THE SPORTS INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER FROM LEADERS
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Hello everyone, and thanks for clicking through to Worth Knowing, the definitive weekly sports industry newsletter from Leaders. James Emmett here; David Cushnan and the Leaders team playing what’s the time Mr Wolf (what time is it, Mr Fox?) right behind. Our analytics platform tells us how many of you are forwarding this on – thank you. Just make sure it’s to your colleague and not your lawyer.
Before we go on, a note of condolence to the friends – and there were very many - and family of Brandon Foot. The former CEO of SuperSport in South Africa was loved and respected by so many across the industry and beyond. He’ll be missed.
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🧠 6 QUESTIONS SOME OF YOU ARE ASKING YOURSELVES THIS WEEK
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1) Where should I host my next launch event?
You could do worse than the US Embassy in London. There was a (very) full house at US ambassador Jane Hartley’s residence in Regent’s Park last night for the launch of Endeavor’s NXT UK: Women in Sports initiative. Alex Scott was the guest of honour; Endeavor Head of Inclusion, Impact and Advocacy Romola Ratnam was compelling; and the ambassador gave a suitably charming speech. She told a nice story about Megan Rapinoe, the USWNT and the Lionnesses, and was able to point to a framed US soccer jersey with her name printed on the back in pride of place in the hallway. Do they switch that frame out for whatever memento is most relevent to the soiree in hand? I couldn’t tell you. Will report back after my next visit.
2) Fanatics Fest: mad or genius?
The line between bullish and batsh*t is so often wafer thin. Fanatics is going hell for leather on the bellows to reignite the collectibles industry. And this star-studded event slated for New York in the summer has me interested in the same way as Dwyane Johnson’s plan for ‘Athleticon’ did. Covid got the better of that one. Fanatics’ ‘Comic-Con for Sports’ concept can count on some serious culturally transcendent talent and a fire beginning to stoke under the collectibles market.
3) Is this ATP-WTA merger realistic?
It just got a lot more realistic. Money, at least, is not going to be the major issue.
4) Is a new model for national governing bodies emerging?
During a week when World Athletics attached $50,000 to a stick and poked it around in a hornet’s nest, the UK’s major athletics promoters, UK Athletics, The Great Run Company and London Marathon Events are forming a new joint venture, Athletics Ventures, to deliver major athletics events and try and spur the growth of the sport in the UK. Partnership, shared responsibility, and a clear focus on commercial development of events seems to be the order of the day.
5) Am I just getting old, or is golf, dare I say it, cool?
There’s something happening in golf beyond the mountains of money being paid to its top players to either play over here or over there. Something grassrootsy, something with cultural capital. The influencers and ‘creators’ across the sport are now well established; and some of them are genuinely amusing. In their wake have come a smattering of designers and brand builders looking to play to younger audiences. Suddenly it’s a vibrant space. Look out for Eastside Golf Company and golf/surf lifestyle brand johnnie-o in particular.
6) What’s troubling me about the Wrexham documentary?
Spoiler for all those who prefer to get their information about lower league Welsh soccer team Wrexham a year after its happened via the Disney documentary: the club has been promoted again. The achievement has spurred another load of ‘think’ pieces about how good Ryan Reynolds is at owning a sports team. But there was something about Ben Wells’ piece that really did strike a chord. The documentary that covers the club tells the story of the Hollywood actors coming as fish-out-of-water owners attempting – very successfully – to revivify a club and its town. But the real story is how the documentary itself is doing that.
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🔗 WORTH KNOWING - THE LINKS
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Private finance in US stadium building: In New York, city officials have approved plans for the new privately-funded football stadium for Major League Soccer’s New York City FC. The $780 million stadium is part of a larger development project and will be the city’s first stadium dedicated to professional soccer. It is scheduled to open in 2027. A real breakthrough for taxpayers.
100 million big ones: Sports and comedy quintet, Dude Perfect has received $100 million in growth capital from Highmount Capital, as the next step in expanding its brand. The online entertainers will use the investment to help fund new projects and creative partnerships, as well as building a “robust” management team. It is currently building a major production and entertainment destination in Texas.
Hala rollercoaster: Real Madrid have taken a leaf out of Ferrari’s playbook in Abu Dhabi and opened a new club-themed amusement park in Dubai.
More cameras at EFL games: IMG has renewed its production deal with the EFL and committed to adding a couple of cameras to pretty much every game.
Rosberg Ventures: Former F1 driver Nico Rosberg has got the funding bug and has just launched a new €70m fund.
Scebelo goes it alone: Steve Scebelo is leaving his leadership position at the NFLPA to start his own licensing agency.
Olympic app: The BOA has signed a deal with digital design agency Yellow Panther for the creation of a Team GB app ahead of the Paris Olympics.
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🤝 GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD PLACES
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Hiring
• Ironman is hiring for a new SVP/EVP of global partnerships.
• Kahlen Macauley is looking for a new Media & Sports Partnerships Specialist to join him at Snap.
• MLS side Austin FC are on the hunt for a ‘driven and experienced’ Director of Social Media.
• Toulouse FC is looking for a new Marketing and Digital Director.
• NWSL champions NJ/NY Gotham need a new Director of Content.
• Ryan Spoon has between $180k and $392k annually to spend on a new Senior Director of Design at Yahoo Sports.
• British Cycling has up to £65k to spend on a new Social Impact Director.
• Jaguar Land Rover has up to £60k to spend on a new Global Sports Partnerships Senior Officer.
• The ITF needs a new Executive Director for its Major Events.
• Current Premier League team Burnley are searching for a new Commercial Director.
Hired
• London-based LaLiga renaissance man Keegan Pierce has been promoted to the role of Director of International Relations for the Spanish league.
