By Lou Fargeot The Sports industry is digitally evolving. But despite advances in the technology available to us, many of the challenges remain the same. I’ve operated a sports-focused tech agency for over a decade and still see many common mistakes. This guide outlines how to get more from your tech partners and build stronger relationships between sports organisations and service providers. 6 Barriers to your digital transformation Dictating requirements Mistrust of the process Impatience in laying foundations Lack of planning for flexibility Exclusively aiming for scale Underestimating support 1. Don’t dictate requirements, collaborate. Trust is everything. If you don’t trust your tech partner, you need to find one you do. Have an open mind and prioritise getting to know each other upfront. Invest strategically in building a solid foundational relationship with your partner and prioritise consultancy. Identify and share your desired outcomes. It’s then your partner’s job to help define how you’ll get there. Leave that detail to the expert. Ditch the defined tender process and focus on finding the right provider through their core values. You don’t tell your chef how to cook your meal, what ingredients to use or how hot the pan should be. You don’t show your electrician how to wire your house or tell them what connectors to use. They know best and you trust their expertise. 2. Trust the process Agree on the objectives of your project brief collaboratively with your tech partner. There’s no need for you to write the technical specification, that’s their job. Let your tech partner define the process and implement the checks needed to achieve the quality you are looking for. If you see red flags, be honest and open about it. Ask questions of your tech provider but trust the responses and expertise they give you back. Create KPIs based on real-world performance and remember you’re measuring the outcome, not how you get there. Your mechanic knows the steps of changing your tyres. They have done it a thousand times on a thousand vehicles. They have the process down and they’re good at it. Your technology partner is the mechanic of your digital platform, let them do their thing. 3. Start with foundations Be prepared to honestly assess the state of your current technology, digital platforms, data and approach with help from your technology partner. Building in the digital world isn’t unlike the physical world: your website is ultimately electricity moving around physical web servers across the globe. Make sure you take the time and attention to lay robust foundations that make it easier and more effective to build on top of in the future. Doing the groundwork in the early days pays dividends over time. Often we’ll undertake entire projects of getting the foundations right. We all want quick wins, but be realistic with your expectations and understand there are steps you possibly hadn’t ever considered. Tall trees need wide-spreading roots and skyscrapers have deep dependable foundations. 4. Scale sideways as well as up Once you’ve got a solid starting point, work with your tech provider to make your technology reliable and sustainable. Well-built technology doesn’t just grow bigger, it’s able to connect to other services, it’s well-documented, it’s accessible and it’s streamlined. Your digital platforms must be stable and your audience should be able to use your systems wherever they are in the world without issues. This sounds simple but often takes careful consideration, planning and execution. Your users expect simplicity, but digital platforms are complicated. Making complicated things intuitive, simple and a pleasure to use takes mastery. Michelin star meals don’t usually have hundreds of ingredients, they’re simple, but they are done to perfection, and crafted with skill. 5. Plan for flexibility Budgeting for scope creep in a project will mean fewer surprises and give you the wiggle room you want as the client. Instead of asking your technology provider what your project will cost, consider committing to a budget and amount of time while asking ‘How do we use this most effectively to move towards our agreed objectives?’. Engaging in a recurring subscription to your technology partner’s services is a great way to ensure access to their ongoing expertise and resources as your mission and objectives evolve. This approach also lets you plan and prioritise your wishlist for future functionality and features. You are managing demanding stakeholders and it’s OK to change your mind. You will learn along the journey and you’ll have some great new ideas on the way. Make sure you create space and a commitment to encourage creativity and allow changes to your requirements. 6. Invest in support services Digital platforms are living, breathing entities made up of different layers all running on physical infrastructure, and they need looking after. Just like servicing your car, your tech partner should run regular maintenance on your platforms to make sure they are up-to-date, secure and running smoothly. Similar to breakdown cover, they should also provide assured Service Level Agreements for when things don’t go exactly as they should. And like all good mechanics, your tech provider is best placed to make recommendations on how to run your vehicle smoothly for years to come. If your website is the car, the internet is the road, and every day of every month, that road keeps changing. AI is about to electrify and supercharge that motorway too. Make room to embrace and engage the changing landscape. Conclusion The digital world is complex, and it's not getting any simpler. While you're mastering your field, you need a tech partner who's doing the same in theirs. The strongest partnerships are built on mutual trust, expertise, and a willingness to learn from one another. Remember, your tech partner isn't just a service provider; they're your co-pilot on this digital journey. By fostering a collaborative relationship and being clear on your objectives, you'll save both time and money. And most importantly, you'll set yourself up for better outcomes, now and in the future. Lou Fargeot is the co-founder and director of We Are Sweet.

By Mike Falconer Sport has a massive global following of passionate fans. So, it is no surprise that a broad range of consumer brands and companies want to associate themselves with sport’s huge ‘engagement’ value to benefit their own commercial endeavours. The pathway to effective fan engagement is complex. Fans have many entertainment options and greater access to sporting events across a multitude of channels and devices. The industry’s biggest players have long understood that to cut through the noise, they must deliver personalised content relevant to a fan’s specific interests and preferences. But to do this, they need to understand who they are, what they want and where to find them. Up until recently, brands and rightsholders have been heavily reliant on third party cookies to target sports fans with engaging content. The third-party cookies enable websites to capture visitor data and content preferences to allow advertisers to track a user's browsing history across multiple sites. This information is then used to serve customers with content relevant to their interests and across the sites they visit most often. However, due to increasing concerns over data privacy, third-party cookies are being phased out. Firefox and Safari have already done so and Chrome plans to do so by the end of 2024. The concern across the industry is that removing these cookies eliminates valuable insights into users’ digital activities and behaviours, making effective engagement more challenging. However, this development should be viewed as an opportunity for marketers as it will, in fact, lead to better personalisation. The industry is already becoming more focused on capturing and connecting first party data. This identity data is collected directly and consensually from fans, delivering far greater accuracy and reliability than third-party data. To maximise the value of this first party data, Sportradar has developed a unique fan insight and engagement platform that combines the first ever sports industry specific data clean room with its already established sports-specific marketing activation platform. This proprietary data clean room provides a secure, centralised repository, where different partners can share first-party insights around the same fan. This is achieved without compromising the safety and sovereignty of each participant’s owned data. It powers uniquely effective data collaboration between sports federations, leagues, teams, media companies and brands, for the benefit of all involved, while, at the same time, enhancing the fan’s own experience. Furthermore, for the rightsholder, the data clean room brings order and control to cross-partner data utilisation, enabling them to more effectively manage multiple partner and sponsor access demands. Critically, each clean room participant can stipulate their own ‘rules of engagement’ related to their own data, sharing only as much as they choose and maintaining full control over how it is utilised. More than 20 years of providing scaled data and technology capabilities to all the main stakeholders in sport makes Sportradar expertly positioned to lead the innovative progression toward first party fan data collaboration. Mike Falconer, VP Fan Engagement Strategy, Sportradar

