Episodi
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Alan Pascoe, former Great Britain Olympian and founding father of Sports marketing in the UK, shares his amazing stories on how he got started, the Athletics events he created, the agencies he build and sold, and many more…
Key Highlights
Early days, how o he got his start as a hurdler in school which lead him to win Medals for Great Britain in the European Championships, Commonwealth Games and Olympics and become one of the most recognized athletes in the UK at the timeDiscovering his passion for the events business – while being a lecturer – his very first event at Cystal Palace grounds for 150 pounds and getting on the BBC live (20 min prime time) in 1971Using his College “office” to organize events at the beginning – while winning a few more Medals for Great Britain and building his own brand name – “are you the Alan Pascoe”….From Athletics to Sunday Times Bridge Championship and how to leverage the power of an “influencer” Omar Sharif, Egyptian Actor at the time Other early projects, Sunday Times Fun Run in Hyde Park (before London Marathon existed) – in late 70sStart as an Entrepreneur – Alan Pascoe Associates (APA) – 1983 – taking over an existing agency, owner retiring – with partner Edward LeaskChildhood Asthma story and how to think out of the box – ask questions, don’t pitch at clientSold APA to WCRS Ad agency for One Million pound in cash – bought it back laterOther projects, Broadcast sponsorship of NFL, Fantasy Football with Daily Telegraph and moreDifferent focus to other agencies. Consultancy work for brand owners, amplification of sponsorship, events management and sponsorship salesBought Personality Management company, representing TV Presenters and inventory management for A-boards of English Football Club before the Premier LeagueSold it again to Interpublic in 1999 – believe being part of a larger Advertising Group was the way to go to expand the businessDeal with Interpublic didn’t work out well personally, left company and set up a new company around British/UK Athletics (Fast Track later CSM – Chime Sports Marketing), early 2000Ran CSM till he stepped down ten years ago (2013/14) – build up both API and CSM into top 3 agencies in the worldThe partnership dilemma between Advertising agencies and Sports Marketing agenciesLessons from buying other agencies worldwide - CSM buying Zak Browns agency – JMIGeorge Soros partnership with DC United, MLS teamAt the time he left in 2014, 20 offices, 750 staff growing to 1,000 people around the world - CSM recently acquired by Wasserman Management style over the decades and how to train peopleHelping to win the London Olympic bid, insider stories (Seb Coe, Keith Mills, Buckingham Palace, etc)Legacy of the London Olympics, no white Elephants around London, helped transform parts of the cityWrapping up with what keeps him busy now, some consultancy work – Commonwealth Games, Moneycorp and final storyAbout
In 2014 Alan stepped down as President of the CSM Group, the Group he founded, now part of Chime Communications, having put in place the second generation of management to take CSM and its clients onto even greater heights, including Lord Coe who took over his role as Executive Chairman. Alan continues to work as a consultant, offering strategic support with his wealth of experience across the sports and events. CSM is the second world top 3 Sport’s & Events companies that Alan has built, whilst leading the creation of major events and programmes for sports, sponsors and television. Outside of sport he also devised, managed and promoted a medical programme that significantly improved the management of childhood asthma in the UK.
A 3-time Olympian, winning Olympic Silver, triple European Gold, and Commonwealth Gold, Silver & Bronze medals, represented the Commonwealth, Europe and was British Team Captain. Alan started organising and promoting international track and field athletics meetings which continually reset the standard worldwide, and attracted £100’s of millions from delighted sponsors and broadcasters. This led to the creation of world leading events in a variety of sports and activities including ice skating and the Paralympic World Cup, whilst devising successful programmes for sponsors and partners around the world.
Having sold his first Agency Group, API, to Interpublic (to form the founding company for Octogan), Alan formed Fast Track, which then formed the corner-stone to create CSM, which he Chaired and then became Founding President before stepping down to pursue his personal interests. CSM, recently acquired by the Wasserman Group is the 3rd largest Sports & Entertainment Marketing Groups in the world with 20 offices, in c. 13 countries from the US to Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Moscow, Shanghai, Rio & Tokyo. Their portfolio includes major involvements in Rugby, Cricket, F1, Basketball and Football etc.
Alan was a Trustee with Sported, currently a Trustee of the London Marathon Foundation, a Board Member & Director of London Marathon Events Ltd., and a Founder of Made by Sport. Alan was Vice-Chairman of London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games – ‘my proudest moment, as I knew how many lives it would positively impact’.
Alan is currently advising major brands, and Boards on strategy, and hopes to 'make a difference' in the area of the importance of exercise, especially for young people and children, as it relates to both general health, and specific medical conditions.
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Paul Barber, OBE, the CEO of Brighton & Hove Albion FC – from a childhood dream of being a pro-player to a highly successful career across Football from the FA of England, Tottenham (his childhood club) to becoming the CEO of the Year in the Premier League, driving Brighton to new heights (including European Football action) in the most competitive Football League in the world.
Key Highlights
Football his first love from age of 7, dream to be a pro player but didn’t have the talent. Love being involved in the gameFrom working with blue chip financial organizations (Barclays) to the world of Football with the FA as Director of Marketing in 2000Great time to be in the FA, first director of marketing, David Beckham era and other major changes – 2002 Japan/Korea World Cup new team marketingLarge portfolio of companies and sponsors, taking England team on the road across the countryApplied for CEO of FA, didn’t happen at the time and moved to Ogilvy & Mather as CEO of Europe/Middle East for a short stingNext Football stop, Tottenham Hotspurs as Executive Director – childhood dream working with the club he grew up supportingOwner Daniel Levy and working with himOne of the first teams signing a big Betting company as Jersey sponsor and how to deal with the sensitivityPeace Cup in KoreaNext stop, CEO of Vancouver Whitecaps FC – two years in the MLS – great learningsTaking the role of CEO at Brighton, when they were still in the Championship in 2012 – a hundred year old “start up”Vision of Tony Bloom convinced him to joinMissed out on Premier League promotion before finally making it up to the top divisionBig American Express deal as Venue sponsorOvernight success, 7-8 years in the making – the journey and stories along the wayAll starts with a great owner – clear vision, valueBest infrastructure, top training facilities, stadiumMake changes and upgrade along the way, including peopleA bit of luck important tooIgnore the “noise” by media/fans and stay focused on vision/missionHow do you compete with the huge foreign capital other big clubs have at their disposal – 8-10 clubs now pushing to play in Europe in the Premier LeagueCompeting in European Football (UEFA Europa League) and keeping sight of top half in League – constant learning – competing in four competitionsTony Bloom – Moneyball in Football - data driven recruitment (resources and data from David’s core analytics business)Also creating opportunities to sell players with good marginsVery engaged Non-Executive Chairman, stability is keyTarget to be a top 10 club in Premier league and top 4 team in Women’s Super League - still work in progressKeep improving and not standing stillWomen’s Team discussion – development of women’s football – investment in the game for long-run and the changes a club needs to make to cater the players and fansAbout
Paul Barber joined the board of Brighton & Hove Albion FC as chief executive in June 2012. In his first season with Brighton, the club secured its highest league position for over 30 years, made the Championship play-offs, enjoyed the highest average attendances in its division, and signed its largest-ever shirt sponsorship agreement, a multi-year deal with American Express.
Paul was named Overall CEO of the Year for England and Scotland, as well as Championship CEO of the Year, at the Football Industry Awards 2013, and won the Sports Executive of the Year at the 2016 International Stadium Business Awards.
Having taken part in three EFL Championship play-offs in four seasons, Brighton narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League, by virtue of goal difference, in 2016. A year later, the club achieved automatic promotion to the Premier League and subsequently finished 15th in its first season.
Paul’s career in professional football has spanned close to 25 years, during which time he has held senior positions at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, and The Football Association.
Paul has served on various committees for the Premier League, The EFL, The FA, UEFA and FIFA, including The EFL’s board and The FA’s Professional Game Board. Most recently, Paul was elected by clubs to be a Premier League representatives on The FA Council. Paul also currently serves as one of The FA’s international ambassadors.
In November 2018, Barber was appointed as the club's deputy chairman following unanimous approval from the board and also became the Premier League's representative to the Professional Game Board, replacing the outgoing Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis.
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Peter Draper, a true Yorkshireman with an incredible career in UK sports from UMBRO to Manchester United and many more. We are going all the way back to 1977 and how it all started with the English Basketball Association. Join us for an incredible journey through English sports history.
Key Highlights
How it all started, from Rugby to Basketball – 1977 -1986 , from school and amateur player to administrator in the English Basketball Association in Leeds – sports historyUMBRO – big move (40 miles across the country 😊) as marketing executive in 1986 (his wife asking “what did you apply that for” 😊)UMBRO, a sports apparel and equipment manufacturer was formed in Wilmslow, England, in 1924 and was the distributor of adidas shoes initiallyEvolution of the brand across Football and Peter’s roles in B2BSponsor and kit supplier of the English National Team and Brazil (when they won the World Cup in 1994) and a mix of top playersAjax, Inter Milan, AC, Rugby British Lions,Next stop, Manchester United, with Peter Kenyon – in 1999 (had just won the triple – flying high on the field), first proper Marketing Director in the clubLess is more approach – Champions League modelSwitching from Sharp (a long term partner) to Vodafone (before Mobile was a big category) as Shirt sponsor, the stories behind it and the money involvedNo real data points available yet, first research done and how Peter used it to renew Vodafone (ROI & ROO)Big Name players, from Beckham, Giggs to Cristiano Ronaldo – how to work with them - Alex Ferguson and his philosophyBig overseas Tours, first proper execution – Asia Tour in 2001 (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand) and USA in 2003 – massive responseLoose Lips Ltd (the meaning behind it) – brand marketing, strategy and sponsorship consulting past 18 yearsPeter sharing insights on a big project that hasn’t seen the light yet (Premier League)Other projects, including Harry Potter digitalCAA Sports – mismatched expectationsPeter Lim, Manchester United F&B and Valencia CF owner (Singaporean Billionaire)Valencia CF storiesFIFA World Cup 2030 – final discussion and debateAbout
Passionate and knowledgeable about sport and the marketing that drives the industry, Peter Draper’s knowledge of the marketing of international football positions him as an expert and sought-after keynote speaker on branding, marketing and customer experiences.
