Highlight Reel: Real Madrid Breaks Ground, Physically and Metaphorically, with Innovation District 🏗️
Plus, we explore how XR could impact sponsorship and the opportunities that emerge as Airbnb relaunches it experiences platform...
Good morning!
Thanks to everyone who joined us for drinks in Amsterdam - and to Soccerex for hosting Sports Pundit. We even managed to record a podcast from the Johan Cruijff ArenA!
Next up: our London social returns on Wednesday 29th May at Greenwood (RSVP here). We’re also trialling a ticketed co-working session from 2–6pm beforehand, perfect for anyone tired of WFH or flying solo.
Lastly, we’ve secured 20% off for SEG3 in a few weeks’ time - more details to follow in terms of how we'll be showing up there.
Now, on to this week’s stories:
Real Madrid Breaks Ground on Innovation District 🏗️
How XR Could Impact Sponsorship 🕶️
Airbnb Relaunch Experiences Platform 🛎️
Let’s get into it:
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Real Madrid Breaks Ground, Physically and Metaphorically, with Innovation District 🏗️
Real Madrid has unveiled plans for the Madrid Innovation District (MID), a tech-forward urban hub that will transform 850,000m² of club-owned land into a collaborative ecosystem for global companies, researchers, and entrepreneurs.
Located in Valdebebas, just minutes from Madrid’s airport and IFEMA convention centre, the district will bring together tech giants, startups, and academic institutions in one integrated space.
The club will contribute land, brand equity, and institutional backing, making this a flagship example of sport driving urban transformation.
The aim is to make Madrid “the great technological capital of southern Europe,” according to club president Florentino Pérez.
The space is designed for people to live, work, and play with sport and technology intersecting to create next-gen experiences for fans, athletes, and citizens alike.
Why It Matters:
This is about building infrastructure that allows Real Madrid to operate more like a venture studio than a buyer of off-the-shelf tech.
By anchoring the MID with its own assets, Real Madrid is creating a platform to develop and scale proprietary solutions and then monetise them across the industry.
We’ve seen this model work already in the States. The Miami Heat spun out their internal data platform into 601 Analytics, now used by multiple NBA teams and venues. Owning the IP unlocked entirely new commercial pathways. Expect more rightsholders to follow suit.
OPINION: EXPLORING NEW REALITIES
🗣️ Lucy Trang Nguyen: What if the business models of how sponsorship works right now in sports could be changed completely? 🕶️
"Traditionally you have exclusive category sponsors or title sponsors, right? But now this technology (XR) allows you — [as] the broadcaster and the federations and so on — to really build a very hyper-personalised, direct-to-consumer experience.”
“This hyper-personalisation would mean that you could swap out brands based on the user's history of engaging with different brands… So now instead of just selling your rights to one brand, what if many of them [could be integrated] and really get the best out of this? Because, of course, if you sell exclusive rights to one sponsor then they get all the eyeballs — but the engagement with that brand might actually not be so high if I'm, as a fan, totally not a consumer of that brand."
"But, if I’m getting exposed to brands that I’m actually interested in, the engagement — me as the audience, as the fan — with that brand’s products in this new XR experience is much higher. Then the value of that for that brand is higher as well."
"And this is [yet] to be proven, but this is the way that we are thinking. This new technology would be able to give back so much more than just the title sponsor or exclusive [model]."
“We’ve spent so long trying to squeeze new formats into old models. XR gives us the opportunity to reimagine how value is created, not just for the fan, but for sponsors too… We're not just talking about putting logos in new places. We're talking about creating new surfaces, new interactions, new opportunities for commerce and storytelling. That unlocks new inventory, new packages, new revenue."
📝 This is a snippet from the conversation with Lucy Trang Nguyen on the recent Sports Pundit Innovation Podcast with Leanne Bats.
🎥 SPONSORED HIGHLIGHT | Brought to you by WSC Sports
In-Game Clips Are the Real MVP 📲
The game might be live but your fans are everywhere. According to PwC just 1% of fans only watch the game. The rest are multitasking:
67% are on social media📱
47% are surfing the web or playing games 🎮
That’s why in-game content isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s your most powerful engagement tool. The latest WSC Sports report, based on data from over 550 top rights holders, found that 69% of all videos were created during games. Why? Because one key moment can become five clips, each tailored to fans across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, and your own app.
One goal. One dunk. One touchdown = Five chances to connect in real time.
It’s not about pulling fans away from the action. It’s about showing up wherever they’re already watching. This report shows how leading organisations are using in-game video to boost reach, engagement, and fan acquisition without missing a moment.
