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On today's episode of the Sports Pundit Podcast, we're joined by Carolina Chiappero, Innovation Manager at Juventus. Carolina traces her path from opening Juventus soccer schools around the world and managing the academy project's international development to leading the club's innovation function - a role she raised her hand for after working on projects beyond football, from food formats to a travel business. She shares her definition of innovation: anything that makes the club work better or creates new value. That makes innovation a cross-functional activity at a club that operates as a proper corporate, and makes her an enabler and translator between departments - identifying internal needs through assessment and discussion, scouting outside for solutions, and testing them with internal champions. She then unpacks Juventus Forward, the club's external-facing innovation programme, and its "squad" of startups running 12-month pilots built for adoption, not pilots for their own sake. Batch after batch, more departments are getting involved - from performance and digital marketing to facility management and communication - and the value is stacking up in layers: the brand attracting technology at net-zero cost, each pilot generating time savings, cost optimisation or new revenue, and a next step of partnership-driven innovation, where startups can serve club partners too and innovation becomes activation. The conversation also covers where Carolina looks for inspiration - the UEFA innovation hub, Italian sport-tech accelerator BitnMatch, and Politecnico di Milano's Open Innovation Observatory - and why being first in the Italian market meant looking beyond football and beyond sport altogether. It closes with Juventus Forward's new squad announcement, which has since been made on stage at Wave by Vento, formerly known as Italian Tech Week.  Timestamps 01:00 - Carol’s Juventus Journey 05:00 - Finding Innovation Mentors 08:00 - Defining the Role of Innovation within a Football Club  12:30 - What is Juventus Forward and Why Does it Exist? 15:00 - How Pilots Get Adopted Across the Organisation 19:00 - Innovation as Commercial Engine (The Revenue Opportunity) 24:30 - Roadmap and Next Steps About The Host ⁠⁠Andy Marston⁠⁠⁠ is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives. About Sports Pundit Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its ⁠⁠⁠weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe. At the heart of the platform is the ⁠⁠⁠Sports Pundit Podcast⁠⁠⁠, The Sports Pundit Podcast Network is a multi-show platform designed for sports executives, by sports executives. The network includes interview shows with decision makers across the industry, special domain-specific series on areas like investment and innovation, and The Pitch, a conversational companion show discussing big ideas. Together, they deliver insider perspectives that live up to Sports Pundit’s mission to be “The Voice of the Sports Industry.”

On this episode of The Pitch, Andy, Drew, and Dom discuss using touring sports weekends to add fan-facing “shoulder programming” and new commercial inventory, sparked by MotoGP’s San Marino GP partnering with FIBA 3x3 for a free Thursday street-court event featuring riders as team captains. They explore how F1 and Liberty Media could replicate this by inviting challenger sports (padel, flag football, virtual golf) or creating owned IP (e.g., an “Apex” run club tied to the F1 movie) to drive sponsorship, hospitality, and city-center fan zones, with operational models ranging from full ownership to collaboration. The conversation then shifts to athletes and creators building sport properties off digital channels, citing LeBron and Kevin Hart launching golf YouTube content and the idea of filming and branding charity tournaments as creator-run events, alongside examples like the Sidemen match, athlete-streamed rights, and the tradeoffs of platform distribution.Timestamps 02:00 - MotoGP x 3v3 as Evidence of Cross-Collaboration Events 10:00 - Launching the "Apex Run Club," to Build on F1 Movie IP20:30 - The Evolution of YouTube Golf 27:30 - Expanding Trend of Creators Gaining Streaming Rights About The Show The Pitch is the conversational show from the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, hosted by Andy Marston, Drew Rauso and Dom Collingwood. It’s a play on words, with each host bringing an idea, theme, or provocation that they pitch to the other. Together they react, debate, and explore what’s really happening across the sports industry, from shifting media models to the next wave of innovation. Each episode mixes perspective with practicality, with occasional appearances from other Sports Pundit hosts from across the Network. About The Hosts ⁠Drew Rauso⁠ is a versatile media operator with a proven track record of building and scaling sports media ventures at the intersection of content, commerce, and creator strategy. He currently leads Brand, Strategy, and Operations at Playmaker HQ, a leading sports podcast network owned by Better Collective, home to shows featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Angel Reese, and Marshawn Lynch. Previously at The Players’ Tribune, Drew has been instrumental in shaping athlete-driven media, overseeing partnerships, production, and growth initiatives that connect fans and talent in meaningful ways. ⁠Andy Marston⁠ is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 and Juventus to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives. ⁠Dom Collingwood⁠ is the founder of Fanzo, the world's most used sports bar finder, helping fans find the best bars and venues showing live sport near you. Alongside his business partner Leo MacLehose, he launched the company to revolutionise match viewing experiences and currently oversees operations across multiple global markets, including Australia, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria and the USA.

