness in sports marketing, using econometrics and attribution models to go beyond traditional media ROI. So if you're looking for an agency to take your brand to the top, get in touch with the team at Sid Lee Sport, where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP469 Inside Edge: Overthinking the Business of Cricket 59:21

5 weeks ago59:21

59:21

This is the first episode in a new series in which we take the Unofficial Partner sports business conversation and point it at cricket. Richard is joined by co-host Mike Jakeman, who writes about sport for The Economist and worked within The Economist Intelligence Unit, and has written for titles such as The New York Times, Wired magazine and the Times Literary Supplement, and wrote a very good book on the future of cricket, called Saving the Test. You can keep in touch with Inside Edge via the Unofficial Partner Substack newsletter that goes out to tens of thousands of subscribers from across the global sports industry every Thursday. This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is a new breed of agency that combines world class creativity with deep sponsorship expertise, flawless operational delivery, and a culture of marketing effectiveness. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know their team over the last couple of months. They’re an impressive bunch, who believe that sports marketing can and should be done better. They have a creative philosophy of producing famous campaigns and activations that build buzz and conversation in a category that too often looks and sounds the same. And they're pioneering a new standard of effectiveness in sports marketing, using econometrics and attribution models to go beyond traditional media ROI. So if you're looking for an agency to take your brand to the top, get in touch with the team at Sid Lee Sport, where brands become champions. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP468 States of Play: Miguel Delaney on Sportswashing 48:32

5 weeks ago48:32

48:32

Today's guest is Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer for The Independent who talks about his book States of Play: How Sports Washing Took Over Football . It's described as a scorching account of how football's very popularity threatens to destroy it, a brave forensic and utterly gripping book' by Tom Holland (The Rest Is History host, not Spider Man). This episode of the Unofficial Partner podcast is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport ; a new breed of agency that combines world class creativity with deep sponsorship expertise, flawless operational delivery and a culture of marketing effectiveness. The team at Sid Lee Sport is driven by the belief that sports marketing can and should be done better, and are determined to push things forward. They're pioneering a new standard of effectiveness in sports marketing, going far beyond media ROI, using econometric and attribution modelling to demonstrate the impact of their work on their clients' bottom line. And it's that focus on effectiveness that informs their creative philosophy of creating famous campaigns and experiences for rights holders, sponsors and sports brands - because they know famous campaigns outperform others on all business metrics. You can see this through Sid Lee Sport’s groundbreaking work with global clients, including UEFA, Visa, Lidl, Tommy Hilfiger, Descente and Oppo–to name just a few of their biggest signings. So if you're looking for an agency to take your brand to the top, head to sidleesport.com Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP467 The Man Who Signed Michael Jordan: The reality behind the Air Movie, Nike and Matt Damon 36:30

6 weeks ago36:30

36:30

Sonny Vaccaro was the pivotal figure behind Michael Jordan's groundbreaking deal with Nike, which remains one of the most storied contracts in sports business history. So good they made a movie about it, "Air", in which Vaccaro was played by Matt Damon, with Ben Affleck in the Phil Knight role. Vaccaro's book Legends & Soles: Business, Creativity and Basketball – A Memoir of an Improbable Life is the long-awaited memoir from one of the great American sports business insiders, telling the reality behind the film and shining a light in to the culture of Nike then and now. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP466 Who's watching women's sport? New Sky Sports data challenges the industry's story on where the opportunity lies 1:09:30

7 weeks ago1:09:30

1:09:30

The commercial growth of women’s sport is dependent on the audience question: Who is watching? To help frame the answer, we been given an exclusive preview of major new research in to women's sport fandom by Sky Sports which is due to be published in the coming weeks. Sky’s rights portfolio of women’s only sport is unmatched in the media industry, running across football, rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, netball and more. And as you'll hear in the conversation, the new findings run against some of the received narratives that have grown around the audience for women's sport across the sports and marketing industries. Our guests are Jo Osborne, Head of Women's Sport at Sky Sports and Claire Kelly, Managing Director of Gemba Europe and Middle East, the strategy and fan insight agency commissioned to carry out the research. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP465 The Bundle: The Relevent pitch deck; Bach's NBC farewell; Baller, Sidemen and the next streaming war 1:02:52

8 weeks ago1:02:52

1:02:52

Welcome to The Bundle, our regular series on the sports media and streaming marketplace with co-hosts Yannick Ramcke, General Manager of OTT at the streaming service OneFootball and Murray Barnett, founder of 26West Consulting and formerly of F1, World Rugby and ESPN International. Quiz What is UC3, and what significance does Relevent Sports taking over global commercial rights from Team Marketing hold for this entity? According to the discussion, what were some potential reasons behind UEFA and the European Club Association's decision to move away from their long-standing partnership with Team Marketing? What were the key components of the new long-term deal between Comcast/NBCUniversal and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and why was the timing of the announcement considered interesting? Beyond just viewership numbers, what other strategic benefits do live sports like the Olympics offer to broadcasters like NBCUniversal in the current media landscape? Describe the unique characteristics and appeal of events like the Sidemen Charity Match and the Baller League that differentiate them from traditional sports broadcasts. How might an influencer like Cristiano Ronaldo broadcasting Premier Padel matches on his YouTube channel impact the reach and perception of a sport like padel? What does NASCAR debuting select races exclusively on Amazon Prime Video suggest about the current state of sports media consumption and the perceived reach of streaming platforms? Why might a major streaming platform like Amazon consider distributing content, such as Bundesliga matches in Germany, through traditional linear television channels? Initially exclusive to Apple TV, the MLS Season Pass is now available through other providers. What potential reasons were discussed for this shift in distribution strategy? What potential fundamental challenges or flaws might exist within the MLS and Apple TV partnership, as suggested by the recent changes in distribution? Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP464 Other People's Money: How to pitch to a VC 47:55

8 weeks ago47:55

47:55

Other People's Money is our regular series on sports investment, with co-host Matt Rogan, co-founder of Two Circles. Our guest today is Gabbie Swycher, Principal at Redrice Ventures, a venture capital firm that provides capital, advice and connections to early stage businesses including several in the sports sector, most notably they were an early backer of Castore. They describe themselves as ‘a high conviction, anti-hype investor, seeking companies with a sustainable differentiation. We initially invest at seed stage, with the ability to support founders through the entire entrepreneurial journey’. So, if you have a great idea that needs funding, this is for you. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

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UP463 Ticketing is a terrible experience, so who's to blame? 40:44

9 weeks ago40:44

40:44

Nobody's ever happy with the process of buying event tickets. Why's it so hard? Join us in an enlightening discussion with David Hornby of SecuTix and Stuart Cain, CEO of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, as we explore the complexities of the ticketing process. Discover the roles of different stakeholders, the evolution of ticketing technology, challenges like bots and secondary markets, and the nuanced dynamics of pricing for events. We also dive into the unique aspects of ticketing for cricket, both for high-demand matches and regular county games, and the ongoing quest for fair, transparent practices that enhance fan experiences. Don't miss out on this deep dive into the world of sports and entertainment ticketing! 00:00 Introduction and Guest Biographies 03:48 Understanding the Ticketing Industry 06:28 Challenges in Ticketing and Fan Experience 14:23 Combating Ticket Fraud and Scalping 20:20 Dynamic Pricing and Market Perception 33:27 Ticketing for Women's Sports and Future Innovations Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner We publish two podcasts each week , on Tuesday and Friday . These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 400 sports business conversations are available free of charge here . Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series, you can reach us via the website.…

Unofficial Partner Podcast

1
UP462 The Big Idea: Where we talk about the work 58:16

9 weeks ago58:16