Leaders Worth Knowing Podcast

Hosted by Leaders

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Episodes

300

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

The biggest names in the global business of sport sit down with Leaders Editorial Director, James Emmett, and Content Director, David Cushnan.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 3, 202641 min

Madrid's big F1 moment looms; What should we call DAZN these days

Just over a week out from the first Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit in Madrid, David Cushnan and James Emmett are back in the studio to discuss why it could become one of the most important - and commercially powerful - events on the F1 calendar. They also consider how to define DAZN in the wake of its acquisition of commercial distribution platform Everpass, and the closing of its deal to buy streaming platform technology firm Viewlift. Does this indicate a change of tack from the company once dubbed the 'Netflix of sport'. There's also time to reflect on this week's conversation with Everton Chief Revenue Officer Aaron Duckmanton, and his role bringing major sports and music events to the club's new Hill Dickinson Stadium. ----- The Summit at Leaders Week London takes place on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October. Visit leadersinsport.com/leadersweek for more information on speakers, who's attending and networking experiences to suit every taste.

September 2, 202641 min

Everton’s Aaron Duckmanton: Life as a Premier League club Chief Revenue Officer

Aaron Duckmanton, Chief Revenue Officer at Everton, sits down with David Cushnan as the Premier League club begins its second season at Hill Dickinson Stadium. In a wide-ranging conversation recorded just before the start of the new season, Duckmanton explains the vision for building out the sports and entertainment events roster at the new stadium, including major concerts, and what he’s learnt about booking acts and the world of live touring. He also outlines how the club has taken fans and partners on the journey to the new stadium, and the undeniable step change in commercial performance it has unlocked; how Everton thinks about internationalisation and global fans; why constantly taking the temperature of fans is vital; the commercial leadership model in place at the club; the league’s response to the ban on front-of-shirt gambling partners; the changing skillsets of CROs in the Premier League; and what the future holds for Everton’s women’s team which has made Goodison Park its new home. ----- The final countdown is on to Leaders Week London. Secure your place amongst 2,000 senior sports industry executives at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October. Visit: leadersweeklondon.com

August 27, 202638 min

British Cycling Ventures' Darren Henry: Proving a new model for how governing bodies can be structured

British Cycling Ventures is the new commercial offshoot of British Cycling, set up to give the national governing body more agility and ultimately increase revenues. Darren Henry, who has been with British Cycling since 2021, is heading up the entity as Managing Director, and he joins David Cushnan in the studio to explain the rationale and reality. Henry explains how British Cycling Ventures is looking to commercialise key IP, such as the Tour of Britain, and work with key partners like Lloyds. He also gives an update on the search for strategic investment into British Cycling Ventures. Looking ahead, he also considers what impact next year's Tour de France Grand Depart in the UK could have on cycling in the country; British Cycling's membership-building and nurturing; and the various challenges facing national governing bodies in 2026. ---- The Summit at Leaders Week London takes place on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October - to secure your place and see what's happening on-stage and off-stage, visit https://bit.ly/3QJra1u

August 20, 202648 min

Felicity Shankar: why every major event wants a hospitality house

What exactly is a hospitality house, and why has it become a fixture at the world's biggest sporting events? This week on Leaders Worth Knowing, James Emmett sits down with Felicity Shankar, CEO of The iLUKA Collective, one of the sports industry's leading experiential agencies. Fresh from delivering FIFA House in New York during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Felicity explores how hospitality houses have evolved from an Olympic concept into a powerful platform for brands, rights holders and event organisers. From the ingredients that make a hospitality house memorable to lessons learned from projects including Maison Deloitte at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of creating experiences that leave a lasting impact. This episode follows our recent conversation with Lyvera CEO Charlie Buck. Earlier this year, iLUKA joined the Lyvera sports hospitality group following its acquisition by Levy. ----- You'll be able to continue the conversation at Leaders Week London on 7-8 October, where Felicity's colleagues from Lyvera will be joining industry leaders from across the global sports business. To see the agenda, visit https://bit.ly/3QJra1u

August 13, 202636 min

Applying US know-how; empty seats; and who’s up for a Fifa election campaign?

As the Leaders Week London agenda goes live, James Emmett and David Cushnan are in the studio to predict what might be the big talking points when global sport does business this October at Stamford Bridge. The prospect of a contested Fifa Presidential election makes the list, as Gianni Infantino battles on and three confederations - Uefa, CONCACAF and the AFC - seek a challenger. There’s time too to consider VPN sponsorships in football and the number of empty seats at some sports venues this summer - is it misjudged pricing and is the UK market starting to see the impact of less disposable income for households? And there’s chance to look back at how the business of MotoGP has evolved, building on this week’s interview with Carlos Ezpeleta, the motorcycling series’ Chief Sporting Officer and new team CEO and Co-owner Guenther Steiner, as US know-how meets Spanish roots under Liberty Media’s new ownership. ----- Gary Lineker, Alexis Ohanian and Lego CMO Julia Goldin lead the line-up for Leaders Week London, at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October. To see the agenda and book you pass, visit https://bit.ly/3QJra1u