On today's episode of the Sports Pundit Podcast, we're joined by Kari Fleischauer, Chief Operating Officer at Gotham FC. Kari traces her career path from Goldman Sachs, SpaceX and Crooked Media to entering women's sport, first with Angel City FC, before landing at Gotham FC. While this may seem like a random list, the common thread running through all of it in her view is spotting assets that are conventionally mispriced and building durable enterprises around them from the ground up. Kari reflects on how operating outside traditional sports pathways shaped her approach to commercialization, budgeting, and long-term value creation at Angel City, including some of the lessons (and league fines) that came from treating a fledgling NWSL club like a startup. Kari then unpacks what's different at Gotham FC, where committed ownership and a strong soccer-ops leader combined to deliver both performance and commercial success from early on. She talks about the importance of building a distinct brand identity separate from any men's team, why NWSL's competitiveness stacks up favorably against European leagues on a game-to-game basis, and how brand partners like DoorDash and CarMax have found outsized value attaching to women's sports. The conversation closes on Gotham's upcoming shift to Etihad Park, plus the huge investment commitment into a new training facility as well as what this means for their community-first strategy, which will underpin the club's next chapter in the Tri-State area. Timestamps 02:00 - Career Origin Story and Learnings from Goldman and SpaceX07:00 - Angel City Startup Lessons11:00 - Gotham's Winning Formula (Performance + Commercial)19:00 - Building a Unique Brand22:00 - Sponsors and Media Value27:00 - Stadiums and Creating a Premium Experience32:00 - Investing in a Training Facility and the Community About The Host ⁠Andy Marston⁠⁠ is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives. About Sports Pundit Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its ⁠⁠weekly newsletter⁠⁠, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe. At the heart of the platform is the ⁠⁠Sports Pundit Podcast⁠⁠, The Sports Pundit Podcast Network is a multi-show platform designed for sports executives, by sports executives. The network includes interview shows with decision makers across the industry, special domain-specific series on areas like investment and innovation, and The Pitch, a conversational companion show discussing big ideas. Together, they deliver insider perspectives that live up to Sports Pundit’s mission to be “The Voice of the Sports Industry.”

On this episode of the Sports Pundit Podcast, I'm joined by Shergul Arshad, Head of North America for Aston Martin Formula One Team. Shergul walks through how a career built in global football and fantasy sports led him into F1, joining the team on the back of the growth spike triggered by Drive to Survive and stepping into a role that, at the time, didn't really exist yet. The conversation traces how that role as Head of 'North America' has evolved. What started as an evangelizing job, explaining F1 to a US market that didn't yet fully understand it, has turned into long-term sponsorship building, with Shergul personally closing nine deals in under four years, including with the likes of Cohere, CoreWeave, and Celsius. Shergul explains the team's move away from strict category exclusivity and the launch of the AMR Network, a structure that allows sponsors to collaborate with each other rather than compete for space, and how the IAM membership program is being used to capture and understand fan data. The episode closes with a look at Aston Martin's $350M Silverstone campus, home to more than 1,100 staff, and its role as both a talent magnet and a hospitality asset for the team. Timestamps 01:00 - Shergul's Career Path from Football and Fantasy to F1 04:00 - Building Relatability in the North American Market 09:00 - Sponsorship Growth Metrics and AMR's Commercial Success 11:00 - Launching the AMR Network and Looking Beyond Category Exclusivity 20:00 - Expanding the Driver Squad and Show Car Activations 28:00 - A Silverstone Campus Tour 33:00 - Exploring Future Commercial Levers About the Host Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives.