Starting out with basketball early in his career, Peter turned a hobby into a job when he accepted a position with the English Basketball Association in 1977. Promoting major basketball events at international venues including Wembley Arena and The Royal Albert Hall, he soon became adept at knowing how to deliver exactly what sponsors want.
Joining sportswear company Umbro in 1986, Peter was instrumental in building the brand into an international contender and as European Marketing Director, he drove the business to major success until it was sold in 1999. Peter secured contracts with the England and Brazil national teams, Euro 96, Manchester United, Celtic, Inter Milan and Ajax, as well as personal agreements with Pele and Alan Shearer.
After Umbro Peter joined Manchester United as the club’s first Group Marketing Director. He was in charge of the development and implementation of their international sponsor-partner programme, partnership relations and oversaw communications throughout the business.
Non-Executive Director of international creative communications agency IRIS Nation, Peter has also founded his own ‘passion brands’ strategic consulting business Time & Tide.
He works closely with many organisations including The National Trust, Cancer Research UK, The Football Association, The FA Premier League, Haymarket Publishing, Chelsea Football Club and brands such as Smirnoff, Sony Ericsson, Typhoo, Starwood Hotels and Duchy Originals.
Peter is a member of the Advisory Board for various diverse businesses, and he worked with JK Rowling to shape the commercials around www.pottermore.com, the digital home of Harry Potter. He sits as the sport expert on www.krow.com, the creative agency that is working with the BOA/TeamGB on their communications platform and sponsorship programme for Rio2016, and works with Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs on their business, Class of 92.
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Zack Sugarman, deep dive into his 17 years with the Wasserman Group to his current role as Chief Strategy Officer at Demand Sports – an AI powered top-of-funnel lead generation tool for the sports industry.
If you are in sales you need to listen to this.
Key Highlights
From college to first role at Sportnet (Wasserman Media Group), doing business development – finance of action sports films in 2005 (skateboard.com, etc)Deep dive into Wasserman group - from 70 people when he joined to 1,700 by the time he left recently (15 offices around the world)Global Sports Marketing & Entertainment companyHelping client spend their marketing dollars wisely, negotiate, executeMaximizing revenue for teams/leagues (properties)Talent manage side – Jerry Maguire style (NFL to action sports)Growth by acquisition – music talent, celebrity influencers, creating IP & content (UK based CSM, etc)Acquisition of Brillstein – coming full circle (family history, Lew Wasserman)Casey Wasserman – a bit about the man himself – Chairman of LA 2028 Olympics – his leadership styleHis roles over the 17 years (2005-2022)Start of digital and social media era and developing a digital division to help monetize contentEarly days of live streaming – World Surf League – live webcastProperties – teams, leagues, federations, conferences, Esports teams,Develop products to offer these property owners – pre-sale and post-sale servicesNBA Jersey Patch, later NHL, MLB – one of the big projects – discussing deal sizes Demand Sports – his role as Chief Strategy OfficerHow it works, background,Helping property rights holders – top-of-funnel lead generation, using AI to verify contacts, personalized emailsCoordinate follow up and meeting times for the Property owner (all the upfront work to create warm leads)Demand Inc – tech companies, B2B business – Lasso tool tweaked to use for sportsBounce test to check emails are correct – in real time, etcUsing AI to personalize emails, search web to create subject lines and hocks for a personalized touch to emailTool operates globally – language specific outreach examples40 clients around in the US and around the worldFee structure and flexible model for Property ownersContact: [email protected] - www.demandsports.coUS market – huge events coming the next few years from FIFA World Cup 2026 to Olympics 2028 and more… opportunities for brands and property ownersFinal message on Artificial Intelligence (AI) – be curiousAbout
Zack has a proven sports executive with over ~20 years of experience in commercial strategy and revenue creation – focusing on business development, partnership creation, digital strategy, new tech integration, valuation, packaging, and execution of award winning campaigns and initiatives. Sugarman’s skills include business development (identifying, negotiating, securing new clients), strategy and analytics (fan insights, commercial valuation and packaging, opportunity targeting, partnership creation, and measurement), and relationships (understand the value of connections and have enjoyed consistent networking and having multiple long-term and repeat clients). Zack likes to connect the dots between partners and bring new perspectives together in an effort to generate new value, drive innovation and facilitate new connections across the sports and entertainment business.Before joining Demand Sports, Sugarman spent 16 years in agency leadership positions at Wasserman, most notably leading the Global Properties division worldwide to help venues/teams/leagues maximize commercial revenue. At Wasserman, Sugarman helped drive millions of dollars in commercial revenue for clients including NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, FIFA, USGA, UFC, NASCAR, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, LAFC, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, CrossFit, Drone Racing League and Salesforce. Sugarman was also instrumental in helping AEG land the largest Naming Rights deal in history with the announcement of the Crypto.com Arena in November 2021.Zack is a true tech geek who makes it a point to stay on the cutting edge of emerging technologies and digital strategies; he also firmly believes that “Fútbol is life.”Follow us on our social sites for the latest updatesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sportsentrepreneurs/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcusluerpodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-entrepreneursWebsite: https://marcusluer.comPodcast: https://marcusluer.com/podcast
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Jason Masherah, President of The Upper Deck Company, living his childhood dream, from a young boy trading cards at school to running one of the biggest Trading cards, Memorabilia and Collectibles company in the world – enjoy our deep dive into the world of The Upper Deck Company, the industry and where the business is going.
Key Highlights
How it all started, selling trading cards in middle school and attending card shows at the age of 13/14, working in trading card shopStarting his first shop at the age of 16 before going back to schoolFrom Electric Supply company coming back into sports, getting an MBA to get back into sportsVia short stops at the Arena Football League (Chicago Rush) to Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Bengals, finally landing at The Upper Deck company as Brand Manager for MLB & NBAOverview of the Trading Card industry, from the first cards in the 1800 as promotion for cigarettes and chewing gums, sold as Wax packs.In 1987/88 The Upper Deck Company was founded to create a different and much better product – big growth to mid 90s when strikes in sports Leagues created issuesTough period in early 2000 to 2015 before growth came back, with Hockey, Baseball and FootballPrimary market, big players Upper Deck, Topps and Panini and secondary trading marketDifferent business models by Sports Leagues in the US vs European Football leaguesGlobal growth vs the traditional core US sports, Europe and AsiaBusiness model with Rights holders and bidding processesSports trading cards, Entertainment trading cards and Trading card games and the differencesThree parts of the business for Upper Deck, Trading Cards, Games (Board games and trading card games) and authenticated MemorabiliaPremium product focus, big names from Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Wayne GretzkyDigital products and the evolution of it – in 2011 first tokenization of cards, Upper Deck e-pack – digital to physical hybridNFTs, blockchain – Upper Deck’s Evolution platform – trading digital with physical products Issues and challenges for primary market manufacturer playing in the secondary market (especially in NFTs)Most NFT releases were never done with collectors in mind, it mostly was a quick money grabMoving images, videos and animations open up a new opportunity to own a piece of historyUpper Deck’s Collect Forever – authentic third party collectibles, from Comics to ToysUpper Deck’s Premise to provide the best and widest services for collectors globallyFanatics purchase of Topps – changing the gameJason’s own career path in Upper Deck over the past 17 yearsAbout
Mr. Masherah oversees all day-to-day operations as President of Upper Deck, the premier worldwide sports, gaming and entertainment company. As part of his day to day duties, he is personally responsible for exclusive agreements with Upper Deck’s lineup of corporate partners, licensors and superstar athletes, including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Wayne Gretzky, Marvel, Tim Hortons, CIBC, NHL, NHL Players’ Association and more. Mr. Masherah is also responsible for revitalizing Upper Deck’s memorabilia division, as well as Upper Deck’s gaming division and the launch of Legendary, the award-winning deck building game.
Prior to his appointment as President in 2013, Mr. Masherah served as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Upper Deck. Mr. Masherah has been personally credited for several core programs at Upper Deck, ranging from the Yankee Stadium Legacy program in 2008 to the Evolution video cards in 2011 to, most recently, the Upper Deck e-Pack platform in 2016, which plays a significant role in the launch of Upper Deck’s Grandeur Hockey Collector Coins.
Before his involvement with Upper Deck, Mr. Masherah worked for professional sports teams in various roles, including the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Braves. He earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and his undergraduate degree in Marketing from the Eli Broad School of Business at Michigan State University. Mr. Masherah currently resides in the greater San Diego area with his wife and children.
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Andrew Ryan, corporate lawyer turned sports executive, currently Managing Director of FIBA Media, from a small town in Australia to the big wide world of sports including Perform, IOC to FIBA. We are taking a close look into Andrew’s career and the ongoing FIBA World Cup 2023 in Asia.
