Over the past year, Insider Sport has had the opportunity to speak with some of the most influential figures in the sports industry, delivering valuable insights for its readers.
Continuing from part one, this feature highlights more of the standout interviews conducted throughout 2024.
Queenie Porter, West Ham Women – the keys to commercial growth
Women’s football has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, with 2024 being a defining year in its evolution.
In August, the WPLL took over the management of the Barclays Women’s Super League and the Barclays Women’s Championship, officially separating the women’s game from the men’s under the Football Association (FA).
This has allowed for a much more focused approach to every aspect of the sport, including the commercial side, which Queenie Porter, VP of West Ham Women, believes has a lot more potential than the men’s game.
Porter said: “The women’s game is totally different. It attracts a different audience. It requires a different sense of sponsorship.
“So let’s take a theme park like Alton Towers for example, it would never want to sponsor a male football club because it’s such a captive thing. But there are opportunities for theme parks, holidays and airlines to capture the women’s game.”
Matthew Disley, Sutton United – navigating the new FA Cup replay rule
Later in the year, Insider Sport shifted its focus from discussing the broad commercial opportunities in women’s football to the challenges faced by Sutton United, a lower league club struggling with significant changes to FA Cup rules.
In 2024, the FA Cup replays were scrapped to ease fixture congestion for clubs participating in European competitions. However, this change has put clubs like Sutton United in a position where they must fully leverage the commercial potential of any FA Cup matches they qualify for.
Matthew Disley, Commercial Director at Sutton United, spoke before the club’s televised match against Birmingham City and outlined some of the strategies he planned to use to generate a “large chunk of additional revenue for the club.”
Disley highlighted the crucial role replays played, stating: “The commercial revenue received from replays can make or break for some clubs, it can help to secure their presence in the leagues and prevent them from going bust.
“I probably think the same as the majority of fans do. The decision to remove the replays is a huge blow to lower league clubs. Not only is there a commercial implication but as a fan, for me, it just lowers the quality of the competition. It definitely takes away a little bit of the magic that is so synonymous with the FA Cup.”
Marina Storti, WTA Ventures – Middle East’s growing influence on tennis
In the first part of this feature, Insider Sport explored Saudi Arabia’s growing impact on boxing in 2024. However, the country’s influence extends beyond boxing and into other sports, including tennis.
In April, the WTA revealed that Riyadh would host the WTA Finals for the next three years, from 2024 to 2026.
To understand the significance of the Middle East in driving global growth for tennis, Insider Sport spoke with Marina Storti, CEO of WTA Ventures, the organisation’s investment division.
“The Middle East is a rapidly growing region with a young population who are showing increasing interest in sport, both as fans and participants. To give just one indicator of how tennis is developing in Saudi Arabia, there are now around 180 tennis clubs in the country, which is up by around 150% since 2019. And of course, the Saudi authorities have shown a strong appetite to invest in bringing top international sports events to the country,” explained Storti.
“All of this represents a huge opportunity for us as we promote the long-term growth of tennis. Partnering with the STF allows us to come to a new market where sport is developing very rapidly, and to use the WTA Finals in Riyadh to fuel further interest in women’s tennis and to encourage even more girls and boys to play the sport.”
James Tattersall, Target Darts – supporting the rise of Luke Littler
One of the standout sports stories of 2024 emerged early in the year when 16-year-old Luke Littler made an impressive run at the PDC World Darts Championships.
Since then, both Littler’s profile and the popularity of darts as a sport have soared to unprecedented levels, with record-breaking participation and viewership figures.
While Littler’s skill and dedication propelled him to success, Target Darts has played a crucial role in shaping his journey and helping establish him as the superstar he is today.
James Tattersall, Managing Director of Target Darts, reflected on the organisation’s achievements since January, stating: “We’ve done a lot! Key for us has been creating a range of products to allow both us and Luke to tap into the new audience that has come into darts.
“We launched a ‘The Nuke’ magnetic dartboard which has made a huge impact on the toy industry and has been a best-seller through the likes of Smyths Toys and Argos. Our new Luke Littler Cabinet Set was awarded “Best Gift for Teens” at the Christmas Wishlist Awards 2024 and was featured on live TV on This Morning.
“We have also worked with Luke on collaborations with the likes of F1, The Sidemen and plenty more.”