On today's episode of the Sports Pundit Podcast, we're joined by Isabelle Van Coevorden, Managing Director of Global Markets at the Seattle Seahawks. Isabelle walks us through her career path, from playing semi-professional soccer and interning at UEFA in Switzerland, to brand-growth roles with Major League Soccer, FC Barcelona, and the Bundesliga, before joining the Seahawks to help translate American football to international markets from both a fan and a B2B perspective. She discusses how the Seahawks leveraged their Super Bowl win for an immediate global momentum boost, while stressing the importance of building year-round market presence beyond the NFL's Super Bowl-centric spike in attention. The conversation covers long-term ROI on international investment, community-building through events and flag football, the difference between global and regional commercial partnerships (including Accenture and Condor Airlines), cross-sport collaborations with clubs like Bayern Munich and AFL/NRL teams, the Seahawks' ambassador program with players, and the wider "halo effect" of promoting Seattle as a global city. Timestamps 01:00 - Isabelle's Career Journey 04:00 - Joining the Seahawks 05:00 - Leveraging Super Bowl Momentum 09:30 - Seahawks' Global Markets 15:00 - Activating Without a Game 17:30 - Measuring International ROI 23:30 - Global and Regional Sponsors 33:00 - Seattle World Cup Halo About The Host Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives.

On this episode of The Pitch, Andy and Drew welcome new co-host Dom, who arrives with a big opening pitch focused on an “honors system” for fans, built like a Hall of Fame for the people who actually create sports culture on the ground. Dom points to examples like San Antonio Spurs fans in France staging 2-4 a.m. playoff watch parties complete with drums, and asks why the volunteers and organisers behind these communities rarely get any formal recognition at all. That pitch opens into a wider conversation about visibility. Andy and Dom talk through what it would actually take to spotlight these grassroots communities and the tension that comes with it. From there the discussion turns to loyalty and rewards, looking at how clubs and platforms already recognise their most devoted fans and the episode shifts to a practical question of “if not everyone can or wants to go to a stadium, what’s the next best thing?” The trio debate the UK’s fan bar culture, then dig into “pub-plus” concepts like COSM and F1 Arcade as scalable alternatives to matchday attendance. They close by exploring whether cinemas could become a real venue for sport (both live broadcasts and archival footage) including formats built specifically for kids and for women’s sport. Timestamps 1:00 - Fanzo’s Dom Collingwood Joins The Pitch 07:00 - Championing Volunteers And Giving Suitable Recognition 12:30 - Commercialising Fan Recognition and Finding Sponsorship Balance 14:30 – Creating Visible Communities for Fans 20:00 - Exploring Wider Opportunities around Loyalty And Data Rewards 26:19 - Why Don’t UK Fan Bars Exist for Top Teams? 32:00 - Appreciating the COSM And F1 Arcade Formats 38:00 - Should Sports Be more present in Cinemas? About The Show The Pitch is the conversational show from the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, hosted by Andy Marston, Drew Rauso and Dom Collingwood. It’s a play on words, with each host bringing an idea, theme, or provocation that they pitch to the other. Together they react, debate, and explore what’s really happening across the sports industry, from shifting media models to the next wave of innovation. Each episode mixes perspective with practicality, with occasional appearances from other Sports Pundit hosts from across the Network. About The Hosts Drew Rauso is a versatile media operator with a proven track record of building and scaling sports media ventures at the intersection of content, commerce, and creator strategy. He currently leads Brand, Strategy, and Operations at Playmaker HQ, a leading sports podcast network owned by Better Collective, home to shows featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Angel Reese, and Marshawn Lynch. Previously at The Players’ Tribune, Drew has been instrumental in shaping athlete-driven media, overseeing partnerships, production, and growth initiatives that connect fans and talent in meaningful ways. Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 and Juventus to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives. Dom Collingwood is the founder of Fanzo, the world's most used sports bar finder, helping fans find the best bars and venues showing live sport near you. Alongside his business partner Leo MacLehose, he launched the company to revolutionise match viewing experiences and currently oversees operations across multiple global markets, including Australia, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria and the USA.

