Today we’re delighted to welcome Spencer Owen, Founder & Owner of the iconic Hashtag United, to the show. This is one of the most unique organisations in football. Why? Well it was founded on the internet before becoming a successful men’s and women’s team competing in English football. Spencer, or Spencer FC as many of his fans know him, built one of the strongest online brands in football, with over 2m YouTube subscribers regularly engaging with his channel.

When he decided to take Hashtag from online concept to physical sports asset, unsurprisingly it was met with confusion and ridicule by an industry not known for it’s acceptance and embrace of change. As a result, this show is one of most interesting assessments of both what makes football so great, and where there are major opportunities for change. It’s a very different take on the football owner and executive shows we’re used to, and that’s why we love it.

This is sport for a modern age, packaged in a conversation explaining how a club that has more subscribers than many Premier League clubs has created a new blueprint for team ownership and management.

On today’s show we discuss:

SpencerFC to Club Owner:

• What was the first step in becoming one of the most famous football ‘influencer/streamer’ and how did that lay the foundations for Hashtag United?
• This is a club born on the internet; from creating a community online to turning those fans into active sports goers.
• Influencer driven sport has become a far more recognised phenomenon, but what was it like in the early days taking creators into real life football matches?
• This is reverse engineering a football club; why building a fanbase before they had an on-field product has given Hashtag a unique opportunity

Business of Hashtag

• “We are at our heart an advertising business when you think about how we make money”
• Playing in the 7th tier of English football does not deliver big revenue, so what have Hashtag done to make themselves so commercially attractive.
• How not owning their own stadium is an issue they are looking to resolve and why a physical home for their broad fanbase will elevate the team’s identity.
• Raising money is next on the agenda but what type of people is Spencer looking to bring into the ownership group?
• “We are the opposite of Wrexham”

Dealing with Criticism…

• How naming the team Hashtag United created an unforeseen issue yet remains one of the most important things about the club.
• Is there a problem with creating a model dependent on views more than results?
• The story of how the club has used broader issues and opportunities in women’s football to create a really successful team.
• The 3pm blackout and the issues that it hides…?
• It doesn’t make financial sense to be promoted in non-league football! What does Spencer mean by this?

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Today we’re delighted to welcome the British and Irish Lions CEO Ben Calveley to the show. The Lions are one of the most iconic institutions in sport. Made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, this team which tours once every four years is the pinnacle of many a rugby player's career.

In just a few weeks, the team will begin its tour of Australia, trying to win a series for only the third time in the last 30 years. This highlights how difficult it actually is for the Lions to be successful. There are few things more difficult than winning away in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. But what is it that makes the Lions so revered? How do the players turn off rivalry to become the ultimate team for a few short weeks. As described by the Lions themselves which perfectly sums it up, this history is a testament to the power of unity, where rivalries are set aside in pursuit of rugby excellence.

This is the real Lions brought to you by the man in charge of the whole legacy. We’re delighted to welcome Ben to the Business of Sport.

On today’s show we discuss:

Sculpted in History:

• When was the Lions formed and how has it shaped the most unique team in rugby, maybe even in sport?
• What does it mean to be a part of the Lions; from inclusion as player to the coaching staff taking on the challenge.
• Who has the advantage? The balance between putting together the strongest team from four great rugby nations and playing away from home.
• Why has success been so hard to come by and what have winning teams been able to harness?

Business of The Lions:

•  Behind the history, legacy and honour lies a business that needs to be delivering more than once every four years.
• How does the organisation make money? From broadcast to sponsorship to ticketing; the numbers behind the Lions.
• Can The Lions make themselves less financially dependent on the tour and diversify their risk profile to ensure the business is not over exposed?
• How do sponsorships work and why does Ben think their partners are so keen to align themselves with the team?
• This is a profitable organisation! What could other sports organisations pick up from the value created around the team?

The Future:

• A historic organisation must leverage its legacy while continuing to innovate. What are the Lions doing to ensure they remain at the front of the attention economy?
• The introduction of the Women’s Tour and what that does for both rugby and the brand.
• Would the team ever play a series in a location other than Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa?
• The modern media environment has created an era of sports documentaries, but how were the Lions at the front of this movement?
• Creating an event out of the squad announcement; how a day at the O2 will create an F1 car launch style buzz around one of the most exciting aspects of any Lions tour.

Today we’re delighted to welcome Manchester City Women’s Director Charlotte O’Neill to the show. This is a part of the game we talk about a lot. The growth of women’s football has been in turbo over the last decade, both in the UK and beyond. Man City have been one of the clubs leading that charge, compiling a squad of world class talent with the facilities and infrastructure to deliver on a long term ambition, to be the best women’s team in the world.

But behind this is a broad range of both successes and major challenges to overcome. From developing female first brands with unique value propositions to being held to account for a lack of financial sustainability as the men’s game haemorrhages cash, there’s a real story to be told for what is going on behind the scenes as these teams evolve through their investment phase into legitimate standalone football brands with social and commercial firepower.

On today’s show we discuss:

Evolution of Man City Women:

• When a women’s team is starting out, does it need to be able to leverage the brand and credibility of a strong men’s team to get ahead?
• What has been the most important part of being a team in the City Football Group setup?
• From foundation to legitimacy: how have the club developed both a trophy chasing team on the pitch supported by best in class infrastructure off it.
• What are the biggest challenges about running a women’s team in the WSL?
• Are the expectations placed on the women’s team similar to that of the men?
• How an access to the leadership of Man City, such as Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, has benefited Charlotte and her team when it comes to football and business.

Creating a Proper Business:

•  ”This assumption that women's football has to be sustainable from day dot really drives me mad”. What does it mean for the game to be in the ‘investment phase'?
• Understanding who the fans are; who are the core group attracted to the matches and how to the compare to the ‘traditional’ City fan?
• The rise of female first partnerships: how the women’s team and signing major brand deals with businesses looking to unlock and resonate with a new audience.
• What are the key revenue streams that drive the team and how do they compare to the men’s business model.
• To what extent does success on the pitch drive the success off it?

The Wider World of Women’s Football:

• How does the WSL compare to other strong leagues in the US and Europe?
• Are we attracting the top talent to come and play in the league and do the financial opportunities offered compete with salaries elsewhere?
• Should we franchise women’s football? The balance between security and maintaining brand value with jeopardy and open football pyramids.
• Where are the biggest opportunities for women’s football over the coming years?

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