PSG Boosts Physical Footprint with Global Running Programme 👟

Plus, MLB players have struck a deal to be developed as interactive AI avatars and Target experiments with sponsored placements inside ChatGPT...

Hello and welcome to the Sports Pundit Innovation Newsletter,

Despite covering ‘innovation’ fairly recently, I’m running with it again as this week’s theme (pun v. much intended).

As was discussed on the WhatsApp chat towards the end of last week, PSG has extended its brand into running, launching an initiative designed to bring fans together in person across Paris, London, and beyond. I decided to take a deeper look today as it intersects with a number of my favourite subjects, specifically physical (IRL) experiences and community.

And talking of community, I was in Manchester yesterday for our first Social up north this year. Thanks to those of you who joined me, it was great to see a mix of familiar faces and new ones! Tonight we’re back at our usual spot, Greenwood Sports Pub in Victoria. We’ve already got 75+ RSVPs, but if you’re in London and you’d like to join, feel free to drop in (just register here).

Here’s what’s coming up:

• The Launch of PSG Running Club 🏃

• MLB Players Agree Interactive AI avatars Deal ⚾️

• Sponsored Placements Inside ChatGPT 🛍️

Let’s get into it!

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RUNNING STRATEGY

Paris Saint-Germain has launched PSG Running, a global community initiative spanning Paris, London, and international markets, combining physical events, digital engagement, and lifestyle activations.

• The programme includes the return of We Run Paris, the club’s flagship 10K finishing at Parc des Princes, alongside the launch of international Run Clubs beginning in London earlier this month.

• A digital PSG Run Club will launch on Strava in March, creating a connected global layer that links physical participation with online community.

• Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah joins as ambassador, giving the programme immediate credibility and strong local resonance in the UK market.

• This builds on PSG’s growing physical presence in London, including its Oxford Street store, the first permanent UK retail location for a non-British football club.

• The initiative is rolled out in partnership with Nike, integrating product, performance, and community into one connected strategy.

• The London launch was further complemented by the recent pop-up exhibition Ici C’est Paris - La Maison, a five-day takeover of 14 Cavendish Square blending sport, culture, fashion, wellness, and retail (from 11-15 Feb). The concept will soon travel to Tokyo, Shanghai, Los Angeles, and New York.

Why It Matters

Many sports franchises have global digital reach. Far fewer invest in sustained physical touchpoints beyond matchdays or tours.

With a permanent retail store on Oxford Street, its temporary cultural residency in central London recently, as well as now having these community runs led by Nike coaches, PSG is building a layered presence, creating differentiated touchpoints that extend the club’s presence and relevance.

The fact they are doing this in London is particularly telling. The city is one of the most competitive football markets anywhere, hosting seven Premier League clubs, including several of the most followed teams in world football. However, instead of positioning themselves as a (rival) football club, PSG has entered through culture, of which running is having a particularly hot moment.

This positioning aligns with the club’s broader evolution, from its collaborations with Jordan Brand to its expansion into fashion, music, and design. Running is simply the latest extension of that cultural footprint.

Running does also carry significant structural advantages. For starters, there are low barriers to entry, rising female participation, and strong community dynamics. Additionally, the move fits naturally with Nike’s positioning and creates recurring engagement for PSG instead of one-off spectacle.

There is a broader consumer shift at play, too, which makes the timing of this move ideal.

As digital engagement becomes saturated, appetite for in-person connection grows (hence running’s hot moment). PSG is leaning into that IRL momentum with these run clubs (as well as with the experiential location) while maintaining digital continuity through Strava and its MyParis ecosystem.

At a local level, clubs such as Cambridge United FC have launched run clubs, blending football with participation and wellbeing and others should certainly explore similar. What differentiates PSG’s effort is scale, coordination, and the layered execution they’ve rolled out in London (and plan to replicate across multiple key international markets).

It will be interesting to see how they localise their efforts across other markets. The use of Sir Mo Farrah as an ambassador is smart as it adds authenticity within the UK market and creates credibility for the wider running community, especially as he’ll be ‘providing utility’ in the form of educational and instructional content.

