The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is the governing body for tennis in the UK, known for its innovative, forward-thinking approach to making tennis accessible to all. A key strategy in achieving this is through leveraging digital platforms to engage fans and tennis enthusiasts. In this episode, we spoke with Chris Pollard, Managing Director of Commercial & Operations at the LTA, who has been with the organisation for over five years. Chris, a passionate sports enthusiast, shared insights...

Club Brugge, one of the most successful clubs in Belgian football history, is continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation to strengthen its connection with fans. Leading this charge is Thomas Rypens, Direct-to-Consumer Director at the club, who oversees all consumer-facing aspects: merchandising, ticketing, food and beverage, memberships, e-sports, e-commerce, and more. In this episode of LeCorner, we had the pleasure of hosting Thomas Rypens, Direct to Consumer Director at Club Brugge...

New LeCorner episode, new sports business topic covered! In our latest episode, we were joined by Chris Gerstle, Director of Strategy and Development at European Leagues - An organisation that stands as the voice of professional Football Leagues across Europe on all matters of common interest. Along the episode, Chris takes us through his professional journey and his admirable passion for the sport of football. He credits the sport for instilling a dynamic persona within him. The...

In episode 46 of our LeCorner Podcast, we had the opportunity to welcome Jon Dutton OBE, Chief Executive Officer of British Cycling, the governing body of Cycling in the United Kingdom.  Jon engaged in a seamless conversation with LeCorner host and Chief Business Officer at LaSource Leander Monbaliu, taking us through his journey in sports, from fandom to the ambition of building a world of greater good by leveraging the power of sport, particularly cycling.  Leading a national sporting...

In Episode 45 of our LeCorner International podcast series, we had the pleasure of hosting Christian Theil, CEO and Founder of our client, turfcoach, in a long overdue episode. Christian begins by offering a glimpse into his background and experiences in the agricultural industry. Recognising the unique requirements of grass and after discussions with grounds managers regarding their challenges, he pinpointed a gap in the industry that could be addressed through the use of data, thus giving...

In Episode 44 of LeCorner International, we welcomed Alison Crowe, the Director of Digital and Data at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Engaging in a conversation with our Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Westberg, Alison recounted her professional journey, which included leadership roles in marketing and digital, before assuming her current position at the ECB. During her current tenure, which has spanned over four years at the ECB, Alison has navigated fascinating trajectories,...

In the recent episode of LeCorner, we had the pleasure of hosting Arnaud Lieutenant, Chief Information and Digital Officer, at the Royal Belgian Football Association. Engaging in a conversation with our Chief Business Officer, Leander Monbaliu (making his debut as a host on LeCorner), Arnaud delves into his professional journey leading to his current role at RBFA. Arnaud, with a wealth of experience in the IT and Digital Transformation sector, provides his opinion on the maturation of the...

In this final episode of LeCorner for 2023, join us for a fantastic blend of the most engaging discussions we've had with our esteemed guests. 2023 marked the third season of our international series, and it's safe to say we thoroughly enjoyed recording these 10 episodes with top-tier sports organizations. A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our guests who generously shared their vision, backgrounds, experiences, and anecdotes with us. Your contributions have made our discussions truly...

In the latest episode of LeCorner International, we had the privilege of connecting with Evan Planchon, the Head of Digital at Euroleague Basketball. In this insightful conversation, he shared his captivating journey from previous experiences in digital marketing to his current pivotal role in the continental basketball league. Evan provided an insider's perspective on Euroleague's business model, emphasizing the centralized approach and strategic partnerships that define the league....

The LeCorner Podcast is back for another episode, this time featuring Michael Leahy, Global Policy & Strategic Projects Advisor at FIFPRO. Listeners gain unique insights into his transformative journey from a professional footballer to a critical figure in the football industry advocating for Players’ Rights. Michael draws from his extensive experience at FIFPRO, emphasising the importance of future-proofing personal plans for players beyond the elite 1%. The discussion delves into the...

In the newest episode of LeCorner, we welcome Bhavesh Patel, a digital media pioneer with a two-decade career marked by innovation and impact. Currently the Global Digital Director at beIN MEDIA GROUP, Bhavesh has been a driving force behind global digital strategy, product development, and monetization. Bhavesh's impressive journey also includes launching FOX's first direct-to-consumer OTT service as VP of interactive Media and his time as global Digital Media Director with the NBA. He...

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches on the horizon, North America stands poised to assert itself as a global football powerhouse. Spearheading this trajectory is CONCACAF, the region's governing body, which is driving significant advancements in the realm of football development and competition. In this new LeCorner Highlight, we are featuring an episode we recorded in 2022 with Jason Roberts, Director of Development at CONCACAF. Jason talks about how CONCACAF is employing progressive...

