The Footballco Business Podcast

This episode was recorded live at the Broadcast Sport Content Summit and covers BBC Sport and dock10's plans for broadcasting the biggest World Cup ever! Including... How BBC Sport will engage fans outside match windows Why they're broadcasting most of the World Cup from Manchester rather than North America In-studio plans How the World Cup broadcast could influence Match of the Day, Final Score and other BBC Sport shows Navigating timezone challenges Technical innovations and obstacles Featuring: Hannah Robinson, Production Development Producer - dock10 Colm Harty, Senior Director - BBC Sport Mike Lodmore, Duty Technology Manager - dock10 Rich Wormwell, Head of Production Innovation - dock10

Our guest on the latest Footballco Business Podcast is the strongest man to have played football, Adebayo Akinfenwa. As a player, Bayo didn’t make it to the Premier League, but he built a player brand through iconic interviews, becoming a legend in the FIFA video game with KSI, and now hosts the Footballco-produced Beast Mode On Podcast. Bayo joined us to discuss…. Being the strongest man in football How his size created misconceptions about his ability How KSI and FIFA brought him new fans Why building a player brand was essential for his career His iconic ‘hit me up on WhatsApp interview after being released by Wimbledon Why his Beast Mode On Podcast is more than just another former pros' podcasts His favourite and dream guests

With this Summer's World Cup set to be the noisiest ever, we gathered an expert panel for our recent 'Never Mind the Cliches' event to help brands cut through the noise and make the most of the biggest World Cup ever. With Iconic's James Kirkham moderating, we were joined by England legend and media pioneer Rio Ferdinand, Homeground CEO Rachid Ahoyek, and strategic partner manager for YouTube, Joshua Wayoe. Between them, they covered... What it's like playing at a World Cup and handling the media The marketing cliches to avoid How fans will be consuming the World Cup Going beyond second-screening Working with athletes What fans are really watching on YouTube And much more!

As Millwall FC celebrate their 140th anniversary, our guest is the club's Chief Commercial Officer, Luke Wilson. Luke joins us to discuss the club's brand and what it means to be Millwall today, compared with the club’s reputation in the 70s and 80s. From working in the community across two of London's most deprived boroughs and a successful LGBTQ+ team to how Alex Neil has harnessed the club's 'nobody likes' and 'underdog' spirit to get the club pushing for promotion to the Premier League, and what such an achievement would mean to the club.

On this show, we're speaking to Sean Connel, the Editor of The Sponsor and author of their most recent report on the fair market value of stadium sponsorship in Europe. With Spurs' still looking for a naming partner for their stadium and Manchester United planning a replacement for Old Trafford what is the true fair market value for stadium naming rights? Sean joins us to discuss this and much more, including why Barcelona's Nou Camp and Real Madrid's Bernabeu are the most valuable in Europe, the dangers and opportunities of renaming heritage stadiums, and why stadiums in the US command such a premium. Read more about The Sponsor’s European Stadium Naming Rights Fair Market Value Report - https://www.thesponsor.com/revealed-european-stadium-naming-rights-fair-market-sponsorship-values-2026/

This episode was recorded live at the World Football Summit Riyadh in December 2025 and covers Identifying, localising, and monetising the next generation of fans, featuring a panel including: Mohammed Basrawi - GM and MARCOM Content for the Saudi Pro League Olek Loewenstein - President of Sports Content at Televisa Univision Shahrukh Sohail - Senior Sports and Entertainment Business Manager at Explere Marc Veelenturf - CEO Middle East & Türkiye and Chief Growth Officer – International markets at Atos It’s moderated by our own SVP for the Middle East, Andy Jackson.

