Business of Sport

Hosted by Charlie and Harry Stebbings

Business Sports

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151

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The show that takes you behind the scenes with the industry's biggest owners, operators and athletes. It's the game you don't see!

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60 recent

June 16, 20261 hr 9 min

Liam Scully: The Story of Lincoln City’s Promotion Miracle (Ep124)

When we sit down with football club CEO’s, we hear about plans, ambitions, challenges, expectations. These are some of the most scrutinised jobs you could wish for, a privilege but also a huge responsibility. When Lincoln City shocked football this season, in what could only be described as romping to the League One title and therefore promotion to the Championship, getting their excellent CEO Liam Scully back in to talk us through this was an inevitability.We can embarrass Liam briefly, one of the most humble people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in football. It was obvious from our first interview in October 2024 that this is an exceptional CEO and leader of football. But does that translate to the only success football truly understands: winning? That question has been answered. There’s been an operational discipline that would be the envy of many for a while; now they’ve added the performance to match. So how did Lincoln upset the sporting and business odds to achieve this? Let’s find out as we welcome Liam Scully back to the Business of Sport.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: AirwallexThe intelligent financial platform for global businesses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠GeminiWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com

June 12, 20261 hr 19 min

FIFA’s Big World Cup Mistake, Horse Racing’s Civil War & England Cricket at it Again (E23)

Huge news this week. It’s Charlie’s birthday, his 50th he’ll be happy for me to tell you, not that that is a surprise for those of you who are watching this; the studio got an impressive one day makeover. As his present, we let him dive back into the world of horse racing and deliver another knockout segment as Epsom and Ascot fill the sporting calendar. Add to this the long awaited start of the World Cup and a check on on what can only be described as the ticketing fiasco, and another fiasco featuring the well behaved, highly disciplined England Cricket Team, and we have ourselves a Breakdown!Disclaimer:The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at ⁠⁠charlie@20vc.com⁠⁠ and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.We’re delighted to partner with Obelisk Sports Agency⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://obelisksports.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠We're delighted to also partner with the Global Institute Of Sport⁠⁠⁠https://gis.sport/BoS⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our Substack for bonus content:⁠https://substack.com/@businessofsport⁠If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠

June 9, 20261 hr 8 min

Jean-Éric Vergne: How To Recover From Losing Your F1 Seat (Ep123)

We’re back to four wheels today as we welcome Jean-Éric Vergne to the studio. JEV, as he is known in the world of motorsport, has seen it all in a career that has spanned F1, Formula E and Le Mans to name but a few. He raced in 51 Grand Prix’s as part of the Red Bull Racing family with Toro Rosso and is Formula E’s only double world champion.Now JEV is not known for being reserved with his opinions; his character is built on a refreshing directness you don’t get as much in sport these days. This comes through in a perfect balance of self-belief and honest reflection when assessing his time at Red Bull, coming to terms with decisions made out of your control, and re-building a career and image that got him back to the elite end of motorsport. This is a real look at life as a driver, behind the assumption I, and I’m sure many of you, have on the luxury of elite four wheel performance. We’re delighted to welcome JEV to the Business of Sport.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: AirwallexThe intelligent financial platform for global businesses⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠⁠⁠GeminiWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠⁠⁠If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com

June 5, 20261 hr 28 min

THE BREAKDOWN: Should the Olympics Pay Athletes, The Problem Facing Women’s Football, & F1 Lands Another Mega Deal (E22)

It’s a huge week so let’s go. Athlete pay. We haven’t been able to escape it in recent weeks and with IOC President Kirsty Coventry’s recent comments suggesting there would be no change to her stance on athletes earning money at the Olympics, we go head first into the why and what should happen when an organisation that generation generates €8 billion euros in revenue per cycle and doesn’t pay the key contributors. Add to that a long awaited venture in to the health of women’s football, and a commercial deep dive into the incredible world of F1 sponsorship after Gucci’s announcement as Alpine’s title sponsor, and we have ourselves a breakdown. Disclaimer:The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at ⁠charlie@20vc.com⁠ and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.We’re delighted to partner with Obelisk Sports Agency⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://obelisksports.com/⁠⁠⁠We're delighted to also partner with the Global Institute Of Sport⁠⁠https://gis.sport/BoS⁠⁠Subscribe to our Substack for bonus content:https://substack.com/@businessofsportIf you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com

June 2, 20261 hr 23 min

Kieran Gibbs: Arsenal’s Title Win, The Bitcoin Salary & Moving to Beckham’s Miami (Ep122)

