Business of Sport

• Business of Sport Ep.57: Lee Johnson, Fmr Sunderland & Bristol City Manager, 'Decision Making Needs to be Driven by Sport'

  This week, we’re delighted to welcome Lee Johnson to the show. Lee has had a stellar career as both a player and manager, playing over 400 games before becoming the youngest manager in the Football League at 31 when he took over at Oldham in 2013. Since that first job he has managed some historic clubs including Sunderland, Bristol City, and Hibernian. After a tough year, leaving Hibs followed by a very brief spell at Fleetwood, Lee took the time out to reflect on the next stage of his career and gain some different experiences, from working with Manchester City’s development squad, to going to Africa to source the best young talent.  The life of a football manager is a pretty crazy one. You live on a knife edge; job security is not something that exists for 99.9%. Lee has been a victim of his own success on more than one occasion, over-achieving and setting new expectations that then need to be continuously met. Hire and fire culture is a reality of modern day football, but it’s not a good one. What is it like being on the manager's end of the deal? A huge advocate of technology, data and modern coaching methods, this is a detailed review of life as a top level manager while also looking at an evolving football industry continuously in a state of unpredictable change. As always with the best football shows, topped off with some eye-opening stories! On today’s show we discuss: Life as a Manager: From becoming the youngest manager in the Football League to taking a break following two sackings in a season, the ups and downs of management. What was the transition like when Lee made the step from being part of a dressing room to leading one? What is a manager’s greatest anxiety? Learning from the best; how a relationship with Kenny Dalglish helped Lee establish his managerial career. ‘Sometimes football gives you a rest’. What is next for Lee now he has had some time out from the game? Why managing mavericks in the game is something a manager has to learn to use to the team’s advantage. Managing Top Clubs: ‘Bristol City was a team for tomorrow’. What does Lee mean by this? The importance of balancing good business and player sales with ambition on the pitch and being able to compete. A manager can very quickly become a victim of their own success; how strong starts at Bristol City and Sunderland raised the bar of expectation for future results.  How do you manage up? Why the relationship between manager and owner is crucial. Changing the goal line; how a job can be sold to a manager as one thing and be very different when you get there. What it was like beating Jose Mourinho and competing with Pep Guardiola in a historic Bristol City cup run. The State of Football: Are clubs making too many business decisions that are not based on sporting success?  Data led recruitment has become the most important strategy in football, but are there other things to consider when signing a player? Should managers change their style when you get promoted to a new league? Our Partners: Orreco  https://www.orreco.com/ Scan.com https://uk.scan.com/

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• Business of Sport Ep.56: James Barclay, Team Principal @ Jaguar Racing, 'Formula E and Electric are the Future'

  This week, we are delighted to welcome James Barclay to the show. James is Team Principal at Jaguar Racing, the current Formula E constructors World Champion. We have done some amazing shows on Formula 1, but this is a new area to venture into. Formula E is the fastest growing motorsport in the world.  It has been a rapid rise for electric racing since the first season in 2014. In an age where the environment and sustainability dominates, this format has become a pioneer of ‘green’ sport, influencing the technological development of electric cars and influencing broader automotive consumption habits. With the now infamous rebrand of Jaguar at the end of last year, what role does the company’s participation in this sport now play in broader company objectives built exclusively around electric vehicles? James has been the team Principal since 2015, when the manufacturer first entered the sport. This was the chance to sit down and discuss this alongside the success of Formula 1, understand the similarities and differences, and review how the business of the teams and wider sport works. It’s an entertainment product for the modern age, and a modern audience.  What makes the Jaguar car faster than an F1 car 0-60? What is the cost of running a Championship winning team? Could Max Verstappen win in a Formula E car? Let’s find out. On today’s show we discuss: The world of Formula E: Creating a new sport - the origins of Formula E and how it differs from other forms of racing. How has it evolved since its inception; from a concept on the back of a napkin to leading global motorsport. What do the revenue streams look like for a Formula E team? From sponsorship to prize money to media rights. Do spending caps and regulations placed on the teams drive financial sustainability? How media rights and the mediafication of sport has affected Formula E? Is there a Drive to Survive moment on the horizon? How do drivers become Formula E drivers rather than another motorsport? What are the differences? Formula E vs Formula 1: What are the similarities between the two formats?  What has F1 copied from Formula E? Are the two in competition or can they coexist harmoniously? How would F1 drivers fare in the Formula E championship? If you put Max Verstappen in a Jaguar car, would he win the Championship? What lessons can Formula E take from F1 when it comes to global outreach? Do Formula E’s cars lead to better racing? More overtakes, quicker acceleration, more skill? The future of EVs and Jaguar: How much does Motorsport at the elite end influence global consumer habits across an automotive industry? How the Jaguar rebrand towards EVs affected their participation in Formula E? Is all press good press? In what ways do the sponsors in Formula E advance the overall development in EV technology? Holding exclusive rights to electric racing until 2039, is Formula E the future? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco  https://www.orreco.com/ Scan.com https://uk.scan.com/

