The Business of Sport - Peter Hutton

The Business of Sports podcast allows for in-depth interviews where guests share their expertise and career journey to date. The episodes are full of great content, topics, and case studies. The Business of Sport gives an opportunity for the next generation of sport business professionals to learn about the variety of careers and opportunities with personal journeys. For those already in the industry, it gives a fresh take on some key subject matters and personal stories of challenge and success.

This episode features Peter Hutton - Sports board member and advisor

This episode covers:

• Saudi Arabia

"Its been a really great experience being part of the development of the Women's League in Saudi. I know the headline stories are about the star names going there, but its the fact that they are building something and its been really cool to see the stadiums full of families, watching women play without headscarves, in a league that's only a year old. It shows just how football can be part of wider change.

When I was first asked to get involved, they said they want to be one of the top 5 leagues in the world. When you've heard that from China and the MLS, you are naturally a bit sceptical. But the fact that they ate building academies and the women's game gives me faith that we are doing something quite useful."

• The changes in sports broadcasting

"The media landscape for the last 30 years has been shaped by Pay TV, but the growth of Social Media and streaming is beginning to take that space and I think that change is difficult for the sports industry to cope with, because they are used to the big guaranteed cheques of Pay TV and it was relatively easy money!

But social media is not like that. It demands a level of effort and control that a federation or a team or a league is not necessarily used to having. Its a different philosophy to have to make your own content, rather than watching people make content that features you."

There was almost an expectation that of course, companies like Facebook/Meta would show sport. But the business model that underpins sport, is one that Social Media don't really need. I think you can make the argument that sport needs Social Media more than Social Media needs sport.

• The use of VR for audience growth

" We want content that makes a viewer feel active and part of what's happening and that's what you learn from gaming. If you watch young gamers, they are doing several things at once and playing with friends. So the opportunity of VR, is that you take all the things you see and do watching a game, and put them into one experience. There's something there about a better way of watching sport.

And much more!