Best Unofficial Partner Podcasts (2025)

1
UP479 Wedge Issues: The Most Interesting Golf Brand You've Never Heard Of 1:01:54

1h ago1:01:54

1:01:54

This is an episode of Wedge Issues where we focus on the business of golf, with regular co-host, Jasmine Sanders, The Jazzy Golfer. Today we've got Luke Davies and Jojo Regan, founders of Manors Golf, the challenger brand that's rewriting the sport's marketing rule book. This episode of Unofficial Partner is brought to you by Sid Lee Sport. Sid L…

1
What Ohanian's Chelsea investment means for other WSL clubs 1:00:37

5h ago1:00:37

1:00:37

It's the start of a new season - at least for the podcast - and to kick-off Maggie and Matt are giving their take on the big stories that have broken since they last recorded...just two weeks ago. So that means why Alexis Ohanian has become the first major external investor into the WSL, and what the transaction means for the other clubs looking fo…

1
UP478 UP Live in Lausanne: How much entertainment can sport take? 1:00:03

3d ago1:00:03

1:00:03

A live recording of the Unofficial Podcast, on stage at the Olympic Museum for The SPOT conference. Guests Jo Redfern, Futrhood Damjan Rudež, Former NBA player & Sunset Sports Media Festival Program Director Michael D'hulst, founder and CEO of SuperTri Matt Wilkinson, Creative Director of Entertainment at Whisper Featuring Ana Jelusic Black, who in…

1
UP477 The Bundle: 'The others are addicts, Apple just haven't been given the hard stuff yet' 1:07:49

6d ago1:07:49

1:07:49

The inside gossip from the sports media and streaming business, with co-hosts Yannick Ramcke, the general manager of OTT streaming service OneFootball. And Murray Barnett, founder of 26 West Consulting, formerly of Formula One, World Rugby and ESPN Disney. This episode is sponsored by Sid Lee Sport. Sid Lee Sport is a new breed of agency that comb…

1
UP476 The $170billion Question: Gareth Balch on Sports Most Valuable IP 55:50

10d ago55:50

55:50

Intellectual Property is the basis of the sports business. Two Circles have mapped the global market to create a Sports IP Revenue List. Founder and CEO Gareth Balch has analysed what it says about the business of sport. Some headlines: The big get bigger : in the last decade, the % value share of the Top 20 Sports IP Owners of total revenue has gr…

1
Championship crowds doubled; why are WSL attendances down? 56:22

13d ago56:22

56:22

Why are Women's Super League attendances going to decline by 10% year-on-year while Championship attendances have doubled? Matt and Maggie have answers as they do a deep-dive into attendance trends for the top two leagues in England this season. They also answer YOUR questions, including why a club wouldn’t put fans in the stand most visible on bro…

1
UP475 Inside Edge: 'India already had a monopoly, now they've got hotels on Park Lane and Mayfair' 1:13:44

13d ago1:13:44

1:13:44

Inside Edge is where we overthink the business of cricket, with co-host Mike Jakeman. Today's guest is Lawrence Booth, Editor of the Wisden Almanack, the conscience of the game. Released last week, Booth pulled no punches in his editor's notes: "2024 was the year cricket gave up any claim to being properly administered, with checks, balances, and g…

1
UP474 Wedge Issues: The Jazzy Golfer Joins UP 35:08

17d ago35:08

35:08

We met Jasmine Sanders aka The Jazzy Golfer when we held our roundtable event at European Tour HQ at Wentworth during the BMW PGA Championship in 2024. Now she's come on board as a co-host for Wedge Issues where we overthink the business of golf. Jasmine is one of the leading golf creators, host of CNN's Living Golf and founder of the Women's Golf …

1
Wolves Women and a continued reliance on men's football 51:08

20d ago51:08

51:08

Maggie and Matt tackle the really quite strange story of Wolverhampton Wanderers, who narrowly missed promotion to the Championship this weekend but later revealed to players that they hadn't actually submitted to required paperwork for them to be promoted, had they finished top. What does this tell us about the over-reliance on men's football in E…