On today’s episode of the Sports Pundit Podcast, I’m joined by Jada Balster, CMO at Perk. Jada is a B2B marketing leader with more than 20 years of experience across companies including Epicor, S&P Global, and Adobe. Today she leads marketing at Perk, the all-in-one travel and spend management platform formerly known as TravelPerk. In this conversation, we explore how B2B marketing has evolved from a demand generation discipline into a brand-building function, and why Perk recently embarked on its biggest ever marketing investment through a company-wide rebrand. We discuss the role sport can play in accelerating brand growth, including why Perk selected the Audi Revolut Formula One team as its first major sports partnership, and how the company plans to stand out as Formula One continues to get noisier for incoming brands. Timestamps 02:00 - Jada’s Career Journey 04:00 - TravelPerk Becomes Perk 06:00 - Rebrand Rollout and Metrics 10:00 - Why Sport and F1 Fit 15:00 - Choosing the Audi Partnership 24:00 - Integration Beyond the Logo27:00 - Activating Across Channels 34:00 - What’s Next for Perk About The Host Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives.

On this episode of The Pitch, Andy and Drew dig into two ideas that both orbit the same macro challenge: how do sports venues generate more value on the days when the stands aren't full? Andy kicks things off with Surrey County Cricket Club's move to turn the Oval into a midweek co-working destination, installing Wi-Fi and laptop-friendly desks to pull remote workers into four-day county fixtures. Drew draws the comparison to the San Diego Padres' Remote Work Wednesday experiment and the pair debate the real ROI of infrastructure investment versus a lighter-touch marketing play. The conversation quickly expands beyond simple attendance tactics. Andy pitches the idea of segmenting co-working days by industry, turning the stadium into a genuine networking event, and ultimately folding the whole concept into corporate sponsorship packages that give brands a physical home inside the venue on non-match days. Then Drew takes the mic with a pitch around legends football, asking what would happen if the one-off celebrity and former player games that clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United already run were structured into a proper secondary league, complete with tracked stats, betting markets, and miniature club contracts. Andy traces the idea back to Sky Sports' Masters Football series from the early 2000s and the pair explore how the Kings League and Baller League have already proved the appetite exists, and why a Premier League-backed version could be close to unstoppable. Finally, the duo zoom out to look at why all of this matters now, connecting stadium monetisation directly to financial fair play regulations in European football, before grounding the conversation in practical examples from Southampton FC's in-stadium pub and arcade to the Bernabeu's surprisingly affordable Starbucks. Timestamps 01:30 - The Surrey Oval Co-Working Idea04:00 - Baseball Comparison and the ROI Question07:00 - Networking, Industry Days, and Segmenting the Crowd10:00 - Sponsor Suites as Co-Working Infrastructure15:30 - The Legends League Pitch18:30 - Kings League, Club Partnerships, and Defensive Moats21:00 - Stadium Revenue and the Financial Fair Play Macro24:00 - Spurs, Southampton, the Bernabeu, and What's Actually Replicable About The ShowThe Pitch is the conversational show from the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, hosted by Andy Marston and Drew Rauso. It's a play on words, with each host bringing an idea, theme, or provocation that they pitch to the other. Together they react, debate, and explore what's really happening across the sports industry, from shifting media models to the next wave of innovation. Each episode mixes perspective with practicality, with occasional appearances from other Sports Pundit hosts from across the Network. About The Hosts Drew Rauso is a versatile media operator with a proven track record of building and scaling sports media ventures at the intersection of content, commerce, and creator strategy. He currently leads Brand, Strategy, and Operations at Playmaker HQ, a leading sports podcast network owned by Better Collective, home to shows featuring Shaquille O'Neal, Angel Reese, and Marshawn Lynch. Previously at The Players' Tribune, Drew has been instrumental in shaping athlete-driven media, overseeing partnerships, production, and growth initiatives that connect fans and talent in meaningful ways. Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 and Juventus to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Charlie Kurian, Director of Innovation and Strategy at the San Antonio Spurs. Charlie has had a non-traditional path into professional sport, with experience spanning Big Tech, startups and venture capital. Prior to joining the Spurs, he served as Investor and Chief of Staff at Soma Capital, a $412M venture fund that was an early investor in companies including Deel, Rippling and Ramp. In this conversation, we explore how lessons from these areas, particularly venture, can be applied inside a sports organisation. We also discuss the Spurs’ AI adoption journey, their leadership guide with OpenAI, surprising internal use cases, and the launch of Spurs AI Studio, whose first activation delivered an AI-generated tunnel walk experience for Michelob Ultra. Finally, we explore how AI is changing partner expectations and where the next wave of opportunity may emerge for sports organisations. Timestamps 02:00 - Charlie’s Non-Linear Career Path 06:00 - Spurs Strategy & Innovation Role 10:00 - Translating Trends into Value 15:00 - OpenAI Partnership & Adoption Playbook 21:00 - Surprising Internal AI Use Cases 24:00 - Spurs AI Studio Revenue Creation 30:00 - Licensing and Partner Expectations Shift 33:30 - Build vs Buy and Startup Collaboration About The Host Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives.

