In 2023, one-day cricket enjoyed its 60th birthday. David Tossell has written a book on the evolution of the format. He describes those early days as “nicely naïve”. But, at the same time, they were the foundation for every major innovation in cricket ever since. These days, the 50-over game is under an existential threat due to the rise of T20. Ca…

Ricardo Fort has led the sponsorship strategy for brands at World Cups and Olympics. After a long, successful career with the likes of Coca-Cola and Visa, he has set up his own consulting firm. In this podcast, Ricardo gives straight answers to key questions in sports sponsorship and outlines how content fits in. This is a sophisticated 101 for any…

Alex Phillips does not look or sound like a revolutionary but his ideas could shake up football. He spent 15 years at Uefa, including a couple as Head of Compliance and Governance. He was seconded to the Asian Football Confederation for three years and now leads the World Football Remission Fund, a FIFA body administrating how money "stolen from th…

The challenges facing netball are different to other sports. While we have seen growth in women's football, tennis and boxing in recent years, it has always occurred through the lens (or perhaps in the shadow) of established male forebears. Netball does not have this baggage. Its story, product and message can be tailored specifically toward women …

For the past two decades, cricket has been trying to cross new boundaries. Previously, its global footprint mirrored its past as the game of the British Empire but, in recent years, countries like the Netherlands, Namibia and Afghanistan have risen to prominence In the next 10 years, the game will try to cross its biggest and most important new fro…

Brian Jacks was a household in the UK in the 1980s. The pinnacle of the judo player’s sporting success came when he won a bronze medal at the Munich Olympics in 1972. But a few years later he would become much more famous as the UK and European champion in Superstars, a popular television programme that saw the best athletes of the day compete in e…

Motherwell FC have lifted only one trophy in the past 30 years. However, off the pitch, they beat off competition from Manchester United, Everton and Leicester to win the Best Digital/Social Media category at the Football Business Awards this year. Grant Russell is the club’s Head of Brand, Digital and Communications. In this episode, he talks abou…

Ed Warner has something to say. After a decade as chair of UK Athletics (including the 2017 World Championships in London) and a few years in his current role with GB Wheelchair rugby, he is well-placed to comment on the stresses and strains of running a modern sport. Warner wrote a book, Sports Inc, on the subject a few years ago and has just star…

Given its increasingly strategic importance within sports business, it is surprising how many rights-holders produce sub-standard apps. To try and solve this issue, I spoke to George Crabb, Managing Director at The Other Media. This well-established digital agency have a rich history in working with rights-holders to create mobile applications of t…

It is the content strategy problem we would all like to have. How do you create a story about a team that has won the league seven seasons in a row (and an eighth is expected to follow soon)? Johor Darul Ta'zim (or JDT) are a team on a mission. They were re-formed in 2013 with a new nickname, the Southern Tigers, under the guidance of the Crown Pri…

Alison Kervin is a pioneer in women's sports journalism. She was the first female editor of Rugby World and the first female sports editor of a UK national newspaper. Kervin's eight-year spell at the Mail on Sunday has just come to a close so he has started up a media agency for athletes. Oh, and she is a successful novelist too. If she was editing…

The use of data in the analysis of sporting performance is well-known but not yet universally employed. Many teams say they are going all ‘Moneyball’ but few truly follow it through. Often, decision-making is still emotional, made without evidence and based on the eye rather than the numbers. Poker has become viewed as a Petri-dish for strategic th…

Sarim Akhtar's face has become synonymous with anger but he is actually a very happy chap. However, when the television cameras momentarily caught his expression at a cricket match two years ago, the Pakistan fan was furious after his team had dropped a catch. Within hours, the anonymous meme-makers had pounced on the picture and spread it around s…

[Click out all the content from MrRichardClarke here] Contrary to popular belief, the New York Cosmos are still alive. Gone are the glitter-strewn days of the late 1970s when Pele played on the pitch, Mick Jagger watched from the packed stands and then, afterwards, they partied together at Studio 54. The old North American Soccer League soon crumbl…

Rob Moody runs a YouTube channel with over 900,000 subscribers and holds an important influence over the agenda in his sport but he has never made a penny. If you are a cricket fan with access to the internet, it is highly likely you have seen one of his videos. Robelinda2 is the ‘go to’ channel for the rare, unusual or controversial moments in the…

