Unofficial Partner

Betting, porn and women's cricket

Great story from Play the Game:

You have to read this. Really! Offshore betting companies with porn links are targeting women’s cricket❗ A new investigation by Steve Menary and Jack Kerr for Play the Game reveals that gambling… | Stanis Elsborg

You have to read this. Really! Offshore betting companies with porn links are targeting women’s cricket❗ A new investigation by Steve Menary and Jack Kerr for Play the Game reveals that gambling operators linked to pornographic content access live data from women’s cricket 🔎 The investigation also exposes risks of match-fixing, player harassment, and the spread of betting

The Rugby Analogy

OPM

Women's football as Rugby

Bex Smith is the guest on Other People's Money. Crux Football is her investment vehicle that is buying up women's teams, starting with Montpellier and Rosengard in France and Sweden respectively.

Hear it here:

The shadow of rugby

In the following clip I say women's football is "sleepwalking toward replicating the mistakes of rugby".

How long have you got? Rebecca (Bex) Smith is the guest for Other People's Money, the Unofficial Partner series on sports finance, with co-host Matt Rogan. The subject is multi club ownership in… | Richard Gillis

How long have you

'More trouble than it's worth': The locals are revolting

Good piece by Leo MacLehose of Fanzo on the smoke, mirrors and skewed economics that sit behind FIFA's fan festivals this summer.

"This is not a moneymaker for this town. In fact, it's probably more of a headache than it's worth." This is the quote from local councillor on the prospect of hosting an official World Cup fan festival.

MacLehose summarises the three point plan:

Invite more guests to the party - 16 more teams means 64% more games than we saw at Qatar 2022. More ticket sales and more eyeballs means more sponsorship inventory.
Retain all meaningful revenue -

Wedge Issues Live

Wedge Issues

We recorded a live podcast last week at MSQ Sport and Entertainment in Covent Garden, to mark the launch of At Last, Callaway Golf's new brand film, a way in to a conversation about the state of the golf business as we head in to The Masters, the first major of the season. The film captures the mood nicely.