On today’s episode of the Sports Pundit Podcast, host Vansa Chatikavanij is joined by Brett M. Johnson, Founder & CEO of Benevolent Capital, Chairman of Rhode Island FC and Centerville Bank Stadium, and a shareholder and director at Ipswich Town. Brett reflects on the development of the $140M Centerville Bank Stadium project in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and explains how the wider Tidewater Landing vision combines sport, real estate, hospitality, and community infrastructure into a long-term economic engine. The conversation explores partnership-driven leadership, the “Who Not How” mindset, and why Brett believes the sports industry is still in the early innings of value creation. Finally, he also breaks down why aligned incentives between clubs and venue ownership matter, how sports assets can create commercial flywheels beyond matchday revenue, and the future of United Soccer League (USL). Timestamps 05:00 - Building Benevolent Capital12:00 - Leaning Into “Who Not How”15:00 - The Rise & Rise of Ipswich Town21:00 - Stadium Economics Explained32:00 - Fans and Community Flywheel36:00 - USL’s Role in the Multi-Club Ownership Future About The Hosts Vansa Chatikavanij is Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Present Ventures, an investment firm focused on emerging sports, media, and technology. She previously led strategy at Omise (“Stripe of Asia”) and co-founded OmiseGO Network, reaching a $1B+ market cap. Earlier in her career, she worked at the World Bank across 13 markets and has advised organisations including the World Economic Forum, GSIC powered by Microsoft, and Real Madrid NEXT Asia. About Sports Pundit Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its weekly newsletter, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe. At the heart of the platform is the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, a multi-show lineup created for sports executives, by sports executives. The network features six domain-specific podcasts spanning innovation, marketing, finance, performance, and media, alongside a conversational companion show, The Pitch. Together, they deliver insider perspectives that live up to Sports Pundit’s mission to be “The Voice of the Sports Industry.” Produced by OH SIX The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by OH SIX, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.

On this episode of The Pitch, Andy and Drew reimagine the team social media playbook, exploring what would happen if clubs blew up their internal social departments and handed the keys to a rotating cast of fans or creators. The conversation then shifts into the rapidly evolving world of AI content creation, from AI-generated podcast host avatars that can scale ad reads, to AI twins of athletes that could transform how clubs produce commercial content. The duo unpack the surprising upside for players, the sponsor inventory opportunities hiding inside club archives, and the creative potential of remastering iconic footage or even simulating matchups between historic teams. Finally, Andy pitches an idea born from his own cricket experience: a grassroots sponsorship fund that would let national brands extend their partnerships down to the amateur club level, giving volunteer-run clubs a ready-made commercial model and giving sponsors unmatched local affinity. Timestamps 1:00 - Creator Takeover Social Strategy 4:00 - Inside a Team Social Department 8:00 - Algorithm Volume and Club Creator Labs 14:00 - AI Tools, Editing, and Podcast Host Avatars 18:00 - AI Twins for Players and Commercial Shoots 24:00 - Unlocking Archive Footage as Sponsor Inventory 28:00 - Remastering History and Dream Team Matchups 31:00 - Grassroots Sponsorship Fund Pitch 36:00 - Exploring Feasibility in the UK vs USA Additional Links: AI Assist: How Juventus Scores Incredible Content Output ⚽️ About The Show The Pitch is the conversational show from the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, hosted by Andy Marston and Drew Rauso. It’s a play on words, with each host bringing an idea, theme, or provocation that they pitch to the other. Together they react, debate, and explore what’s really happening across the sports industry, from shifting media models to the next wave of innovation. Each episode mixes perspective with practicality, with occasional appearances from other Sports Pundit hosts from across the Network. About The Hosts Drew Rauso is a versatile media operator with a proven track record of building and scaling sports media ventures at the intersection of content, commerce, and creator strategy. He currently leads Brand, Strategy, and Operations at Playmaker HQ, a leading sports podcast network owned by Better Collective, home to shows featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Angel Reese, and Marshawn Lynch. Previously at The Players’ Tribune, Drew has been instrumental in shaping athlete-driven media, overseeing partnerships, production, and growth initiatives that connect fans and talent in meaningful ways. Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 and Juventus to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives. Produced by OH SIX The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by OH SIX, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.