Key Highlights
Growing up in a small town near Brisbane, with lots of access to sports in his youth and Brisbane clubs making their mark. Impact of Sydney Olympics in 2000 on himCorporate law taking him to London and New York in 2006, after Lehmann collapse joined a radio station (Absolute Radio), sports commentary, unlikely and unexpected forays into sports broadcasting with the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and BBC Sport for the 2005 Ashes series. First contact with Perform.Group Head of Legal at Perform for four years – buying media rights, WTA deal and the growth of the business from his viewBetting rights key to Perform’s competing with traditional agencies in the content distribution businessGetting DAZN off the ground and the work behind the scene and spinning off PerformNext stop Head of Media - Legal and Business Affairs, IOC TV and Marketing services – business strategy and more commercial roleMedia rights, tender processes, Olympic channel, sponsorship deals, etcOlympic Channel, what happened to it?FIBA Media – what it is and how it works – JV with DAZN (compared to FIBA Marketing, JV with Infront)FIBA Asia (ABC) my experience in Basketball in mid 90sFIBA’s direct to consumer approach vs traditional broadcast rights sales globallyFIBA Courtside 1891 platform www.courside1891.basketball - Courtside 1891 is a live and highlights platform for FIBA games and a lot of other leagues around the worldFIBA’s unique global set up – managing regional events and rights from HQFIBA Eurobasket 2022, etcFIBA Club competitionsFIBA World Cup 2023 – across Philippines, Indonesia and JapanWhat to expect from production and new innovations for the eventFIBA and NBA relationship and players at the World CupFIBA Women’s World Cup – importance and looking back at last year’s event in AustraliaAbout
As Managing Director of FIBA Media, Andrew leads the 17-year joint venture between FIBA and DAZN which encompasses all production and rights commercialisation (broadcast, OTT D2C and data) for FIBA’s premium events. This includes FIBA’s World Cups and Continental championships (and their qualifiers), global junior events and the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. FIBA Media has around 25 dedicated staff but collaborates extensively with sales and production teams within DAZN and scales up for events, managing 800+ personnel at the FIBA World Cup 2019. In addition to its core production and commercial activity, FIBA Media houses its own third party marketing division and established the Courtside 1891 digital brand and joint venture with Two Circles.
Andrew was previously the Head of Media Legal and Business Affairs for the International Olympic Committee TMS and was part of the Leaders Under 40 Class of 2020.
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Guy-Laurent Epstein a Football Association veteran and senior UEFA Executive for the past 20 years, shaping European football, the commercial side and beyond. Deep dive into UEFA’s world from Club Football, new National Team competitions, to the growth of the Women’s game and much more. Highly educational and lots of great details you don’t want to miss.
Key Highlights
How it started, from a passion for mathematics, to Arthur Andersen auditing to Sony MusicCommercialising the licensing rights for the FIFA World Cup in 1998 for Sony MusicISL Marketing days – joining ISL in Luzern during an interesting time for the agencySpending time in Asia, around the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/JapanISL collapse in 2001 just before the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001, FIFA creating FIFA Marketing to take over agency roleJoining UEFA shortly after the 2002 FIFA World Cup – comparing notes on the eventThe start of a two decade adventure with UEFA in NyonNo Marketing department within UEFA yet when he first joined, developing new projects and showing value to the administrators of European FootballThe “old” way of doing things in European National and Club competitions at the time, early 2000Change of guards, EBU, mostly state controlled broadcasters vs more commercially driven free to air channelsNon-linear channels emerge - Pay TV – now digitization, Amazon relationship, DAZN, Apple testingUS Market importance for both European Club and National team footballUEFA.TV - create new content from archive, exploring new ways to invest in brand – home of Youth and Women’s footballRelationship between UEFA and their agencies (Team Marketing – Club competitions & CAA Eleven – National Team competitions)Big changes and success stories from the CAA Eleven dealUEFA Nations League – the creation and where it is now and some of the challengesNew UEFA Champions League format from next season explainedNext steps in the governance of club competitions and relationship with the European Club Association (ECA)Covid impact on UEFA competitions – looking back, moving EURO 2020, etcSuccess of Women’s EURO 2022 in England and the growth and unbundling of UEFA Women’s Football – www.weplaystrong.comEURO 2024 in Germany – high hopes for another big Football Summer FestivalAbout
Guy-Laurent Epstein graduated from Paris IX Dauphine University with a Master in Applied Mathematics & Social Sciences in 1990, and completed his studies with a MBA at ESSEC Business School in Paris, which he obtained 2 years later.
After four years working as a financial consultant for Arthur Andersen, he decided to shift his career towards sports marketing and worked for the 1998 World Cup in France. After that, he joined ISL Marketing where he was in charge of the licensing and merchandising programme for the 2002 World Cup. In 2001, Guy-Laurent joined FIFA Marketing, where he continued to oversee the good development and implementation of the Licensing programme.
He started in October 2002 at UEFA as TV& Sponsorship Manager and became Head of Marketing Activities in December 2004. In June 2005, he created the Media Rights unit which is responsible of the overall sales of the UEFA competitions TV and other media rights, which he managed till March 2010, when UEFA decided to set up a new company – UEFA Events SA - to handle all UEFA’s commercial and event operations. Consequently, Guy-Laurent was appointed Marketing Director of UEFA Events SA and as such, he is responsible for the ongoing development of the marketing and commercial activities, including media and sponsorship, across all competitions of UEFA.
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Paul McVeigh, from playing professional football in the Premier League to becoming a trained psychologist, and now advising C-suites and top corporate executives. Tons of great stories and lessons from his career as a professional player and how a Tony Robbins book put him on the path to studying psychology and becoming a keynote speaker.
Key Highlights
Growing up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in a rough neighborhood in the 80s – what it was like playing football with tanks driving around the streetsA journey from Belfast to London, getting offered a contract with Tottenham Hotspur in mid 90s and meeting football legend Jurgen KlinsmannHis beliefs at the time about himself and what then happened in order to make his Premier League debutHis football journey from Tottenham Hotspur to Norwich City, Burnley, Luton Town and why the key was to constantly adapt his style to fit various roles for each team How to deal with winning/losing, the psychology and mindset behind it for a professional player, being relegated and achieving promotion againWho is truly responsible when a team wins or loses? Coach versus players?“Awaken The Giant Within” by Tony Robbins – our stories and the impact this book had on us and how this led to a degree in Sports Science and Psychology and a career in public speakingNext stops, working as pundit at Sky Sports, BBC, and giving key note speeches and running corporate leadership programsHis book “The Stupid Footballer Is Dead: Insights Into The Mind Of A Professional Footballer” and an understanding of the mind of an elite sportspersonConcept of accountability – a pre-season story and his learning being exposed to world-class playersMaking conscious choicesHis current project: bringing in first-class athletes, world champions and securing them as keynote speakers to corporations, including top military, doctors, etcHis contacts. Website: https://paulmcveigh.com LinkedIn: (5) Paul McVeigh, M.Sc. | LinkedIn Email: [email protected]About
Paul McVeigh is a Premier League football player and Performance Psychologist. Paul's credibility comes from the unique combination of reaching the pinnacle of elite sport as well as being the first Premier League footballer to qualify with a Master's Degree in Psychology. Paul specialises in implementing the psychology required to elevate the performance of leaders and teams from the financial services' industry. He has recently worked with PWC, Grant Thornton, Aviva, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Nat West, Cisco, Microsoft and many more. These lessons are even more applicable today in our remote and virtual workplaces in order to empower individuals to understand that our thinking unlocks the required behaviours that are necessary for elite performance.Paul shares his psychological framework from growing up in war torn Belfast, Ireland alongside the strategies he implemented performing under the intense scrutiny of 75,000 fans across the world. He is also an established broadcaster on TV and radio with BBC, Sky Sports, BT Sport and is also a published author of the ironically entitled book ‘The Stupid Footballer is Dead’.The insights Paul shared as a Sport Psychologist for 2 Premier League clubs have helped many players compete in, what is considered, the most prestigious and ruthless sports league in the world.
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Jerome Valcke, a true legend and also tragic figure in our industry. We are going back to his early days at Canal+/Sport+ to his amazing time as Secretary General of FIFA. 30+ years in the industry, his ups and downs and the challenges at the end of his FIFA reign and his comeback plans.
