Football risks ‘eating itself’ in the race for engagement, but digital may be a small part of the solution
Football has embraced social media in a huge way, but will its focus on digital technology undermine grassroots participation? Frank Dunne asks if the game is in danger of eating itself and looks at what Uefa is doing to prevent this.
Sevilla’s back-room operations working to catch up with team performance in modernisation push
Market research conducted in 2014 showed that success on the field was not translating into awareness off it for La Liga side Sevilla FC. Frank Dunne looks at how the club has subsequently addressed this, doubling commercial revenues to €18m.
Octagon expects strong competition from US broadcasters for NWSL rights
The Octagon agency will prioritise domestic and global media-rights deals as it seeks to maximise the reach and revenue of the National Women’s Soccer League, the top US women’s football league, from 202…
NWSL owners mull USSF split to tap into women’s football growth
The nine franchises which make up the National Women’s Soccer League in the US are considering breaking with the United States Soccer Federation to become completely commercially autonomous.
Media rights head Dabas in shock resignation from ICC
Aarti Dabas, the head of media rights, broadcast and digital at the International Cricket Council, resigned late this week following a corporate restructure of the ICC, SportBusiness understands
Endeavor’s IPO postponement completes summer of gloom for industry
The suspension of Endeavor's initial public offering for the second time in two months raises important questions for sports media and marketing. Frank Dunne examines these questions.
LED advertising | Why it took just one second to damage Infront’s reputation
With a former Infront executive under investigation for defrauding sponsors of the German Football Association, Frank Dunne explains how the scandal has affected both the agency and the already-embattled DFB, and how brands can ensure they're getting what they pay for from their partnerships.
The challenge facing the next Premier League chief executive: media-rights growth has stalled
The search to replace Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, who announced his resignation over a year ago, has proved arduous. Frank Dunne looks at the issues surrounding media-rights growth and the challenges Scudamore's succesor should expect.
The Long Read | Potential investors will do well to look closely at the football deals of Endeavor and Wanda Sports
With Endeavor and Wanda Sports both preparing for IPOs, Frank Dunne looks at how the media rights strategies of their respective buying arms, the IMG and Infront agencies, fit into the two groups’ portfolios and explains why potential investors would be advised to look carefully at the small print around some key football deals.
Governing bodies have plans for women’s football but is the pace of change fast enough?
Fifa and Uefa have both unveiled strategies for the long-term development of women's football. Frank Dunne examines what it would take to put female competitions on an equal footing with their male equivalents.