On today's episode of the Sports Pundit Podcast, I'm joined by Mark Shannon, Head of Digital Product at the DP World Tour. Mark is a product leader specialising in digital transformation and fan engagement innovation, with experience spanning sports, automotive, retail, and government. Throughout his career, he's built and launched revenue driving digital products that deliver exceptional user experiences. Most recently, he's been helping transform how fans engage with the DP world Tour through mobile's first strategies, modern technology and data-driven product development. Mark combines deep technical expertise for strategic vision, and in this episode we go somewhere to exploring that. We talk about the shift from project led to product led organisations, how AI is reshaping the sports fan experience and how Mark is personally experimenting with Frontier Technologies to stay ahead of the curve. Timestamps 2:00 - Mark’s Career Path 05:00 - From Car Rental to the Sports Industry 08:00 - Project to Product Mindset Shift 11:00 - Data and Fan Insights 16:00 - Implications of AI 21:00 - How Mark is Approaching AI 36:00 - Future of DP World Tour Additional Links: Subscribe to Mark's Newsletter, The Sports Stack. Jump's $23M Series A: Why Sports' Ticketing Monopoly Is Finally Under Attack About The Host Andy Marston⁠ is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives. About Sports Pundit Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its ⁠weekly newsletter⁠, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe. At the heart of the platform is the ⁠Sports Pundit Podcast Network⁠, a multi-show lineup created for sports executives, by sports executives. The network features six domain-specific podcasts spanning innovation, marketing, finance, performance, and media, alongside a conversational companion show, The Pitch. Together, they deliver insider perspectives that live up to Sports Pundit’s mission to be “The Voice of the Sports Industry.” Produced by OH SIX The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by ⁠OH SIX⁠, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.

On today’s episode of the Sports Pundit Media Podcast, Jo and Michael are joined by Chris Sice,  Chief Content Officer at ICONS Series.  ICONS Series is a disruptive experiential sports and entertainment brand that brings together the biggest, boldest cross-section of world class athletes and fans. This conversation, which took place off the back of their most recent event in Bangkok, explores the series’ disruptive approach to golf, both on the course and in the ways that they approach media.  Timestamps 2:00 - ICONS Series Origin Story 12:30 - Broadcast and YouTube Hybrid 17:00 - Players as Media Channels 23:00 - Live Vs Edited Storytelling 30:00 - Audience Data And Surprises 34:00 - Building Cultural Resonance 37:00 - Monetising Cultural Currency About The Hosts Jo Redfern is a digital and youth media specialist who has spent the last five years at the forefront of platforms such as YouTube, Roblox, and TikTok. With a background in traditional broadcast and kids media, Jo is known for turning generational media behaviours into commercial opportunities. Through her consultancy firm, Futrhood, she helps IP owners and rights holders scale engagement and monetisation by leveraging content, platforms, community, and emerging tech. Michael Cohen has spent the last decade building at the intersection of sport, media, and the creator economy. As former CEO of Whistle, he scaled the company into a $100M multi-platform media business, driving organic growth and strategic M&A before leading its exit to Eleven Sports and later DAZN. Today, through his new venture Disruptive Play, Michael partners with companies and creators to shape the next wave of sports and media IP, challenging the status quo and architecting business models for the next era of sport. About Sports Pundit Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its weekly newsletter, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe. At the heart of the platform is the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, a multi-show lineup created for sports executives, by sports executives. The network features six domain-specific podcasts spanning innovation, marketing, finance, performance, and media, alongside a conversational companion show, The Pitch. Together, they deliver insider perspectives that live up to Sports Pundit’s mission to be “The Voice of the Sports Industry.” Produced by OH SIX The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by OH SIX, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.