The relationship between football and fashion has never been bigger, so we're kicking off the New Year with fashion, football and culture journalist Daniel-Yaw Miller to discuss the biggest trends in football and fashion and look ahead to the 2026 World Cup. Listen to hear about... The best fits and kits from AFCON What Nike and adidas have planned for the 2026 World Cup Why clubs are digging into their archives more Why Mario Balotelli was everywhere last year Are Arsenal doing too many collabs? Why clubs need to pay more attention to K-Culture If you like this, subscribe to Dan's Substack for more: https://sportsverse.substack.com/

Two years ago, Juventus Football Club kicked off, We Are Youth Since 1897; a piece of brand work that goes beyond gen-z and gen alpha engagement to create a club-brand rooted in the spirit of youth to differentiate the club from its rivals, both domestic and international. On the latest episode of the Footballco Business Podcast, we’re joined by Juventus’ Marketing Director, Marco Castellaneta, to find out what the club's done so far and what it takes to be a youthful club, including... 👶 What youth means to Juventus 🤴 The club’s Kings League partnership 🧠 Tackling mental health 📍 Taking football to extreme locations 📊 Measuring success 🗣️ Communicating We Are Youth Since 1897 to fans

We’re joined by Global Director Brand and Customer, Anne Stilling, to discuss why the brand is back with UEFA across both men’s and women’s football and how the brand’s approach to football has evolved over more than two decades! Also… The strategy behind Vodafone’s new UEFA partnership Similarities with men’s football and women’s rugby How football and marketing have changed since Vodafone’s last UEFA partnership Could we see Vodafone on a Premier League shirt again? Stadium sponsorship What is Hyrox and why you should care

We're joined by SportsPro's Michael Long and Ed Dixon to go through their latest list of the 50 most marketable athletes in sport, otherwise known as 50MM. We find out who the most marketable footballers are and what makes a player marketable in 2025. Find out more and see the full list at: https://50mm.sportspro.com/

On this episode of the Footballco Business Podcast, we’re joined by the managing director of Manchester City Women, Charlotte O’Neill. Charlotte joins us to discuss performance off the pitch, including: Commercial partnerships with the likes of Snuggs and Joie What it’s like playing games at two stadiums next door to each other Growing the club’s fanbase and its new social media plans What the club can learn from Hey Duggee Live and Disney on Ice The impact of new broadcast deals Being able to drink in the stands Where City Women will be in 2035

On this episode of the Footballco Business Podcast, we're joined by Matt McKie. Currently a Non-Executive Director at Stockport County, Matt has held senior brand and marketing roles at Manchester United, the IOC, Nike and EA Sports. Matt joins us to discuss his work at Stockport County, the importance of community, challenging Wrexham, and why he can't have the next generation of kids growing up in Stockport and following Manchester City. There are also lessons from his time at United, EA Sports and Nike.

On this show, we're bringing you Colm Dillane's interview from Stands, recorded in August this year and covering Colm's passion for fashion and creativity and the role football plays in his work. Colm is interviewed by Ryan McLaughlin, Events & Collaborations @ MCL Digital, Co-Host and Co-Organiser of STANDS STANDS is an event created FC St. Pauli to give room to the intersection between the different communities/cultures of streetfashion, art, music and football at the Millerntor Stadium Colm's interview covers Having Ronaldinho walk for KidSuper at Paris Fashion Week Why football is 'the coolest sport in the world' Lessons for brands and clubs crossing into football and fashion Why being a creator/director is harder than being an athlete Why he built a pitch on the roof of KidSuper Studio Partnering with St Pauli to create a unique mural, hoodies and shirts Working with Puma for the brand's Club World Cup Kits Collaborating with Louis Vuitton

This episode of the Footballco Business Podcast was recorded live in Basel ahead of the 2025 Women's Euro Final and features Senior Marketing Director for EA Sports FC, James Salmon. James joined us to discuss the impact of women's football in the FC series, the impact of new partnerships, the role of the FC Futures project and why everyone loves Chloe Kelly.

On this episode, we're joined by Sports Business Journal's Soccer Staff Writer, Alex Silverman, for a show dedicated to US Soccer. Alex takes us through SBJ's recently published list of the best US cities for soccer business, looks back at the Club World Cup and forward to the World Cup, and what's next for MLS.