Key Highlights
Early days of Canal+, first Pay TV operator in France - as news presenter and magazine producer (from wars to news)1991 - getting involved in acquisition of sports rights for Canal +, dealing with Don King to David SternForming Sport+ (internal agency of Canal+) to buy sports media rights for Canal + and sell across the world, working with other agencies around the worldDon King story and doing business with him (negotiation is same as war)French Football League (Ligue One) and the new Pay TV money coming in to change the game forever – new production valuesCanal+, turning channel into a 24 hrs Olympic channel for the entire two weeks of the Barcelona Olympics 92’ and Atlanta 96’Merger between three agencies, JC Darmon, UFA Sport and Sport+ - Bertelsmann (UFA), Jean-Claude Darmon and Canal+ (Sport+) merged in 2001 creating SportFive – and the rest is history with decades of changes for the agencyJoining FIFA in 2003 as Director of Marketing – FIFA Marketing AG – in-house agency created after the collapse of ISL Marketing (initially focused on sponsorship only - Media rights still with Robert Louis Dreyfus (owner of Adidas, Olympique Marseille). Jerome lobbying to bring media rights in-house too.Agency offering large guarantee to FIFA – (Swiss) 1.8 billion per World Cup - Joseph Blatter (President at the time) putting his trust in Jerome and he delivered in 2010 – close to 4 billion Changing what FIFA was delivering to broadcasters, going beyond previous offeringsInfront & Dentsu controlled certain territory rights in Asia, and other agencies around the world – top countries controlled by FIFA directly, FIFA signing all contractsSecretary General of FIFA - the link between the political side of the Federation with the commercial and operating sideDealing with Governments and Head of States to deliver the FIFA World Cup – need to deal with politicsBlatter stories – his rise within FIFA, from a low level marketing role to President - “I am FIFA, FIFA is me” Bidding process for World Cups – 2018 & 2022 – huge significance for the winnersWorld Cup Legacy – South Africa 2010 stories – falling in love with the country and more…Brazil World Cup 2014 – it was complicated …….. being banned for a period of time from entering the country…..Could World Cup ever be moved if the event is at risk? Legal position vs actuality/reality2018 & 2022 host country choices and his view on itThe different parts of FIFA, from Committees and other parts of the organizationWomen’s Football at FIFA level – Women’s World Cup wasn’t yet able to make enough money on its own – role of FIFA to support and develop Football for everyoneMastercard vs VISA and what happened on Sept 2015……. his side of the storyMoral vs criminal accusations – rules of engagement – code of conduct in businessTo reach Jerome Valcke - [email protected] (+34607937298)
About
Jérôme Valcke, born 6/10/1960 in ParisFrench and South African citizenshipsLiving in Carrer Catalunya 17, 08960 Sant Just Desvern, SpainE-mail: [email protected] number: +34 607 937 298
1983 RMC Journalist1984 to 1988 CANAL+ News Presenter1988 to 1991 CANAL+ Deputy Editor in Chief Newsroom1992 to 1997 CANAL+ Deputy Director Sports Division. Responsible for all international sport rights acquisitions1997 to 2001 CEO Sport+, Media Group CANAL+. Sport+ was a subsidiary of the Group CANAL+ for Media and Marketing rights. Sport+ acquired the international of all major football European leagues.2002 COO Sportfive. Sportfive was created by Group CANAL+, UFA- Bertelsmann and Group Jean-Claude Darmont. Sportfive was one of the leading sports agencies in the world.2003 to 2006 FIFA Marketing & TV Director2007 to 2015 FIFA Secretary General. CEO of the institution. My main task was the preparation, organization and delivery of the World Cups (2010 & 2014) and the preparation for WC 2028 & WC 2022. Management of a team of 500 people.Today, owner of a winery located in Spain in the DOQ Priorat, Mas Igneus.
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Alex Inglot, the Commissioner of the ESL Pro League (Esports). We discuss his legal background, his various sports roles before he entered the Esports world. Alex has been involved across multiple spectrums of the sports industry and is sharing his experiences with us before diving deep into his current role as Commissioner of the ESL Pro League (CS:GO). Lots of great stories and learning across sports and gaming.
Key Highlights
How it all started, studying law at Oxford, playing Volleyball at Uni to his first internship at IMG – Rugby World Cup contract workA few years of commercial law at various law firms in London – looking at a way back into the industryTook FIFA International Master program to bring him back into the industryFirst job after the program, heading to Mexico working at Atlante FC (club had just moved to Cancun), establishing a new fan base and building relationship with the regionCouple of years at JTA – working on Manchester United Corporate Communication, working with owner Jon Tibbs, difference between legal and marketing communication principlesSportradar – promoting Sportradar’s integrity services to Federations and other rights holders (as Director of Communication), later involved in the non-betting services and then the opportunities in US sports bettingATP Tour – Board Director – European Player Representative -working with ATP Player Council to drive progress for the members, redistribution of prize money, etcSetting up systems, processes, transparency (eliminating distrust between players and tournaments) -driven by Andrea Gaudenzi’s vision, the new Chairman of ATP TourHow ATP Tour survived Covid and continued the vision of Gaudenzi – creating a JV mentality between players and eventsDuring COVID, ticketing revenue, which had always been very important for tennis events now became a vulnerabilityATP Media – broadcast arm, bundling rights across different levels of events – aggregating media rights was key to create one stop shop for broadcasters and/or fansCommissioner of ESL Pro League (CS:GO – Counter Strike – Global Offensive) – major title by ValveIntro to CS:GO – history the past 10 years – one of the major FPS (First person Shooter) games, played globallyESL Pro Tour – owned by ESL FACEIT Group (new entity, created through merger, owned by Savvy Gaming Group from Saudi Arabia)CS:GO landscape with total Price money US$ 18 mil across all events - players earning US$ 20-50k per monthComparison with other games and economics for teams – power of PublisherLouvre Agreement – distribution of money ESL makes to teams to build ecosystem – helping to sustain teams investmentsCS 2.0 is coming later this year and how the transition will happenStructure of League – 12 founding member teams – revenue share of traditional revenues such as sponsorship – guaranteed slot in Pro-League (currently 15 out of 32 team format)Opportunities for sponsor by aggregation of rights, bundling is key opportunityLeague staged in Malta – teams fly in for periods of time – Malta Gaming establishing itself as Esports/Gaming hubEsports/Gaming after Covid – from red hot to current slow down, is there a “winter” or just a natural correction?The fundamentals of Esports are solid and very attractive, especially anyone targeting the younger demographics (Metaverse, digital items, etc)About
A unique strategist drawing on years of international corporate and commercial law in the City of London; nearly a decade working at the sharp end of global sports communications and public affairs; and now Commissioner of the ESL Pro League. Focused on reading the landscape, developing a direction, securing buy-in and delivering impact.Driving the new structure that sits behind the CSGO ecosystem-leading EPL to ensure optimal governance and operations, record-breaking revenues and fair distribution, and the realisation of existing and upcoming aggregation opportunities. In parallel, using the platform to break down barriers across the wider CSGO stakeholder map and to drive collaboration for ecosystem optimisation.Took a driving role in the full review and overhaul of the ATP's leadership in order to bring in new structures and dynamic individuals, to ensure the Tour can continue to grow in a fast-changing entertainment landscape. Juggled stress-testing a seismic strategic vision, defining a clear governance upgrade and adapting to the challenges of a global circuit in COVID times, all while undertaking upgraded player outreach to ensure structure and policies were effective, well understood and beneficial.Previously led the whole range of communications and public affairs activities of one of the fastest growing enterprises in the global sports technology and innovation space, promoting their full range of expertise across data, content, betting, esports, streaming and integrity. This followed a number of years as a senior PR and international relations consultant to big names in football, Olympic sports and the integrity space.Over the years, I have been a regular spokesperson across conference panels, workshops and seminars, while also guest lecturing at academic institutions across Europe and sitting on industry event and award advisory boards.Former member of the English National Mens Volleyball TeamFormer coach of the Swiss Cottage Ladies Volleyball Team
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Misha Sher, a sports marketing veteran, author, lecturer with a unique background and great stories from working with Pele to many other big sports properties and brands. We are going deep why brands engage with sports, esports/gaming, women’s sport and how to activate it, athlete marketing and unpacking his current role as Global Head of Sport, Entertainment and Culture at MediaCom (now called EssenceMediacom and part of WPP’s GroupM).
Key Highlights
Born in Ukraine, immigrating to the US at the age of 13, culture shock, didn’t speak the language. Football/Soccer was his language and helped him to integrateDream to be a pro Footballer cut short, first job in Banking in Boston – start making a livingNext stop Masters Degree in Football in Liverpool – back to his passion – thesis on Premier League Clubs in North AmericaSoccerex – Director of Business Development – helping expand to Singapore and new commercial ideas, ie cities paying host feesShort sting as Ranger Football Club as Global Partnership Director – some lessons from itEntering MediaCom – short intro on the company being part of WPP’s GroupM – managing billions of dollars of advertising moneyMedia agency investing in traditional media channels, agency starting to offer new services to take “customers” (Brands) into sport and other entertainment spacesSports marketing agencies and Media Agencies, from partners to rivalsPele – amazing opportunity to represent him for several years to help build his brand and create commercial opportunities (Pele was 72 at the time).Brazil about to host the FIFA World 2014 and Olympics 2016 – most iconic Brazilian sports star – building his brand by association with other iconic brands (Coca Cola, Emirates, Hublot, Procter & Gamble, etc)Amazing networking by being around him and meeting Heads of States to CEO’s - signing multi years, multi million dollar deals for him – managing and maximizing his timeSome personal stories about Pele, the Legend and the man he wasDeploying Clients Money – over USD 1 billion in his career across B2C and B2B opportunities - value creation is the keyTransactional nature of industry vs “why” would/should the fan/customer care and what is the best vehicle to achieve the client’s objectives“As a brand, don’t disrupt what people love, be the thing what people love” - Eintracht Frankfurt sponsor example (Indeed), perfect alignment with clubDiscussion about lack of understanding and budgets beyond the initial budget to buy into a property by many brands – ratio spending on activationBalancing risk factors for brands between engagement in athletes, clubs/teams and leagues, different risk vs rewardsAthletes and influencers becoming “media platforms”, huge social media reach and the opportunity for brandsGaming/Esport/Web3, where are the opportunities for brands – examples and discussion about future growthGrowth of Women’s sport, the importance and opportunities for brandsWorking on new book – (working title) “From Athlete to Enterprise” – how to build a personal brand and build sustainable future incomesAbout
Senior commercial & marketing executive with more than 15 years international experience developing some of the most iconic brands, rights holders and talent. Having operated at the cross section of sport, media, tech, talent and advertising, have an intrinsic understanding of how to unlock growth to drive commercial and strategic objectives.Have advised on strategic direction, negotiation and execution of more than £1B in partnerships across sport & entertainment in more than 40 markets. Strong business leader, with track record of building and managing diverse teams while operating in a multifaceted global organization. Possess a considerable global network of C-suite executives across sport, music, brands, governments, media owners and agencies.Passionate about embracing disruption and driving industry innovation, with opinions regularly featured in major media outlets (CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sport Business Intl). Co-Author of a best-selling book, ‘Art of Branded Entertainment’, exploring the future of uninterrupted marketing.Specialties: Leadership, Strategic planning, Marketing & Brand strategy, Business growth, Commercial partnerships, Revenue generation, Sport & Entertainment strategy and activation, Public speaking, Pitching, Sales & Business Development, Talent Management, Negotiation, Brand building.Clients include: Toyota, Coca-Cola, American Airlines, Dell, Shell, indeed, Skoda, Subway, Hotels.com, BAT, Allianz, GSK, Fonterra, Sony PlayStation, Beats by Dre, Richemont, Pelé, Brian Lara, Eniola Aluko, Liverpool FC, Watford FC.