Content strategy, the cookie apocalypse and other disasters Like a great drummer, a sports content strategy should be tight and consistent but happy to improvise when required. Many content leaders have been caught out by changes in Facebook's algorithms over the years and, in recent months, Google and Apple have introduced fundamental alterations …

TOPICS What has changed in the last three years? The first book coincided with the introduction of GDPR? Looking back how has that rolled out? The differing approaches of sports organisations to GDPR, particularly Manchester United Why you should never take anyone out of your database? The importance of the win-back plan What has developed over the…

TOPICS Why digital is the second industrial revolution Why control of the customer relationship is crucial The battleground that has been lost to the social media companies by sports Putting 'goodwill on the balance sheet' The role content plays in your strategy The current sports commercial model - ad-hoc and unstrategic "Sponsorship will become c…

The development of "football groups" is a relatively recent and controversial phenomenon. The pioneer has been City Football Group, which started with the acquisition of Manchester City and has since bought significant stakes in clubs in the United States, Australia, India, Japan, Spain, Uruguay, China, Belgium and France. The Red Bull group has be…

How he ended up in the J.League and Vissel Kobe The international development role at FC Koln The difference in communications requirements between Germany and Japan The need to actively pitch stories in the J.League The dominance of newspapers in the sports media market in Japan The media requirements in the J.League and the organisation of the co…

The two golden eras of British speedway - immediately post-war and 60/70s How Wembley drew more than 1m speedway spectators in 1956 The downward spiral since the 1980s - from over 90,000 watching Bruce Penhall at Wembley in 1982 to just over 1,000 at top-flight meets The origin story of speedway. High Beech in 1928 The World of Sport days and the s…

Trends of 2020 - "clubs have 'thought beyond the norm' and I don't think it will go back" The 'two extremes' from Covid - the need for fans to support them v the need for money from sponsors What activities created by the Covid crisis will persist after the virus is beaten Getting by giving - the authenticity of the Marcus Rashford story The way cl…

TOPICS "In 1988 there was absolutely no systematic research on sports fans in the US" Why sport fandom was linked with the economy and wealth until 2010 "If you go to your first baseball game before you are five you go to 58% more games per year than if you go to your first game at 14." The problems of seasonality, looking only at one sport, studyi…

TOPICS After 24 years as a soccer journalist in the US, does Grant feel like a pioneer? Convincing editors to cover soccer in the US The importance of the World Cup 2010 'breaking through' in the US His book on David Beckham’s time at the LA Galaxy and becoming the first soccer title to reach the NYT Bestseller’s list His writing course at Princeto…

TOPICS Reflections on the FIBA World Cup and how content led their growth strategy The breadth of FIBA events throughout the year Publishing 2000 games on their YouTube channel each year The organisation of the content team Defining the content strategy of FIBA media Closing the gap between media teams and broadcast partners Working with influencer…

TOPICS A crucial technological change in the printing process, allowing better pictures The editing system he learnt and employed throughout his career "I had no skills whatsoever". The advert I answered read: "Beginner wanted for children's comics"" Changing Tiger to an all-sports comic and increasing the features The big picture policy Getting th…

TOPICS The original story of the Barmy Army The tour of Australia in 1994/95 The culture of positivity and the notion of self-policing Hoggy’s Rules - the code of conduct The streaker in Sri Lanka The Barmy Army trumpeter and 'Barmy's got Talent' The entertainment and atmosphere - how much is organic? The tour business side of the Barmy Army “We ar…

TOPICS Definitions of esports and gaming The rule of the British Esports Association - "We're a national body not a governing body" The medal event at the Rio Olympics, helped by the UK Government Why the IOC wants every sport to have a "gaming strategy" The role of the game FIFA in the spread of football in the US Passive media v active and social…

TOPICS Putting IPL and Indian cricket in a global context The early years of IPL and how heroes like Tendulkar and Ganguly became ‘the opponent’ How cricket start competing with entertainment such as soap opera How the Knight Riders have developed their fans’ story - the power of brand The early years without success and the subsequent change in CE…