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• Business of Sport Ep.55: Benjamin Kayser, Fmr France International, 'Has England Neglected Club Rugby?''

  With the Six Nations underway, it’s time to talk rugby. Benjamin Kayser won 47 caps for France, playing club rugby in both The Premiership and Top 14 for the likes of Leicester Tigers and Clermont. Since hanging up his boots, he has become a regular on our screens as a commentator and pundit with ITV. Not afraid to say it how it is, and with an undying passion for the game, there was no one better to sit down with on the eve of the tournament to look at the overall health of the sport. We have had a number of amazing rugby chats on the show, and each one has brought a different perspective and assessment of where the game is strong and where improvements are needed. From a French perspective, the domestic game is in good stead, with media revenues triple that of the Premiership and the financial flexibility to sign the biggest players.  But as we discuss on the show, is it too simple or even accurate to blame the salary cap in the Premiership for an inability to match the commercial performance and quality of the French league? By extension, why has it been so important for both domestic leagues and international federations to turn to Private Equity cash?  This is unfiltered rugby chat from a former player who knows what needs to happen to bring this sport to a global audience.  On today’s show we discuss: Premiership vs Top 14: Having played in both, what is the major difference between the two leagues and has it changed since Benjamin was playing? We know a lot about transfer processes in football, but what happens when a rugby player moves clubs? The financial difference between playing in France and England. Why has Top 14 broken away from the Premiership in quality and commercial performance? Has France got its domestic model right? What has attracted billionaires to invest in the French leagues in ways we haven’t seen in England? The importance of multi-purpose stadia to drive revenue not reliant on rugby. Rugby Players as Cultural Icons: Why have rugby players found it hard to build a ‘superstar’ profile that is needed to drive eyeballs in a sporting environment driven by individuals? Can you be a team player and build your own personal brand? Is it the responsibility of the player or the club/federation to elevate the ‘status’ of their talent? Has rugby leveraged media opportunities provided by OTT platforms well enough to compete with Drive to Survive or All or Nothing? The rise of Ilona Maher and the need for a player in the men’s game to deliver a level of engagement beyond their work on the field. The Health of International Rugby: International rugby is capable of attracting hundreds of millions of viewers, but how do you transform one time watchers into regular fans? How relationships with club rugby organisations can influence the success of international teams. Should players be eligible for selection if they do not play in their domestic leagues? What are the economics of international rugby? How much are match fees and who gets paid the most? A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco  https://www.orreco.com/ Scan.com https://uk.scan.com/

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• Business of Sport Ep.54: Alistair Brownlee, Double Olympic Gold Triathlete, ‘It's About Medals Not Money’