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Ben Nichols, a veteran sports communication and public relations expert with decades of experiences across the industry from WADA, Commonwealth Games Federation, Sportsradar to many other consulting jobs around the world. Listen to Ben’s unique journey around the world and his new company – Padel 22 – a dedicated communication consultancy for the world of Padel sport.
Key Highlights
How his career started - combining his love for writing with sports, travelling and working around the worldWorking in Dubai on ATP/WTA Tour stop and Emirates Dubai Rugby, next stop Lotus Renault travelling the globe and F1 circuitHow to differentiate one F1 team from another and how to communicate itWADA – unpacking his 4 years at the World Anti-Doping Agency – heading to Montreal, Canada – media relations and communicationDuring his period, various scandals hit the press from Lance Armstrong to Russian Doping scandals, IAAF – his experiencesWADA, an “independent” body although funded by the IOC – working across all departments to assure a clear message goes outPound and McLaren reports – big global media focusAthletics Integrity Unit set up by IAAF President, Sebastian Coe – the sport working on cleaning up its actCommonwealth Games Federation – Gold Coast Games in Australia – setting new standards and targets for sports from gender equality to disabled vs abled body athletes competitionsFrom briefings at Buckingham Palace to writing opening speeches for the President Sportradar unique service– providing Anti-Doping Services to major event organizers (intelligence investigation services, athlete performance monitoring, etc) – business development rolePADEL 22 – his new agency – https://www.padel-22.comWhat is Padel – background and difference to other similar sports (ie. tennis, pickleball, squash, etc)Dynamic, urban, cool new sportsVision and mission of Padel 22 – why he set up a single focused agency – one sport, global focusPadel vs Pickleball (European vs American style sports promotions) and ambitions of both sportsFinal thoughts – opportunities around the world - “sports nomad”Link: https://www.padel-22.com/
About
A leading Sports Communications, International Relations and Padel Industry professional who ran Media Relations for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during 'the biggest sporting crisis of the 21st century' - the Russian Doping Scandal. Ben also led Communications and Public Affairs for a revitalised Commonwealth Sport movement at Gold Coast 2018, transforming the perception of the modern Commonwealth Games.Ben brings with him with 17+ years’ experience and a proven track record of success running communications for the world’s leading sports series, leagues, events, teams, leaders, athletes, brands and media.Ben is an entrepreneurial figure with expertise in Strategic and Corporate Communications, Media Relations, Public Affairs, Issues & Crisis Management, Event Operations, Speech Writing, Executive Communications Counsel, Marketing and as a Spokesperson.By 26, Ben was overseeing Communications for the award-winning ATP and WTA Dubai Tennis Championships and leading the Middle East region's Communications for the 2010 Asian Games 'Road of Asia' campaign. At F1 team Lotus Renault GP, Ben led Media activity including for drivers Nick Heidfeld, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean and team sponsors. He oversaw Media Relations for WADA during a turbulent period for international sport. He was Communications Counsel for leadership; Editor of Play True Magazine; Speechwriter; and creator of widely-acclaimed interview series, WADA Talks. He executed Media Relations and Social Media for the high-profile WADA Investigation into Doping in Athletics, achieving a total US$4.60 Billion AVE in the process and resulting in #WADA becoming the World's No.1 trending topic on Twitter.As the Commonwealth Games Federation's first Director of Communications and Public Affairs, he developed and implemented the Marketing & Communications Strategy, positively shifting the public perception of what the Commonwealth Games meant worldwide.Ben ran his own Sports Communications Consultancy working with the likes of the International Padel Federation (FIP), Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), USA Weightlifting, USADA and the Athletics Integrity Unit, and also worked for global sports media and technology innovators, Sportradar, heading the Anti-Doping Services team for Europe.Today, he is working as a Strategic Communications and PR Consultant in the burgeoning sport of Padel – widely described as "the world's fastest growing sport".
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Great discussion with Professor Simon Chadwick, a highly respected academic in the world of sports, with several books and papers to his name and various successful consulting roles across the world combining academics with the real world. We take a birds eye look at the world of sports, the hottest topics and issues out there, across Simon’s 20+ year career.
Key Highlights
How it all started, growing up living across his local team, Middlesborough – passion passed down by generationsPremier League paper in mid 90s got the ball rolling, leading to a PhD with his thesis focused on Football Shirt deals in English FootballHow to connect a brand to the heart of the fan through shirt sponsorship discussionWorking with overseas Master & PhD students to study overseas fan behavior, how do fans in China pick a “favorite club”Stories – Ferran Soriano early vision at Barcelona & Manchester United Tour lessons from 2005Lessons learned from trips and work IN PLACES INCLUDING THE GULF, China, Russia, - understanding the differences and impact on sports. Teaching around the world from Brazil to Japan TO THE UNITED STATESQatar Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy – work with them prior to the World CupOur discussion on “migrant worker” issues and “Sports Washing” history lessons, politics, nation branding, etcChina – what is happening since Covid – recent Winter Olympics, dropping the AFC Asia Cup (Football) as host (Geo political issues)Public sector entrepreneur – writing books looking at Mega trends (Managing Football, Handbook of Sports Marketing, etc. New book “The Geopolitical economy of sports” – coming out this year (Publisher: Routledge)Women’s sports discussion, opportunities and challengesEsports & Gaming – how countries take advantage of investments in Esports to build new industries, ie. Korea, Saudi Arabia, ChinaSports coming out of Covid – survival of the fittest, concentration of power (industrial concentration)Recession talk vs Mega Media deals globally (how to explain it) – polarizationAbout
Professor Simon Chadwick is a researcher, writer, academic, consultant, policy advisor, and speaker with more than twenty-five years experience in the global sport industry. His work focuses on the geopolitical economy of sport.Chadwick is Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School in Paris, where he is also a member of its think tank - Publika - as well as Programme Director of Skema's Global Executive MBA in Sport.Simon previously co-founded and directed Emlyon Business School's Centre for the Eurasian Sport Industry, the University of London's Birkbeck Sports Business Centre, Coventry University's Centre for the International Business of Sport, and Salford University's Centre for Sport Business. In addition, he has worked at several of the world's most prestigious business schools, such as IESE in Spain, Otto Beisheim in Germany, Tsinghua in China, COPPEAD in Brazil and Waseda in Japan.He has written numerous articles, books and research reports for the likes of Forbes, Sloan Management Review, the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Forbes, Thunderbird International Business Review, Mastercard, Newsweek, Reuters, Time, Routledge and Financial Times Prentice Hall. Chadwick has consulted for some of the biggest names in sport, such as FC Barcelona, UEFA, Adidas, the Association of Tennis Professionals, Nielsen, the European Clubs Association, Ping, Formula E, Coca Cola, and the Asian Football Confederation. Simon tweets via @Prof_ChadwickSome examples of his writing can be found via channels including:https://www.iris-france.org/geosport/https://www.policyforum.net/authors/simon-chadwick/https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-chadwick-94601/articleshttps://www.ejinsight.com/eji/author/id/10880
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Leigh Steinberg, aka the real life Jerry Maguire, the US Super Agent goat sharing his illustrious career and accomplishments and the trials and tribulations across his 50 year career. Enjoy the history lessons and learnings.
