Business of Sport

What a show we have for you this week. Leicester’s points deduction for breaching financial regulations is a big problem, but is there something far worse going on? In short, Charlie expertly takes us through how a football club goes bankrupt. Add to that the Glazer’s IPL ambitions and some excellent conversation on whether NBA Europe will get off the ground (which includes some excellent statements for those of you out there who love a good comms strategy as much as we do) and we have ourselves a Breakdown. Oh, and don’t worry, the most requested topic of the week featuring some questionable antics of male ski jumpers looking to gain more lift to travel further is covered in detail too. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that will soon change.

It’s a return to the chair for one of our greatest guests, and what a time to do it. When Claire Williams came to see you in 2024 she delivered an account of Williams and the recent sale that few had heard. Today, we look forward. As the new season approaches, teams have had to deal with some of the biggest regulatory changes in the sport’s history. Are we about to see F1 flipped on its head? 
Without the pressure of having to be across every detail expected when Team Principal, Claire can take a breath and look at the sport from a different lens. Today, we, and hopefully you, are the benefiters of that. From how to prepare a car from scratch to why she thinks George Russell would be great in a McLaren (incredibly juicy we know), the educated eye once again casts a view of what could be the most dramatic F1 season on record. We’re delighted to welcome Claire to the Business of Sport.

On today's show we discuss:

Regulation Changes, Cost Caps and Competitive Balance:
How sweeping technical regulation changes can reset the grid overnight.

Why interpretation of rules and strength of engineering teams matter more than budget alone.

How the cost cap has fundamentally changed the survival prospects of smaller teams.

Drivers, Risk and the Harsh Reality of Performance:
Why being a second driver at certain teams can be the hardest job in the sport.

Making brutal decisions on drivers and why timing matters more than patience.

How pressure, risk and scrutiny have intensified in the modern F1 era.

Growth, New Teams and Protecting the Sport:
Why Formula One is cautious about expansion despite having the money to support more teams.

The balance between growth, dilution and protecting long term value.

What adding new teams really means for competitive integrity.

Stepping Away and Looking Back:
Why leaving Williams was not a choice and how perspective changes with time.

Missing the sport while recognising the toll it takes on life outside racing.

Why Formula One will always be part of who she is, even from the outside.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 
Gemini Sports
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/
Slate
The complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/
Seat Unique
Discover your next premium experience businessofsport.seatunique.com

We break new ground this week. A couple of English guys taking a look at what makes the NFL so powerful on Super Bowl week. Add that to a review of challenger football leagues after Baller League paused their tournament in Germany and a look ahead to the Winter Olympics, and we have ourselves a breakdown!

The Six Nations is upon us. With the tournament kicking off this Thursday in Paris, CEO Tom Harrison stopped by to give us a rare insight into how the tournament operates behind the scenes. As the former CEO of the ECB, Tom has a lot of experience when it comes to operating in top sporting organisations. The key focus here was how rugby continues to disrupt, adapt and protect its heritage while existing in the most competitive sports environment there’s been. This was one of the first interviews Tom’s given in the position. It doesn’t disappoint. We’re delighted to welcome Tom to the Business of Sport.

On today’s show we discuss: 

Running the Six Nations as a Global Business:
Why the Six Nations is a rights and media business, not a governing body.

How the role of CEO has evolved into year-round commercial and content responsibility.

Balancing heritage with the need to modernise one of sport’s most traditional properties.

The Nations Championship and Calendar Reform:
Why a globally aligned calendar is critical for player welfare, fans and broadcasters.

How the Nations Championship brings together North and South without breaking the game.

The political and structural difficulty of getting unions, clubs and players aligned.

Broadcast, Private Equity and Commercial Strategy:
The real impact of CVC investment and why COVID accelerated outside capital.

Why free to air reach still matters more than short-term rights fees.

How partnerships like Guinness are built on authenticity and long-term value.

Innovation, Fans and the Future of Rugby:
Using data and storytelling to make rugby easier to understand and more engaging.

Why rugby must embrace players, personality and always-on content.

The challenge of evolving without losing what makes the Six Nations special.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Gemini Sports
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Slate
The complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/

Seat Unique
Discover your next premium experience  https://wgl.io/s10it7

There are some big stories to look at this week: politically, commercially and socially charged. Coming up? The uncompromising behavior of Indian cricket and the chaos that has surrounded Bangladesh’s removal from the T20 World Cup asks some serious questions of the other major cricketing nations. Are English football clubs falling behind their biggest European rivals off the pitch? What does a head coach endorsing the use of TikTok amongst his players tell us about the shifting approach to how athletes as brands can still work for the performance of a team? We really got stuck into this, not much fence sitting as always. So let’s get to it. Welcome to the Breakdown.