SportsPro Podcast

Tom Bassam is joined by a couple of sports venue experts as he sits down with Jonathan Nelson, global head of digital at Populous, and OnePlan founder and CEO, Paul Foster, to talk about the future of the space. Populous is the leading firm in sports and entertainment venue architecture, while OnePlan is a five-year old business specialising in digital twin technology - essentially AI-powered virtual representations of physical spaces - like football stadiums or event venues. Together, with AI technology unlocking new possibilities, the two companies are collaborating to unlock greater understanding about the stadiums and arenas fans flock to, as well as helping those who manage them make sure those spaces are being used in the most optimal fashion.

It all starts with a strategy but how do you make sure that plan is being realised to its fullest potential? In How to Win, a new six-part podcast series from SportsPro and strategy realisation specialist NorthStar Solutions Group, we hear from top leaders across the sports industry with the primary objective of uncovering what it really takes to win in their field. Episode one sees SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham and Chris Collins, president and CEO of NorthStar, welcome Bruin Capital CEO George Pyne for a high-level conversation about how an active investor can put in place the right building blocks to maximise returns when it comes time to exit.

Want to learn from some of the best in the business? Here's something new from SportsPro... How to Win. This new six-part podcast series, in collaboration with our friends at Northstar Solutions Group, features some of the top industry leaders and hones in on how to successfully implement the strategies required to win in the business of sports. Launching on 6th November, episode one sees Bruin Capital CEO and founder George Pyne join SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham and Northstar CEO Chris Collins to discuss delivering ROI as an investor. The rest of the series will be released weekly every Wednesday, subscribe to the SportsPro Podcast feed to ensure you never miss an episode.

An invitation to the T100 Triathlon World Tour stop-off in Ibiza was a bit too good to turn down, so SportsPro packed its bag and hopped on a plane. From on the ground in Ibiza Town, Tom Bassam brings you interviews with PTO CEO Sam Renouf and others to find out how this venture-backed new-ish sports property is doing things a little bit differently in a bid to take triathlon mainstream.

While the pay gap between the stars of the WSL and the Premier League remains large, the realities of life as a professional footballer are consistent - a short career at the top of your earning potential and a high risk of injury. To learn more about how the game is changing for the new generation of women’s pros, Tom Bassam is joined by a couple of specialists in the field, Arthur Fane from Miller Insurance’s specialist sports team and Sophie Barrington, who leads on sport and entertainment in Barclays’ wealth management division.

SportsPro’s latest annual 50 Most Marketable Athletes list is out now and, as ever, throws up some fascinating names. Tom Bassam is joined by Sam Carp and Ed Dixon to discuss the rankings, powered by Northstar Solutions Group, while also analysing the trends that emerge from this years’s list. You can download an expanded list of the top 150 athletes, featuring a full statistical breakdown, here.

With the new NBA season upon us, Tom Bassam is joined by Josh Sim to talk about the differing trends in the US sports media market compared to Europe. There's also some discussion on the US major leagues' overseas endeavours, (25:54) with the NFL UK's general manager Henry Hodgson also dialling in to provide an update on the London games and more.

Depending on where you get your news (literally), Manchester City’s legal challenge to the Premier League over associated party transactions was highly successful or not particularly seismic. Tom Bassam is joined by Steve McCaskill and Josh Sim to get the bottom of it. We also learn what AI thinks about Steve’s sailing knowledge and discuss some of the technological innovations that are powering the upcoming America’s Cup.

So we know the Club World Cup final will be at MetLife Stadium but otherwise little else about Fifa’s new tournament. To pick holes in the plan, Tom Bassam is joined by Ed Dixon and Sam Carp, who also discuss the state of British basketball, as well as the new NHL season. Then, in part two, BodyArmor’s Tom Gargiulo takes us inside the sports drink brand’s marketing strategy.

AI: dangerous threat or the technology that will set us free? The truth, of course, is somewhere in between. To discover more Tom Bassam and Steve McCaskill went along to the inaugural SportsPro AI event at London Stadium where they found out how sports is embracing AI, as well as how the rapidly-evolving technology is shaping the future.