On this show, we're finding out how to and why we need to bring creativity into women's football marketing, how to get the best from players, and the importance of understanding the culture. Also...the worst women's football marketing cliches, the importance of football adjacent culture and what it's like managing Toone and Russo. This episode was recorded live at Rewriting the Rules - an event held at INDIVISA HQ during the second week of the 2025 Women's Euro, focused on how brands and media are winning in women's football by doing this differently.

On this show, our guest is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Mercury 13, Victoire Cogevina Reynal. Victoire joins us to discuss Mercury 13's first year owning FC Como Women, the club's rebrand, its role in the multi-club ownership group's plans and the importance of fashion and lifestyle. Victoire also discusses her admiration for Angel City FC, how they pitch to commercial partners and welcoming Juan Mata and Sergio Oliveira onto the board.

The growth of women's football in Saudi Arabia presents numerous opportunities for brands to be part of a unique movement and a pivotal moment in women's sport in the region. However, navigating and understanding this fandom isn't straightforward. To help brands better understand women's football fandom in Saudi Arabia, our women's football brand, INDIVISA, hosted a panel featuring: Tonia Eid - L'Oréal Beauty Division Lead at the global media network Wavemaker Farah Badran - Sport Strategy Consultant at independent sports, culture, and entertainment agency, RISE. Andy Jackson - SVP for the Middle East at Footballco The panel was moderated by our of VP of marketing and communications, Fabiola Wilcox.

On this episode, we're joined by the hosts of the Expected Goals podcast, Maggie Murphy and Matt Cutler to discuss what's changed in women's football in England since the Lionesses lifted the trophy on home turf in 2022. Maggie and Matt cover the impact of the Lionesses on both international and domestic attendance, the ever-changing broadcast set-up, how brands have changed their approach, and even try to predict the winner of the forthcoming Women's Euro. If you like this, check out the Expected Goals podcast. Expected Goals leads the business conversation for women's football. It is a must-listen for anyone riding the women's football wave - both those investing in it and those who want to understand the dynamics of the business underpinning it.

With Major League Soccer now in its 30th season, SportsPro's Michael Long and Sam Carp join our own Patrick Stiegman to discuss the growth of the league since its first season in 1996 and what the future holds post-World Cup. For more, read Sam Carp's feature: The Health Check: Why MLS sponsorship growth is about more than just Messi - https://www.sportspro.com/insights/features/mls-sponsorship-portfolio-growth-messi-effect-adidas-apple/

On this show, we’re joined by EA SPORTS’ VP of Ventures, David Jackson. David joins us to discuss EA SPORTS’ new app, which takes EA beyond gaming and into the world of real sports media curation and distribution. Download the EA SPORTS APP: Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ea.gp.brooklyn APPLE: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6670217137

On this episode, our guest is Joe Foster, International Marketing Manager for Bodø/Glimt - the small Norwegian team taking Europe by storm. Joe joins us to discuss the effect the Europa League has had on the club and his job, the challenges of being a club in the Arctic Circle, and why, for Bodø, sustainability is more than a box-ticking exercise.

This episode is a taster of what you can expect from the Excellent Leadership Podcast, hosted by Chad Biagini (President, Excel Search & Advisory). This clip features Footballco CEO Juan Delgago discussing how Footballco operates as a modern football media company, the growth of women's football, and how Footballco harnesses AI. The Excellent Leadership Podcast interviews sports and entertainment CEOs, Presidents, General Managers, Athletics Directors, Head Coaches, Elite Athletes and Performers. It explores their career journeys, experiences, and advice as leaders in the world's most exciting and competitive industry Find out more: https://excelsm.com/excellentleadership/

C.P. Company's Lorenzo Osti joins us to discuss how the brand created by his father ended up being adopted by the UK's casual football subculture, why they partnered with Manchester City, and how he's continuing his father's legacy at C.P.

