Inside Track

The former IOC marketing chief’s coffee table book on Olympic history covers the inner workings and external forces that helped shape the IOC’s commercial development. Matthew Glendinning, editor of SportBusiness Sponsorship, draws five personal conclusions from Payne’s opus.

Dan Gaunt, general manager of dedicated sponsorship valuation agency Turnstile, explains why PSG’s signing of Lionel Messi will pay the club back more through the acquisition of new fans than short-term commercial gains.

Sam Yardley, executive vice-president, North America at Two Circles, explains why international fans are central to sponsorship growth for US major league teams

Stephen Reid, managing director for Hill+Knowlton’s Sports Marketing, Entertainment, Culture and Sponsorship Team across the Middle East, Turkey, India and Africa, looks at the opportunities ahead for ‘hybrid’ hospitality activations

Michael Uva, vice-president at 160over90, explains how the NBA’s culture of evolution and embracing change has enabled it to deepen ties with fans and brands during the pandemic

Murray Barnett, founder of 26West Sport consultancy, and formerly of F1 and World Rugby, delivers his predictions and likely trends for (the rest of) 2021.

Martyn Turze, consumer research account director at Publicis Sport & Entertainment, highlights 11 key points from the agency's internal discussions on pay-per-view Premier League matches conducted via the team’s Whatsapp group.

Self-confessed 'Olympophile' Lee Gibbons, managing director of the Sport Unlimited agency, explains why the values and strategies attached to Olympic sponsorships translate so well to today's market in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.