On today’s episode of the Sports Pundit Podcast, we’re joined by Maria Norrman, President of EF Pro Cycling and Global Chief of Staff at EF Education First. Maria sits at the intersection of performance, people, and strategy - helping run one of the most distinctive and commercially innovative teams in professional cycling.  As EF opens its first-ever title partnership and looks to build the world’s best cycling team across both the men’s and women’s peloton, she’s the person translating ambition into reality behind the scenes. In this conversation, we get into what it really takes to operate a WorldTour team, the business model of cycling, and how culture, not just budget, can become a competitive advantage. Timestamps 02:00 - Maria's Journey and Unique Double Role07:30 - The Unique Economics of Professional Cycling11:00 - Why Winning Isn’t Enough18:00 - Building the World’s Favourite Cycling Team28:00 - The Cost of Running a WorldTour Team39:00 - The Most Underrated Cost in Cycling45:00 - New Inventory and Revenue Streams About The Hosts ⁠Vansa Chatikavanij⁠ is Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Present Ventures, an investment firm focused on emerging sports, media, and technology. She previously led strategy at Omise (“Stripe of Asia”) and co-founded OmiseGO Network, reaching a $1B+ market cap. Earlier in her career, she worked at the World Bank across 13 markets and has advised organisations including the World Economic Forum, GSIC powered by Microsoft, and Real Madrid NEXT Asia. Andy Marston⁠ is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives. About Sports Pundit Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its ⁠weekly newsletter⁠, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe. At the heart of the platform is the ⁠Sports Pundit Podcast Network⁠, a multi-show lineup created for sports executives, by sports executives. The network features six domain-specific podcasts spanning innovation, marketing, finance, performance, and media, alongside a conversational companion show, The Pitch. Together, they deliver insider perspectives that live up to Sports Pundit’s mission to be “The Voice of the Sports Industry.” Produced by OH SIX The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by ⁠OH SIX⁠, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.

On today’s episode of The Pitch, Andy is joined by Jo Redfern (stepping in for Drew) to trade sports media ideas sparked by Roblox, Netflix-style “shared universes,” and the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors. Jo opens with a pitch for DropHoop, a new hybrid sport incubated on Roblox first (parkour x tag x basketball), designed to scale through gameplay, UGC distribution, and monetisation before ever being commissioned IRL. The pair unpack why Roblox is effectively a Petri dish for sports formats, how brands could “own” emerging sports rather than sponsor existing ones, and what milestones would need to be hit before moving from a digital game to a live, ticketed experience. Andy flips the lens to traditional broadcast and proposes a new kind of rights add-on: sports should negotiate entertainment crossover as part of the deal, giving athletes access to audition for (or appear in) major reality formats to reach audiences who’d never click a sports doc. From The Traitors to Netflix’s Perfect Match flywheel, they explore how “character as referral” could become a repeatable growth lever for tier-two sports, without needing fans to already care about the sport in the first place. Timestamps 02:00 - Jo's Pitch: Roblox as a signal engine for the next generation of sports formats 06:30 - DropHoop explained 26:00 - The economics + milestones 30:00 - Andy’s Pitch: Reality TV as a rights negotiation lever for athlete-driven discovery 40:00 – Proof points: influencer-led fandom and why “character is the referral engine” 45:00 – Why this is under-leveraged? About The Hosts The Pitch is the conversational show from the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, hosted by Andy Marston and Drew Rauso (with occasional guests stepping in!) It’s a play on words, with each host bringing an idea, theme, or provocation that they pitch to the other. Together they react, debate, and explore what’s really happening across the sports industry, from shifting media models to the next wave of innovation. Each episode mixes perspective with practicality, with occasional appearances from other Sports Pundit hosts from across the Network. Jo Redfern is a digital and youth media specialist who has spent the last five years at the forefront of platforms such as YouTube, Roblox, and TikTok. With a background in traditional broadcast and kids media, Jo is known for turning generational media behaviours into commercial opportunities. Through her consultancy firm, Futrhood, she helps IP owners and rights holders scale engagement and monetisation by leveraging content, platforms, community, and emerging tech. Andy Marston⁠ is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives. About Sports Pundit Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its ⁠weekly newsletter⁠, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe. Produced by OH SIX The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by OH SIX, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.