1
UP473 What was your Business Moment of the Year? UP goes inside the FEVO Sport Industry Awards judging room 1:14:40

21d ago1:14:40

1:14:40

There's a new award category at this year's FEVO Sport Industry Awards - Business Moment of the Year. And for the first time, the judging process is revealed, as we chair the conversation ahead of the big reveal on the night of May 15th at Battersea Evolution in London. Our illustrious judging panel is Richard Scudamore, Lucy Wray, Allan Noble and …

1
UP472 The Business of Swimming 48:10

25d ago48:10

48:10

Today we're talking about swimming and so we went to the London Aquatics Center in Stratford, located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Obviously the venue for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic games, but also the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, which were on while we were there. It was an opportunity to talk about the sport in detail …

1
Has London City taken its first step to becoming the best team in England? 58:56

27d ago58:56

58:56

London City Lionesses are in pole position for promotion to the Women's Super League in Michelle Kang’s first full season in charge. What does their journey to becoming "the best team in England" (which is Michelle's objective) tell us about what it takes to bring a team from the Championship into the WSL - and stay there over the long-term? They a…

1
UP471 UP Live at EBU: What the FIFA Club World Cup reveals about Free-to-Air in the YouTube era 48:01

28d ago48:01

48:01

Guests: Mark Oliver, Oliver and Ohlbaum Amy Lee, TV2 Denmark, EBU Member Tomos Grace - YouTube Context: A live podcast recorded at the European Broadcast Union's Annual Assembly in Bratislava. DAZN has paid $1billion for the rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. FIFA has sold the rights to DAZN for $1billion. DAZN is sub-licensing the rights, wit…

1
Can the NSL challenge the NWSL's dominance in North America? 47:10

1M ago47:10

47:10

No professional women's soccer league has ever existed in Canada - until today that is, with the Northern Super League (NSL) kicking off with six teams across the country. And a listener has contacted Maggie and Matt asking them whether they think it can success in a battle of attention against the long-established and still fast-growing NWSL south…

1
UP470 Other People's Money: How patient is patient capital when it comes to women's rugby? 1:06:24

1M ago1:06:24

1:06:24

Other People's Money is our regular series on sports investment, with Matt Rogan, co-founder of Two Circles. The Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off in August, hosted in here in England. The tournament is a critical moment in the game's development. But what is the financial state of women’s professional club rugby in this country. We talk to Genevie…

1
Why Chelsea Women COULD legitimately be worth £200m 54:06

1M ago54:06

54:06

Much is being made of Chelsea's "sale" of Chelsea Women to BlueCo, the company owned by the same consortium that owns the club. In particular the valuation of £200m. Well, Matt's got a lot to say on the matter and where he thinks many of the analysts are taking the wrong approach to assess whether the valuation is accurate (or not). Matt and Maggie…

1
UP469 Inside Edge: Overthinking the Business of Cricket 59:21

1M ago59:21

59:21

This is the first episode in a new series in which we take the Unofficial Partner sports business conversation and point it at cricket. Richard is joined by co-host Mike Jakeman, who writes about sport for The Economist and worked within The Economist Intelligence Unit, and has written for titles such as The New York Times, Wired magazine and the T…

1
UP468 States of Play: Miguel Delaney on Sportswashing 48:32

2M ago48:32

48:32

Today's guest is Miguel Delaney, Chief Football Writer for The Independent who talks about his book States of Play: How Sports Washing Took Over Football. It's described as a scorching account of how football's very popularity threatens to destroy it, a brave forensic and utterly gripping book' by Tom Holland (The Rest Is History host, not Spider M…

1
UP467 The Man Who Signed Michael Jordan: The reality behind the Air Movie, Nike and Matt Damon 36:30

2M ago36:30

36:30

Sonny Vaccaro was the pivotal figure behind Michael Jordan's groundbreaking deal with Nike, which remains one of the most storied contracts in sports business history. So good they made a movie about it, "Air", in which Vaccaro was played by Matt Damon, with Ben Affleck in the Phil Knight role. Vaccaro's book Legends & Soles: Business, Creativity a…