By Nikhil Waugh When Keith Peacock became the first player to enter the field of play as a substitute in the English Football League on 21st August 1965, few would have envisaged the role of the substitute today. Substitutions are one of the few tools in football that managers have at their disposal to affect the outcome of a match. Planning, tactics, formation, and conditioning can all be conducted on the training field, but what happens when those plans fail during a match? This paper explores the quantitative and qualitative aspects around football substitutions in the English Premier League over a 15-year period. The 1115 games analysed across the 04/05, 11/12 and 18/19 seasons provide a modern understanding of the football substitution (Note: the five-substitution rule was brought in during the pandemic and has changed the way substitutions work since this paper was written). In the quantitative analysis the relationship between substitution distribution and goal distribution was investigated to see if there were any trends in the way substitutions were used and if there were any correlations to changes in scoreline. Whilst the paper goes into much greater detail, a couple of key findings are worth mentioning. 1) The average time of the first substitute rarely changes. The table below shows the mean time for the first substitute roughly adheres to the anecdotal quip ‘managers make the first substitute at the 60th minute’. What is more significant is the fact that over a time which is roughly half of the premier league’s lifespan, the average time rarely changes (+/- 2 mins) and the difference between home and away teams is negligeable. Both these trends also apply to the second and third substitutions. 2) There is hardly any correlation between goals and substitutions. In theory, when a team goes behind, a manager should want to change the course of the game. However, the correlation coefficient between the first goal being scored and the first substitution being made is 0.03. This is a strong indication that managers do not use substitutions in reaction to goals. Now consider a 2-0 deficit. A team leading by two goals wins 89.2% of the time suggesting that a current plan is not working, and a change should be made. After all, one point more in any match is ​better than any magnitude of goal difference. However, it takes teams on average 16.6 minutes to make a substitution. Both these points lead onto the qualitative analysis and looking at decision making theory and how that can be applied to substitutions. If goals aren’t a determining factor in substitution decision making process, could biases and behavioural psychology be driving the decisions of substitutions. Football is a sport where randomness and uncertainty play a huge part in the outcome. This, along with the scarcity of scoring actions, is a major reason why it is so popular around the globe. When uncertainty exists, by definition, there are unknowns which the decision-maker cannot anticipate when making a final decision. The effect of these unknowns increases the influence of chance, or luck, in determining the outcome of the decision. The paper looks into decision-making theory, most notably the works of pioneering behavioural psychologist Daniel Kahneman, and how human biases and heuristics apply to substitutions. Some examples include: Hindsight bias – when something happens, it was bound to always happen. Neglect all of the other possible outcomes which did not come to fruition. i.e. Just because a substitute scores, it doesn’t necessarily mean it was the right decision. Framing effects – the way in which a decision is presented invokes different emotional triggers. This in turn will affect the analysis of these decisions. i.e. The substitute could have scored, invoking people to think it was a good decision. However, the goal could have been deflected and is mostly down to chance rather than the substitute. The applications of these, along with other facets of behavioural psychology, can give managers a better understanding of their decisions and provides them with tools to avoid common pitfalls. The conclusion of the paper touches on how the findings can improve the understanding of substitutions as well as suggesting ways to utilise substitutions in a better way. This includes, making substitutions earlier with greater emphasis on the scoreline, for example, if you are 2-0 down, switch a defender for a striker and try and score more goals. Or, finding footballers whose defined role is an impact substitute such as, a really tall athlete (NBA player-esque) who is good at heading the ball or a very fast athlete (Usain Bolt-esque) who can terrorise a tired defence for last 10 minutes or so. Both can change the outcome of a match if applied with appropriate training on the training field. Some clubs are employing substitution coaches and with the increased number of substitutions per match, are trying to find that edge in an ever-competitive environment. The dissertation was part of Nikhil's MA Leaders In Sport course run by Institute of Sports Humanities and Loughborough London. Nikhil Waugh is the Director, Tennis Events for IMG.

By Jim Salveson From the polite ripple of applause at a village green game, to the unmistakable sound of leather on willow and the raucous brass “Om-pah” of the Barmy Amy band at a test match. The 'sound' of cricket has always been a rich part of the sporting experience. From a Broadcast point of view, audio has been every bit as vital a part of the cricket experience as visual. For over 100 years (the first cricket commentary was broadcast in the 1920s in Adelaide, Australia) the ability for radio to be an “accompanying media” to whatever other activities a listener wishes to indulge in has perfectly suited the drawn out, sometimes slow-paced nature of the game. In the UK, for decades, Test Match Special has been the sound of cricket. The poetic prose, cake-based conversations and accidental innuendo has engaged cricket and non-cricket fans alike with a unique mix of sports commentary, soap opera and comedy routine (sometimes it would feel like the cricket was almost incidental) that's hard to imagine accompanying any other sport. But times they change. Cricket is going through somewhat of a revolution with new formats and new frontiers being explored and the old formats, traditionally dominated by middle aged white men, perhaps don’t marry with the modern, diverse future of the sport. This is where podcasting is coming to the crease. Right now, cricket podcast audiences are booming. Part of the growing appeal of the medium is undoubtedly the same attributes that have made radio and cricket such a great partnership in the past - but why has there been such a boom in cricket podcasts in recent years? During the recent Ashes tournament Voiceworks’ Sport Social Podcast Network saw its Cricket audience almost double (96%) growth as fans of the sport turned to on-demand digital audio to hear from their favourite voices and their views on the tournament. It’s a trend that we expect to see continue into the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Adam Collins (along with Geoff Lemon) is the voice of The Final Word on Cricket, a global cricket podcast, who recognises the growth of podcast is not just in audience but also in the number of products available. “There has been a proliferation of cricket podcasts in the last 3 years, no doubt fuelled by Covid and lockdown. That’s got to be a good thing, the democratization of the media. We’re now seeing more diverse voices covering the sport than ever before.” One of the brilliant things about podcasting is the ability to find content that suits