Moneyball - The Business of Sport

When Tom Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he helped deliver a Super Bowl and became the face of the NFL franchise. But what happens to a sporting brand when its biggest superstar leaves? That's the challenge at the heart of this conversation with Dan Beltran, Creative Director of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and founder of Design with Dan. Dan joined the Buccaneers after Brady's retirement and helped develop a new creative identity for the club. But rather than starting with a logo, a font or the latest design trends, he started with the city itself. Dan and his team photographed thousands of images across Tampa, drawing inspiration from its Cuban and Spanish heritage, historic architecture, cigar industry and local culture to create something that felt distinctly Tampa Bay. I caught up with Dan to talk about the thinking behind that work, the business of sports branding and why a great sporting identity needs to be about more than its biggest players. We also get into the relationship between player brands and club brands, why sporting organisations need to understand their fans before deciding what their content should look like, and how clubs can evolve without losing the identity supporters love. And we bring the conversation back to Australian and New Zealand sport, including Kalyn Ponga and the Newcastle Knights, and the extraordinary fan culture surrounding the NZ Warriors. Because ultimately, this isn't just a conversation about graphic design. It's about what makes people feel connected to a sporting club — and who really owns that identity. About Moneyball Sport isn't just about what happens on the field — it's a multi-billion-dollar industry driven by the deals, decisions and dynamics behind the scenes. Moneyball is an Australian sports business podcast that pulls back the curtain on the business of sport — how it works, who makes it happen and where the real game is being played. Hosted by sports business commentator and brand strategist Scott Keenan, Moneyball explores the intersection of sport, money, media and culture. From the NRL, AFL, cricket, NBL and Super Netball to football, Formula 1 and global sport, we go behind media rights, player contracts, sponsorship deals, sports ownership, athlete brands, women's sport and the creator economy. Moneyball is fun, curious and unfiltered — made for sports insiders and fans who want to understand how the game really works. Because if you want to know what's really going on in sport, you've gotta follow the money. Find out more: Dan Beltran / Design with Dan: https://designwithdan.com/ Moneyball on YouTube: @askmoneyball_show Moneyball on Instagram: @askmoneyball_show

Lauren Jackson has achieved just about everything there is to achieve in basketball. Now one of Australia's greatest ever athletes is helping build the future of the WNBL. As Chief Strategy and Basketball Partnerships Officer, the five-time Olympian and three-time WNBA MVP is part of a new era for Australian women's basketball, with private investment, major commercial partners, expanding broadcast coverage and ambitions to grow the competition well beyond its traditional audience. But what does it actually take to turn a great sporting competition into a successful business? In this episode of Moneyball, Lauren joins Scott Keenan to discuss why the WNBL needed new investment, what has changed under private ownership and why she believes women's sporting leagues need to do things differently. They explore the growth of the WNBA and the impact of stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the commercial opportunity created by international players including Han Xu, the arrival of the Tasmania Jewels, and the importance of building athlete brands and reaching fans who don't already follow basketball. Lauren also talks about her own transition from athlete to executive, what she's learning from the WNBL's new ownership, and the financial challenges still facing professional women's basketball players in Australia. And she has a big ambition: to make the WNBL Australia's premium women's sporting competition. Moneyball is the business of sport — conversations about everything off the field that makes the sports we love so special. Hosted by Scott Keenan, the show explores sports business, media, investment, sponsorship, entertainment and fan culture in Australia and around the world. Watch Moneyball on YouTube and follow the show on Instagram @moneyball_show or email anytime [email protected].

