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Podcast · 125 episodes

Business of Sport

by Charlie and Harry Stebbings · English

The show that takes you behind the scenes with the industry’s leading owners, operators, and athletes; it’s the game behind the game. BOS takes two forms: a weekly interview with leading figures from the world of sport, and ‘The Breakdown’, the news show hosted by Charlie Stebbings & Charlie Methven, ensuring you don’t miss a minute of what’s happening in the world of sports business. For greater access and insight, come and join us on Substack to access bonus shows, articles, giveaways, and events. https://businessofsport.substack.com/

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Rishabh Pant: From Near Fatal Car Crash to Winning the World Cup (Ep139)Rishabh Pant discusses life after his 2022 near-fatal car crash, his mindset for comebacks, and how cricket’s business side (especially the IPL) shapes players’ finances and careers.29 Sep 2026 · 1 h 23 min · 32 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: Man Utd’s Accounts Released, Why are Spurs Still Bad, Hearn’s Rugby Takeover, & WTA in Big Trouble (E38)The episode of The Breakdown focuses on early-season Premier League and major sports business developments. Topic 1: Spurs’ poor form.25 Sep 2026 · 1 h 24 min · 26 chapters
Alexis Ohanian: Investing in Chelsea Women, Building Athlos, & The Power of Sport in a Social Era (Ep138)Alexis Ohanian discusses building and investing in women’s sport through Athlos (female-only athletics), Chelsea Women (co-owner), and earlier Angel City FC, arguing women’s leagues should be treated…22 Sep 2026 · 1 h 2 min · 23 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: The Fall of Nike, Sydney Sweeney, & Infantino Consolidates his Power (E37)The Breakdown (E37) argues that women’s golf and athletics are growing by innovating within existing formats and investing in prize money and presentation, while FIFA politics and Nike’s brand…18 Sep 2026 · 1 h 10 min · 27 chapters
Maarten Paes: Ajax Goalkeeper on Investing While You’re Playing & Representing Indonesia (Ep137)Maarten Paes (Ajax goalkeeper, Indonesia international) discusses investing and building a business career while still playing, plus his path to representing Indonesia through his grandmother.15 Sep 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 26 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: The Champions League Is Back With BIG Money, Pietersen’s Miracle England Job, & The NFL’s Global Tour (E36)The Breakdown (E36) covers four sports-business stories plus cricket analysis. Topic 1: LIV Golf’s collapse.11 Sep 2026 · 1 h 25 min · 24 chapters
James Haskell | “They Build You Up. Then They Crush You”: From Rugby to Reality (Ep136)James Haskell discusses rugby’s business model and culture, arguing players are often underpaid because clubs lack investment and don’t generate enough commercial revenue.8 Sep 2026 · 1 h 36 min · 41 chapters
BONUS EPISODE | The Collapse of LIV Golf: From Golf’s Great Disruptor to Sport’s Biggest FailureLIV Golf’s rise and collapse, framed as a failed attempt to disrupt the PGA Tour via Saudi-backed funding, player “guaranteed” pay, and franchise ownership, but ultimately undone by weak…7 Sep 2026 · 46 min · 17 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: The Premier League’s Bottomless Transfer Cash Pit, The US Open Returns with BIG Money, & Messi Retires from Argentina (E35)The episode covers (1) Premier League transfer spending and what it implies about league competitiveness and financial sustainability, (2) Live Golf’s reported move toward Chapter 11 bankruptcy and…4 Sep 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 27 chapters
Barney Pascall: Rugby 7’s is Great Product BUT can it be Great Business (Ep135)Rugby sevens’ business challenge and opportunity, and the launch of Ultimate Sevens (a new global rugby sevens championship) as a “great product, great business” model.1 Sep 2026 · 1 h 9 min · 26 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: Celtic Rock Bottom, Football Clubs Have an Investment Problem, FedEX Cup Shows PGA TOUR’s Strength (E34)The hosts dissect (1) Celtic’s Champions League collapse and what it reveals about football club investment/strategy, (2) England cricket’s culture of binge drinking and its performance impact, (3)…28 Aug 2026 · 1 h 17 min · 31 chapters
