Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan are in reflective mood, as they review the stories of the sports industry year - as clicked on by you, the sports industry, in our weekly Worth Knowing newsletter.

They recall Netflix’s big commitment to sport (and entertainment); organisational chop and change at Manchester United; a stream of investment chatter; the proposed merger between the ATP and WTA tour; LVMH’s takeover of the Paris Olympics; George Pyne’s investment case for women’s sport; the rise of the Chief of Staff; the Saudi money steering the big decisions; campaigns that struck a nerve; rebrands that struck a chord; why you should fire your CMO; what makes a good CEO, and a whole lot more.

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Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan buckle up and settle back to review the stories of the sports industry week.

They’re joined by Isabelle Stewart, F1’s Head of Original Content to discuss her two years in the role so far; the logistics, planning and purpose behind Brad Pitt’s F1 movie as filming wraps; what F1’s content slate looks like now and could look like soon, from scripted drama to new short-form formats; and targeting and appealing to fresh new audiences.

There’s also time to salute McLaren and their CEO Zak Brown, after the team won its first F1 Constructors’ Championship since 1998. Plus the studio is full of excitement and anticipation in the wake of news that the Grand Sumo Tournament is heading to London next October.

Leaders' Content Director David Cushnan and Senior Content Manager Henry Breckenridge run head-on into the stories of the sports industry week.

They’re joined by Matt Porter, Chief Executive of the Professional Darts Corporation, ahead of this month’s World Championships at Alexandra Palace in London. He offers his SWOT analysis on the sport at the end of 2024 and explains the fan-first, party-first approach the PDC has refined over the past few years; expansion around the world to venues like Madison Square Garden; the phenomenon that is teen sensation Luke Littler; what it’s like filming for Netflix; and what to wear for a night at the darts.

Elsewhere, David and Henry reflect on the impact Ilona Maher - the world’s most followed rugby player - signing for Bristol Bears could have on Premiership Women’s Rugby, and the wider unsettled outlook for rugby union.

Welcome to the third and final episode of Model making, a series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that analyses the flux across the global sports industry and asks whether we need a new commercial vision for sport.

Hosted by Leaders Editorial Director James Emmett and Viagogo’s International Lead Matt Drew, the three-part series puts sport’s traditional revenue streams under the microscope.

If media rights increases cannot be taken for granted and sponsorship revenue is under threat, where are the new business lines for rights holders to focus on? This episode is focused on the solutions to some of sport's most existential challenges.

To help them make sense of the shifting sands around them, the pair are joined by four illustrious guests:

• John Skipper, formerly of ESPN and DAZN and the architect of some of the biggest rights deals in US TV history;
• Brett Gosper, Head of Europe & APAC at NFL and the executive in charge of pushing American football's international boundaries, having previously done so at World Rugby;
• Simon Denyer, serial founder and former leader of DAZN, current leader of PEAK, and board member on a number of global properties including the WTA;
• Zarah Al-Kudcy, the newly installed CRO at the Women’s Professional League Ltd, and a commercial leader at Chelsea, Formula 1 and the ICC among many before that.

Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan dig in to the stories the sports industry week.

They tackle the big news that the Premier League is launching its own media production business from the start of the 2026/27 season, ending a 20 year partnership with IMG which has operated under the Premier League Productions brand, delivering coverage and content to its international broadcast partners.

There’s discussion on the rationale behind the move, the realities of building an in-house media production unit, and what it means for the future of media production agencies like IMG.

And there’s also a look at F1’s decision to grant General Motors/Cadillac an entry, as an 11th team, from 2026, with a project backed by LA Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter.

Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan dissect some of the stories of sports industry week.

They reflect on whether Friday’s Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson fight was a win for Netflix; the slightly mesmerising nature of the Vendee Globe app; and the social media trend towards Bluesky.

Then, in a conversation recorded at last week’s Leaders Sport Performance Summit in London, David chats to Peter Mattson, Red Bull’s Global Performance Director. He offers a glimpse inside the energy drinks giant’s Athlete Performance Center, the brand’s evolving culture and the dynamics of building a high performance athlete within a global marketing machine.

Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan are out and about at this week’s Leaders Sport Performance Summit, looking out over The Oval cricket ground in central London.

They’re joined by astrophysicist Professor Carole Mundell, the Director of Science at the European Space Agency, fresh off a scintillating presentation on stage, for an outside-of-sport, out-of-this-world conversation on leadership and culture: making complex decisions, managing a multitude of stakeholders (a staff of 500 and perhaps as many as 46,000 people across ESA’s 22 member states), and clarity in communication. Plus what happens to black holes when they get indigestion and whether Pluto should feel hard done by for being downgraded to dwarf planet status.

There’s also time for a rifle through the sports industry stories of the week, including Whoopi Goldberg’s new sports network, Barcelona and Nike staying together and the Premier League’s continuing efforts to crack down on piracy.

Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan give their verdict on the sports industry week, then introduce two power conversations from on stage at Leaders Week London.

First, Jess Smith, President of soon-to-launch WNBA team Golden State Valkyries sits down with Netball Super League Managing Director, Claire Nelson. Then former Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham is in conversation with Esteve Calzada, the former City Football Group executive who is now CEO of PIF-owned Saudi Pro League leaders Al Hilal.

Brett Gosper, Head of NFL Europe & Asia-Pacific, takes a quick break from a very busy month of American football to join James Emmett on this week's episode.

He shares his top-line reflections from the 2024 London games, along with some impressive and record-breaking stats for the league; plus, what's immediately up next as the NFL touches down in Munich for its second foray to Germany, this weekend.  

Elsewhere on the show, Leaders' Strategic Account Manager Javan Odegah shares his reflections on the games, having been in attendance at Wembley when a record-breaking 86,651 crowd witnessed Jacksonville Jaguars beat the New England Patriots.

Welcome to episode two of model making, a new series from the Leaders Sport Business Podcast that analyses the flux across the global sports industry and asks whether we need a new commercial vision for sport.

Are the business models that have sustained professional sport for so long at breaking point? And what are the solutions that sport's most innovative thinkers are endorsing?

Big questions answered on-stage at Leaders Week London 2024 by Chicago Cubs and Marquee 360's Senior Vice President, Cale Vennum, and Viagogo's International Lead, Matt Drew. James Emmett, Leaders Editorial Director was in the moderator's chair to find out how ticketing can help unlock additional revenue streams and engagement.

Leaders' Editorial Director James Emmett and Content Director David Cushnan return to the studio, for some more reflections on Leaders Week London and to review the most notable stories of the sports industry week.

As IMG, On Location and Professional Bull Riders move from Endeavor to TKO ownership, they consider the corporate storytelling implications and ponder whether it's the precursor to further change.

They also discuss the WNBA’s upcoming collective bargaining negotiations, after the players’ decision to opt out of the current agreement early, as well as luxury brand Chanel’s decision to sponsor the annual university Boat Race along London’s River Thames.