Just over a week before Anthony de Ceglie stepped down as CEO of the Perth Bears, he joined Scott Keenan on Moneyball for an in-depth conversation about building the NRL’s newest club from scratch. What was originally a discussion about launching a professional sports franchise in AFL-mad Perth now offers a fascinating snapshot of de Ceglie’s priorities and mindset immediately before his departure. Anthony talks about building the Bears on a “very short runway”, competing with the PNG Chiefs for attention and talent, dealing with criticism and why his personal mantra was to “ignore the noise”. And when Scott asks what he would do differently if he had his time again, Anthony’s answer is striking in hindsight: governance. They also discuss the commercial strategy behind the Perth Bears — memberships, sponsorship, mining and resources, New Balance, merchandise, fan data, North Sydney heritage and the challenge of creating a club Western Australians feel belongs to them. Recorded before Anthony de Ceglie stepped down as Perth Bears CEO. Moneyball – The Business of Sport goes behind the deals, decisions, culture and commercial forces shaping the sports we love. Hosted by Scott Keenan. Instagram / YouTube: @askmoneyball_show Email: [email protected] 00:00 Why this interview matters now 01:44 Building the Perth Bears from scratch 04:33 Competing for attention in Western Australia 10:26 Perth, North Sydney and building belonging 15:04 Perth Bears v PNG Chiefs 17:40 Handling criticism and “the noise” 20:11 Sponsorship, mining and resources 22:07 New Balance and the Bears as a lifestyle brand 26:02 New jerseys and merchandise strategy 28:37 Measuring success before kick-off 30:05 What Anthony would do differently 33:29 The final challenges before Round 1 34:42 What happens next for the Perth Bears

Fox Sports is disappearing, Kayo is becoming the main sports brand, and DAZN is trying to build a much bigger business around the sports fans who watch it. Scott Keenan is joined by sports industry advisor Murray Barnett from 26West Sports to unpack why the economics of sports broadcasting are changing — and why subscriptions and advertising alone may no longer be enough to justify the enormous cost of premium sports rights. They discuss DAZN’s strategy for Foxtel and Kayo, fan data, the Sports Audience Graph, Club Kayo and the creator economy, the changing relationship between broadcasters and rights holders, and why Australia could become a test market for DAZN’s global sports strategy. If you watch cricket, rugby league, NRL, AFL, , NRLW, AFLW, NBA, NBL, NFL, Supercars or Formula 1 this episode will be of interest to you. Murray runs 26West Sports and also appears on Unbundled, part of the Unofficial Partner podcast feed. Moneyball – The Business of Sport is hosted by Scott Keenan and looks at the deals, decisions and commercial forces shaping the sport we watch.

The Newcastle Knights are back in the NRL Grand Final for the first time in 25 years — but this isn’t a Grand Final preview. It’s a conversation about belonging and why the relationship between Newcastle and its rugby league team feels different. Moneyball host Scott Keenan is joined by 1997 premiership winner Steve Crowe, Triple M Newcastle Breakfast co-host Tanya Wilks, and The Knighted creator Lincoln Ison. Crowey takes us inside Newcastle’s famous 1997 Grand Final week, including the emotional team meeting the night before the win over Manly and the extraordinary scenes as thousands of supporters sent the team to Sydney. Tanya explains what she is hearing from Newcastle as the city turns red and blue again, while Lincoln talks about experiencing this run as a modern fan and content creator, including the livestream moment that left him in tears. They also discuss Kalyn Ponga, Justin Holbrook, the fans who kept turning up through the wooden-spoon years, merchandise and membership, and a bigger sports-business question: Can a professional sporting club manufacture genuine belonging — or does Newcastle have something that simply can’t be copied? Guests Steve Crowe — Newcastle Knights 1997 premiership player, former club administrator and Newcastle business leader. Tanya Wilks — co-host of Triple M Newcastle Breakfast and a fixture of Newcastle radio for more than 25 years. Radio Today Lincoln Ison — rugby league content creator and host of The Knighted, covering the Newcastle Knights through previews, reviews and fan-led content. Apple Podcasts Moneyball – The Business of Sport pulls back the curtain on the deals, decisions, people and commercial forces shaping sport. Hosted by Scott Keenan, sports-business commentator and communications strategist. YouTube: @moneyball_show Instagram: @moneyball_show Contact: [email protected]