Brent Koning is Dentsu's EVP for global gaming and spent six years at Electronic Arts, where he was Commissioner of the EA Sports FIFA Global series and was the first employee of EA’s football esports team. Brent joins us to build a winning gaming strategy for his own fictitious football club, including... Where does gaming sit within a marketing strategy Roblox, Fortnite, EAFC? Which games should clubs get involved with YouTube or Twitch - Where are the fans? How do you see an ROI on gaming? The role of competitive gaming? And, what games has brent played more than 1,000 hours of?

Our guest on this show is Mohammed Basrawi, GM for Marketing Communications and Content for the Saudi Pro League. Mohammed joins us to discuss how the Saudi Pro League is growing its audience outside of leveraging the popularity of marquee players. From the biggest derbies and club history to innovative media deals and eye-catching celebrations, this show looks at what’s driving fandom both inside the Kingdom and in growing markets.

Our guest is the man behind 'Brand Beckham', Simon Oliveira. Simon has worked also closely with Lewis Hamilton, Neymar Jnr and Andy Murray and joins us to talk about building the Beckham brand and how you create a modern footballer brand today. Up for discussion are: Turning Beckham into 'soft British power' Beckham and the Olympics Taking David the LA Galaxy The tabloids of the 00s versus the social media of today The role of Victoria on building David's brand The best league for growing a footballer brand Do players need a cause? Players becoming YouTubers and curators The role of documentaries Which player Simon would liked to have worked with

In this episode, we bring you the More Women in Football panel from the Social Football Summit, which took place in Rome in November last year. The panel features Budreya Faisal, President of Banaat FC, Morgan Brennan, Head of Footballco's women's football brand, INDIVISA, and Zoe Johnson, Managing Director of Women and Girls at Brighton and Hove Albion. The panel includes: How Brighton have become a leading club in the WSL both on and off the pitch - from plans for a purpose-built stadium to looking after player's social media The fascinating story behind why Budreya Faisal set up a women's football club in Dubai and the challenges she's had to overcome Tips on growing fandom through original content from INDIVISA's Morgan Brennan To find out more about the Social Football Summit, visit socialfootballsummit.com

Fashion and sport culture journalist Daniel-Yaw Miller joins us to discuss the biggest collabs and stories of 2024, his predictions for this year and builds his dream team of fashion ambassadors. Also on the show... Why Arsenal are dominating football fashion CP Company and the rise of terrace culture-inspired clothing Why the Arnault family bought Paris FC and did they buy the wrong Parisian club? AC Milan and Off-White Cole Palmer You can get more insight from Daniel here: SportsVerse Newsletter - Dan's bi-weekly newsletter on the intersection of sports, culture, fashion and money: https://sportsverse.substack.com/ Instagram: @danielyaw_ LinkedIn: Daniel-Yaw Miller

We're joined by the CEO and MD of Serie A USA, Andy Mitchell, to discuss how he's helping Americans fall in love with Italian football. From the power of Pulisic to US owners and the importance of having a pizzeria on every street corner, Andy discusses how Serie A cultivates this fandom. Andy also discusses the prevalence of US ownership, the importance of watching games live and why he'd love to see games played in the US. If you enjoy this show, be sure to check out other episodes featuring Juventus and both Inter and AC Milan.

We're looking back at how video games have changed how fans engage with football and the titles that influenced the industry and our relationship with the sport. Our guest is Richard Moss, the author of the recently released 'A Tale of Two Halves—the History of Football Video Games 1982-2010'. Richard goes back to discuss the creation of these iconic games, what made them so groundbreaking and their influence on football itself. Getting discussed on the show are... FIFA Pro Evolution Soccer Sensible Soccer Football Manager and Championship Manager NASL Soccer - Intellivision Soccer 1980 The Manchester United video game series 'A Tale of Two Halves' is available to buy now direct from Bitmap Books: Standard Hardback: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/by-genre/products/a-tale-of-two-halves Collector’s Edition: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/by-genre/products/a-tale-of-two-halves-captains-edition

On this show, we’re discussing Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup with Hammad Albalawi, Head of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation FIFA World Cup 2034 bid unit. With the Kingdom expected to soon be named as the host country for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, we talk to Hammad about his love of football, the role it plays in Saudi Arabia and the importance of the World Cup in how Saudi Arabia markets itself to the world. We also discuss the upcoming Netflix documentary, “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff” and the Kingdom’s wider football strategy.