TOPICS What is Transfermarkt The importance of crowdsourced data Why did Transfermarkt prosper when similar sites did not Connecting the data geeks via community The business v community service The business model How Transfermarkt recruit their researchers How Transfermarkt calculate their player values The importance of adding marketing value for…

TOPICS What was the state of the OTT pre-Covid-19? The rights gained by Eleven Sports. Starting in Belgium, Poland, Thailand and Singapore then growing Becoming the Belgian League’s domestic broadcaster - and why its a game-changer How does the OTT product differing in different markets? - the importance of localisation The stability of the stream …

TOPICS Is this a good time to buy a football club? Will there be a raft of sales? In what timescale? The type of due diligence needed to buy a club Is there more value in Europe? The creation of club groups What about the best value in Britain? What about Scotland and Ireland? The potential of clubs - is it just down on the historical fanbase? The …

TOPICS How he went from being assistant manager of Worthing to head coach of the Philippines Having Ronaldinho on his CV The decisions you have to make if you want to be a coach but have not had a high-profile playing career How Simon has educated himself after taking a fast-track into the practical side of coaching Coaching a team when you do not …

TOPICS Andrew’s background - the SXSW conference (sports and gaming) His role as GM and Sporting Director The financials of the 2k League and the player contracts The great validity of 2K in esports as every on-court player is controlled by a human. Sponsorship - is it easier to be attached to a traditional sport because of the existing franchise i…

TOPICS Introducing the Savannah Bananas, the lowest level of baseball in there US Wearing a yellow tuxedo every day "We are not in the baseball business, we are 1000% in the entertainment business" Why he has no marketing budget The all-you-can-eat deal to stop you getting "nickel and dimed" Eliminating friction-points for the fan Why they have no …

TOPICS What sort of sporting environment will we see after the lockdown David's top 3 - more creativity, virtual communities, the acceptance of lower quality content His worries for sports at non-league level The background to MyCujoo The opportunity in the new realities of sport in the post-Covid-19 world How can MyCujoo assist a non-League club, …

Adrian Warner Like everything else, the sports media industry may be irrevocably changed in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis. The loss of matches, Tests, bouts and races has not only affected players, clubs and leagues but made an immediate impact in related industries such as media, broadcasting, hospitality and gambling. Adrian Warner went thro…

TOPICS The communication principles to use in the coronavirus crisis The differences of approach around European football Rights and wrongs of a holding statement The possible repositioning of football after we return - “We could be a better society at the end of this, one where we are kinder” Reframing the narrative around the game Collaborative w…

Why did he choose to move into authorship? How has he chosen the subjects for solo projects? How did the fly-on-the-wall book about Millwall develop? Becoming part of the team and understanding their problems and insecurities - “It had to be warts-n-all” Having faith in yourself and self-publishing The modern battle between the written word and vid…

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TOPICS The Bristol Sports model that sits “behind the teams” The efficiencies that this model brings Why rebrand Bristol City? The ‘more extreme’ rebrand of Bristol Bears and what was learnt The response from the fans after the club asked for their opinion The importance of local knowledge The sense checks and challengers needed in ‘the circle of t…

TOPICS The importance of running a high-quality event Keeping the standard high despite the crowded calendar Growing the PDC Darts event behind a subscription wall on Sky The peculiar nature of darts - you can’t see the sport even when you are there The way players have individualised and marketed themselves The WWE influence over the entrances The…

TOPICS The problems surrounding football clubs entering the esports market The “extreme contortion” that football clubs are trying to pull off The true threat to football from esports What lessons have we learned from what has not worked Will football clubs be prepared to accept a subservient role to games publishers? Why esports is a media busines…

TOPICS Why makes a footballer go bankrupt Navigating a player through the difficult period just after they have retired Gaining the trust of a newly-rich player “The danger of contract improvements” Why Stijn likes to work with players before they sign their first big contract Why players should invest in property over stocks and shares Using socia…

Topics His early work at USA Swimming The issues of modernisation Communicating with swim parents Launching into CRM and the content strategy that feeds it The Olympic Trails and their commercialisation and sponsorship activation Lessons from being an American at Derby County The television and live streaming strategy The importance of top stars in…