Key Highlights
Going way back to the 1960, height of Vietnam war and dealing with then California Governor Ronald Reagan (later US President)The start of “Agents” in American Football – first deal with Steve Bartkowski in 1975 at the age of 25 straight out of Berkely Law School His passion to give back to the community and how that has driven his selection of clientsGrowth of the company – focus on NFL Quarterbacks, expanding into other Sports – first book, adding agentsHelping the city of San Francisco to keep SF Giants in the city, instead of being sold to investor group.Becoming a steward of sports (being the bridge between owners vs athletes – billionaires vs millionaires – avoid strikes, etc)Start of the company, key partners Jeff Moorad and later David Dunn joining and some of the challengesDiscussion about the pioneers of the industry, from Mark McCormack to David FalkExplosion of content to drive industry – sports becoming the most popular form of television programmingSelling the company and what happened after and how plans changedEarly days of athletes content online during the dot.com boomPersonal struggles taking a toll and his personal crash in 2010 – recently celebrity 12 years of sobriety – starting all overLessons from that time and how others can learn from itThe new beginning – Steinberg Sports & EntertainmentStory behind Jerry Maguire and how the movie came about and a bit about “Any Given Sunday”Current biggest stars on his roster, superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes II – comparing contract numbers across sports and agent commissionsEndorsement deals for sports stars – big difference in sports – the billionaire sports superstars of our eraNIL and the impact for High School and College players – managing expectations – social media as currencyAthletes taking equity in businesses they promote – new form of wealth creation – agency helps to cut those dealsContent creation by athletes, production and social mediaWhat makes a great athletes a Superstar – certain qualities requiredHis view on the future of sports and Esports and new focus on health and wellnessOther things that keep him busy, new book, podcast, charity to agent academy - www.steinbergspeaks.comAbout
Leigh Steinberg, premier sports agent, entrepreneur, Chairman and founder of Steinberg Sports and Entertainment, is best known for his work building athletes into stand-alone brands. He is often credited as the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire. Leigh has represented many of the most successful athletes and coaches in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing, golf, etc., including the number one overall pick in the NFL draft for an unprecedented eight times in conjunction with 64 total first round picks. Furthermore, Leigh has represented other notable athletes, including Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis, as well as multiple Olympians and professional teams. With an unrivaled history of record-setting contracts, Leigh has secured over $4 billion for his 300+ pro athlete clients and directed more than $800 million to various charities around the world.
Before making a name for himself in the sports industry, Leigh was born and raised in Los Angeles by his parents, a teacher and librarian. He obtained both his B.A. in political science and his J.D. from UC Berkeley, where he was student body president during each tenure. Passionate about giving back and making it his unrelenting personal goal to make the world a better place, Leigh has also distinguished himself by his dedication to philanthropy. He has received commendations from Congress, State Senate, State Legislature, the Los Angeles City Council, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, President Reagan, President Bush, and President Clinton. Leigh has been named “Man of the Year” over a dozen times by a variety of groups, including the March of Dimes, Cedars-Sinai, the Southern California Boy Scouts, the Orange County and Los Angeles Human Relations Commissions, the Orange County and Los Angeles divisions of the Anti-Defamation League, and several other professional and charitable organizations. He has also been awarded the “Keys to the City” in San Francisco, CA, Memphis, TN, Jacksonville, FL and Concord, CA and has even been honored with the declaration of “Leigh Steinberg Day” in San Francisco after his efforts to save the Giants. In 2017, Leigh was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame.
Over the course of his career, Leigh has been featured on numerous national television programs, including 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, The Today Show, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Frontline, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and many more. He has been profiled in a host of magazines, including Business Week, Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, People, Forbes, Playboy, GQ, and FHM. Leigh has also served as a consultant on several feature films and television series, including Jerry Maguire, Any Given Sunday, For Love of the Game, and Arli$$. Additionally, he has supplied his expertise on the business of sports and athletes for The Dan Patrick Show, The Jim Rome Show, and The Herd with Colin Cowherd, and multiple other radio and TV outlets. Leigh contributes a weekly column to Forbes, HuffPost, and the Daily Pilot and is a guest columnist at The New York Times, Sporting News, and Yahoo Sports. In addition, Leigh has penned notable articles such as “The Future of Sports” for the Sports Business Journal, “Around the NFL in 80 Million Dollars” for Inside Sports Magazine, and “The Future of Sport” for the Smithsonian Magazine.
In addition to his work in the industry, Leigh is also a best-selling author. His first book, Winning with Integrity, provides insight on how to improve life through non-confrontational negotiation, and his most recent book, The Agent: My 40-Year Career of Making Deals and Changing the Game, details his decades of dominance in the sports industry and sheds light on overcoming his personal struggles to launch his comeback. Leigh has been named one of the most powerful people in the NFL by Football Digest and one of the most powerful people in sports by Sporting News. He currently resides in Newport Beach and has three children.
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Great discussion with my old friend Andrea Radrizzani, an Italian sports entrepreneur who build MP & Silva to a billion dollar company, the journey from Milan to Asia to now Leeds as Owner & Chairman of Leeds United.
Key Highlights
How it started, Media Partners, early days of live streaming and website development (Web 1.0)Working with strong leaders and visionaries at Media PartnersMove to Asia – first two years in Shanghai - distribution of media rights , next move to TokyoDream was to distribute Serie A rights in Asia - it became much biggerHow MP & Silva got started, partnering with Riccardo Silva – set up in Singapore (50/50 partnership)Growth of business with focus on Media rights - close to USD 1 billion in revenue at the endClear focus on Football rights initially, premium content, pay extra to get into market and build credibilityFocus on local market knowledge, at one point 21 offices around the world, breaking rights into smaller packagesSell of MP & Silva to a Chinese group and the aftermath - starting the next businesses (Eleven) and buying Leeds United, making mistakes and learning from themProving he can build successful platforms, investors and partners joining along the wayStrategy of Eleven – focus on markets with less competition and opportunity to become a leading platform quickly (Poland, Portugal, Taiwan, etc)Deal with DAZN and ELEVEN – future plans and rolesLeeds United story – how it all started and where it is now, boyhood dream come trueThe journey from The Championship up to Premier League and staying there last season (scoring in last minute of game to stay in) Working with High profile Investors (49ers, American Football team) and the combination of skillsLearnings from his career – how you define risk taking and the level you are comfortable withChanging management style, lessons cost millions, listen more – building strong management teamsPlay for Change – passion project and new projects coming upAbout
Andrea Radrizzani is the Chairman of Leeds United and a leading entrepreneur who has been at the forefront of the global sports media industry for more than twenty years.
A self-made businessman, Andrea founded the investment platform Aser Ventures in 2015, specialising in sports, media and entertainment properties. Aser became co-owners of Leeds United in January 2017 and since May of that year, Aser has been the ultimate parent company of the club with Andrea as Chairman.
During his time with Leeds United, Andrea has overseen the return of the club to the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, following 16 years in the lower divisions. Whilst at Leeds, he has also appointed world-renowned coach Marcelo Bielsa, supported the development of one of the most successful academies in English football and bought back the Club’s iconic Elland Road stadium.
Andrea’s success in the business world dates back over two decades. Radrizzani began his career in sports media in 1999 with digital sports content distributor Media Partners and founded Media Partners’ China business.
He went on to co-found MP & Silva in 2004, launching the renowned sports media agency’s operations from its headquarters in Singapore and leading its global expansion into 20 countries as CEO and major shareholder.
Later, through Aser, Andrea launched the international sports content platform ELEVEN SPORTS in 2015. ELEVEN has since established itself as an innovative and fan-centric media platform in markets across Europe and Asia, with a rights portfolio that includes LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Premier League, UEFA Champions League and F1. ELEVEN recently secured domestic rights to the Belgian Pro League for the next five seasons.
Andrea is also the Founder and Chairman of Play for Change, an international charity that uses the power of sport to improve the lives of children in his native Italy and around the world.
Born in Milan, Andrea studied Public Relations at the city’s IULM University and graduated in 1996.
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Tracy Benson gives us an insight look into her amazing career with great stories, from her struggles as a Pro Volleyball player, to having a very successful Corporate career, learning all the tools and tactics of consumer marketing and digital to becoming an Entrepreneur and launching Obsesh, a new digital sports platform, just before Covid hit the world.
Key Highlights
From student athletes to Pro Volleyball player and the changes since then (NIL) (30 years ago) – dream come true and the strugglesTrying to make a living being a Pro Volleyball player, winning tournaments and prize was a case of PepsiMoving into the corporate world, first stop Home Depot and the learning coming in as an athlete, being a leader/captain every dayOlympic Work program, great way to bring fellow athletes into Home Depot and giving them a chance to make a living (full benefits, part time work)Next stops, Jack Morton & Razorfish, learning advertising and experiential marketing (early days of Web 1 and moving into Web 2)Head of Digital/Marketing at Best Buy – building a consumer digital platform, story telling was keyBest Buy buying Napster, everything shifting online, meeting with Facebook when it was a few guys around MarkMonster and Beats by Dre story, how Best Buy helped create the brand and drive sales (Black Headphones) – learning from lots of mistakesJoining Monster as Global Chief Marketing & Product officer, coming out to California, being around digital innovatorsOBSESH – peer to peer sports marketplace for 1:1 remote access to the best athletes as coaches (go.obsesh.com)Focused on the 99% of athletes who are struggling to make a living with their sportComing through Stadia Ventures Accelerator – investors include YouTube founder Chad Hurley, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels. Ranked top 5 sports tech company to watch in 2021Helping athletes building their brand, huge opportunity after NIL ruling with College athlete nowCovid impact on the business was positive being born a “digital technology” company, also the off/on of sports during Covid, speed up space of adoption, more reasons for athletes to join the platform and seek new income streams, accelerated business across many aspects (timing is crucial starting a business) Company working truly online around the country, no physical office space, opportunity and challengesBusiness model – focus on athletes first, athletes set their own price points and keep 100% - percentage fee on top of athletes fee (mark up)Top five things every athlete wants, great details shared by TracyObsesh Athlete Academy – free support for athletes to learn about digital, social media, contracts, trademarks, etc – including access to standardized contracts from appearances to social media deals, learning rules of NIL, etcNFT Marketplace – in partnership with Beasy Unite, peer to peer NFT marketplace for athletes, tokenizing memberships, digital merchandiseWeb3 discussion - our “Before they were Pros” NFT project and how fans are also a very important part of the ecosystem“Chief” – founding member of private network designed to empower women in leadership roles (https://chief.com)Being a voice for women, gay community and spreading the message of inclusiveness – global ambitions in the futureHow to connect with Tracy - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbdigital/, email: [email protected]About
Tracy Benson is the CEO and co-founder of Obsesh, the sports marketplace platform connecting consumers to top athletes, and empowering athlete entrepreneurs to manage, merchandise, market, and monetize their fans online. Previously she was Global Chief Marketing Officer at Seek Thermal, Global Chief Marketing & Product Officer at Monster Inc. (maker of Beats by Dre and Monster headphones), Head of Marketing at Best Buy, Hyper-Growth Market leader at The Home Depot (where she developed the first athlete-work program for Olympians) and Sales & Marketing Manager at AT&T. Tracy was an All-Conference NCAA volleyball athlete at Western Illinois University before becoming a professional beach volleyball player. She earned an MBA in Marketing & Finance from the University of Notre Dame.