An Arsenal icon in the seat this week at the perfect time to reflect on the incredible season The Gunners have had despite their Champions League final loss. Kieran Gibbs played 229 Games for Arsenal, won 3 FA Cups, lived that late Wenger years, Emirates transition, and the balance between opportunity and pressure that comes with playing for one of the top teams in Europe.That’s what we know him for. But as you will have guessed considering he is with us today, there is much more to him. One of the early movers to Beckham’s Inter Miami, opening up the world of business opportunity alongside a hard to say no to football project, Kieran has built a life away from the pitch that includes business ventures, bitcoin wealth, and a curiosity to learn that athletes must embrace if they want to build off the pitch. We recored this just before the Champions League final, but I don’t think that changes his Arsenal reflections. Kick back and enjoy as we welcome Kieran Gibbs to the Business of Sport.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: AirwallexThe intelligent financial platform for global businesses⁠⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠⁠GeminiWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth⁠⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠⁠If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com

May 29, 20261 hr 27 min

THE BREAKDOWN: Premier League Winners & Losers, Enhanced Games Makes Its Entrance, & The World of Rugby League (E21)

With the Premier League coming to a close and with it, the hypotheticals we’ve been talking about for the last few months becoming reality, it’s time to look at the real winners and losers from this season. Who has performed to expectation based on money spent and who is well short of it? You’ll guess a few. Add to that a look at Rugby League ahead of the Challenge Cup Final (this is the most requested topic we get by the way), and a review of the Enhanced Games after it finally kicked off in Las Vegas last week, and we have ourselves a breakdown. Disclaimer:The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at charlie@20vc.com and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.We’re delighted to partner with Obelisk Sports Agency⁠⁠⁠⁠https://obelisksports.com/⁠⁠We're delighted to also partner with the Global Institute Of Sport⁠https://gis.sport/BoS⁠If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com

May 26, 20261 hr 33 min

Kyle Edmund: “When you’re 13 you DON’T really understand the call you’re making” (Ep121)

As the tennis summer gets going, we’re delighted to welcome Kyle Edmund to the show. Former British number one, world number 14, Grand Slam semi finalist, two ATP titles; there are some serious achievements to put to Kyle’s name. That and of course the aura that comes with playing in one of the greatest eras tennis has seen.Having retired last year at the age of 30 after years battling serious injury, we found him at the critical point of reflection; the chance to recognise all he has achieved as an elite athlete and how to put that to use in the future. The world of top tennis players has been a mystery to many. Kyle takes us through what it takes to not just reach the top, but the work that has to go in to stay there. There’s no doubt about it, this is a brutal industry. A real survival of the fittest. Welcome to the world of elite tennis. We’re delighted to welcome Kyle to the Business of Sport.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: AirwallexThe intelligent financial platform for global businesses https://www.airwallex.com/uk/GeminiWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earthhttps://geminisports.ai/NavanSave BIG with Navan’s Business Travel Management https://navan.com/uk/sign-up/homeIf you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us atbos@20vc.com

May 22, 20261 hr 23 min

THE BREAKDOWN: Does County Cricket Have a Future, ‘Small’ Clubs Are Outsmarting The Elite & Chelsea’s Alonso Move (E20)

What a week. If you’re here for a bit of Spygate, we released a bonus show yesterday just on that topic. When we recorded this, the outcome hadn’t been confirmed. But what we did have is a huge week of topics to catch up on, from Alonso joining Chelsea to Salah throwing Slot under the bus again to Jannik Sinner winning the Masters Golden Slam. Add to this a long awaited look at county cricket in England using the chaos happening at Lancashire to anchor the chat, plus a review of why so many smaller football teams are achieving miles above expectation and putting their big spending rivals in the shade, and we have ourselves a Breakdown. Disclaimer:The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at ⁠charlie@20vc.com⁠ and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.We’re delighted to partner with Obelisk Sports Agency⁠⁠⁠https://obelisksports.com/⁠We're delighted to also partner with the Global Institute Of Sporthttps://gis.sport/BoSIf you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com

May 21, 202630 min

SPYGATE SPECIAL | The Full Impact of Southampton’s Playoff Disqualification

The Spygate scandal has rocked the Championship playoffs. In a special emergency episode of ‘The Breakdown’, Charlie & Charlie unpack Southampton’s expulsion, the legal drama, the impact on fans and players, and what it means for the integrity of English football.Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at charlie@20vc.com and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us atbos@20vc.com

May 19, 20261 hr 45 min

Tymal Mills: From Nearly Retiring at 22 to a Mega IPL Deal & OnlyFans Partnerships (Ep120)

Today we’re delighted to welcome Tymal Mills to the show. One of the fastest bowlers to grace cricket, Tymal has had a fascinating career. Forced to specialise as a T20 player because of injury, much of his career has been spent touring the world playing franchise cricket.He is World Cup winner with England, the leading wicket taker in The Hundred, one of the most expensive IPL buys in history, and as indicated through a bold partnership with OnlyFans last year, is pushing the boundaries of how athletes leverage content to build value off the pitch. This is about a lot more than cricket.It’s one of the stories you need to hear, so we are delighted to welcome Tymal to Business of Sport.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: AirwallexThe intelligent financial platform for global businesses⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠GeminiWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at⁠⁠bos@20vc.com