  Today, we welcome a British sporting legend. That term can get thrown around a lot, but as a multiple Olympic, World and European Champion, Alistair Brownlee is one of the greatest triathletes of all time. As you hopefully now know with this show, the sporting success is only one side of our guests. It’s what they are doing alongside their elite performance that drives our intrigue, and Alistair is far more than the sum of his medals. The money in athletics and triathlon is nothing like the money available in other major sports, and therefore it can often be difficult to carve out a career in it, let alone look at how to invest and create value for yourself off the back of medals and titles. But Alistair took a different approach, and has been educating and investing throughout much of his professional career, heeding the advice of his coach who told him ‘if you invest this money now, that could be a year you don’t have to work when you retire’. From giving up a medicine degree at Cambridge to commit to triathlon to winning double Olympic gold, including a famous London 2012 victory, this is an athlete who understands the true value a life in sport can bring to business. Newly retired, how does an elite performer fill the void left by regular sporting competition? In his own words, “I’ve had such an amazing career in sport and now I’m really excited about trying to be successful in another sphere”. On today’s show we discuss: Sport over Education? Do you always have to sacrifice education to pursue a career at the top end of sport?  How did Alistair decide that he would chase the dream of becoming a professional triathlete over his medicine degree at Cambridge? What sacrifices do elite athletes have to make in the pursuit of success in their given sport? Do they view it as a sacrifice? As an athlete it is important to have things in your life that are not related to sport, and why it doesn’t mean you are not committed if you do. Finances of Athletics  Is there enough money in professional triathlon to make it your full time job? What are the financial rewards on offer for winning events and performing at the highest possible level? How do sponsorships work? A more niche sport makes it harder to sign big deals; how did Alistair and his brother Jonny break the mould and sign a high profile contract with BT? What advice was Alistair given by his coach that encouraged him to invest some of his winnings and not spend them? Winning Olympic gold in London thrust him into the limelight in a short space of time. What changes when you achieve this kind of success? A life after sport: It’s often said that athletes die twice, the first time being when they retire. Having made the announcement at the end of last year, what is next for Alistair? How important is it to prepare for your life after sport while you are still competing and not waiting until you finish? The rise of ‘Ultra’ competitions and the attraction of finding new challenges in competition as well as business. “I’ve had such an amazing career in sport and now I’m really excited about trying to be successful in another sphere” Our Partners: Orreco  https://www.orreco.ai Scan.com https://uk.scan.com/

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• Business of Sport Ep.53: Moritz Fürste, HYROX Co-Founder, ‘How we Built a Global Sporting Phenomenon'

  Today, we bring you the man who founded the global phenomenon HYROX. Mo is a double Olympic Gold Medallist in hockey, having won with Germany in Beijing and London. Described to me by someone who knows far more about the sport as ‘The Cristiano Ronaldo’ of field hockey, we were pretty excited to get both a sporting icon and high flying entrepreneur in the studio; always what we strive for on the Business of Sport! Since it was founded in 2017, HYROX has become a major player in sporting participation. Consisting of both running and 8 separate ‘fitness’ activities to form a unique race format, millions of people have participated in their events around the world. The success has been so impressive that they have now had to implement a ballot in some cities (including London where they had over 70,000 applications) to manage demand. But this isn’t just a series of fitness events; this is a sport, the driving values of which lie in community and engagement. I can’t deny, when we got into it, the business was pretty insane too. This has been the most requested show over the last 3 months. It was a lot of fun entering a completely new area for the show. This is one incredible sports asset that is only going to get bigger. We’re delighted to welcome Mo to the Business of Sport. What is HYROX?: “52% of people call fitness their sport, but what is the sport”? What was the opportunity moment that led to Mo and Christian embarking on their HYROX journey? A breakdown of what an event actually consists of; from running to sled pushes to rowing. How they have taken HYROX from a 650 person event in Hamburg in 2017 to 650,000 signed up global participants this year across 85 events. Can anyone participate in HYROX? Who is the target audience? How did Mo’s experience as an athlete prepare him for life as an entrepreneur? Creating Community: “You cannot reduce this down to the business model”: how Moritz created one of the most engaged fitness communities in the world. Why does he think this has resonated with so many people and what do they attribute the success of HYROX to so far? What does it mean to build community? Lots of people talk about it but very few are able to achieve and then maintain it. Why is it so important to build out both the professional end and the mass participation front? The Business of HYROX: From a near $100m in sign-ups this year to selling media packages to the majority of participants, how do you build on the HYROX hype without exploiting the loyalty of the people who helped build it?  The importance of relationships with global brands like PUMA and Red Bull; the commercial model that powers the brands. How an affiliate model with gyms will power the development of the sport and allow people to train specifically for events. Which events have HYROX licensed and which ones do they keep in-house; the logistics of operating a global series. Check out HYROX here: https://hyrox.com/ A huge thank you to our amazing partners: Orreco  https://www.orreco.com/ Scan.com https://uk.scan.com/  

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