Today, we're launching a brand new show called Expected Goals, hosted by Matt Cutler and Maggie Murphy. Together Matt and Maggie will explore the business of women's football. Matt Cutler is the former editor of SportBusiness and was Director of Communications at Two Circles. As the head of Unofficial Partner Productions, Matt led on our hit series…

Wedge Issues is Unofficial Partner's business of golf series, where we take some of the big trends from across sport and apply them to golf. This is a special live episode recorded in the boardroom of the DP World Tour's headquarters at The Wentworth Club on the Friday morning of the BMW PGA Championship, the Tour's flagship event. Around the table…

The 3 stories are: 1. The race for the IOC big job - aka Bach’s overtures (this doesn’t make any sense but makes me sound like I know about classical music, which I don’t, apart from that theme from the Hovis ad). Six months ago the word on the street was that Seb Coe wasn’t running, and now he is. So, was the word wrong, or did he change his mind?…

Earlier this year, The Football Association has became the first national governing body to mandate training on female health, with Women’s Super League and Championship clubs benefitting from a new league-wide support plan covering pregnancy, the menstrual cycle and pelvic health. The FA is working in partnership with The Well, specialists in deli…

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks discusses with Jessica Teitjen about her journey from law to executive leadership in HR and IT. Jessica shares her personal experience of burnout and her subsequent deep dive into the neuroscience of human performance. They explore the disconnect between current workplace practices and positive human…

The journey to creating a ten minute podcast is not a linear one. That's fancy talk for saying that rather than cut last week's half hour episode, this one went one for 45 minutes. Three stories: James Emmett reports from IMG's breathing and finance retreat. Richard Gillis on the big agency bun fight over UEFA rights. David Cushnan on the launch of…

Madeleine Orr is a leading sport ecologist and professor at the University of Toronto. A Forbes 30 under 30 inductee, she is the founder and co-director of The Sport Ecology Group, who consult on international climate issues for sports organizations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, the UNEP, World Athletics, Adidas, F1 teams, and the NCAA. Mad…

We tried to make a short form ten minute podcast and failed. It's supposed to be three stories in ten minutes. Think of this as a work-in-progress. UP's Richard Gillis is joined by James Emmett and David Cushnan from Leaders in Sport. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking co…

For millions of people, Rick Shiels' YouTube channel is how we watch golf in 2024. Shiels is our very special guest today. He started by uploading golf tips to YouTube 12 years ago to attract people to the Trafford Golf Centre in Manchester. Now there are 900 golf channels on the platform, but only one Rick Shiels, with more than 3 million combined…

In this episode of 'We Are Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks is joined by Amy Mosher, Chief People Officer at isolved. They discuss the crucial elements of building a company culture where employees are eager to join and reluctant to leave. Amy shares insights from her experience transforming isolved's culture, emphasizing high trust, transparency, and…

Other People's Money is our regular series on sports investment, with regular co-host Matt Rogan, co-founder of Two Circles. Our guests today are Jonathan Lenson and Sam Johnson, CEO and head of sport respectively at Milltown Partners, the communications and public policy consultancy co-founded by Paddy Harverson, the former PR to Manchester United…

In this engaging episode of 'We Are Only Human', host Ben welcomes Paul Norman, a seasoned TA leader and consultant. Paul shares his extensive experiences in talent acquisition across diverse industries like financial services, technology, and healthcare. The discussion covers TA strategy, aligning recruitment with business goals, user experience i…

NBA v TNT – Exclusive Negotiating Periods and Last Matching Rights are central to the big row over NBA rights. But how they work and why does everyone hate them? Click here to read The Bundle Bulletin for the homework notes from this episode, compiled by regular co-hosts Murray Barnett and Yannick Ramcke. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast f…

Ben Sharpe, one of the most influential people in the golf business, as Managing Director & President of Callaway Golf across Europe, Middle East and Asia. Callaway is the largest manufacturer of golf equipment in the world and as such is a bellwether for any conversation about the commercial health of the game. Its tentacles run from the very top …

In this episode of 'We're Only Human,' host Ben Eubanks converses with James Galvin, founder of Starcircle. They discuss key aspects of talent acquisition, including being data-driven, understanding market dynamics, and achieving internal alignment within organizations. James introduces Starcircle’s 12-component Hiring Friction Model, which address…

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are over, the medals have been won and lost. And now the sports business conversation shifts to who won the other game, played between some of the biggest companies in the world, each seeking to stand out in the crowd of global and local brands sponsoring, or ambushing, the Olympics. What worked, what didn’t and how has…

“As soon as the Southport murders happened, the way Muslims specifically were targeted has made you question again whether we do belong, whether deep down in the end, we're always having to justify our existence,” says Azeem Rafiq, the former professional cricketer on today’s podcast. “On an individual level. I’m not sleeping, I’m patrolling around…