whatever niche you are looking for. Almost every topic is covered in a way that will reflect your opinion, culture or background. If you are willing to look hard enough for it. Adam says that they have seen a rise in “non traditional” cricket fans coming to the sport and the podcast: “We’re pretty proud of the fact that our audience has a lot of people who aren’t what you would consider “traditional” in England. In Australia the sport is more widely watched and historically audiences are less class focused. We make a determined effort to showcase other areas of the game, such as women’s cricket and to tackle issues around diversity and racism. I think that lends itself to more, and different, people listening to our podcasts.” That diversification is no more pronounced than in the women’s game which has contributed to a whole new fanbase coming to the sport. The rapid growth of the sport is contributing equally to the rapid growth of the media, as fans seek to scratch a content itch that perhaps traditional media struggled to keep pace with - as Mellisa Story, host of Storylines: The Women’s Cricket Show explains: “I think cricket podcasts are growing to be so successful because cricket is a sport which invites debate and thrives from an engaged and informed audience who want to share opinions and insights into the game. Specifically in Storylines case we are joining a rapidly growing conversation with the women’s game branching out into new territories of marketing, coverage and public interest. It’s hugely exciting to join so many dedicated women’s cricket fans in praising, and criticising, developments in the women’s game, as well as creating a platform which welcomes newer fans.” It's very much an evolution of the audio medium but one that is not just seeing new audiences being engaged via podcasting but also those traditional audiences, who have grown up with the likes of Test Match Special, moving to a new source of coverage. Sport Agent Andy May has recently been involved in the launch of The Cricketer Podcast, with Jonathan Trott and George Dobell which is the world-renowned publication's first foray into podcasting. He recognises that podcasting is just an extension of this longstanding relationship; “Cricket and audio are so intertwined. For decades, fans have fed their love of the game by way of consuming cricket audio. Podcasting is quite simply a continuation of this rich tradition.” He also comments that, maybe unlike other sports, Cricket fans are used to embracing new technologies and innovation when it comes to coverage (and the sport itself) which has perhaps contributed to the rapid growth of the vertical. “Do we see similar audiences across the podcast and other digital/print products? To a great extent, yes, It should also be pointed out that cricket supporters of all ages are already actively using the latest technology (e.g., Pay TV and OTT viewing platforms and tablet-based written articles) to follow the game.” So, not only is podcasting attracting new audiences to cricket but cricket it is bringing new audience to podcasting! For Nathan Kosky, creator of hit cricket podcast Middle Umpire Please (with Mark Wood and Miles Jupp) he points out that the sports fan based is already very comfortable with audio formats (and we can thank TMS for that) but also that there is an opportunity within cricket that may not exist within other sports “Podcasting gives the opportunity to do a few things; first and foremost, to link the highest level of the sport to grassroots club cricket and fans of the sport. There are obviously huge differences, but there is also much that is similar and a direct connection with someone like Mark Wood having come from his local team to be a double World Cup winner. Miles Jupp obviously has a totally different perspective from behind the boundary rope, but podcasting gives you the time to tell stories from both angles, and in our case find the huge amounts of humour in the sport. Finally, having a current player at the top of the game as a host is possibly unique to cricket; I am not sure it would be possible in most other sports of a similar size, especially discussing things so openly and without just reeling off media trained answers.” It’s an interesting take. The success of podcasting is based so much on personality and authenticity and the freedom - for the likes of Mark Wood to talk openly and honestly about his experiences is undoubtedly appealing to audiences and taps into those elements that are at the very core of the medium. Whether other sports will or can allow their stars the same freedom is a question for debate but certainly there is a growing understanding in the sports market that personal stories and authentic personalities are a great way to grow fan engagement. Podcasting is a great way to deliver that. Is podcasting a threat to the major broadcasters and traditional media coverage though? Not according to Collins who believes that the medium adds a different layer of coverage that can better suit an individual’s tastes: “I don’t think people have stopped watching broadcasts or stopped listening to ball-by-ball commentary in favour of podcasts. On the contrary, I think podcasting has created greater enthusiasm for the sport. I think what you get out of our show, and a lot of other podcasts, is a wider perspective outside of what would have been previously available. I like to think what we do helps people get more out of watching the sport live.” There’s a lot that other sports can learn from the cricketing space. Here we have a sport than in recent years has a need to diversify and develop and it is podcasting that has lead the charge. Where perhaps there isn’t always space for deeper conversation, fringe issues or diverse voices in the mainstream media, podcasting provides that bandwidth. Rather than seeing podcasting as a competitor for attention, cricket as a whole has embraced the medium which has, in turn deepened engagement with existing fans and brought in a whole new audience to the sport that I have no doubt will continue to grow during the World Cup and beyond. By Jim Salveson, Director of Sport, Voiceworks Sport and Sport Social Network Voiceworks Sport and Sport Social Podcast Network are sport audio experts who enable brands and podcasts to engage more deeply with fans across the globe and create thriving sports communities. Sport Social, Europe’s biggest sports podcast network, provides support for distribution, discoverability, monetisation and audience growth for some of the world's most popular sports podcasts, enabling creators to access the best value from their content. It is home to some of the worlds biggest cricket shows including Simon Hughes: The Analyst , Wisden Cricket Daily and The Shackles Are Off from The Barmy Army. Voiceworks Sport work with world leading rights holders and brands, from Premier League clubs to ParalympicsGB, to develop audio strategies and provide production execution support, helping organisations unlock commercial growth. ​

By Rob Sewell, Let’s take a moment to consider our favourite historic sporting images captured throughout the years; Muhammad Ali standing over a knocked-out Sonny Liston, Cathy Freeman running her Olympic victory lap clutching both the Australian and Aboriginal flag, or Maradona leaping up with his outstretched ‘Hand of God’. Ever wondered if the creators behind them are reaping the benefits of their pictures constantly being shared? Chances are, they're not. It’s a sad fact but sports photographers and image owners are not getting paid what they deserve. The current licensing models and image partnerships offer sports organisations very little or no control over their own creative assets. The global stock images and videos market size was valued at $4.96 billion in 2022, however, photographers are dealing with the continued decline in image licensing value and the mass misuse of their intellectual property (IP) across social media and the wider web. In fact, it’s estimated that images are stolen an astonishing 2.5 billion times a day – a figure that’s likely to come as a surprise to most. Copying images from a sports site – whether it’s by right-clicking, dragging-and-dropping or screen-shotting them – undoubtedly impacts their value This not only undercuts copyright owners but also opens the door to image security risks and misinformation for everyone. Content owners are rightfully concerned; not only is there real monetary value attached to their IP, but as a digital asset there are a plethora of ways in which data from these