1
How to make money from hosting games in main stadia 54:31

2M ago54:31

54:31

In the WSL this season, 39% of games to date have been played in main stadia - the primary stadium of the men’s first team - compared to a third at the same stage last season. But what are the motivations, and can you actually make money hosting club women's football in these venues? Maggie has been asking clubs, and will break down the economics -…

1
UP466 Who's watching women's sport? New Sky Sports data challenges the industry's story on where the opportunity lies 1:09:30

2M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

The commercial growth of women’s sport is dependent on the audience question: Who is watching? To help frame the answer, we been given an exclusive preview of major new research in to women's sport fandom by Sky Sports which is due to be published in the coming weeks. Sky’s rights portfolio of women’s only sport is unmatched in the media industry, …

1
Will the new World Sevens shake up the football calendar? 51:27

2M ago51:27

51:27

Formally announced tomorrow, World Sevens is a new women’s club football competition this May that will feature eight clubs from across the world and has a HUGE prize pot believed to be in the seven figures. Matt and Maggie look at why it's been set up, the incentives to compete, and whether fans will be interested or not. They also delve into the …

1
UP465 The Bundle: The Relevent pitch deck; Bach's NBC farewell; Baller, Sidemen and the next streaming war 1:02:52

2M ago1:02:52

1:02:52

Welcome to The Bundle, our regular series on the sports media and streaming marketplace with co-hosts Yannick Ramcke, General Manager of OTT at the streaming service OneFootball and Murray Barnett, founder of 26West Consulting and formerly of F1, World Rugby and ESPN International. Quiz What is UC3, and what significance does Relevent Sports taking…

1
UP464 Other People's Money: How to pitch to a VC 47:55

2M ago47:55

47:55

Other People's Money is our regular series on sports investment, with co-host Matt Rogan, co-founder of Two Circles. Our guest today is Gabbie Swycher, Principal at Redrice Ventures, a venture capital firm that provides capital, advice and connections to early stage businesses including several in the sports sector, most notably they were an early …

1
All your WSL closed league questions, answered 45:29

2M ago45:29

45:29

Last week Maggie and Matt talked about the WPL’s proposal for the top two leagues in English football to increase to 16 teams each, supported by removing relegation from the top two tiers for at least a period of four years. In many ways, the proposals have raised more questions than they have answered - so they are on and to fill the gaps. They al…

1
UP463 Ticketing is a terrible experience, so who's to blame? 40:44

2M ago40:44

40:44

Nobody's ever happy with the process of buying event tickets. Why's it so hard? Join us in an enlightening discussion with David Hornby of SecuTix and Stuart Cain, CEO of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, as we explore the complexities of the ticketing process. Discover the roles of different stakeholders, the evolution of ticketing technology, cha…

1
UP462 The Big Idea: Where we talk about the work 58:16

2M ago58:16

58:16

The Big Idea is our series where we dissect and talk about campaigns and ideas and creative in sports marketing, with regular co-host Simon Moore, the award-winning creative director. Today the person choosing the campaigns is Joe Burdon, who is a partner at The Romans, part of the Mother Group. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the bus…

1
Are the financial arguments for a closed league fundamentally flawed? 49:29

3M ago49:29

49:29

Without doubt the biggest story in women’s football since last week's episode has been the next step in the WPL’s motion for the top two leagues in English football to become a closed shop. So Maggie and Matt bring y9ou the inside track and the angles no-one else has talked about yet. They also look at the new NWSL documentary being launched on Ama…

1
UP461 Are You Advising or Selling? Conflict of Interest in the Sponsorship Industry 58:46

3M ago58:46

58:46

New research from The Gemba Group suggests a credibility problem for the sports sponsorship industry arising when agencies both advise brands on sponsorship opportunities and sell rights for those same properties, leading to potentially biased recommendations. The discussion highlights the increasing involvement of procurement departments, the need…

1
UP460 Brian Moore For Prime Minister 58:31

3M ago58:31

58:31

Our guest today is Brian Moore, former England and British Lions rugby player, lawyer, newspaper columnist, television commentator and author. If it’s informed and insightful opinions you’ve come for, you’re in luck. In a world where the professional sphere of sports intertwines with broader societal issues, Brian Moore dives into themes of identit…

