SportsPro Podcast

Few people know the business of event hosting quite like Esther Britten. As UK Sport's deputy director and head of major events and external affairs, Britten has overseen more than 100 major international sporting events and plays a key role in deciding which ones the country should bid for. 
 
SportsPro head of editorial Sam Carp sat down with Britten at the SportAccord Forum in Lausanne to discuss how UK Sport's hosting strategy has evolved over the last two decades, and how it now assesses which events are the right fit for the nation. 
 
There was also time for an update on a potential bid to bring the Olympics and Paralympics to the north of England in the 2040s, reflections on the race for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, a look ahead to Euro 2028 and the prospect of hosting the 2035 Fifa Women's World Cup.

Since its launch in 2010, On has grown from a Swiss running startup into one of the world's fastest-growing sportswear brands. The company generates more than CHF 3 billion in revenue, has nearly 100 stores worldwide and recently announced a move into football with France and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé. 
 
It's impossible to talk about that growth story without mentioning technology. And in this episode of the SportsPro Podcast, Sam Carp sits down with On's CTO Narek Verdian to discuss how his team supports the business, what expanding into football means behind the scenes, and what he learned from working on the brand's Regent Street shop floor. 
 
Recorded at the London Stadium during SportsPro AI + Tech, the pair also cover where AI is making a genuine impact across the business, Verdian's frustration at how the tech is being adopted, and how AI agents helped On complete a project expected to take two years in a fraction of the time.

Kylian Mbappe stunned soccer last week by announcing that he was ending his 20-year partnership with Nike to become the face of Swiss sportswear brand On’s move into the sport.
This week, Steve McCaskill dials in from New York to join Sam Carp to unpack why the France and Real Madrid star made the switch, how the reported equity component could benefit both sides and what this deal says about the trajectory of On and Nike.
They also consider whether On, a premium brand whose growth story has been built around product innovation, can recreate the success it has seen in running in a sport that has long been dominated by Nike and Adidas.
Meanwhile, with the new NHL season fast approaching, the pair also take a look at the growing business of the North American ice hockey league and preview some of the key media developments that are likely to dominate the headlines during the 2026/27 campaign.

What happens when a football league needs to broadcast its own live games?
 
In the latest episode of our New Economics of Fandom miniseries in partnership with Genius Sports, Chris Stone and Nick Meacham are joined by Cyprien Castanedo, head of media platform and innovation at LFP Media, to explore the launch and growth of Ligue 1+, the league's direct-to-consumer streaming platform.
 
After the LFP lost its domestic broadcast partnership, Castanedo explains how Ligue 1+ was built in a matter of months, reached one million subscribers within three weeks, and drove revenue through both subscriptions and major distribution partnerships. 
 
As the league adopted the mindset of a modern media business, the conversation also covers pricing, churn, piracy, first-party fan data, and what Ligue 1's experience suggests about how DTC and traditional broadcast might coexist in the future.
 
The New Economics of Fandom is produced in partnership with Genius Sports and explores how sport's commercial future is being reshaped by technology, data and changing fan behaviour.
 
Key Points:
How Ligue 1+ was built and launched at speed
Delivering one million subscribers within three weeks and objectives for year two
The role of distribution partners like Prime Video
How Ligue 1+ approaches pricing, churn and piracy
What DTC means for fan data and future media rights negotiations

The US Open just wrapped up three weeks that delivered US$108 million in prize money, record viewership on ESPN and the tournament's first American male finalist since 2006. However, the conversation was also dominated by rising ticket prices and a backlash over the unescapable presence of influencers.
In this episode of the SportsPro Podcast, Sam Carp and Steve McCaskill take a look at the continued commercialisation of the tournament and consider how the event compares to tennis’ other Grand Slams.
Also in this episode, the pair review the first edition of World Athletics’ Ultimate Championship and what it revealed about the governing body’s efforts to retain interest in the sport outside of the Olympics.
There’s also time to look back on some of the major stories from the past week, including what LIV Golf’s bankruptcy filing reveals about the tour’s business model and news that Chelsea shareholders Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are on their way out of the club.