UNOFFICIAL PARTNER
THE SPORTS BUSINESS PODCAST
Amar Singh
Head of Football Content & Strategy
Best pitch presenter you’ve
ever seen
Not so much a pitch, but we received a very entertaining and thought-provoking talk about rethinking how you see the digital audience from Mark Adams, SVP of Innovation at Vice media, at a recent Budweiser marketing conference.
Best sports marketing campaign (that wasn’t yours)
Nike’s ‘Dream Crazy’ campaign with Colin Kaepernick was brilliant and hugely important. It a set a new standard and showed that sports marketing can transcend sport itself and have a cultural impact that is still felt today.
Best agency (that isn’t yours)
Wieden+Kennedy produce exceptional work for Nike.
Best young industry talent
There are some brilliant female journalists working in football right now, so I think this a great opportunity to give them a shout out. Reshmin Chowdhry (below), Melissa Reddy, Kelly Somers and Vaishali Bhardwaj are all hard-working, excellent professionals to name four that spring to mind.
Best sporting event attended
I’ll never forget the opening game of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg. The atmosphere was unbelievable and the explosion of joy (and vuvuzelas) that followed Siphiwe Tshabalala’s goal for South Africa against Mexico will live long in my memory.
Best sporting event on TV
The Super Bowl. Complete entertainment from beginning to end, including amazing ads and half time entertainment. As a spectacle for TV it is in a league of its own.
Best brand ambassador
Messi for FC Barcelona. How many millions of people now support FC Barcelona across the world because of the silverware he has helped deliver to the club over the past 15 years? On and off the pitch he has raised the bar with his professionalism and superhuman achievements.
Best Industry Event or Conference
Leaders in Sport is probably the best for networking and has the most interesting speakers.
Best film containing a scene depicting the sports
Some of the press conference scenes in the hilarious Mike Basset: England manager felt strangely familiar from my time covering the England team.
Best book recommendation
Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski offers a great insight into football from a fresh perspective.
Best pub or bar
The Builder’s Arms in a Kensington is a favourite from my time working as a journalist at the London Evening Standard.
Best restaurant
Kutir in Chelsea. Exceptional Indian cooking from one my favourite chefs, Rohit Ghai.
Best holiday resort
Amanjena in Marrakech. It’s a stunning, peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle of the souks.
Best box set
The Wire. Nothing has come close since.
Best influence on your career
My Dad, whose absolute love for football - and most sport - had a huge impact on me as a child.
Best dinner companions (min 4, max 6)
Sachin Tendulkar, Serena Williams, Malcolm Gladwell, Kanye West, Stephen Fry and Jurgen Klopp.
Best job in the sports biz
Sri Lankan cricket legend Mahela Jayawardene gets to coach my favourite IPL team, Mumbai Indians. They have a star studded squad and are based in one of my favourite cities in the world.
Best professional regret
I regret not calling out some the casual racism I heard from colleagues as a young reporter.
Best skill you most covet
Growth mindset. So important in this hyper digital era to be ready to learn new things and step out of your lane.
Best trait you admire in others
Forever in awe of people who manage to nail the work-life balance.
Best overrated virtue
Patience. It’s good to focus on the here and now rather than always build for the future.
Best ambition
To see a tangible improvement with regards to having more diverse talent in the sectors I have worked in.
