Inside Track
Ben Cronin | Mission accomplished for Agenda 2020?
The IOC recently declared 85 per cent of the recommendations laid out in Agenda 2020 have been achieved. Ben Cronin asks if the programme has succeeded in its core objective of controlling the cost of the Olympics
Matt Vandrau | A year of self-reflection for the industry
Matt Vandrau, group chief executive, CSM Sport & Entertainment, says one of the biggest changes brought about by this year’s pandemic was the reappraisal of rights values by clients
Andrew Lee and Gregory Marino | New regulation helps amateur sports accountability
Foley & Lardner LLP's Andrew Lee and Gregory Marino explore the ramifications of the new Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act in the United States and ask if increased oversight of the USOPC by US Congress threatens its autonomy in the eyes of the IOC
Gareth Balch | Why 2021 consumer behaviour presents an opportunity for sport
Two Circles CEO Gareth Balch explains why 2021 will present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow the world’s engagement with sport – making it more important than ever to be a sports marketer
Tony Simpson | The year when sport had to act on diversity and inclusion
Tony Simpson, partner and head of sport at board advisory firm Savannah, looks back on a year in which sports bodies had to take a long, hard look at their diversity & inclusion policies and working from home became the new norm
Steve Madincea | The battle for fan retention in the Covid-19 era
Steve Madincea, co-founder and managing partner at Fantastec, discusses ways rights-holders can turn to emerging technologies to engage fans at a a time when stadiums are closed and live viewership is falling.
Suleyman Mikayilov | Financial reforms for the future of boxing
AIBA presidential candidate Suleyman Mikayilov explains how he would seek to address the boxing federation's financial problems in this sponsored column, produced in association with Quattro Sport Consultancy Services
Rebecca Hopkins | The technology that came to the fore in 2020
Rebecca Hopkins, CEO of The STA Group and partner in Sightline Ventures, reflects on the way sport has relied on technology during the Covid-19 pandemic and asks which adaptations are here to stay.
Bobbie Ttooulis | Making sure sports brands deliver on online sales
Bobbie Ttooulis, executive director of shipping and e-commerce delivery company, Global Freight Solutions, says sports merchandising needs careful management at peak sales periods, like kit launches and Christmas.
Brian Gordon | Wake-up call from sports fans
Brian Gordon, chief executive at Engine Shop, argues that Covid-19 has transformed fan engagement and that sports businesses and brand partners need to move beyond the game day fixation to win fans back
Rich Abend | The state of youth sports and the need for connection
Rich Abend, chief executive and co-founder of mobile-based youth sports coaching and mentorship platform Famer, discusses the need for young athletes to remain as engaged as possible during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Janine Mostyn | Why social media alone won’t get the recruitment job done
Janine Mostyn, founder and managing director of talent search specialists Huckleberry Sport, says that as the industry is entering post-Covid recovery, it is worth investing in experts when it comes to hiring new staff
Justin Casey | The landscape for college athletes’ commercial rights is changing
Justin Casey, associate attorney in Foley & Lardner LLP's Transactions Practice and a member of the firm's Sports & Entertainment Group, explores the US state-level developments in college sports' emerging name, image, and likeness legislation
Wouter Sleijffers | The journey to profitability in esports
Wouter Sleijffers, chief executive for leading British competitive gaming culture brand Excel Esports, explains how the journey to profitability doesn’t end at power brands and why esports needs to move beyond lifestyle and towards purpose to strengthen the industry.
Murray Barnett | Five reasons why the future’s bright for women’s football
Murray Barnett, former chief commercial officer for World Rugby and head of partnerships for Formula 1, explains why women’s football is sure to recover the commercial momentum lost as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ben Cronin | Masters needs to come up with football reforms before they are forced upon him
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters is being assailed on multiple fronts as the UK government threatens a systematic review of football governance and clubs plot European competition reform.
Kevin McCullagh | Asian industry set for a more local complexion as Western power wanes
There is evidence that the sun is setting on a Western-dominated era for the sports industry in Asia, and that the coming years will be much more locally-driven, SportBusiness Asia senior analyst Kevin McCullagh says.
Eric Fisher | Disney stands at center of sports industry turbulence
SportBusiness US Editor Eric Fisher explores how the American media and entertainment giant is at the fulcrum of large-scale change across the sports industry