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INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS

Major League Baseball players to be turned into AI-powered characters ⚾

• MLB players have struck a deal to be developed as interactive AI avatars, designed to engage directly with fans in paid digital experiences.

• The agreement highlights a new frontier in athlete IP monetisation, where likeness rights extend beyond media and gaming into persistent, conversational digital identities.

Target experiments with sponsored placements inside ChatGPT 🛍️

• Target is integrating sponsored products into ChatGPT conversations via its retail media network, Roundel, with reported referral traffic from ChatGPT growing around 40% month-on-month.

• The move signals the early formation of agent-assisted commerce, as retailers test how sponsored listings evolve inside conversational interfaces rather than traditional search pages.

Dyn Media spins off tech unit to commercialise streaming stack 📡

• German streaming platform Dyn is separating its content and technology operations into two legal entities, with the new tech arm set to offer digital broadcast solutions beyond its own service.

• The move reflects a growing trend among niche streamers: turning internal infrastructure into standalone B2B products, creating diversified revenue beyond subscription-led media models.

LIV Golf launches fantasy and gaming platforms with Beyond Sports ⛳

• LIV Golf has unveiled LIV Golf Fantasy and LIV X in partnership with Beyond Sports, introducing gamified digital experiences across its 14-event global season.

• The move reinforces LIV’s entertainment-first positioning, using low-friction, interactive formats to deepen fan engagement beyond live competition and expand golf’s digital-native audience.

Anthropic expands Claude into enterprise agent marketplace 🤖

• Anthropic has introduced new Claude Cowork plugins targeting HR, design, engineering and operations, enabling enterprises to build and distribute private AI agent marketplaces internally.

• The move positions Anthropic beyond chatbot provider and into workflow infrastructure, directly competing with enterprise software platforms embedding AI into core productivity stacks.

📚 Want to read more about PSG Running and La Maison? Check out this Substack from James Mortimer that goes into depth on global digital communities and physical culture experiences

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INNOVATION PODCAST

Leonardo Giammarioli [#81]: Inside Napoli’s Unique Approach to Player Image Rights ⚽️

On today’s episode of the Sports Pundit Innovation Podcast, Andy is joined by Leonardo Giammarioli, Chief Global Business Development Officer at SSC Napoli, to unpack how one of Italy’s biggest clubs is building a smarter, more sustainable commercial model.

Leonardo has worked across the sports business from multiple angles, including agency-side at SPORTFIVE, brand-side at NIVEA, and within clubs across different football cultures, giving him what he describes as a “360-degree” view of how the ecosystem works. At Napoli, that perspective matters, because the club’s ambition is clear: compete at the top level without the financial profile of Europe’s super clubs.

In this conversation, we explore two of Napoli’s most distinctive advantages. First, the club’s approach to squad-wide image rights, which gives sponsors clearer access to players, reduces category conflicts, and even feeds into transfer decision-making through commercial forecasting. Second, Napoli’s end-to-end control of merchandise, which has transformed both brand perception and profitability, from premium sponsor alignment to rapid, culture-led drops tailored to specific markets.

If you’re interested in how a club can build modern commercial leverage through ownership, control, and smarter infrastructure, this episode is a masterclass in commercial innovation.

Timestamps

• 02:00 - Leonardo’s “360-degree” view of the industry

• 04:00 - Napoli’s unique approach to squad-wide player image rights

• 07:00 - The challenges (and commercial upside) of managing player rights day-to-day

• 11:00 - Developing premium positioning, direct relationships, and regional partners

• 24:00 - Taking in-house control of merchandise

• 33:30 - Loyalty, data, and building Napoli’s digital ecosystem

• 40:30 - Closing reflections: sustainability, infrastructure, and what comes next

🔍 Search ‘Sports Pundit Podcast’ wherever you listen, available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube 🎧

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About The Hosts

Leanne Bats is a future of sports architect, blending creativity, technology, fandom, and purpose to shape the industry’s evolution. Having led Innovation at New Zealand Rugby, pioneering emerging technologies to deepen connections with the iconic teams in black and she is now drives transformative initiatives as Head of Digital & Innovation at Sport Waikato. She also authors the newsletter OuterSport, a commentary on the future of sport.

Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives.

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Produced by OH SIX

The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by OH SIX, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.