Rebroadcast note: For the first time in We're Only Human's 8-year history, we're rebroadcasting some of our most popular episodes to share them with new listeners. That means sometimes the speakers will have moved to a new company in the interim, but the lessons they shared are still relevant, topical, and valuable. Enjoy! In this episode of We're …

We go deep in to the North American market today with Daniel Kaplan, one of the very best reporters covering the US sports business beat. I’ve known Daniel for over twenty years, first when he covered tennis and the NFL for SportsBusiness Journal, and then more latterly at The Athletic, Front Office Sports and Awful Announcing, the sports media new…

We’re in the middle of the Olympic Games in Paris so it’s a good time to ask some bigger questions as to the future of the Olympics and mega sports events more generally, with regular contributor Ed Smith, founder of the Institute of Sports Humanities and fellow guest Dr Simon Rofe, a world leading expert in the field of sports diplomacy, and himse…

This episode of We're Only Human features a keynote panel discussion with Ben Eubanks, Broc Edwards, and Dana Ullom-Vucelich. The panel focuses on the importance of creating cultures centered around giving, seeking, and receiving feedback regularly. The discussion highlights how performance reviews should be routine and uneventful if feedback has b…

A documentary special - UP Productions' Matt Cutler explores the changing relationship between two cultural institutions in the UK: football and the pub. The pub has an important place in both professional and grassroots football. As the place friends and family meet before the game, and dissect a win or loss afterwards. Where old school friends re…

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben talks with Alli Ford, VP of HR at Assembly Software, about how they have created an off-the-charts employee NPS (eNPS) score. The discussion emphasizes the necessity for HR leaders to understand and articulate the strategy of their company. Alli underscores that knowing why the company exists, its history, a…

Why has the value of the NBA's media rights tripled, from $25billion to $75billion this week? "Purely because of gambling,' says Sam Sadi, CEO of LiveScore Group, the media and gambling platform, referencing the opening up of the US gambling marketplace. 'Nothing else that would drive that. Everything was trending downwards until five years ago, an…

Leadership is one of the most important and yet misunderstood topics in sport. This summer, it has dominated the headlines. Performances of the England football team have mainly been analysed via the lens of its manager. So what is leadership and what are the mistakes we make when talking about it. Ed Smith is renowned thinker on sport, leadership …

In this episode of "We're Only Human," host Ben Eubanks welcomes Christopher Lind to discuss the impact of AI on jobs, skills development, and the future of work. They delve into topics such as the replacement of employees by AI at Klarna, the need to rethink skills development in the age of AI, and the importance of blending human expertise with A…

The Buy Side is our regular series talking with brand side marketers about sport and sponsorship. This week’s guest is Mark Kirkham, the SVP & Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo, one of the biggest spenders in the sports industry, whose brands such as Aquafina, Pepsi, Gatorade and Lay’s are associated with a huge number of major events globally acr…

In this episode of We're Only Human, host Ben Eubanks talks with Marjorie Williamson, the leader of Global Total Rewards and HR Operations at RTI International. They discuss the importance of connecting people strategy with business strategy, focusing on RTI's ambitious North Star goal to positively impact over 1 billion people by 2030. The convers…

Bryson Dechambeau heads to next week’s Open Championship at Troon as the reigning US Open champion, having beaten Rory McIlroy down the straight at Winged Foot in New York three weeks ago, confirming the American’s position as one of the very best players in the world today. But this is a conversation about what he’s done off the course over the la…

FIFA+ is the global football governing bodies own media platform, created in 2020 and launched two years later. It’s one of sports biggest and most ambitious and expensive direct-to-consumer projects, and so brings together many of the threads we talk about often on Unofficial Partner; a debate that runs across the sports industry, as governing bod…

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks hosts David Wentworth, talent platform evangelist at Schoox, to discuss the importance of developing frontline workers. They discuss the challenges frontline workers face, such as time constraints and lack of practice opportunities, and emphasize the value of mobile solutions for training and communi…

Welcome to The Bundle, our deep dive in to the sports media rights economy with regular co-hosts Murray Barnett and Yannick Ramcke. Today’s list of topics include trying to decipher FIFA’s media strategy around FIFA+ and the Club World Cup, we dip in to the French market and the challenges being faced by the country’s leading football league, Ligue…

Performance data has long played a role in the way sport is presented on television. From football to formula one, we’re familiar with commentators referencing statistics to help explain what we’re watching. But increasingly, the most sought after data points are those that exist within the body of the athlete. Heart rate and other biometric data i…