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Steve Patterson, a fellow YPOer and top US Sports Executive turned Entrepreneur with an incredible four decades of experience in the business, who learned the ropes working for his dad at the age of 10. Incredible stories and insights across the US sporting landscape from NBA, NFL, NHL to major Universities and working with several US billionaire owners over the decades. Tons of great facts and figures of record breaking deals and no end in sight for him.
Key Highlights
How it all started, through his dad, co-founder of Milwaukee Bucks, him answering the phone at 10 years oldBackground of his dad (Ray Patterson), All American Player, turned Coach and early investor in Bucks when they went public in 1968/69His dad drafting Kareem Abdul Jabbar and winning the Championship in 1971Moving to Houston and first major role with Houston Rockets as Director of Business OperationsHis Houston Rocket Days, breaking attendance records, doubling TV revenue, first NBA game in Mexico City, first Spanish Language TV show, great stories around themBuilding a Championship team, including Hakeem Olajuwon, creating the team that won the NBA title in 1993-94 – how it started and the role of Def Leppard ….Difference between a General Manager and the Coach – long term vs short term viewNext stop, President & Partner in Houston Aeros (Ice) Hockey Team in the IHL and Compaq Center dealHelping to bring Houston Texans (NFL) to Houston in early 2000 – Chuck Watson and Bobby McNair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_McNair (later Senior VP & Chief Development Officer)Massive numbers across the deal, including purchase price (US$ 750 million), deal terms revealedBuilding a stadium, hiring staff and team from scratchOver US$ 450 million of Contractual Obligated Income (COI) generated to create first investment grade sports franchiseLearn about the Texas “Superbowl Bill” and its legacy to help bring major events to the state ever sinceFrom NFL to NBA – Paul Allen, owner of Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers – taking role as President/GM for Trail BlazersComparing numbers between Rockets and Trail Blazers 20 years later, difference in media landscape, building set up, etcTeam lost US$ 135mil the year he arrived, turned it around over four years - US$ 52 mil in “luxury tax” due on first day on the jobStarting Pro Sports Consulting in 2007, providing services to companies, US governments, universities and individuals to seek, acquire, sell major/minor league sports properties, from design, finance, building to maximizing revenuesRoles at Arizona State University – VP of Athletics and later Men’s Athletic Director at University of Texas, AustinDifferences between Pro Sports and College Sports in the US – different stake holdersUT has US$ 180 million budget, largest athletic budget in the country and how it’s spendNIL (Name, Image, Likeness) discussion and Steve’s interesting perspectiveArizona Coyotes, NHL team, successfully positioned team for saleMost recent venture, Legend Labs – branding and crisis consulting firm, representing athletes to Universities, and other entities – Co-Chairman & Partner Pro Sports Consulting – working on Charlotte Hornets, new Stadium project & Executive Coaching roleAbout
Steve Patterson has served as an innovative and successful executive in the NFL, NBA, NHL, professional baseball, and college athletics for over 35 years. He has built championship teams and organizations, designed, financed, built, and run stadia, ballparks, and arenas with record setting revenues all over the United States. Patterson successfully led the effort to bring the Houston Texans NFL team and Super Bowl XXXVIII to Houston, Texas. As General Manager of the Houston Rockets, he built the 1994 NBA Championship team.
Patterson is currently the President of Pro Sports Consulting, which provides services to universities, companies, government entities, and individuals that operate or seek to acquire or sell sports properties, to design, finance, build and operate sports facilities and to maximize the revenue of these and related entities. He is also the Co-Chair of Legend Labs a brand and crisis communications consultancy.
Patterson is formerly the President, CEO and Alternate Governor of the Arizona Coyotes. He is also the former Director of Men’s Athletics for the University of Texas at Austin where he oversaw the largest athletic department budget in all of college sports while setting records for academic success, revenue generation, endowment growth and philanthropic giving to the athletic department.
Prior to UT, Patterson served as Managing Director of Sun Devil Sports Group, Vice President for Athletics and Athletic Director for Sun Devil Athletics at Arizona State University. In that capacity, Patterson was responsible for all ASU Athletic Department business and sports operations, acquisition, development, and operation of current and new sports facilities and assisted with the development of the 425-acre Sports Facilities District adjacent to the University in downtown Tempe.
As President of the Portland Trail Blazers, The Rose Garden and Rose City Radio. Patterson refined his skills as a turnaround specialist, while garnering national recognition for his player acquisitions when he took over the team’s General Manager duties.
As the Trail Blazers General Manager, Patterson engineered a record six draft day trades that resulted in the selection of NBA Rookie of the Year and three-time NBA All Star Brandon Roy and fellow All Rookie 1st team, seven-time NBA All Star and five time All NBA member LaMarcus Aldridge. Patterson also revamped the entire basketball operation, hiring then GM Kevin Pritchard and Head Coach Nate McMillan.
Patterson formerly served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer of the Houston Texans NFL franchise where he led Bob McNair’s successful effort to acquire a National Football League franchise and Super Bowl XXXVIII for Houston, Texas. Patterson was responsible for the establishment of the team’s business, legal, media and political operations, as well as the development, design, finance, construction and operation of NRG Stadium and related facilities.
Prior to joining the Texans, Patterson was the President, General Manager and Governor of the Houston Aeros hockey team. For his efforts he was named the 1995 winner of the Andy Mulligan Trophy as the International Hockey League’s Executive of the Year.
In addition to his roles with the Aeros, Patterson also acquired and served as President and Partner in Arena Operating Company, which managed and operated Compaq Center, Houston’s home of the Rockets, Aeros and Comets.
While overseeing all the business and basketball operations of the Houston Rockets, Patterson was the chief architect of the 1993-1994 Houston Rockets squad that captured the first NBA World Championship in franchise history signing, drafting, or trading for all the team’s players and coaches. Patterson also led the club’s successful bid to host the 1989 NBA All-Star Game in The Astrodome, which held the all-time NBA All-Star Game attendance record of 44,735 for 21 years.
Born and raised in Beaver Dam, WI. Patterson attended the University of Texas, graduating with honors earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1980. He graduated from UT’s Law School in 1984. He is married to Yasmin Michael with whom he has three grown children.
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Today, I am talking to Gagan Palrecha, the CEO of NFTSTAR, a new Bay Area startup in the NFT sports space. Palrecha is an engineer by training and has been fascinated by sports & music since his youth. We cover some of the stops across his career, the build-up to his current role, including time at Dapper Labs as VP of Operations. We go deep into the blockchain, crypto, NFTs, Web 2.5 to 3.0, the metaverse, digital stadium, play-to-earn, and many more current buzzwords and of course, his vision for NFTSTAR.
Key Highlights
Palrecha grew up playing sports & had a passion for music. After studying computer engineering and science, he was attracted to the startup scene in San Francisco in the early 2000s.Palrecha joined Loudcloud, a startup backed by VC company Andreessen Horowitz, before moving to a few other startups.As his first entrepreneurial exploits, Palrecha started First Time Records.Palrecha helped develop a space for artists and creators at the following businesses:Zattoo -- live streaming, the first virtual cable operatorPeekok -- a platform to help artists and labels create a direct retail relationship with fans, via social and interactive marketing (early days of NFTs)Chirply -- fundraising for design marketplace2013: Blockchain and Bitcoin The concept of a distributed ledger that governs ownership without government interference fascinated him.Palrecha’s experience at Dapper Labs:Crypto Kitty was the first big project for Dapper, before it was called Dapper Labs.The NBA took a risk and jointly created NBA Top Shot in 2020. By the end of 2020 and early 2021, NFTs took off and NBA Top Shot lead the way.Over 1 billion worth of trading volume with NBA Top Shot.What worked and didn’t work at the height of NBA Top Shot:Dealing with backlogs and regulatory issues.Blockchain challenges and issues with bots.Challenges of the virtual trading card model. NFTSTAR: Palrecha’s vision as CEO (website: https://m.nftstar.com/) NFTSTAR is building the biggest sports stadium in the Web3 metaverse.The company is working with athletes to build a direct relationship with fans. Current projects with:Neymar Jr, Luis Figo, Son Heung-Min (Soccer)Giannis Antetokounmpo (Basketball)Christian McCaffrey (American Football)NFTSTAR is currently in its startup stage, with its first collection coming out in the fall of 2022Beyond the usual NFT headshots, NFTSTAR will include mobile gaming elements, as well an interactive and immersive fantasy world around its athlete partners.Prioritizing a meta stadium and virtual stadium vision, NFTSTAR rewards the fans and viewers with avatars and more.NFTSTAR is funded through private investors, not through a token raise.Play-to-Earn discussion:There are many current challenges early play-to-earn games are facing—taking a look at Axie Infinity for example.NFTSTAR is looking at the game and user experience first before focusing on play-to-earn business strategies. NFTSTAR is not building a speculative platform. Instead, members are rewarded for participation with special privileges or items.NFTSTAR athlete engagement:Upcoming Neymar NFT drop, where Neymar and his team are heavily involved.NFTSTAR is all about the athlete and how they grew up, where they come from, and what shaped them. The company helps build a community around the athletes by prioritizing experiences.If you’d like to reach Palrecha, contact him at [email protected].About
Gagan Palrecha joined NFTSTAR as COO in September 2021, and is responsible for business development and operations, strategic partnerships, and product strategy. As the former Vice President of Dapper Labs, creators of NBA Top Shot and the Flow blockchain, Palrecha brings extensive experience and expertise in the NFT startup space. He has held several leadership positions in business development, product and operations and has done extensive work in Europe and Asia. He is also an active angel investor through his investment fund, Palrecha Capital. Palrecha is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and currently resides in the Bay Area.