images can offer new audience insights and increase fan engagement across multiple channels – if only they had access to it. A licensing model fit for purpose So, what is the solution and alternative to an outdated licensing model? ​ The answer can be found in some unlikely places. Streaming platforms, such as Spotify and YouTube, have revolutionised their respective industries by monetising assets through impressions and ad impressions, as opposed to licensing. By streaming imagery in a similar way, organisations can not only protect and control the distribution of digital creative assets through an ad-funded model, but also limit image theft. In fact, sport organisations such as New Zealand Rugby are starting to recognise the value of their assets and are taking action to regain full control. A win for sports business A new approach to imagery has the potential to benefit the entire sports business ecosystem. From the publisher's perspective, it’s a clean model that offers full use of assets in a more cost-effective way — no licence costs or litigation fees for accidental misuse of content with expired or ambiguous licences. Advertisers, too, benefit from the high-impact contextual targeting where their brand can be put in the picture, literally. And premium ad placement through full-image overlays is a huge sell for those sports organisations that want to enhance their ad inventory and reap the revenue rewards as a result. It’s high time we raised the value of sports photography by transforming the way people view and publish sports images online — giving control, credit, and payment back to image owners. And it’s by championing copyright and taking a more ethical approach to sports photography and image sharing that we can create a more sustainable future for this important creative industry, while also maximising revenue. If we don’t, the business of sport could haemorrhage the creative talent needed to help tell (and retell) the incredible stories of inspiring sporting achievements — and drama — from the greatest sportspeople of our time. Rob Sewell is CEO of SmartFrame Technologies

By Tim Magnell In recent years, the sports industry has been buzzing with discussions about Web 3.0 and blockchain. However, it's becoming increasingly clear to me that the narrative surrounding these technologies is wrong. As the CEO of Capital Block, a leading Web 3.0 agency that collaborates with brands like McLaren, Binance and Cristiano Ronaldo, I believe it's time for a complete shift in our approach. Misconceptions and Missteps The introduction of Web 3.0 was met with skepticism and confusion among sports enthusiasts. This sentiment was amplified during the cryptocurrency bull run, where digital assets, notably NFTs, saw exponential value growth of pictures of monkeys go from $200 to $500,000!! Sports organisations saw dollar signs everywhere, and in a bid to capitalise on this trend, hastily introduced products that weren't tailored for their audience. AKA CASH GRABS. This misalignment led to a negative perception of cryptocurrencies, Web 3.0 products, and digital assets within the sports community, and rightly so! Contrary to popular belief and the narrative from almost any crypto or web3 company, sports fans aren't necessarily the golden ticket to mass adoption of digital products or any crypto-related products. Despite efforts from major sports entities and celebrities to launch digital assets, we've yet to witness a widespread embrace of these products in the sports realm collective. Of course there are some anomalies such as McLaren and Manchester United (I might be biased). However mass adoption... not.... A Call for Product-Centric Approaches The crux of the issue lies in the industry's focus. Instead of emphasising the blockchain or any tech aspect, we should be prioritising the creation of genuine products—items that fans genuinely desire and find value in. The emphasis should be on the product's utility and appeal, rather than its potential for appreciation in value. After all, the majority of sports-related digital assets will never see a surge in value. Building Communities with Blockchain Another pivotal shift should be in leveraging blockchain's innate strengths without actually talking about blockchain or any other buzzwords to your audience. The technology offers an unparalleled opportunity to foster communities. By creating products on blockchain, organisations can cultivate communities, offering them rewards and exclusive benefits. ​ This community can then become a valuable asset, providing engagement opportunities for sponsors and paving the way for unique content tailored for this audience. However, the journey to harnessing blockchain's potential isn't merely about launching a product. It requires consistent engagement, much like nurturing a social media presence. The focus should be on community-building and engagement, rather than immediate monetisation. A New Direction for Sports Organisations It's imperative for sports clubs to recalibrate their strategies. They must abandon the misconception that blockchain products will instantly yield significant profits. Instead, the focus should be on cultivating a younger, tech-savvy demographic. By targeting the Gen Z audience, aged between 16 to 28, and offering products that resonate with them, sports entities can truly harness the power of blockchain. In conclusion, the future of Web 3.0 in the sports industry isn't about the technology itself, but about the products it can facilitate. By shifting the narrative and focusing on genuine product creation and community-building, sports organisations can redefine their relationship with blockchain and its myriad possibilities. By Tim Magnell, CEO of Capital Block

Harry Maguire in claret and blue, Declan Rice in Arsenal red, Harry Kane in Lederhosen? There’s a whole host of sartorial changes this summer. Here Underdog Sports Marketing founder Ged Colleypriest runs the rule over the new shirts for the upcoming season. Despite working in the sports industry for over a decade, please don’t expect any insight in this piece. It’s simply the opinion of a man approaching his forties and spending far too much energy on opining about the latest football fashion. 1. Liverpool Away A wonderful throw back to Liverpool’s away kit from the mid nineties, as worn in the 1996 FA Cup Final. A game largely remembered for Liverpool’s god awful white suits as adorned by the ‘Spice Boys’. But there’s no fashion faux pas on display here. Nike took the DNA of a cult classic and put a brilliant contemporary spin on it. The fact that their great rivals Adidas made the original is as cheeky as a night on the tiles with Redknapp and McMananaman. 2. Newcastle United Home Newcastle’s black and white stripes are such an iconic look that they really shouldn’t be messed with. An approach that Castore has adopted this season. This is a kit so beautiful that I’ve been able to look past the Saudi sportswashing sponsorships. Stick a Newcastle Brown Ale logo into the middle and hang this shirt in the Louvre. The less said about the Saudi-green away strip the better. 3. Nottingham Forest Home I may spend my days helping sports teams to find sponsors, but this is a timely reminder how great football kits look without the clutter. Whilst Forest’s search for a front of shirt deal continues, they’ve teamed up with Adidas to produce this instant classic. There’s more than a subtle nod to Brian Clough’s European Cup winning team with this number, which can never be a bad thing. 4. Crystal Palace Home Life, death, taxes and Crystal Palace producing a kit that makes this list every year. As a Charlton fan, it always pains me to praise our South London neighbours but they’ve done it again. The half and half layout is a nice twist on the Eagles usual red and blue stripes. Plus the silhouette of The Crystal Palace (as in the actual palace) is a great nod to the club’s history, as they celebrate 10 consecutive years in the Premier League. I’m not in the slightest bit jealous. 5. Brighton and Hove Albion Home Brighton are continual high performers in my kit league. Mainly due to their ability to produce nice kits without fucking about. It’s blue, it’s white, it’s striped, it looks like a deck chair. What’s not to love? 6. Luton Town Home There’s loads to love about Luton’s return to top flight football. As a man who created a company called Underdog,it’s a joy to see a team battle back from non-league to the top table. They also refuse to do sponsorship deals with bookmakers, maybe there is a bit of insight in this piece after all! As for the kit,I was torn between picking the home and away. Growing up in the 90s I firmly remember The Hatters first choice kit being white, but in recent times they’ve opted for orange. This debate apparently split the fanbase so much that they had a vote about ten years ago, with orange coming out the winner. So who am I to argue with the Kenilworth faithful? 