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Unofficial Partner Podcast

Unofficial Partner
Women's Football
Cricket
Golf
Premier League
Private Equity
Artificial Intelligence
NFL
Fan Engagement
Formula One
Youtube
Football
Media Rights
Sports Investment
Women's Sports
Netflix
Sponsorship
Sports Marketing
Two Circles
Sports Technology
Community Engagement

Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. Our guests are a who's who of the international sports industry talking about the big issues.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes555Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ManagementSportsBusiness

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Unofficial Partner Podcast

Latest Episodes

The £295million sale of London Spirit franchise was one of the big sports business stories of the last year. Some of Silicon Valley's most successful and famous leaders buying 49% of The Hundred's Lord's based franchise, in partnership with The MCC, ... more

Richard, Murray Barnett and Yannick Ramcke convene for a World Cup special, using the 2026 tournament as a lens on how sports broadcasting is shifting beneath the surface. The conversation moves from Qatar-to-2026 comparisons (more accelerated change... more

A first for Unofficial Partner: six years and 550+ episodes covering every sport going, we'd somehow never devoted an episode to the sport of horse racing. So we fixed that — live, in front of an audience at The Big Belly Comedy Club, London. 

We ha... more

Chat_UP is Unofficial Partner's AI series created in collaboration with TFG Labs.

The brief: cut through the AI firehose, work out what matters, and bring it back to the business of sport. Three stories this week.

Story One — Google I/O 2026

Googl... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Andy Shora
TFG Labs leader, AI strategist
TFG Labs
Episode: UP552 Chat_UP: Google's AI pivot and the end of the subsidised era
Blake Wooster
Founder of TFG
TFG
Episode: UP552 Chat_UP: Google's AI pivot and the end of the subsidised era
Ricardo Fort
Former global head of sport at Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Episode: UP551 Coke's Cole Palmer Problem: When the ambassador misses the party
Charlie Hartley
Former county cricketer for Kent, cricket coaching resource author, children's author
Independent cricket professional / author
Episode: UP550 Inside Edge: IPL Auctions and the Financialization of Everything
Gaurav Sundararaman
Cricket analyst and commentator with deep IPL knowledge
Cricket analyst/commentator
Episode: UP550 Inside Edge: IPL Auctions and the Financialization of Everything
Rob Wilson
Professor, Dean of University Campus of Football Business
University Campus of Football Business
Episode: UP549 Priced Out: FIFA’s Big Ticket Gamble
Shaun Steward
Vice Principal of StubHub
StubHub (Viagogo in Europe)
Episode: UP549 Priced Out: FIFA’s Big Ticket Gamble
Murray Barnett
Founder of 26West (formerly Formula One, World Rugby and ESPN Disney)
26West
Episode: UP548 The Bundle: Gary Neville's Noise Strategy; What World Rugby sees in IMG; Amazon pitches for the Super Bowl
Yannick Ramcke
General Manager of OTT at OneFootball
OneFootball
Episode: UP548 The Bundle: Gary Neville's Noise Strategy; What World Rugby sees in IMG; Amazon pitches for the Super Bowl

Host

Richard Gillis
Host of Unofficial Partner Podcast; appears as a primary host with broad coverage of sports business, media rights, and governance.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 362 ratings
  • Really good sports podcast

    Started listening to this podcast and it’s very interesting.

    Definitely worth a listen.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Userz12345
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Great podcast for sports business insights

    Really enjoying Unofficial Partner.

    Great listen if you’re interested in what goes on behind the scenes in sport.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Vicks0303
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Amazing podcast

    Love listening to regular episodes, UP cover everything in good detail with an bring excellent entertainment👍

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    George Haynes .
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • It’s like a Sports MBA in your pocket

    I thoroughly enjoy listening to this podcast because it dives into detail on many topical issues in the business of sport. If you’ve listened to enough episodes, you have a sports MBA in effect.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Makalima
    South Africaa year ago
  • Relevant and insightful

    Big fan of the unofficial partner. Insightful conversations around shifts in the industry, reflections on the past and predictions for the future. Always a good to listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LMOR33
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Readers note the podcast provides practical takeaways for careers in sport business.
Listeners highlight its strong insights into sports business and sponsorships.
The show is praised for detailed, industry-level analysis and guest diversity.

Top Sports Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

UP551 Coke's Cole Palmer Problem: When the ambassador misses the party
Q: How do you mitigate against the risk that a player you sign for a World Cup campaign might not be selected or might get injured?
The guest explains that contracts are designed with triggers and contingencies (such as if the player wins awards or is injured), and emphasizes the importance of negotiating early with awareness that power can lie with the player and their agent, making some deals expensive or extended to secure the right talent.
UP552 Chat_UP: Google's AI pivot and the end of the subsidised era
Q: What does Ask YouTube do and why is it significant for sports organizations?
Ask YouTube enables getting answers from videos rather than watching them, potentially transforming how fans access clips and how sponsors measure engagement and discoverability.
UP552 Chat_UP: Google's AI pivot and the end of the subsidised era
Q: Google IO 2026 is repositioning Google as an AI infrastructure company—what does that mean for users and businesses?
The hosts explore how agents behind search could change how people interact with information, shifting tasks to automated assistants and changing the relationship users have with YouTube and other services, which could disrupt traditional search monetization and require new discovery models.
UP541 Addicted To Fake Fan Numbers: When Sport Met The Dead Internet
Q: Can you quantify the scale of bot and IVT fraud in digital advertising today?
The scale is enormous and growing; bots can generate billions of impressions, far exceeding human traffic, while verification vendors often miss the vast majority of fraud due to tech limitations and verification stripping.
UP542 Wedge Issues Live: The Golf Business in 2026
Q: What is the state of the golf business today in 2026?
Panelists describe a thriving participation and engagement landscape, with record TV narratives, strong sponsorship activations, and growing interest in women's golf, alongside ongoing challenges like balancing formats and ensuring access for new audiences.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Unofficial Partner Podcast

What is Unofficial Partner Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A show focused on the business of sport, featuring a steady stream of industry leaders, analysts, and brand/rights holders who dissect sponsorship, media rights, platform strategy, and the economics of modern sports. Episodes frequently explore how data, technology, and emerging ownership models reshape talent pathways, fan engagement, and governance across global leagues. Notable threads include the shift toward multi-platform rights, the role of AI and digital ecosystems in sports consulting, and the tension between profitability and accessibility for fans. The program tends to host senior executives, analysts, and founders who bring practical, on-the-ground perspectives on deals, sponsorships, and platform strategy, making it a useful re... more

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How many listeners does Unofficial Partner Podcast get?

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Which podcasts are similar to Unofficial Partner Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Unofficial Partner Podcast:

1. Business of Sport
2. The Price of Football
3. The Football Boardroom
4. Test Match Special
5. Sky Sports Cricket Podcast

How many episodes of Unofficial Partner Podcast are there?

Unofficial Partner Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 555 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Unofficial Partner Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Unofficial Partner Podcast?

Recent guests on Unofficial Partner Podcast include:

1. Andy Shora
2. Blake Wooster
3. Ricardo Fort
4. Charlie Hartley
5. Gaurav Sundararaman
6. Rob Wilson
7. Shaun Steward
8. Murray Barnett

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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