• LIV Golf has announced a quintet of senior appointments in David Philipps, Ross Hallett, Katie O’Reilly, Tim Taylor, and Pam Sacree.
• Experienced tennis marketer Andrew Walker has rejoined the ATP as SVP of Brand and Marketing.
• Maddie Coutts has been hired into the leadership team at the Ten Toes She leaves 50 Sport for the new role as Business Growth Director.
• Ryan Crosby is the new CEO of the World Surf League, joining the property from his position as President of Publishing at Riot Games.
• Technology and strategy specialist agency Next League has promoted Jenna Trabulus to the newly created leadership role of Chief Business Officer.
• David Courell has been named as the interim CEO of the FAI. He take over when Jonty Hill leaves his post at the end of April.
• Former Manchester United, Arsenal, Sevilla, and Liverpool partnerships exec Michael Higham has been appointed as the NFL’s new Commercial Director in Europe.
• Former Wentworth CEO Stephen Gibson is the new COO of Golf Saudi.
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Another month/week/day, another Forbes list to scrutinise and disagree with. I’ve disregarded the standard practice this time, and instead reformulated it to focus on the members of the list that are active in sport. Oh, and while Forbes was too cowardly/sensible to overlay an arbitary ranking system, I’m not. If any of the pioneering executives below would like to sponsor this new award, I’ll have my ironmonger cast up a new gong immediately.
The Forbes Leaders Worth Knowing entrepreneurial CMO 50 18
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- Ken Turner, CMO, Fanatics Collectibles – Fanatics can pretty much do no wrong at the moment, and former Red Bull man Turner is re-energising a category for a new era.
- Karin Timpone, EVP & CMO, Major League Baseball – The America’s Game your Grandpa knew, but somehow now decidedly not. Rule changes and brand transformation are the order of the day. According to Timpone’s tagline, ‘Baseball is Something Else.’ Plus, if I don’t put the only sports property marketer in the top three I’ll be in trouble.
- Sophie Bambuck, CMO, The North Face – From the mountains to the streets and back again, The North Face has transcended categories like no other clothing brand of late.
- Frank Cooper III, CMO, Visa – Frank Cooper III is in CMO role IV of his career and it’s safe to say he knows what he’s doing. Currently recalibrating Visa’s major sports sponsorship assets to make them fit with the company’s mission as well as its marketing objectives.
- Sofia Colucci, CMO, Molson Coors – On a mission to ‘hack’ culture to foster love for her various beer brands, Colucci has done some brilliant and bonkers stuff of late, including producing not one but thousands of Super Bowl ads.
- Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer, Lego – One of a handful of elite marketers genuinely possessed of a recipe for secret sauce. Creative experimentation is at the core of the lego product, and its marketing approach.
- Tara McRae, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer, Clarks – The Li-Ning owned, collab-mad British highstreet shoe brand is forging a new brand reputation with a smart approach to partnership. Design collaborations with Ronnie Feig and Adidas, Pokémon, Supreme, and Art Basel, and a sponsorship of esports outfit LNG are recent highlights.
- Maggie Schmerin, Chief Advertising Officer, United Airlines – The main sponsor of Ryan Reynolds’ wildly successful soccer project. The last time I looked, United didn’t fly any routes to Wrexham. There’s some lateral thinking going on here.
- Noel Mack, Chief Brand Officer, GymShark – Mack is eschewing traditional marketing thinking at the British gym brand and giving the company a different voice for each of the different platforms it’s active on.
- Nikki Neuberger, CMO, lululemon – the world’s best ‘butt-sculpting’ leggings brand is going big in men’s footwear this year.
- Stephanie Sherman, CMO, DraftKings – We’re still in the Wild West days of legalised sports betting in the US. You don’t get far in the Wild West without a steady arm, a good aim, and a ruthless trigger finger. Sherman has all three.
- Meredith Kelly, Global Head of Marketing, Skoda – Such a great brand fit for cycling and the strength of years of great activation behind it.
- David Rubin, Chief Brand & Communications Officer, The New York Times Company – Rubin’s group passed $1 billion in subs revenue last year, with relatively new acquisition The Athletic in tow. The entire publishing and media world is glued to this strategy with fingers hovering above ctrl c ctrl p.
- Esi Eggleston Bracey, CMO, Unilever – The FMCG giant would have to really mess it up not to appear on a list like this, and Unliver is sweating its sports sponsorship assets, with sports activity largely focused on anti-perspirant brands at the moment.
- Lesya Lysyj, CMO, The Boston Beer Company – Taking on the big beer boys with smart, local sponsorships, and a national relationship with the NHL.
- Claudine Cheever, VP Global Brand & Marketing, Amazon – Taking over the world one vertical at a time. Cheever has been responsible for, among other things, branding the bejesus out of Amazon’s boxes and vans.
- Alicia Tillman, CMO, Delta Air Lines – Tillman had a firm grasp on the power of B2B sponsorship in sport in her previous role at SAP. She’s proved a quick learner in D2C at Delta.
- Shakir Moin, Chief of Marketing, Coca-Cola North America – Moin is a big-thinking marketer who has spent the last three years re-organising the group’s internal marketing structures. Bold external moves now incoming.
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Who? Alex Kay-Jelski
What? The incoming Director of BBC Sport.
Why? Kay-Jelski will leave his position as Editor-in-Chief of New York Times-owned The Athletic to take up one of the most prominent roles in the UK sports media in June. A former sports editor at the Times and the Daily Mail, Kay-Jelski brings strong journalistic chops and a reputation for harnessing disruptive forces to a role that covers broadcast production and rights acquisition, as well as editorial and creative strategy, commissioning and journalism. Like his predecessor, Barbara Slater, he will be tasked with doing a lot with a little, and maintaining the BBC’s position as the go-to digital access point, at least, for sport.
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