7. Bournemouth Home Retro kits always get instant bonus points from me and this black and cherry number from Bournemouth is no exception. I lived in the town for a bit as a kid and remember the source material. From the days when they played at the crumbling Dean Court, had whip rounds from the fans to sign players and a certain Eddie Howe was their centre half. Things may be a bit more glamorous now but this number is likely to please the die hards who remember bleaker times. 8. Chelsea Home This one has made plenty of headlines, not least because the Blues had no sponsor when it was released. Although it looks as though an eleventh hour deal has been done now. The Nike kit is inspired by the 90s era, when Vialli, Gullit and Di Matteo landed in West London. The latter actually features in the promotional campaign and the shirt is a nice throwback to the early year of the Premier League. 9. Sheffield United Home Another sponsor-less shirt, are we spotting a worrying trend for the industry? Probably, but in the meantime let’s enjoy another throwback kit. This time to 1997/98, a season that saw Alan Kelly and Simon Tracey battle it out for the keeping gloves, Brian Deane made a return to Bramall Lane and pair of legends in Paul McGrath and Ian Rush did the red and white stripes. A squad full of nostalgia, just like this strip. 10. Fulham Home I’ve thought long and hard about the alternate red and white Adidas stripes on this one. In the end I’ve decided I like them but not enough to get any higher than mid-table. The large bookie sponsor probably has something to do with it too. Which looks even bigger on Mitrovic’s huge chest. Ged Colleypriest is the founder of Underdog Sports Marketing

Events are back... and now more than ever it's time to get serious about the spectator experience. In a crowded market, coupled with a cost of living challenge where people are prioritising how to spend their money, events organisers must prove their value to customers. Going to a football match isn't just about turning up five minutes before kick off any more, it's about the pre-game experience, the big screen, the sports presentation, and ensuring fans have a good time (even if their team doesn't win). The International Canoe Federation define Sport Presentation as: “The showcasing of the sport of Canoe Slalom to spectators. It is what spectators and Athletes see, hear and feel that builds an exhilarating and exciting atmosphere at, and around, the event”. (Int Canoe Federation) Sport Presentation is all about capturing the spirit of the event and showcasing this to your audience, either in person or for the fans at home. This can be achieved in a number of ways, like with giveaways, big screens, a stage, a presenter, and depending on the sport or event, a commentator to give that extra insight. Gone are the days of an in-stadium screen just showing a replay of the action. As audiences expect more for their money, with sporting venues and events competing against each other for the customer’s pound, the bar is being raised continuously. What you might see one week is often replicated and surpassed the next, with new tools in their grasp to help ensure the ultimate fan experience. From an event organiser perspective, when costs are increasing within the wider supply chain, traditionally one of the first costs to be cut has been the bells and whistles at events. What I’ve seen recently is a shift, with organisers taking greater steps to innovate and bring in Sport Presentation into the core fan experience at events, and to go that extra mile. This helps organisers sell their event, and gives audiences and participants something to talk about and remember. The planning of the experience is paramount, thinking about what your customers want or expect, how to supply that, and then innovating continuously to go beyond those norms. Looking across the industry there are many ways in which event organisers are engaging with fans both in the stadium or venue and with the fans watching at home. In this blog post I wanted to share a couple of my personal experiences and favourites, as well as looking at how organisers plan and deliver these experiences at major events. World Athletics - Track mapping (link here) This one for me is always a stand-out. Given it was back in 2019 shows how much I admire the innovation, and how impressed I was with how the early adoption of metaverse style technology. In a world-first, the events team projected video onto the track, using it as a screen, really immersing fans in the stadium and those watching at home in the build up to the races. Having worked on a world championships event back in 2017, I knew how much work goes into these events and felt we’d set the bar high for the next organising committee when it came to sport presentation and engagement, and the Doha event really did meet that mark with its innovative use of new technology. New tools including 3D digital twins, which perfectly map out venues, can help events teams add that wow-factor that’s crucial at such large-scale events. Major events such as the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games can now achieve the level of precision that’s required at these global athletics meets, ensuring safe and outstanding experiences for all. The Great Run Company - On-course entertainment / Sponsor Engagement (link here) As part of its 2022 event series the Great Run Company invested in four on-course activations, building music zones which were themed - Beats Boost, Pump it up, Peoples Playlist and Power Thru. They used OnePlan’s digital mapping and planning technologies to make sure each zone was located just where a runner would need it most. Not only was this additional zone fun, allowing participants to get involved by suggesting songs for each zone, but each section had branded archways and barriers. In what is a competitive market with free events such as ParkRun taking place weekly, it’s important that organisers have unique and stand out activations to excite participants and spectators, and give advertisers welcome and distinctive branding space. The Boat Race - Fan Parks The 2023 Boat Race, with its iconic route from Putney to Mortlake, sees Oxford take on Cambridge. In a tradition approaching two hundred years, it’s an event that has evolved with the times. Bishop Park and Furnival Gardens each host a Fan Park with big screens, entertainment, and a place to enjoy the whole race. These were free-to-attend, and provided a great experience for fans on the day despite the unseasonal weather. Silverstone - Lap of Lights (link here) When you think of Silverstone you might think of F1 races and Grand Prix, or corporate events and track days. But in recent years Silverstone has begun bringing the track to life each Winter with the “Lap of Lights”, a Christmas themed event that takes you on a tour of the track. It’s designed to take you around the world on the very trip that Santa does every year, featuring light displays, ice rinks, 440,000 festive lights and actors, all designed to bring festive cheer and a new perspective to the iconic track. We’ve worked with Silverstone in recent years, and watching them experiment in this way, bringing in new and younger audiences using our technology and others like what3words has been fascinating to see. All of these activations, sport presentations and events in general require detailed planning to enable plans to be shared and collaborated with other stakeholders, you can’t just rock up and install a big screen as it could be in the way of a broadcast camera for example. More and more event planners and venues are starting to see the power of tools like OnePlan, where organisers can collaborate easily to bring new levels of fan experiences to their customers. ​ These and other technologies can keep fans engaged while purses are being tightened, and deepen the bond between fans and teams. Planning with the latest technologies can save organising teams money and time, freeing up time for more creative ideas that capture the imaginations of audiences, ultimately leading to a better experience for all. By Joe Milner, Sports & Events Customisation Manager of OnePlan.