1
Will Goodison Park's legacy be women's football? 58:05

3M ago58:05

58:05

Off the back of last week’s podcast, Maggie and Matt have been told by various sources that WSL team Everton are planning on building a women’s football stadium on the area where Goodison Park currently sits. So they look at why Everton would do that, and what would it look like. They also cover how the written/print media covers women’s football a…

1
UP459 Cristiano Ronaldo at 40: The New Template for Sporting Celebrity? 54:50

3M ago54:50

54:50

Rory Smith recently wrote a think piece in the New York Times titled What is Ronaldo at 40? The article posed some good questions about the nature of sporting celebrity in 2025 and beyond. So we asked Rory on to the podcast to discuss, with two expert guests from the sports industry, Louise Johnson and Andy Meikle. Rory Smith joined The Athletic fr…

1
How big should a women's football stadium be? 48:10

3M ago48:10

48:10

How big should a women's football stadium be? Maggie and Matt are on hand to try and give you a definitive answer, off the back of recent comments from Glasgow Rangers’ head of women’s football about building an 8,000 capacity stadium. They also analyse a record deal for Gotham in the NWSL with personal care brand Dove - and explore what it indicat…

1
UP458 What's Sport Selling? Fitness, Toxicity and the Importance of the ASICS Message 45:01

3M ago45:01

45:01

This is episode two of a four part series called What’s Sport Selling, created in partnership with Redtorch, the research and creative agency that’s been at the heart of Olympic Sport for over 20 years. This conversation builds on the first episode, with guests Celine Del Genes of Decathlon and Emma Mason Zwiebler of the World Federation of the Spo…

1
UP457 India's Decade of Sport: The Teneo Roundtable 1:17:02

3M ago1:17:02

1:17:02

This is a special live recording of the podcast created in collaboration with the Strategic Sports Advisory Team at Teneo, at the company's London headquarters. Together we convened a roundtable forum on the topic of India and its relationship with the sports marketplace. Around the table was group of specially invited guests all of whom have a con…

1
"AI shouldn’t be something you pay for every time you use it" | Daryn on DeepSeek’s Big Disruption 12:55

3M ago12:55

12:55

Welcome back to the Evolving HubSpot podcast with Daryn Smith. In this episode, we tackle some of the biggest shifts in AI, CRM, and the future of business starting with DeepSeek’s breakthrough in AI pricing and what that means for companies like HubSpot and Salesforce. Here’s what you can expect: 1. The Disruption of AI Pricing AI is getting cheap…

1
How new investors will support Durham's growth plans 52:11

3M ago52:11

52:11

Lee Sanders and Mark Donnelly, the driving forces behind English Championship side Durham, are special guests this week. Lee has spent much of his life and career as a youth football coach, and was the driving force of establishing Durham Women. He also managed the team for a significant period of its existence, and now serves as the club’s Head of…

1
UP456 The Bundle: Netflix F1? TNT Six Nations? What if, streaming is just a bad business? 1:08:02

3M ago1:08:02

1:08:02

Will Netflix buy F1 rights in the US? Will TNT buy Six Nations in the UK? Will DAZN back out of their Ligue1 deal in France? Streamers' January accounts: is anyone not losing money? Is TGL any good? Do you go to the Super Bowl just for the meetings? Join Richard Gillis on The Bundle with Yannick Ramcke, General Manager of OTT at OneFootball and Mur…

1
UP455 The Buy Side: Why the financial sector spends so much on sport 58:41

3M ago58:41

58:41

The Buy Side is our regular series talking with brand side marketers about sport and sponsorship. Our guest is Richard Deane, who's career includes running sponsorship programmes at Standard Life Investments, Abrdn and Investec across Ryder Cup, British and Irish Lions and many other major sports properties. The Buy Side is sponsored by the Two Cir…

1
Has the transfer window shifted power from the NWSL to WSL? 49:17

3M ago49:17

49:17

Chelsea signed the best defender to have ever graced women's football, according to Emma Hayes, for a world record transfer fee. Several other high-profile players left the NWSL for Europe. And Chloe Kelly had to take to social media to force a move. Matt and Maggie explain what the movements from this January’s transfer window tell you about the c…

