The Footballco Business Podcast

Our guest on the latest Footballco Business Podcast is the strongest man to have played football, Adebayo Akinfenwa.

As a player, Bayo didn’t make it to the Premier League, but he built a player brand through iconic interviews, becoming a legend in the FIFA video game with KSI, and now hosts the Footballco-produced Beast Mode On Podcast.

Bayo joined us to discuss….

Being the strongest man in football

How his size created misconceptions about his ability

How KSI and FIFA brought him new fans

Why building a player brand was essential for his career

His iconic ‘hit me up on WhatsApp interview after being released by Wimbledon

Why his Beast Mode On Podcast is more than just another former pros' podcasts
His favourite and dream guests

With this Summer's World Cup set to be the noisiest ever, we gathered an expert panel for our recent 'Never Mind the Cliches' event to help brands cut through the noise and make the most of the biggest World Cup ever.

With Iconic's James Kirkham moderating, we were joined by England legend and media pioneer Rio Ferdinand, Homeground CEO Rachid Ahoyek, and strategic partner manager for YouTube, Joshua Wayoe.

Between them, they covered...

What it's like playing at a World Cup and handling the media

The marketing cliches to avoid

How fans will be consuming the World Cup

Going beyond second-screening

Working with athletes

What fans are really watching on YouTube

And much more!

As Millwall FC celebrate their 140th anniversary, our guest is the club's Chief Commercial Officer, Luke Wilson.

Luke joins us to discuss the club's brand and what it means to be Millwall today, compared with the club’s reputation in the 70s and 80s.

From working in the community across two of London's most deprived boroughs and a successful LGBTQ+ team to how Alex Neil has harnessed the club's 'nobody likes' and 'underdog' spirit to get the club pushing for promotion to the Premier League, and what such an achievement would mean to the club.

On this show, we're speaking to Sean Connel, the Editor of The Sponsor and author of their most recent report on the fair market value of stadium sponsorship in Europe.

With Spurs' still looking for a naming partner for their stadium and Manchester United planning a replacement for Old Trafford what is the true fair market value for stadium naming rights?

Sean joins us to discuss this and much more, including why Barcelona's Nou Camp and Real Madrid's Bernabeu are the most valuable in Europe, the dangers and opportunities of renaming heritage stadiums, and why stadiums in the US command such a premium.

Read more about The Sponsor’s European Stadium Naming Rights Fair Market Value Report - https://www.thesponsor.com/revealed-european-stadium-naming-rights-fair-market-sponsorship-values-2026/

This episode was recorded live at the World Football Summit Riyadh in December 2025 and covers Identifying, localising, and monetising the next generation of fans, featuring a panel including:

Mohammed Basrawi - GM and MARCOM Content for the Saudi Pro League

Olek Loewenstein - President of Sports Content at Televisa Univision

Shahrukh Sohail - Senior Sports and Entertainment Business Manager at Explere

Marc Veelenturf - CEO Middle East & Türkiye and Chief Growth Officer – International markets at Atos

It’s moderated by our own SVP for the Middle East, Andy Jackson.