What is the founder(s) background? Dave has spent most of his career working in digital marketing across branding, content SEO & social with brands and clubs like Maximuscle (as it was known at the time), Man Utd & Sale Sharks. Making his way through various agencies across Manchester, including spending some time in-house with the founder of MyProtein working on a number of new ventures. Rob has a background in sponsorship activation, having spent 3 & a half years at Bristol Sport where he worked with Bristol City, Bears & Flyers, liaising with commercial partners & organising events. Prior to that he spent time with Macclesfield Town, Rugby Canada & FIFA ticketing organisation Byrom. With over 25 years+ of general management, operational, sales and marketing experience Mark has held senior positions with a number of household brands, & most recently joined a wealth management firm as a co-owner, helping lead it to a buyout by Irwin Mitchell. What key milestones have you achieved so far? The headlines at this stage would be that we are now working with over 800 rugby clubs around the world, in addition to forming working relationships with the games governing bodies including the RFU, WRU, SRU, Premiership Rugby & MLR. Some of the more personal milestones though include someone getting a tattoo of the LooseHeadz logo on their wrist (which has subsequently been followed up by several more over the years), Rob & Dave going full time with LooseHeadz in 2022 & the regular messages we get from people telling us how seeing what LooseHeadz is doing has helped them overcome their own mental health struggles. What has been the biggest challenge? Quite simply just keeping the lights on. This started out as a plan to help a few mates in our local rugby club, & has grown into a global movement supported by thousands of people. Unfortunately as a relatively small ‘start-up’ charity, funding opportunities can be quite limited, & so ensuring that we have been able to keep doing this over the last six years has been the biggest hurdle to overcome. ​ As we continue to grow, & reach even more rugby clubs, our ambitions only get bigger which means that we have to work even harder to find the funding to help make these dreams a reality, as this is quite simply the most important thing any of us will do. What lessons have you learnt so far? We’ve made more wrong turns than I think we could ever count, but every time we have learnt something new, & definitely never made the same mistake twice. From some rather sketchy first runs of our clothing that still sit shamefully in lofts & garages, through to trying to organise events with less than 24 hours notice, the key lesson has been simply to never panic & react in the moment. Sometimes just taking a beat can make a world of difference & suddenly even the most insurmountable challenge can be overcome. The reality is that this is something none of us have ever done before, so everyday is a school day. It’s therefore been incredibly important to keep an open mind, & not be afraid to seek help & support when we need it - or in other words, listen to those who know better. Lowest moment? Seeing a fairly significant sponsorship agreement fall through at the final hurdle was a tough one to take, especially as it was totally out of our hands. Everything looked set to go, there was a really great project lined up that made total sense, but unfortunately the actions of a third party resulted in things falling through & set us back several months. Biggest highlight? Having someone run up to us at an event we attended to tell us “you guys saved my life” was a moment that we’ll simply never forget. At the end of the day, this is why we started LooseHeadz, & to have that confirmation that what we are doing is making an impact is the reason why we’ll never stop. Ambition? Our mission is pretty simple - to place a mental health lead at every rugby club around the world. Will we ever reach it? Possibly not, but we’ll do everything possible to make this a reality to ensure we are supporting the mental health of as many players, fans & coaches as we possibly can. Dave Nicoll is co-founder of LooseHeadz

By Jim Salveson Discoverability remains one of the biggest challenges in podcasting. New shows attempting to break into the market face an uphill battle, with familiar names dominating the chart listings and prime promotional spots across various podcasting platforms. However, hidden gems of brilliant new content are waiting to be discovered. In a previous article, I curated a list of the Top 10 Sports Podcasts in the market. But just as in football, those podcasting "Lionel Messi's" must stay on their toes to avoid losing their crown to the "Erling Haaland's" of the audio world. For this updated Top 10 list, I wanted to highlight some of the best "new" sports shows that have debuted within the last 2 years, offering excellent sports content that deserves your attention. Here are the podcasts worth checking out, along with Spotify listening links for each: Footballers Football Podcast BBC | Launched: Jul 22 Footballers often get panned for their lack of personality. The sport, as a whole is worse off for the boring generic post-match interviews churned out for the TV cameras come win, lose or draw. That's maybe why it's so refreshing to hear two professional footballers being truly authentic. Michael Antoni and Callum Wilson are both entering the twilight of their careers, which is perhaps what allows them to be as candid as they often are on this BBC podcast. This show taps into that winning combination of genuine insight and dressing room banter that made The Peter Crouch Show such a hit as Wilson and Antonio give a "players eye view" of the latest goings on on the pitch with presenter Rickie Heywood the much-needed arbiter of the pod, keeping everything on track. Listen here via Spotify: Official Man City Podcast Manchester City/Voiceworks | Launched: Apr 23 Podcasting remains a much-underused medium for official bodies in sports. With a huge focus on video for many rights holders, audio is often ignored despite its huge potential for fan engagement and revenue generation. At Voiceworks:Sport we were delighted to work with Manchester City on the revamp and relaunch of their official podcast (available in video format within City+ and free on audio platforms). The concept is a tried and tested one; former players, managers, celebrity fans and current stars sit down for long-form interviews providing their insight and experience on what it's like being part of the club. What I really like about this show however, is the relationship between the two hosts; Journalist Rob Pollard is the fan in the room, representing the listener, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the club he loves and a genuine excitement to meet the guests whilst former player Nedum Onouha provides great insight on playing at the top level and brings the best out of interviewees who are instantly put at ease talking to "one of their own". With Kyle Walker, Owen Hargreaves and Scott Carson among the early guests, the podcast has got off to a strong start and other clubs, teams and governing bodies in sport should take note! Listen here via Spotify: Beef Johnson's Golf Club Crowd Network | Launched: Sept 22 Beef Johnson is one of the biggest characters in golf with a huge cult following and so it made perfect sense for him to make the move into podcasting. The masterstroke (excuse the pun) with this podcast is the teaming up of the golfing superstar with comedian, keen amateur golfer and podcasting royalty John Robins to create some genuine laugh-out-loud moments alongside the sporting insight. Rather than a blow-by-blow account of the sport itself and the latest from the course, this podcast follows a similar format to "That Peter Crouch Show" (the team behind this