It is no secret that football is probably the greatest generator of content in the world and the number 1 sport in terms of viewership. With an immense business potential, the sport has facilitated the emergence of industry events, a sector that is growing exponentially. In this captivating episode, we sit down with Jan Alessie, the visionary Director of World Football Summit, to explore the rise of World Football Summit, a global brand within the sports events sector. In the episode,...

On July 20th, the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup will kick off in Australia and New Zealand. A good opportunity for us to highlight the episode recorded 2 months ago with Mariana Gutierrez, Head of La Liga MX Femenil.In this new LeCorner Highlight, she emphasizes the importance of presentation and viewership to develop women’s football and sports.  Mariana also tackles the issue of the general lack of competitions and tournaments for female players. 

She speaks about using your...

Last week, Sail GP launched’ The Dock’, a Web 3.0 integrated fan loyalty programme built on the NEAR protocol blockchain. A perfect occasion to highlight an episode recorded one year ago with Jose Garnes, former Head of Content at the sailing competition and currently Chief Content Officer at the British Basketball League. In this new LeCorner Highlight, we discussed Sail GP’s partnership with Oracle, making this launch possible today. Moreover, we pondered on the topic of data...

From an international large-scale company to becoming a part of a small startup to Founder and CEO of his own enterprise, we sat down with David Fowler to talk about his fantastic career in sports. Join us as we dive into Fowler’s diverse background, from his time as a professional athlete to his influential roles at FIFA and MyCujoo to Sportstech Match, which aims to revolutionize the procurement process for sports technology solutions. In discussion with our CEO Samuel Westberg, he...

Driving change: behind Formula E’s wheel! One week away from the 2023 Jakarta Prix opening, Formula E has never done so well since its inaugural season in 2014. In this context, we received Harry Browne, the strategy director of the championship. In discussion with our CEO Samuel Westberg, he unveils this crazy decade. From a small startup to a huge sports organization, Formula E has managed to build a solid business and expansion model. And it’s only the beginning! Formula E was -...

Have you ever wondered what building a football league from scratch in a 130 million people country was like? It is basically what Mariana Gutierrez did in Mexico with Liga MX Femenil. While Mexican people’s love for football is nothing new, its professional Female League only saw the light 6 years ago and enjoys success in the country.  A success that motivated Nike to become the league’s exclusive sports partner a month ago! In this context of promising growth for the league, we...

A few weeks ago, Fortnite released the long-awaited Creative 2.0 mode.  Alongside Move.ai technology, this update is a revolution.Indeed, thanks to Move’s motion capture technology, every player, creator and developer can now capture personalized scenes, import them into Fortnite, and so with an affordable solution that has proven to be remarkably accurate. In order to ride this wave, we had the pleasure to receive Niall Hendry, Head of Partnerships at Move.AI. In this episode, Niall...

At a time when professional athletes are becoming more and more their own media, the pioneer sports competition still has a huge role to play media-wise. For this new LeCorner episode, we had the pleasure of receiving Benny Bonsu, Director of Daily Content, at the International Olympic Committee (Olympics.com & Olympic Channel). Ghanaian-born and London-raised, she spent 16 years as a broadcast journalist and writer for the NBA before joining IOC 2 years ago. She also was the Head...

Sponsorship is one of the most important revenue streams for sports rights holders. In this context, let’s highlight an episode recorded one year ago with Kevin Hall, Director of Partnerships at The Value XChange and Sponsorship Sales Lead for the Rugby League World Cup 2021.  The Value Xchange is a sport, media and entertainment marketing agency that builds partnerships for their customers through the power of sport, entertainment and media that have an enduring and positive impact for...

In 2014, Orlando opened the first design thinking-based innovation lab in the NBA.In a league already known for its innovation and digital skills, the Magic can be regarded as pioneer. Clever use of a CRM and ticket strategy, innovation challenges and data-driven business model has put and the Floridian team ahead of its time in terms of digital transformation. We had the pleasure to receive Jay Riola, Executive VP of strategy and innovation at the club, to discuss this status, as well...

As we jump into 2023, getting outdoors to do sport sounds like a nice resolution! And that’s good news: Noise Studio’s motto is encouraging people to experience the world through sport. So let’s dive into the episode we recorded in May 2021 with two representatives of the Danish digital creative Agency: Ida Bjerga (Managing Director) and Sophie Offord (Brand Strategist).  The agency’s name speaks for itself: Noise helps clients to express themselves through a strong branding...

For this last LeCorner episode of the year, let's enjoy a mix of some of the best discussions we had with our guests. 2022 has been the second season of our international series, and the least we can say is that we had a great time recording these 10 episodes with leading sports organisations. Many thanks to all the guests that were kind enough to share with us their vision, their background, their experiences and their anecdotes. Timelines (one extract for each episode, in chronological...