1
UP454 Other People's Money: Why P/E wants to be a football agent 50:50

3M ago50:50

50:50

Other People's Money is our series on the sports investment marketplace with regular co-host Matt Rogan, co-founder of Two Circles. Bruin Capital, George Pyne's private equity firm, has launched a new international soccer agency called As1, representing more than 300 players and coaches as clients. The list includes Bruno Fernandes, Man United, Moi…

1
Why having B teams in the pyramid can benefit the Lionesses 55:26

4M ago55:26

55:26

There's a consultation out from the English Football Association to allow B teams from Women’s Super League and Championship clubs to play in the National League from 2026/27. Maggie and Matt lay out the pros, cons and likelihood of it happening. They also look at the third edition of the Deloitte Football Money League for women’s football - what w…

1
UP453 The Product: What IS the link between investment and performance in football? 57:49

4M ago57:49

57:49

This is a continuation of a series of podcasts focused on the sporting product, formats and the link to financial success and fan engagement. Guests: Barney Schauble, co-owner of Venezia FC and Oakland Roots SC Omar Chaudhuri, chief intelligence officer, Twenty First Group AJ Swoboda, managing director Americas, Twenty First Group US financier Barn…

1
UP452 Gamechangers and Rainmakers: Who Created The Sports Business? 36:59

4M ago36:59

36:59

Gamechangers and Rainmakers: How Sport Became Big Business is a new book by British sports industry veteran David Stubley. The growing relationship between sport, television and the advertising industry has been key to this development, as have the boundless ambitions of influencers such as Bernie Ecclestone, Billie Jean King, Pete Rozelle, Mark Mc…

1
Will Celtic, Rangers and Wrexham soon be in the WSL? 51:07

4M ago51:07

51:07

This week Matt and Maggie discuss the rumpus being caused by news that Celtic and Rangers have been in talks about joining English football, and how that’s related to the WSL potentially becoming a closed league. They also do a deep-dive into finances in the lower tiers of English football, and answer a listener question about the launch of the Bay…

1
UP451 Media Strategy Masterclass: The Art and Science of the Auction 1:13:18

4M ago1:13:18

1:13:18

Media rights auctions are the moment when the question of 'What’s sport worth?' is asked and answered; the point at which the talk becomes real; where fortunes are been spent, won and lost, psychology meets money. The auction gives us a glimpse of a different future, that may or may not be the direction of travel for everyone else in the marketplac…

1
"AGI won’t see mass adoption in 2025" | Daryn Smith on What’s Next for AI & CRM 16:34

4M ago16:34

16:34

Welcome to the first episode of the Evolving HubSpot podcast in 2025, hosted by Daryn Smith. As we step into a new year, we explore the future of AI, the evolving role of HubSpot’s partner network, and the growing intersection of CRM, automation, and artificial general intelligence (AGI). Here’s what you can expect in this episode: 1. The Rise of A…

1
UP450: WTF is Infinite Athlete? 1:07:00

4M ago1:07:00

1:07:00

Today's guest is Infinite Athlete founder Charlie Ebersol. Infinite Athlete has been a sports business story since the brand suddenly appeared on Chelsea’s shirt at the start of last season. It's a story with a lot of baggage: Charlie Ebersol is the son of actress Susan St James and Dick Ebersol, the legendary NBC Sport chairman. IA is backed by An…

1
The impact of women's football in EA Sports FC 52:59

4M ago52:59

52:59

Happy New Year and welcome to Season Two of Expected Goals. Because you've not heard from Maggie and Matt since before Christmas, in this first episode of the year they've got short and sharp analysis of all the news from the business of women’s football from the last month. Consider it a cheat sheet to bring you up to speed as you get cracking for…

1
UP449 The Bundle: What Next for Netflix, DAZN, Disney, News Corp, YouTube and Apple 1:00:06

4M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

Welcome to The Bundle, our regular series on the sports media and streaming marketplace with co-hosts Yannick Ramcke, General Manager of OTT at the streaming service OneFootball and Murray Barnett, founder of 26West Consulting and formerly of F1, World Rugby and ESPN International. Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport…

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Unofficial Partner Podcasts

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