pod also created that show for the BBC) in which it tackles a different golfing topic in each episode often with special guests brought in to keep the content fresh. The key to this show is a feeling of fun and inclusivity. The Crowd Network really understand the value of creating communities around their podcasts (they've done it very successfully with previous shows such as Joe Marler and Geraint Thomas) and they've adopted that format here too. Listeners are "Members" of the world's most inclusive club with exclusive merchandise and listener Q&As among the tools used to deepen audience engagement. Listen here via Spotify: Sports Horn Stak | Launched: Aug 22 Remember the early days of Alan Partridge as the sports reporter on Chris Morris' The Day Today? There is something very reminiscent of that classic character in the comedy/sport podcast Sports Horn. Like Partridge this show is a lovely pastiche of the sport broadcasting genre with a particular focus on sports radio. In each episode we join the Ian Fiveankles Breakfast Show - which will feel far too familiar to listeners of a certain national sport radio station. From the dubious "laddie" audio production to the dubious "laddie" banter, it's beautifully-observed content and often only slightly less ridiculous than the genre of a programme that it's sending up. One of the "Proper Football Men" in the world. Listen here via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11SBXcEPH0wdJgBFi9Uzy4?si=d13e47b08a17435e The Moment of Truth Launched: Jun 22 Sometimes the BBC does something that only the BBC could do and reminds us all why we pay the licence fee... 'The Moment of Truth' falls into that ballpark. With the kind of investment, production values and research that we've come to expect from the big US podcasting networks, The Moment of Truth gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life at the sharp end of football management as it follows Rotherham and Oxford United's attempt to gain promotion from League One to the Championship (and the industrial language that goes alongside it). This is a different level of insight to the Amazon "All or Nothing" documentaries. Far grittier than the sparkly training grounds of City and Spurs, this show not only reveals so much about football at the lower levels but it's also a brilliantly immersive audio experience. I often found myself shrinking into my shirt whilst listening to a both-barrels berating from Rotherham boss Paul Warne. 90% of the sports podcast market is talk based, either interview or debate based on performances/games/events. This is a great example of how producers can, and should, sometimes think outside that box. Listen here via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/714Whsa8U1UY31LymyaHcp?si=87553446447442b3 Row Z Football Podcast Joe Forester | Launched Jun 21 This is a football podcast that's not really about football. Whilst the sport is the loose thread that holds the show together it's more about the characters on the podcast than the knowledge or insight that they have about the game. This is a podcast that has the "feel" of a traditional breakfast radio show with stories about the teams lives, in-jokes and banter as the cornerstones of the content. You get the feeling that, ultimately, the podcast could be about any topic and would still have the same charm. A show for which its audience returns not to hear WHAT topics are being talked about, but HOW the team are talking about it. Listen here via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WnwXKws6hD9c12OPY9dCu?si=807cf1dab44c4ad3 Away From Home The Athletic | Launched: Nov 22 I've become a bit of a Ukraine War podcast junkie over the last 12 months. The BBC's Ukrainecast and John Sweeney's "Taking On Putin" are a particular highlight of my audio diet along with this effort from The Athletic. ​ This podcast follows Shakhtar Donetsk and their attempts to maintain "Business as Normal" despite Russia's invasion of their homeland meaning they are unable to play any games at their own stadium. Adam Crafton and Joe D'Urso spend time with the team and using first person interviews and actuality they tell a story that is part football, part geo-political conflict and part human interest. It's a fantastically put-together and well-crafted podcast which goes so much deeper than the sport itself. The Athletic has developed a reputation for great football storytelling and it's nice to see one of their podcasts that reflects those brand values much more than much of the audio content within their slate. Listen here via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5laT8p7zK9ot2gO20HLdPg?si=974525e082d0491e Storylines: The Women's Cricket Show The Analyst | Launched: May 23 It's been a long time coming but it feels like women's sport is experiencing something of a renaissance right now. The success of the Lionesses in the Women's World Cup has jump-started a level of interest across multiple sports, and podcasting has a huge role to play in growing and nurturing those audiences, especially away from the major competition spikes. Simon Hughes (The Analyst Cricket Podcast) has identified the opportunity to establish a new show focused on the women's side of the sport and has enlisted players Melissa Story (hence Storylines) and Nikki Chaudhuri to front the podcast. The show follows the well-established and respected format of its older brother with great interviews, in-depth analysis and top-level insight. It deserves to become a cornerstone of the coverage around the women's game. Listen here via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PDaTpTcYIpVUVuBBNyHQd?si=5a5e3f0659f44931 Sports Strangest Crimes BBC | Launched: Jun 21 ​ Vanilla Ice hosting a podcast about the disappearance of Shergar sounds like an idea that should be filed alongside the like of Monkey Tennis... but somehow it works. Yup, Ice is back with a brand new invention and this time it's dipping into his passion for horse racing (who knew?) and looking back at one of the sport's biggest crimes in the first series of this ongoing thread. Whilst the inclusion of Ice (real name Robin Van Winkle) adds a novelty and a charm to this podcast it is, at its heart, a well-told compelling story with the production values you would expect from a BBC production. This show thread is a smart move by the Beeb, combining two of podcastings biggest genres in True Crime and Sport. Now in its fourth series and having covered Cricket, F1 and Football, there is a nice variety of stories to binge and add a different texture to your sports podcast diet. Listen here via Spotify: Fit and Proper Goalhanger Podcasts | Launched: Nov 22 Goalhanger has a fast-developing reputation for creating hit shows but it's a surprise, given their beginnings and major benefactor (Gary Lineker) that, to date, they've tended to steer away from Sport. But with History (The Rest is History) and Politics (The Rest is Politics) boxed off it was time for them to focus on the beautiful game with a new show (sadly not called The Rest is Football). 'Fit and Proper' is a format-first podcast with one central question at its heart: "What would you do if you owned your own football club?". The direction the podcast takes largely depends on the guests and varies from insightful to comedic (mostly the latter). A stellar lineup for guests with strong podcast followings (Ed Gamble, Ellis James, Alex Horne) has secured some good early attention and it's well deserved. The format really works and prompts the listener to "play along" with the "game" whilst host Lloyd Griffith and Rhys James have great repartee between themselves and the guest owners. ​ Listen here via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1q880qj4WbZiPDyEX1EdOa?si=d6592b0542964863 Jim Salveson is the Director of Sport for Voiceworks and the Sports Social Network.