August 10, 202630 min

Carlos Ezpeleta and Guenther Steiner: How MotoGP is handling its new American investors

MotoGP's Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta and Guenther Steiner, the new CEO and Co-Owner of the Tech3 MotoGP team, join David Cushnan to discuss how the world's leading motorcycling series in entering its new era, following F1 owner Liberty Media's acquisition last year. Ezpeleta explains how the changes made so far, some more visible than others, are designed to supercharge the championship's popularity and revenues, and how the new US influence on the series is beginning to manifest itself. Speaking in London before last Sunday's British round of the championship, the 12th of 22 scheduled races this year, he and Steiner also reflect on the painstaking governance work, which resulted in a fresh commercial framework binding the teams - including manufacturers Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Aprilia and KTM - to the series and world motorcycling governing body the FIM until 2031, and how to build up the profile of the sport's superstars in markets beyond the current heartlands of Spain and Italy. And Steiner, who led the Haas F1 team from 2016 to 2024 and became the breakout star of Drive to Survive, explains why investors including IKON Capital and David Blitzer's Bolt Ventures paid $50 million to invest in the independent Tech3 MotoGP team, and how his experience of F1 is helping Ezpeleta chart a path forward under new ownership. ----- The Leaders Week London agenda is here. Visit https://bit.ly/3QJra1u and join 2,000 senior sports executives from over 50 countries at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, for the Summit, on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October.

August 6, 202641 min

What can and can’t be sold? And other questions Gianni Infantino might be asking himself

As Gianni Infantino fights for his future as Fifa President, following a remarkable week in world football politics, James Emmett and David Cushnan reconvene to consider what’s happened and what may happen next. They review the model - setting up a new entity to house a governing body’s commercial activity - Infantino proposed, where and why it’s worked in other sports, and the missteps he’s made that have enraged much of the football world. There’s also time to reflect on the Hundred and its quest to build a family-friendly, commercially-attractive product, following James’ conversation this week with the competition’s Growth Director Belinda Moore. ----- The full Leaders Week London agenda is released next week, featuring high-level speakers from Lego, Chelsea, F1, Lululemon, Arsenal, Netflix, MLS, NWSL, Disney and many more. To book your pass visit: https://bit.ly/3QJra1u

August 5, 202646 min

Belinda Moore: The Growth Director at the Hundred on a new dawn for short form cricket

The Hundred, the ECB's short-form cricket series, is into its sixth season, but it's being billed as another 'season one'. Fresh from selling off majority stakes in the eight competing franchises, the ECB is ushering in a new era for its unique - and uniquely positioned - summer tournament. The sell-off process raised more than £500 million for English cricket's governing body, and brought about a devolution of operational and commercial control from the centre to the teams themselves. With new investors - predominantly from India and the US - this is a very different proposition behind the scenes than the one that started life as something of a novelty six years ago.

July 23, 202640 min

Andy Burnham and the big UK sports jobs; what next for the Commonwealth Games?

As Andy Burnham takes up the reins in the UK, James Emmett and David Cushnan consider the raft of big jobs available in British sport - including successors to Juliet Slot and Sally Bolton at Arsenal and Wimbledon, and potential roles running NBA Europe and the 2035 Fifa Women's World Cup. Elsewhere, there's the final word on the World Cup - hydration breaks, Gianni Infantino - and a first look ahead to how different the 2030 edition might look, in Spain, Portugal, Morocco and South America. And with a scaled down, slimline Commonwealth Games getting underway in Glasgow, there's time to ponder the relevance of the Games and its future funding and commercial format, amid a dwindling group of potential host cities. ------ The Summit, part of Leaders Week London, takes place at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th October - for the latest speakers and attendees, and to book your place, visit leadersinsport.com/leadersweek

July 22, 202647 min

Charlie Buck: the Lyvera CEO on the value of 'roaming' and other sports hospitality trends

What are the most compelling hospitality experiences in sport? Who's buying what, when and why? And what can rights holders do to deliver more value to their premium clients. These were the key questions put to Charlie Buck on the latest Episode of Leaders Worth Knowing. Buck is the CEO of Lyvera, a collection of businesses focused on creating and marketing premium experiences to sports fans. It was created earlier this year by sports hospitality giant Levy as a holding company for a number of the businesses it owns: Keith Prowse, Gullivers Sports Travel, The Experience Golf, Lime Venue Portfolio, Events International, the Venues Collection and the recently acquired iLuka Collective. Lyvera plans to double turnover to £350m by 2028, and Buck, who has experience in senior sales and leadership roles across cricket, rugby, football, golf and triathlon, is the man tasked with delivering the growth. Charlie Buck will be speaking at Leaders Week London on 8th October. For more information, visit https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-week-london/