HIGHLIGHTS
Innovation
At Google I/O, new tools like Imagen 4, Veo 3, and Flow offer creators advanced image, video, and storytelling capabilities, with SynthID for watermarking AI content 🤖
NFL players will be eligible to compete in flag football at LA28, marking the sport’s Olympic debut 🏈
World Sevens Football launches in Portugal, bringing together top women’s clubs for a new format tournament ⚽️
Finance
The YouTube collective The Sidemen have launched Upside VC, investing in consumer tech and creator-led startups, with 12 deals already completed 💸
Tennis legend Andy Murray shifts focus to business, joining Redrice Ventures as an associate partner to grow his post-career investment footprint 🎾
Antoine Dupont invests in Major League Rugby’s LA team, as the sport builds toward the 2031 & 2033 Rugby World Cups in America 🏉
Marketing
WWE releases co-branded legacy title belts with 13 top European clubs, merging wrestling aesthetics with football loyalty ⚽️
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Skin join WNBA champions New York Liberty as partners, extending her brand’s sport and culture relevance 🗽
Disney teams up with Formula 1 for a 2026 Mickey & Friends collaboration, aiming to capture younger fans through IP fusion 🏎️
Damson Idris stuns at the Met Gala in full APXGP racing gear, tying fashion, F1, and film promotion into a standout cultural moment 🏁
Media
iShowSpeed debuts a high-energy YouTube sports competition series, Speed Goes Pro, solidifying YouTube’s dominance among Gen Z sports fans 📺
Juventus becomes the first club to launch a long-form doc exclusively on TikTok, spotlighting stories from their women’s team 📱
Dream Sports invests $50M into Willow TV and Cricbuzz, strengthening its footprint in global cricket media 🏏
HOME AND AWAY
Airbnb Relaunch Experiences Platform, Opening Door for Athletes and Sporting IP 🛎️
Airbnb is no longer just about where you sleep, it’s about how you live while you’re there. The company has expanded beyond accommodation with a global relaunch of its Experiences platform and the introduction of Airbnb Services, available in hundreds of cities worldwide.
Airbnb Services offers 10 on-demand categories, including chefs, personal trainers, spa treatments, and makeup artists, now live in 260 cities.
Experiences relaunches across 650 cities with curated cultural, culinary, fitness, and nature-based activities.
Airbnb Originals, a new premium tier, features celebrity-led experiences, launching with NFL star Patrick Mahomes and singer Sabrina Carpenter.
A redesigned Explore tab now integrates Services and Experiences into trip planning, recommending options based on travel dates and destinations.
Why It Matters:
Airbnb is trying to own the whole trip, not just the overnight stay. By layering on curated services and real-world experiences - increasingly with celebrity and cultural cachet - the platform is repositioning itself as an immersive lifestyle brand.
And this opens doors for sport.
It echoes moves like Chelsea FC’s recent partnership with DAMAC, where a branded apartment complex in Dubai features football simulators, cryotherapy, and Chelsea-themed beaches. In both cases, hospitality is being reimagined as a cultural extension and a way to deepen emotional loyalty through lived experience.
Could we see teams or players offer Airbnb-hosted services? Recovery sessions with a club physio, nutrition consults from a team expert, or even matchday cooking classes with a former player? It’s speculative, but increasingly plausible.
GROUP CHAT
That’s a wrap for this week - huge thanks to everyone who’s part of our growing community.
A special shoutout to Frederique de Laat and Cecilia Lagos for their contributions this week, notably for helping to organise our first Sports Pundit social in Amsterdam. This earns them our title of Contributor of the Week 👑🙏
Welcome to all of our new members, too:
Jake Voorhees (Sports Business Leaders)
Harvey Chinman (ICP Search)
Rob Bennett (Cyphr)
Katy Blake (Blake Social)
Toni Salord (Padelines)
Leon Nelson (RML Advisory)
Coco Frost (Groundwork)
Bengu Atamer (BuzzMyVideos)
Foster Truman
Not part of the group yet? What are you waiting for? Apply to join us by filling out a simple form on the website. Feel free to share this link with (your favourite) colleagues.
P.S. You can see a full list of all the current members, here.
ON THE PODCAST
#54 Sukh Sadhra: Selling Out the Premiership Rugby Final Two Years Running
On this week’s episode, I’m joined by Sukh Sadhra, Head of Marketing at Premiership Rugby - the top tier of English club rugby union and home to some of the most iconic teams in the game.
Sukh’s background spans roles at Betfair, Sky, and experience-tech company Pollen, where he led CRM and brand communications, giving him a uniquely data-driven and fan-first approach to sports marketing.
In this conversation, we unpack Sukh’s marketing philosophy, how he’s repositioning Premiership Rugby for a new generation of fans, and why the Final at Twickenham has become a sell-out event two years running. We talk creativity, conversion, culture, and what it takes to turn a rugby match into an unmissable experience.
SPORTS BUSINESS CONFERENCES
What’s Coming up This Month? 🤔 And How to Get a Discount 🎟️
This month has plenty of major conferences, from Middle East Sports Investment Forum in London, SXSW, SEG3, and SportAccord
We’ve created a calendar featuring over 125+ industry events across the year that you can access for free here 📆
Even better, we’ve agreed discounts with many of these leading conference organisers if you book via the Sports Pundit website. For example, we’re offering 20% off SEG3 in London! Use the link below to view and book.
JOBS BOARD
We're not a recruitment agent, but we have created a custom search on LinkedIn to help to you to find some the most exciting job opportunities within the sports industry a little bit more easily…`