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Damian Willoughby, turned his passion for football, playing in his youth in the UK, then NCAA football to spending his career across Rangers FC, Chelsea FC, Manchester City and the City Football Group till his current and most recent role at EA (Electronic Arts) in Esports. Listen and learn from his experiences at some of the biggest Football brands and now at EA.
Key Highlights
From playing youth Football in the UK, to NCAA “soccer” and getting his MBA at University of Liverpool in FootballLeading to his first first role in Rangers FC, leading sponsorship programsDespite the huge rivalry between Rangers and Celtic (collectively called “The Old Firm”) on the pitch, both clubs cooperated on sponsorship deals to avoid brands having to split across the fan base. Very cleverTalking numbers, front of shirt and other revenue streams for Rangers. Very competitive with the big UK clubs at the time due to passionate fan base, 50k fans in stadium, etc. The big Premier League Media income started to make the difference and swing power to English Clubs.Next stop Chelsea, Abramovich’s early era and success started to make a difference. Talking Samsung and leveraging the power of the Premier League globally. Discussing the “not invented here syndrome” of global brand sponsorships and how to deal with it. Singha Beer deal discussion.Moving into Player Management side with James Grant Sports Group for a couple of years to learn that part of the business, wasn’t his thingManchester City, new Arab owners already in place and club on major trajectory – joining in global sponsorship sales roleCity Football Group (New York, Melbourne, Mumbai, Yokohama, etc) – 12 clubs now globally – (and Ferran Soriano’s role in it)How it works from a commercial point of view and creating synergies across the different clubs, leveraging the global power of Manchester City combined with the local strength of the various partner clubsMoving to Singapore running global business from there for six years, last few years also CEO of City Football India (Mumbai City FC), last few years during CovidHow players move around the City Football Group ecosystemIn the Middle of Covid, mid 2021, Gaming/Esports is booming, next move, VP Partnerships for EA Sports – huge company, US$ 7 billion in revenue, 13,000 people worldwideTalking Esports & EA properties, much more than FIFA, leader of sports simulation games (Madden NFL, F1, UFC, NHL, PGA Tour, etc) and other successful non-sports games (Apex Legend, Battlefield, The Sims) – difference between sports and non-sports gamesHuge player base and time spend in the game by Gamers, massive audiences and engagement levels – still lots of education to be done with brands on how to leverage itFIFA split, what he could share – big plans for EA Sports FC , nothing changes in the game, the teams and general feel of the gameStevenage FC and Burger King, how it went viral, creative thinking on how to leverage a gameAbout
A highly accomplished and respected global football executive with 20+ years experience in generating and managing over £1.3bn in revenues, motivating large (+65 staff) and globally diverse (13 offices) teams to achieve sporting and financial goals around performance, brand, revenue and fan growth for leading sports properties including City Football Group, Chelsea & Rangers FC.
Most recently CEO of City Football India following the strategic acquisition of a majority stake in Mumbai City FC, worked with CFG and Reliance as shareholders to develop the Club, Indian Super League and Indian football.
Currently VP, Partnerships at Electronic Arts, originally head hunted to develop the commercial strategy for Esports across key global EA franchises (FIFA, Madden & Apex) and now working in a small core executive team to shape the future of the company’s marquee football franchise.
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Sandy Brown, another true American Sports Nomad, especially in the Media and Broadcasting space. Listen to amazing stories of Sandy’s globe trotting career around the world from ProServ, NBA, ESPN/Star Sports, Univision, ONE World Sports and more.
Key Highlights
Growing up playing tennis, made connections through his Tennis Club in DelawareHow he got started at ProServ, first meeting with Donald Dell, driving his limo around the airportDennis Spencer one of his early mentors (shout out to one of the nicest guys in the industry)Pro-Serve, top roster of Tennis and NBA players, tennis tournaments – peak of companyBefore Sportel Monaco days, MIP TV and MIP Com , flogging sports TV rights in Cannes Next stop NBA, international TV rights – David Stern his next mentor, early days as Commissioner (know your business better than anyone else was his mantra)CCTV story. Happened to me before as wellESPN Asia, move to Hong Kong - at the age of 28 (1992)Birth of Cable industry in Asia, Satellite distribution just started – DTH business across the regionUS content as a start and Monday night Premier League matchesCreative deal making in ChinaMerger of ESPN Asia and Star Sports in Asia (Murdoch) (new set up in Singapore) – Managing Director of new JVBig change in broadcast landscape and shock for Rights holders and agenciesTwo different corporate cultures working together, very focused on turning a loss making entity to break evenESPN had carriage fees, Star Sports was free for platform owners (Advertising driven)Exploits in India, cable operators in India are another level (try to visualize it) – Chris McDonald/Manu Sawhney (wild west of India, machine guns, etc)ARPU blend discussion – penny a sub in China, 5 cent in India to 1 dollar in SEA and Taiwan – retail rate of partnersDisney/ESPN recently shut the entire network structure down after acquiring FOX Sports globally a few years before, about 30 years later Next stop CNBC Asia (NBC Universal) – learning the GE culture, Jack Welsh as CEOBusiness News different thingAfter 15 years, time to come back to the US – biggest take away, working with great people makes the differenceUnivision – President of Sports – launching a domestic US cable sports channel focused on Hispanic population – bringing in new ideas and concepts, pushing Rights holders to new groundsONE World Sports – new platform targeting Asian diaspora in the US (Seamus O’Brien behind the venture)From two affiliate deals, pushed up to 70Lots of live content, Chinese Super League, KHL (Russian Ice-hockey), ECB (English Cricket), European Football Club Channels, Table Tennis, etcAlternative to ESPN, heavy promotions and support to rights holders to market their product in the USEventually shareholders decided to sell the business – to ELEVENCommissioner of Major League Lacrosse – turn around situation, difficult set up with owners and commercial structureLeague had been around for 20 years, lots of cleaning up to doCompetitive League shows up (PLL), plus Covid gets in the wayMerging with PLL now, handing it over, winding up MLLPoshando Inc – starting his own consulting business just recently (back in Baltimore)Final thoughts on Broadcasting/Streaming industry currently, subscription models (Netflix), investor expectations vs industry realities (ARPU blend vs Sub growth) –quality of subscriberscost of acquisition of subs (cost of broadcast rightsAbout
Alexander P. Brown joined Major League Lacrosse in February 2018. Since taking the helm, Brown has drastically improved the experience and opportunity for players, teams and fans. During his tenure, he has restructured the ownership group, rebranded the league marks and reacquired the league’s media rights, leading to exponential growth in nationally televised reach. In 2019, Brown welcomed ten new partners to the league, introduced a creative and sophisticated digital team (generating 194% growth in social traffic, 97% growth in social engagement and 393% growth in web traffic) and achieved a 16% increase in total attendance year-over-year.
During the 2020 COVID impacted year, Brown oversaw the most successful year in MLL’s history in terms of overall engagement, generating over 150mm digital impressions over an eight (8) day tournament. Further, the league’s impressions on ESPN and ESPN + increased by 150% and 1600%, respectively.
Brown is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of leadership experience who has spearheaded the launch and growth of multiple sports media outlets. Most recently, he was the President/CEO of One World Sports, where he launched the HD channel across both linear and digital platforms to over 50 million US subscribers through cable and satellite distributors as well as over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
In 2010, Brown became President of Univision Sports, the leading media outlet for Spanish-speaking Americans, where he created and launched Univision Deportes to over 15 million US homes. As part of this effort, Brown oversaw the rebranding of Univision Sports. Additionally, he not only supervised the production of the highest rated primetime sports broadcast in the channel’s history at the time with the Mexico vs. Honduras match in the 2011 Gold Cup, but he developed Univision’s nightly version of SportsCenter, “Univision Deportes Extra” or “UDX” as well as the network’s signature soccer pregame program, “Futbol Central”.
Brown has extensive experience in the international markets. Based in Hong Kong and Singapore, he launched ESPN’s business in Asia while serving as the Managing Director of both ESPN Asia and ESPN Star Sports. Brown’s international work in sports began in the late 1980’s when he was hired by the NBA to oversee their international television interests in over 100 countries.
Brown played lacrosse collegiately at Washington and Lee University and represented the university in the 1985 USILA North South Game.
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