In this episode of We're Only Human, Ben Eubanks interviews Sarah from Enterprise Mobility's talent acquisition team to discuss strategies for emerging talent and improving candidate experiences. Sarah shares insights about Enterprise Mobility's internship program, onboarding processes, and an expedited hiring model to streamline the recruitment of…

Sport was a big presence in the annual Cannes Lions Festival last week. The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the top of the tree when it comes to showcasing the relationship between creative ideas and sport. There were 665 entries from 41 countries vying for the coveted prizes. So what’s winning awards this year, why are they wi…

This is the second episode of Other People’s Money, our regular deep dive in to the world sports investment, with my regular co-host Matt Rogan, one of the co-founders of Two Circles and a serial adviser to sports organisations. Today the conversation is about private equity. We went to the Victoria offices of Phoenix Capital to talk to Tim Dunn, a…

Tom Beahon created the Castore sportswear brand with his brother Phil in 2016. Today, their shareholding in the firm is valued at around £500million following a recent capital round, led by US merchant bank and investor The Raine Group, which values the company at £950mn. This investment will contribute to Castore’s attack on the sportswear industr…

Steve Martin and Jamie Wynne-Morgan created and developed the award-winning M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment agency over a 20-year period. Six months ago they resigned, and there's been speculation ever since as to what they'll do next. Today they answer that question. It's called MSQ Sport + Entertainment. We went to meet the pair at their new Lo…

What does sport look like from the money side of the equation? What’s the investment rationale behind buying a football team, cricket franchise, the new sports tech thing or a sports agency? What are assumptions about how the market will develop? Who’s going to win, who will lose out? These are just a few of the questions we’re looking to explore i…

In different organizations, sometimes learning is a punishment. If people don't do the right thing or there's a safety issue or a compliance issue, we send people to training. The other end of that spectrum is it's a reward for people. So, your top performers, key talent. So how do we find somewhere in the middle? We're Only Human -- Episode 179 In…

Wedge Issues is a new series focused on the business of golf. Our first guest is the BBC's voice of golf Iain Carter, who leads the corporations coverage of the sport across audio and online at a time of unprecedented upheaval. The traditional men's game has been attacked by LIV Golf, backed by Saudi's PIF money, which is attempting to disrupt the …

Let us take you inside the Great Hundred Franchise Sell-Off The Hundred is the England and Wales Cricket Board’s controversial short form format. This week, the ECB has secured an agreement on a funding model between the host and non-host counties - those counties who have a Hundred franshics and those who don’t. This could have seismic ramificatio…

Jack Buckner is the former two Olympic Games athlete and 5000 metre European Champion who is now CEO of UK Athletics, the governing body for track and field in Britain. Buckner has held the same position at British Triathlon and more recently British Swimming. This followed a career in sports marketing at Adidas, in the UK, Germany and the US. The …

Our regular deep dive in to the latest happenings in sports media, with regular co-hosts Murray Barnett and Yannick Ramcke. The episode covers a variety of topics starting with the NFL's strategic move to stream Christmas Day games on Netflix and the broader implications for live sports streaming. They delve into Sky Sports Plus' new streaming opti…

NBC has built an audience for the Premier League in North America, creating a broadcast home for English club football for more than a decade. The television giant's latest six year deal is worth $450million-per-season to the league, more than five times the size of their original US rights deal, in 2013. Does that money buy them the right to host …

Sportradar is one of the big beasts of the sports business, providing software, data and content through subscription and revenue share arrangements to sports leagues, betting operators and media firms. It serves more than 1,600 customers across 120 countries, including DraftKings, Twitter and ESPN, and is an official partner of the National Basket…

Live from Madrid, The Billion-Euro Club Football Brainstorm. Big ideas discussed by great panelists from across the European club game, courtesy of ECA Club Connect, the inaugural business summit convened by the European Club Association. Over 350 directors and operational leaders from more than 200 clubs met at the Meliá Castilla Hotel over 24-25 …

What's it going to take for them to be able to retire? They're going to need to number one: save. Number two, have earnings on what they've saved. And number three, they're going to have to minimize the deductions coming out of their accounts. We call that the three key drivers. Chris Thixton, Principal, Pension Consultants, Inc. We're Only Human -…

The Buy Side is our regular series where we talk to brand side marketers about sport and sponsorship. Today's guest is Anneliese Mesilati, Head of Brand Activation and Sponsorships, Americas at UBS, the private banking group and wealth management business. We talk about the brand's extensive sport portfolio and its role within the marketing of the …

Everyone agrees the current sports ticketing market doesn't work. It rips off fans, is vulnerable to touts and is an inefficient way to manage supply and demand. But is regulation the answer? Labour will cap the resale prices of tickets and regulate resale platforms if the party wins the next general election, Sir Keir Starmer said recently. The pl…