The Sports Agents

The recent killing of Mexican drug lord ‘El Mencho’ has caused unrest and cartel violence across the country. Guadalajara - one of Mexico’s host cities in this summer’s World Cup - was one of the worst affected.
So what state are we left in, just months away from the tournament? Should fans be worried about the threat of cartel violence? And with ICE and President Trump ever present in the U.S. - should more questions be asked of their hosting? Gabby and Mark are joined by The Athletic’s Adam Crafton.
Plus, we look back at the best bits from The Sports Agents this week - do England need a makeover after their Six Nations collapse? And how did Netflix's Drive To Survive grow Formula One's fan base by hundreds of millions, where three in four new fans are female?
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🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod
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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides
Producer: Sophie Penney
Producer: George Sexton-Kerr
Video Producer: Sam Trudgill
Social Media Editor: Becky Thompson
Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network
Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global
You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".
👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

If we had a penny for every time we’ve spoken about Drive To Survive on this show, we would be rich. Formula One's Netflix series is the golden example of how to grow a sport by making it cool again.
F1’s global fan base has reportedly grown by hundreds of millions since Drive To Survive launched in 2019, and three in four new fans are female. So as Season 8 airs, has any other sports audience ever grown as fast and changed as much as F1, thanks to Drive To Survive?
Gabby and Mark are joined by two men at the heart of Drive To Survive and the F1 Movie with Brad Pitt: Executive Producer and Chief Broadcasting Officer of Formula 1, Ian Holmes, and motorsport journalist, Will Buxton, who also hosts Global’s F1 podcast, Up To Speed.
Plus Gabby and Mark discuss the Champions League and our quest to get Gabby to Bodo/Glimt, Harry Brook's century at the T20 World Cup, and Gabby's crossover with... Peppa Pig.
📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7
💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6
🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod
📱Follow us on socials:
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents
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📥 Email: [email protected]
Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides
Producer: Sophie Penney
Video Producer: Sam Trudgill
Social Media Editor: Becky Thompson
Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network
Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global
You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".
👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agentsv

Just two weeks ago it was a completely different story for England at the Six Nations. From undefeated in 12 games and to two losses on the bounce.
Spare a thought for the England fans who bought tickets to the final weekend in Paris, thinking it would be a Grand Slam decider…
But are we all overreacting? Do England need to change to avoid the unthinkable against Italy? And what does this mean in the build up to next year’s World Cup? Gabby and Mark are joined by ex-England rugby player David Flatman.
Plus, we reflect on the best moments of the Winter Olympics and are Spurs in trouble?
📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7
💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6
🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod
📱Follow us on socials:
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/
X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod
📥 Email: [email protected]
Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides
Producer: Sophie Penney
Video Producer: Sam Trudgill
Social Media Editor: Becky Thompson
Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network
Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global
You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".
👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agentsv

Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to represent their countries at the upcoming Winter Paralympics. For the first time since 2014, since Russia’s state-sponsored doping programme and the war with Ukraine, we will see the Russian flag and potentially hear the anthem.
Ukrainian officials are boycotting, but FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has also recently said he wants to lift football’s ban on Russia.
This all comes after Ukrainian skeleton athlete, Vladyslav Heraskevych, was disqualified from the Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet showing Ukrainians killed in the war.
So, is this the beginning of something? Could we see Russia compete at the LA Summer Olympics in 2028? Or even the World Cup? Mark and Gabby speak to The Athletic's Matt Slater.
Plus, we look back at the best bits on The Sports Agents this week, from welcoming double Winter Olympic gold medallist Matt Weston, to discussing abuse in football with former England striker Emile Heskey.
📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7
💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6
🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod
📱Follow us on socials:
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/
X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod
📥 Email: [email protected]
Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides
Producer: Sophie Penney
Video Producer: Sam Trudgill
Social Media Editor: Becky Thompson
Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network
Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global
You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".
👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

In the Champions League this week Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior stopped the match after alleged racial abuse by Gianluca Prestianni. Prestianni denies it ever happened.
Today Gabby and Mark discuss the fall out from the incident. And later they're joined by former England striker Emile Heskey who’s launching the Football Safety App to help fight abuse in football and make it easier to report. All that, plus what it's like being a dad of two sons hoping to follow in his footsteps.
Gabby and Mark also ask whether Mikel Arteta should keep his job if Arsenal do bottle it, following their draw at Wolves.
📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7
💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6
🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod
📱Follow us on socials:
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/
X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod
📥 Email: [email protected]
Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides
Producer: Sophie Penney
Producer: George Sexton-Kerr
Video Producer: Sam Trudgill
Social Media Editor: Becky Thompson
Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network
Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global
You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".
👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents