Highlight Reel: Could Rugby Make it in the USA? 🏉
Plus, a tribute to Andy Murray and a look at the opportunity for hosting hybrid reality sports...
Welcome to Sports Pundit, the sports business newsletter delivering insights from across the industry.
In today’s email;
Rugby’s Big American Hope 🇺🇸
Andy Murray bids farewell 🎾
Hosting ‘hybrid reality’ sports 🚴
Happy Friday!
Andy 😊 🙏
P.S. Congrats to Michael, our latest ‘Contributor of the Week,’ an award given out to reward positive contributions to the SP WhatsApp Group.
Other honourable mentions go to Charlie, Mat, Jo, and Gemma.
Not a member yet? Join using the link below 👇
STRIKING GOLD
Could Rugby Make it in the USA? 🏉
For a long time, various codes of rugby have tried to 'break' America.
And those efforts continue.
Just last month, the All Blacks cruised to victory against Fiji in a clash in San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium. A ‘festival of Rugby League’ is set to return to Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas in 2025. And, of course, the 2031 Men's Rugby World Cup is due to be played State-side.
However, it's rugby sevens that could have the best shot—boosted by the phenomenon (or should I say femininomenon) that is Ilona Maher.
Now boasting 2.5M followers on Instagram, she has become the most followed rugby player globally—by a margin of 1.2M!
Furthermore, x+y Advisory’s data shows that almost 75% of Ilona's approx. 9 million engagements over the past month are from the USA and Canada.
That means Ilona isn't just speaking to a huge audience, she's speaking to a huge North American audience with very little overlap to those followed by other rugby players, teams, or competitions.
Anna-Victoria Jones, Head of Communications at British Basketball League, made a similar observation on LinkedIn:
What she said:
"The Team USA rugby sevens player is providing a masterclass in athlete personal-branded content at the Paris Olympics; Hilarious videos, empowering body image messages and shining a light on rugby in the U.S., Ilona has found her niche.
[However,] for me, the most interesting thing is her audience. I've asked friends who are sports fans and rugby fans - both male & female - and they've never heard of her. Perhaps being a British millennial has something to do with that, but she's clearly found a young audience outside of the sport and has brought them on her incredible journey since Tokyo 2020. (Snoop Dogg, Coco Gauff and Jason Kelce have all appeared in her content this week).
I would be surprised if she didn't sign a flurry of brand deals post-Paris, with a cosmetics brand surely being #1 on the agenda. (She's made no secret about her love of lipstick).
If you want good, authentic Olympic content... I suggest you give her a follow.”
P.S. Hours after Maher and her teammates won Olympic bronze in Paris, USA Rugby announced a $4M donation from Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang to invest in women's rugby
🚨 Reminder: If you’re 30 or under and want to be involved at Sports Pundit’s inaugural Speakers Only event in November alongside execs from the Premier League, Snapchat, Saracens, and Expedia, apply now.
HIGHLIGHTS
Hampshire are in "advanced" talks with Delhi Capitals' co-owners the GMR Group over a reported £120m takeover of the County Championship club 🏏
The National League and DAZN have announced a seven-year deal with the world's leading sports entertainment platform acquiring the broadcast rights on a global and exclusive basis 📺
Washington Spirit, OL Féminin, and London City Lionesses owner Michele Kang announced the launch of Kynisca Sports International, the first multi-team global organisation dedicated to women’s football ⚽️
Newcastle’s Saudi owners are reportedly ready to buy stake in a Durham-based Hundred team. The sale could be agreed quickly for this ninth team to be added to franchise league with the north-east side likely to be ready for 2026 or 27.
Saudi Arabia has submitted plans to build 11 stadiums - including one set 350 metres above ground level - as part of the country's bid to host the 2034 World Cup 🏟️
Warner Bros. Discovery has taken over as the exclusive broadcaster of the French Open in the US in a deal that nearly tripled the media rights fees on the previous cycle 🎾
A GRAND SLAM
Murray’s Masterclass On and Off-the-Court 🎾
Andy Murray has announced his retirement from tennis upon his exit from the men’s doubles in Paris, marking the end of an extraordinary career that spanned over 20 years and saw him compete in more than 1,000 matches.
With three Grand Slam titles, three Olympic medals, a Davis Cup victory, and reaching the pinnacle as World Number 1, Murray's legacy as the ultimate competitor is firmly cemented. His resilience in the face of adversity, his relentless will to win, and his unique ability to take his fans on an emotional rollercoaster during matches will be remembered for generations.