By Sam Graham Intro On Thursday 13th April 2023, the Premier League announced that their clubs collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of clubs’ match-day shirts. While clubs have time to find alternative industries and brands to target (the withdrawal beginning at the end of the 2025/26 season), it may be prudent to begin the transition sooner rather than later. A recent YouGov poll suggested that 77% of fans support the move away from gambling sponsorships. This blog post aims to provide key information for clubs and brands as to how they can partner effectively. What are brands looking for?  * Exposure – particularly important to emerging and challenger brands.  * Targeting new markets and territories.  * Return on Investment – how marketing departments can justify sponsorship expenditure and convert eyeballs to purchases.  * Vanity projects, market dominance, staying ahead of competitors.  * Authenticity. Will their target audience resonate with the partnership.  * Publicity. Ensuring a strong and positive response from a PR perspective. What can clubs offer brands?  * Physical assets. This can range from dugout branding all the way to stadium naming rights, not to forget training ground and academies where there are also opportunities to showcase brands.  * Ticketing & hospitality. Ideal for networking opportunities.  * Media assets. Interview backdrops at press conferences and pre/post-match.  * Digital assets; social media, club apps, club website, contactable database, club podcasts.  * Additional exposure from third parties - Licensed video games such as FIFA (soon to be EA Sports FC) showcase a club’s intellectual property within the game. How much? According to SportsPro Media, front of shirt deals for Premier League clubs range between £6 million and £50 million per season, with sleeve deals from £600k up to £20 million per season. Companies such as Turnstile highlight the importance of assigning relative pricing per asset/sponsorship right. Having realistic pricing strategies per asset will help clubs and brands build trust through transparency and help to maintain longer term relationships. Industries that could be worth exploring A recent industry report by KORE states that the top sponsorship spenders globally sit within the Financial, Food and Beverage, Communication and Media, Retail and Technology industries. When looking at the global market and where investments are taking place, automation and climate technology are key areas to keep an eye on. From a B2C brand perspective, influencer marketing could be another avenue to explore. Having localised partnerships (for example famous influencer club supporters) is a good way to keep fans engaged. The recent acquisition of GOAT by WPP highlights that the media space are investing strategically here. The video games industry can provide licensing opportunities, with clubs already working with popular games such as Fortnite. Statista provides insights that show incremental revenue between 2015 and 2022. Examples of Effective Partnerships Football Manager previously held rights to dugout branding at Leicester City’s King Power stadium. The prominent display, regularly in view of broadcaster’s cameras and the additional coverage from online media helped amplify the brand’s global exposure to countries where the game may not be as prevalent, in comparison to the video game studio’s core markets. Away from football, in cricket The Hundred and it’s partnership with KP Snacks is a good example of a company utilising multiple brands through multiple assets. With the Hundred focussing on building a family audience and KP Snacks promoting their ‘Taste For Good’ programme demonstrates a strong alignment between brand and rights holder strategies. Importance of transparency and strategy It’s vital that brands find partnerships with clubs that match their marketing and company strategies. The Manchester United and TeamViewer deal indicates the market may not necessarily agree, with TeamViewer’s share price dropping significantly since the sponsorship announcement in 2021. For clubs, it is a case of knowing your audience and identifying brands that match their ethos and values. Utilising assets and segmenting appropriately in commercial agreements will help maximise revenue in the long term. Sam Graham is currently a free agent. Previously worked in Commercial and CRM roles with Leaders, Fulham FC, Sports Interactive (Football Manager) and Scisports.

By Ishveen Jolly, CEO & Founder of OpenSponsorship Moneyball Moneyball highlights a baseball manager who is tasked with building a winning team without having the same resources as everyone else in the industry. The manager, Beane uses statistical data to pick the most cost effective and successful players with the small budget he had to work with. The incredible success of the team proves that sometimes-overlooked players really do have a lot of potential behind them. This relates to the world of sales because salespeople are always analyzing data to figure out the most cost-effective way to operate and find the best value in what they are providing to their customers. Ford v. Ferrari A car designer, Carroll, and a driver, Ken are hired by Ford to create a car that can compete with Ferrari. This shows an accurate representation of what it can be like competing in the business world. Ken and Carroll have to use adaptability and a strong decision-making process as they work through the creation of the car while effectively handling obstacles and making sure the Ford model can stand a chance against its competitor. Hustle Stanley Sugerman, basketball scout, brings a street player into the NBA. Sugerman received a lot of doubt from this decision, but the film goes through the process of Sugerman building the relationship with his client. Like the real business world, it is always a priority to put the client’s needs first. Sugerman exemplifies this by believing in his street player, Bo, from day one. While Bo might not be what the NBA was looking for on paper, his abilities carry him through, all of which would not have been possible if Sugerman had not fought to build that relationship and always stay true to his client. Draft Day Draft Day shows the story of the Brown’s general manager having to work his way through the NFL draft. Weaver, the manager, is faced with a tough decision between two players and must decide what option is going to provide the best outcome for the team as a whole. As Weaver evaluates his choices, important lessons about negotiation in the decision-making process are touched on. Weaver acknowledges that there are pros and cons to each scenario and at the final decision all participants involved should be benefiting or receiving something in some way. Jerry Maguire Sport agent Jerry Maguire loved what he did and was extremely driven, until it is brought to his attention that he has lost the personal touch needed in the industry. Maguire started seeing his clients as cheques rather than the humans that they were. His change of heart reminds him that the relationships with the people he is working with are the most important for success. In the process Maguire finds himself again and is reminded that his job with his clients has purpose and is not just a number on a cheque. Field of Dreams The famous quote “If you build it he will come” plays a large role in this film. It sets the idea that if you create something, like a business, customers will follow in. While the idea might not be as magical and instant in the business world as it is in the movie, it does still apply. It puts an important emphasis on the fact that you must be the one to build the business in order for customers to come to you. You are putting out all the resources for them, they just have to decide to use them. ​ Million Dollar Arm This film exemplifies how teamwork and determination can help one through hardships. Not everything in life comes easily, in fact most things do not. Million Dollar Arm recognizes this and shows that just because something did not work out the first time does not mean to quit, but rather persist on and just work even harder towards the goal. Rashmi Rocket Rashmi Rocket tells the story of a young girl who is an extremely talented runner. She begins to compete at the national level, but some people begin to question her abilities. Rocket’s talent ends up with having to be gender tested to confirm her identity. Rocket is ultimately banned from the Olympics, but fights back and shows how these tests are highly discriminatory. Rocket ends up winning her case and is allowed back to compete. Rashmi Rocket takes a stand and sends a message about discrimination of LGBTQA+ athletes everywhere, reminding people what unfair treatment they are still having to put up with. Air Air gives the journey of Nikes relationship with Michael Jordan and how they got back into the basketball industry before their competition kicked them out of the industry whole. Sonny Vaccaro, Nike’s basketball scout, made sure that he knew the competition inside and out because it was the only way they were not going to take over Nike’s spot in the industry. Vaccaro also made sure that the customers’ needs took priority over everything else. Without satisfied customers, the company has no way of progressing. Finally, Vaccaro knew he had to be persistent. It did not matter how many no’s he got as long as he kept believing in the value of the product. Chak De India Kabir Khan, an ex-Men’s Hockey captain with a rocky reputation, takes a position with a Women’s Hockey Team. Working with this team is new territory that Khan is not familiar with, and he already does not have the best reputation attached with his name. Working with the Women’s Team teaches Khan a lot about breaking the stereotypical ideas of women as his team shows him, they do not fit into these stereotypes with all that they do just for their sport. On the other hand, Khan teaches the women the importance of being a team rather than just an individual. Khan shows the women that in order to be successful they have to think of each other as a unity. Ishveen Jolly is CEO & Founder of OpenSponsorship which connects brands to athletes.