From the New York Yankees to Pleasures and Off-White - we speak to AC Milan's CMO, Tania Moreno, about the club's football and fashion strategy and what made Business of Fashion call AC Milan 'The football team that finally got fashion right'. Including: How the club chooses its fashion partners The role of fashion in growing the club in the US Who is really buying AC Milan clothing

On this show, we're joined by SportsPro's Ed Dixon and Sam Carp to examine SportsPro's latest 50 Most Marketable Athletes list, which ranks athletes from across the world and across sports. With a focus on football, we find out who the most marketable players in the world are and what makes them so valuable. We also look at competition from outside of football, how the rise of women's sports has affected the list, and how the list might change next year. This year’s ranking from SportsPro has been compiled in partnership with consulting firm NorthStar Solutions Group, which has developed an enhanced methodology and multi-faceted evaluation model to deliver the most comprehensive assessment of athlete marketability ever undertaken. To view the list in full, visit https://50mm.sportspro.com/

On this episode of the Footballco Business Podcast, we’re talking about club-run podcasts. Alex is joined by Jim Salveson, director of sport at Sport Social, Europe’s largest dedicated sports podcast network, working with the likes of Manchester City, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Jim is joined by Matt Tasker, executive producer for Sport Social and also the man behind getting Manchester United into podcasts back in 2019.

Our guest on this show is Emily Heath, global brand director for Rexona at Unilever. Emily joined us to discuss Rexona's work in women’s football, from their Breaking Limits program and barriers faced by girls trying to progress in sports to the brand’s UEFA and FIFA partnerships and their focus on young female players.

As Director of Global Sports, Media, and Entertainment Marketing for Google, Kate Johnson is one of the most influential people in sports marketing. On this show, she discusses Google's women's football strategy, partnerships with Arsenal, Liverpool, the NWSL, and the Frauen-Bundesliga, and her own experience as an Olympic medalist and a woman in sport.

Sitting on the US and Mexico border, Juarez is regarded by some as the most dangerous place in the world. On this episode, we're speaking with the president of FC Juarez, Luis Rodriguez, about the reality of managing and marketing a club in a city as unique as Juarez. Luis talks to us about attracting players, how and why they're looking to grow in the US and what makes FC Juarez one of the most interesting clubs in soccer.

Acid FC have been responsible for some of the most creative kit and apparel designs in football over recent years, having worked with clubs including Leeds United, St Pauli, Oakland Roots and Red Star FC. On this show, we're talking to Acid FC's founder, Ed Cowburn, about trends in kit design, the role of creatives in football, why smaller clubs are setting the creative benchmark, and what it's like designing the kit for your hometown club. For more on Acid FC, head to https://www.acidfc.com/ or follow them on Instagram @weareacidfc

We're talking to Michael Yormark, the president of Roc Nation Sports International, about being part of Jay-Z's Roc Nation empire, how the agency differentiates itself and the importance of the Ballon d'Or for Vini Jr. 's career. Michael also talks to us about what got the agency into the football business, their goals for World Cup 2026 and his dream client.

This episode is a Euro 2024 special. We're joined by Tom Bassam, host of the SportsPro Podcast, to discuss the biggest marketing and media moments from this year's tournament. Tom and Alex try their best to decide which players were the most marketable, which were the standout media trends whether hosting the tournament was a win for Germany. This episode was recorded on July 11th, before the final between Spain and England.