Off the court, Murray was equally impactful. As highlighted by his long-term business partner, Matt Gentry, Andy spoke intelligently on difficult and important subjects and worked tirelessly with organizations like UNICEF and WWF, showcasing his dedication to making a difference beyond the tennis world.
He also took a similarly diligent approach when considering his commercial opportunities, as was discussed by Gentry when he came on the Sports Pundit Podcast in January:
What was said:
Towards the end of 2023, premium British activewear brand Castore completed a £150m raise which valued the company at almost £1 billion (£950m).
It's a remarkable milestone for Castore, but it's also a testament to the strategic vision of tennis legend Andy Murray and his team at 77 Sports Management, as he became the first significant partner of the brand just over four years ago.
For Murray, this deal could end up being “seven [or] eight times his biggest deal ever.” That's according to Matt Gentry ([then] Managing Director, 77 Sports Management), and it underscores the brilliant approach that Murray and his team have adopted when it comes to weighing up partnerships and investments.
“I think everything we've always done with Andy, [and something] I've always been a big believer in, is [that] the longer term trumps the shorter term most of the time. And by that, I mean, it's not just trying to look for quick wins and money here and now. A lot of the time, [it’s about] taking a bit more time and being a bit more strategic. The longer term actually unlocks a bigger prize," Gentry explained.
FURTHER READING
Why host cities should embrace hybrid reality sports By Olga Correia, SportsPro Media 🏊
From NY Giants to Leading Gotham FC into the Future of Women's Sport with Carolyn Tisch Blodgett By Charlie and Harry Stebbings, Business of Sport Podcast 🗽
The Power Of Athletes To Become Media Companies And Transform The Game By Leonard Armato, Forbes 🎬
step back and ask: who are we? By Sam Diss, Why Are You Like This? 👕
The $4B Market Opp for Women's Sports By The Boys Club, Athleisure 💸
Why Samsung is championing surf, skateboarding and breakdancing at the Olympics By Hannah Bowler, The Drum 🛹
PODCAST
Ending earlier this month with a conversation alongside LALIGA Studios’ Business Director, Flora Bell, the Sports Pundit Podcast has had some other wonderful conversations.
Conversations like;
Fuelling European interest in Baseball ⚾️
How Snapchat is engaging the next generation of sports fans 👻
Captivating motorsport fans in new ways 🏎️
Why people and businesses should lead more consciously 🤔
Making space for women in sports and technology 👩🔧
SOCIAL CLUB
The Sports Pundit Social Club is a monthly series of industry Happy Hours happening in New York and London.
These free gatherings are designed to connect individuals who might not meet at conventional industry events. Our community includes senior and junior executives from rightsholders, founders of venture-backed startups, private equity investors, and even (a few) professional footballers, all bringing unique value to the table - and very rarely mixing in other settings.
With July events now behind us, make sure to RSVP now for August👇
New York 🗽 (Wednesday 28th August @ Maxwell Social)
London 🎡 (Wednesday 28th August @ Eight Club London, Moorgate)
JOB BOARD
Head of Fan Marketing - Lego (London, UK)
Manager Advertising Strategy & Planning - PGA TOUR (London, UK)
Commercial Partnerships Manager - Manchester City Women (Manchester, UK)
Manager, Flag Football (Global Growth & Strategy) - National Football League (New York, US)
Senior Coordinator, Club Performance - Major League Soccer (New York, US)
To see these jobs, and more jobs like these, visit the Sports Pundit Job Board, hosted by Peak 72.
P.S. Peak 72 are also delighted to be working with a state-of-the-art partnerships platform to find their new Business Development Rep! If you've got 12+ months sales experience and want to join a fast growing, exciting, culture led environment then this make sure to get in touch with Dan.
Do you have a job you’d like to promote to the amazing readers of this newsletter? Email me 📩
Getting insights and news via email is great, but there's so much untapped knowledge in our community. We want to open up the floor and hear from everyone.
It’s all part of moving from mass emails to meaningful, one-on-one conversations.
The Highlight Reel is brought to you by the Global Institute of Sport!
The Global Institute of Sport is the leading destination for Master's degrees, executive education and professional qualifications in sport around the world.
They count world-famous stadiums and surrounding venues among their state-of-the-art campus facilities across the globe, including London's Wembley Stadium, Miami's DRV PNK Stadium and Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Ready to master the global sports industry? Enquire today about their in-person and online courses.
Not yet a subscriber? Join over 2.5k sports business leaders, from Formula 1 to the Premier League, that read Sports Pundit every week to get impactful industry insights.