In this episode, Matt Wood sits down with Joe Pattison of EMW Global to unpack the evolving world of global sports marketing. From his journey through media and international markets to working at the intersection of brands, athletes and rights holders, Joe shares a behind-the-scenes look at how modern sports partnerships are built.

They dive into the balance between global reach and local relevance, why athletes are becoming powerful brands in their own right, and how cultural nuance shapes deals across regions like Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Joe also breaks down EMW’s end-to-end process - from strategy to activation - and explains what separates successful partnerships from the ones that fall apart.

Looking ahead, the conversation explores emerging markets, the growing importance of fan data, and how the sports industry is adapting in an AI-driven world. Whether you’re a brand, athlete or someone looking to break into the industry, this episode offers practical insights into where sports marketing is heading next.

Chapters:

00:00 Joe Pattison’s background and EMW Global overview
02:29 Do global sports deals still make sense in local markets?
04:12 How brands in different regions approach partnerships
05:36 Why Western sports properties are further ahead
06:37 Athletes as brands and why that matters now
09:42 What makes an athlete attractive to sponsors
11:28 Big social followings vs rising stars
13:53 Global icons or local talent: what works best?
16:19 How EMW Global builds partnerships step by step
18:54 In-house talent vs sourcing the right athlete
20:00 Why sports deals break down
21:52 The most underestimated growth markets in sport
23:49 The future of fan data, AI and sports marketing
27:59 Why owning audience data changes everything
28:26 Advice for young people breaking into sports marketing

In this episode, Matt Wood sits down with Tom Gilding (HYROX, ex-Runna) to break down what separates great partnerships from the ones that fall flat.

From identifying untapped opportunities in the athlete journey, to why leading with value beats hard selling every time, Tom shares real-world insights from working with global brands, major race events and community-driven activations.

They dive into:

• How to build partnerships that genuinely enhance the athlete experience
• Why most partnerships fail by focusing on inventory over outcomes
• The power of community, ambassadors, and authentic brand alignment
• What brands like Tinder, Lululemon and Runna got right
• The growing importance of in-person experiences in a digital-first world
• How to approach partnerships from both the sponsor and rights-holder side

Whether you're in sport, marketing, or building a brand, this episode is packed with practical lessons on creating partnerships that actually work.

🎧 Listen now and rethink how you approach partnerships.

Lewis Moses is a high-performance running coach and business owner, helping athletes and coaches grow through clear systems, strong values and long-term thinking.

In this conversation, he shares the parallels between coaching elite athletes and building a service-based business – from people management and leadership to patience, consistency and handling setbacks.

Lewis also talks about scaling a coaching brand, maintaining standards across a team, using routines like journaling and exercise to stay grounded, and why technology and AI should enhance great coaching rather than replace it.

A thoughtful discussion on performance, purpose and building something that lasts.

Chapters

00:00 Intro
00:18 What’s harder: coaching athletes or building a business?
01:46 What surprised Lewis most about starting a company
03:47 Patience, process, and long-term thinking in business
04:26 Sticking to the plan vs knowing when to pivot
06:35 How improving a business is like improving a runner
09:02 When Lewis realised the business needed systems
11:42 Building trust and consistency across multiple coaches
14:22 How to motivate athletes and employees who lose belief
17:13 Fear vs belief in performance and business
19:27 Resetting after setbacks, injuries, and difficult periods
22:36 Daily habits for long-term performance and resilience
25:12 Micro-recovery, structure, and avoiding burnout
26:26 Will technology and AI replace coaches?
28:29 Lewis’s advice for starting a service-based business
29:52 Outro