Vik Banerjee: The Hundred’s First Season of New Ownership, Big Sponsors, & What Comes Next (Ep134)The 100 (ECB franchise cricket) after its first season under new ownership: how the shift from central control to team-run businesses worked, what changed commercially (new sponsors/brands),…25 Aug 2026 · 1 h 2 min · 25 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: Walter & Boehly’s Rumoured Chelsea Exit, PFA Takes on the EFL, & The Meteoric Rise of Padel (E33)Rumoured Mark Walter/Todd Boehly exit from Chelsea via Blueco sale; Live Golf financial/reputational fallout; PFA vs EFL legal dispute over League One spending controls; debate over padel’s rise as a…21 Aug 2026 · 1 h 8 min · 24 chapters
Nikhil Mohindra: The €4bn Industry vs €25k Prize Money: Can Padel Fix it's Pay Problem (Ep133)Nikhil Mohindra discusses padel’s explosive growth in the UK versus its weak pro pay, and what must change for elite participation to match mass participation.18 Aug 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 30 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: Does Bezos’s Money Matter to Liverpool, LIV Golf’s $300m Miracle, & The €4.2bn World of MotoGP (E32)Football governance and ownership power (UEFA/CONCACAF/AFC vs FIFA and Infantino), plus business viability of elite sports investments: Jeff Bezos’ rumored minority stake in Liverpool, LIV Golf’s…14 Aug 2026 · 1 h 10 min · 18 chapters
Marc White: Meet the Owner who is also Manager | The Dorking Wanderers Story (Ep132)Marc White (Dorking Wanderers owner and manager) explains how the club rose from Step 17 (1999) to near-EFL level, while treating football decisions as fundamentally “win-first” and managing the…11 Aug 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 30 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: Infantino isn’t the REAL Problem at FIFA, Staveley's West Ham Move Unpacked, & The Jockey Club Quit the RCA (E31)FIFA governance crisis after UEFA withdrew from Infantino’s proposed World Cup expansion/privatisation plan; why the real problem is FIFA’s “one member, one vote” structure and vote-buying incentives…7 Aug 2026 · 1 h 10 min · 23 chapters
Brett Gosper: How the NFL Plans to Conquer the World (Ep131)Brett Gosper (ex-World Rugby CEO) explains how the NFL is expanding in Europe and Asia-Pacific, using international “one big game” strategy to grow fans, then monetize via broadcast and sponsorship.4 Aug 2026 · 58 min · 28 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: FIFA Have Gone Too Far This Time, Is the Commonwealth Games Still Relevant, & Gaelic Football Madness (E30)FIFA’s plan to create and sell stakes in a “FIFA World Cup/Club World Cup commercial rights” vehicle (“FIFA Ford Enterprise”) and what it implies about governance, incentives, and voting power;…31 Jul 2026 · 1 h 8 min · 20 chapters
Frank Smith: The Power of Matchroom & The Finances of Boxing (Ep130)Frank Smith (Matchroom Boxing and Talent Agency CEO) explains how Matchroom finances boxing events, why promoters must stay “calm” and make logical decisions, how fighter pay structures work, and how…28 Jul 2026 · 1 h 12 min · 27 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: Has Football Finally Cracked America, The Story Behind Golf’s Hidden Superpower, & NRL’s $5.3bn Deal (E29)Off-field business takeaways from the cricket Hundred and football’s World Cup (including FIFA’s commercial model), plus golf governance and the NRL’s record media deal.24 Jul 2026 · 1 h 10 min · 25 chapters
Seb Coe | New Formats, Athlete Pay, & The Post-Bolt Era: Rebuilding the Reputation of Athletics (Ep129)Seb Coe (World Athletics president) discusses rebuilding athletics’ reputation after governance/integrity crises, athlete pay and financial security, new event formats to grow younger audiences, and…21 Jul 2026 · 1 h 8 min · 26 chapters
THE BREAKDOWN: The FA Need to Stand Up to FIFA, McCullum Gone & The Rise of Jannik Sinner (E28)England cricket leadership and accountability (Brendan McCullum’s Test England exit; ECB chief Richard Gould and Rob Key questioned); FIFA governance and why the FA may back Infantino; tennis…17 Jul 2026 · 1 h 8 min · 22 chapters
Mirwan Suwarso: From Bankruptcy to Champions League in 9 Years | The Como Story (Ep128)Como 1907’s turnaround and business strategy—how a small Italian club used “sports tourism” and analytics-driven recruitment to recover from repeated bankruptcies and reach Champions League, while…14 Jul 2026 · 1 h 23 min · 35 chapters