Podcast To Fuel Expansion Into The U.K. Sports Market
MINNEAPOLIS (January 11, 2021) – Sportsdigita, the technology organization transforming the way the biggest Sports and Enterprise brands in the world sell, today announced a partnership with the influential podcast, Are You Not Entertained? (AYNE), to support Sportsdigita’s growth and presence with sports organizations across the United Kingdom .
Sportsdigita will be credited as the presenting sponsor for the flagship show of the AYNE platform, Groundsmen Conversations, published fortnightly. Sportsdigita, as title sponsor of the show will also have a featured “Sportsdigita Question of the Week” during each show, put to the guest. Previous interviewees, from both the boardroom, and the locker room have included Gerry Cardinale, Sir Martin Sorrell, Al Guido, George Pyne, Lawrence Dallaglio, Sean Fitzpatrick, Chris Cairns, Pat Nevin, Dame Laura Davis, and many more.
“AYNE is the go-to podcast for executives and decision-makers at sports leagues, organizations and teams across the U.K.,” Sportsdigita Managing Director, International Ben Taverner said. “They immediately jumped out as the perfect partner for our brand as we scale internationally. We’ve established a tremendous footprint across the United States and see the U.K. as a massive growth opportunity for our company. AYNE will help shape our presence and visibility in the U.K. sports tech marketplace.”
AYNE launched in 2018 and is a weekly podcast hosted by Roger Mitchell, Grant Williams and Giles Morgan who are all pioneers in the sports business, finance, tech and sponsorship spaces. The hosts offer an honest, amusing and authentic take on how sports have changed, where they’re headed and what sports mean for the fans.
"For four years now, Are You Not Entertained has been a forum for the discussion around disruption in sport, with new narratives & presentations for fresher audiences,” Mitchell said. “So partnering with Sportsdigita, and their very innovative product for sports communication, is just ideal for us. We look forward to working together on the AYNE journey in 2022."
Sportsdigita was founded in 2011 by Angelina Lawton who, after serving as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, recognized the inadequacies of PowerPoint and other presentation software when pitching major six- and seven-figure sponsorship deals in the professional sports space.
The company initially gained traction by powering its DIGIDECK platform for professional sports teams across the NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL and MLS. Currently over 40 percent of teams across those five leagues use DIGIDECK. Several teams from the English Premier League in addition to Formula1 and Premiership Rugby. As teams, leagues, and agencies used the platform to present major deals to potential sponsors, big brands took notice. With organic expansion into the brand space, today organizations such as Visa, MetLife and Kaiser Permanente also use DIGIDECK.
AYNE is available to listen and download on all podcast platforms, on the Albachiara website, and on the AYNE dedicated app.
About Are You Not Entertained? (AYNE)
Was born out of the Albachiara Journal content output. Albachiara is the advisory and investment company co-founded by Roger Mitchell and Raffaella Cardarelli. They invest in leading edge sporttech companies, advise Big Finance on their investments in sport, and build narrative and branding strategies, mainly through content marketing.
The AYNE podcast was conceived in 2018 by Roger, and friend Grant Williams. Grant is a world renowned capital markets operator and entrepreneur, with his own financial media companies. He has co-founded Real Vision, and now his own TTMYGH brand, through which he is undoubtedly one of the top and most followed thought leaders at the sharp end of macrofinance and geopolitics. Grant is an avid and very knowledgeable sports fan.
Giles Morgan joined in 2019, bringing his experience as one of the premier experts in sports sponsorship, having led the global investments in HSBC for many years, mainly across tennis, rugby and golf. He brought his gravitas and credibility, within the industry, to AYNE, and helped take the platform to the highest level. He is a vastly respected advisor to many companies, big and small, and is a respected writer and speaker internationally.
AYNE is produced by Sandton Productions, and delivered each week expertly by James Gibb.
Over the journey, Are You Not Entertained has developed a very clear style of honest and expert insight, always delivered with humour. This formula has attracted the biggest names in the industry, who feel comfortable in conversing with the hosts. It is a fireside chat with the biggest names in sport.