In the 1970s, Admiral invented the replica shirt industry, creating the first-ever replica kits for the likes of the England National Team and Leeds United. Today, they're known for their pioneering collab-kits with the likes of Bob Marley and the Rolling Stones and award-winning designs for Walthamstow FC. We speak to Admiral Sports' Theo Hamburger about the birth of an industry now worth billions and how new generations are falling in love with their designs. This episode of the Footballco Business Podcast was recorded live at Hotel MUNDIAL during the first week of Euro 2024.

This show was recorded live at Soccerex Europe and features Mike Armstrong, Juventus's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and Marco Castellaneta, the club’s Head of Digital Media. Mike and Marco were on stage with Footballco's PR Manager, Paul Rayment, to discuss the Juventus Creator Lab - the club’s new approach to creation, where creatives with different talents - designers, video makers, writers, influencers, streamers, social media creators - join forces in a single production centre in the heart of the Juventus headquarters. Both guests appeared on the podcast in 2023 when the project had just started and join us now to discuss what's happened since, the role lab in the club's broader business and media strategies and how Juventus see the future working with creators of various disciplines.

Las Vegas is always reinventing itself, and right now, it's focused on becoming the home of sports. Having recently hosted the Super Bowl, Vegas is now home to the Las Vegas Knights (NHL), the Raiders (NFL) and will soon welcome the Oakland Athletics (MLB). And that's without mentioning F1, boxing or college sports out of UNLV. Before any of these major franchises, the Las Vegas Lights was one of only a few sports teams in the city, but it was known more for its outlandish stunts than for being a credible team. We spoke to the new owner of the Las Vegas Lights and MLB six-time All Star, Jose Bautista about his plans for the Lights and what it's like running a club in Las Vegas as more major teams move in.

On this episode, we’re speaking with Iñigo Diaz de Cerio, International Area Manager of Real Sociedad. Iñigo joins us to talk about growing fandom at home and abroad and the impact the club’s run in the UEFA Champions League had on its brand. Located in the Basque Country, Real Sociedad’s identity is rooted in the region. While the team now comprises of players from other regions and countries, the club still looks to bring local players through and foster a Basque identity in the team. With that in mind, we ask Inigo about the importance of the Basque identity with local fans and contrast that with the club’s growth in Japan after the signing of Takefusa Kubo in 2022. Also, with the club making it to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, after topping their group, we find out how that’s helped the club’s growth and affected their future ambitions in European competition. You can find out more about Real Sociedad in the Outside The Box series with FedEx which profiles players, managers and clubs who do things differently... watch the full episode here: https://bit.ly/44RdeFd.

On this episode, Alex talks with Jenny Mitton, Managing Partner and women’s Sport Lead at M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment. Jenny has extensive experience in women's sport, including football, rugby, and cricket, having worked with some of the biggest brands and rights holders in the space. We discuss the changing face of women's football, learnings from other sports, the challenges of activating in a year without a major women's football tournament and brands doing it best.

Charlton Athletic FC are this season's EFL's Community Club of the Year and, through a number of initiatives, have placed EDI at the centre of the club's growth strategy. In this episode of the Footballco Business Podcast, hear how the club is seeing the benefits on and off the pitch and using EDI to create a unique proposition for brand partners looking to reach young football fans. This episode of the Footballco Business was recorded at SportsPro Live and hosted by Footballco's VP of global football partnerships, Andy Jackson. Read more about Charlton's unique proposition: https://www.footballco.com/blog/footballcocharlton

On this show, we're talking with the team behind the CBBC football documentary series 'The Academy', a show for preteen children that focuses on the young players at Southampton FC's academy. With guests from the club, CBBC and Baby Wolf Productions, the show covers creating content with and for young fans and the role the show plays in the club's fan engagement and commercial strategies. Our guests on this show are: Andy Goldie: Academy Director at Southampton Football Club Charlie Boss: Chief Commercial Officer of Southampton FC Kez Margrie: Commissioning Editor at BBC Children’s Andy Scott: Director, Baby Wolf Productions The Academy is available to watch on CBBC and the BBC iPlayer (UK Only)