UP488 The Business of Rugby: Lions Inc, R360, CVC calls on Allera, Women's World Cup

Guest: Paul Morgan, Rugby World Editor and Premiership Rugby Comms DirectorRunning List: The Business of Rugby Episode1. British Lions Commercial StrategyTicket pricing controversy: Struggling to sell out Dublin match at £163 per ticketMajor commercial partnerships: Qatar Airways (title sponsor), Patron Saint whisky, Rhino, Oxford Landing, Charles Tyrwhitt, Howden, Canterbury, FanaticsDigital strategy: World Rugby/Lions collaboration on RugbyPass App for Australia tourBroadcasting: S4C secures Welsh highlights rights, Sky holds exclusive live rights2. CVC hire Marc AllegraMarc Allera (former EE CEO) appointed chairman of newly created CVC SportsCoBackground: Sega → Three → EE → Jagex chairman (also CVC-owned)27% stake in Premiership Rugby (acquired 2019)Six Nations Rugby investmentHad to bail out Newcastle Falcons amid broader club financial crisis3. Rebel Franchise seriesMike Tindall-backed R360 targeting world's top 300 playersEstimated £300-400m needed to launchAims for 2026 launch with 12 franchises, no relegationSalaries roughly double traditional club payThe Pushback:Simon Massie-Taylor (Prem CEO): "Rugby needs roots, not pop-ups" - dismisses as "distraction"Andrew Georgiou (TNT Sports): Calls it "commercially unsustainable," compares to LIV Golf4. Gallagher Prem RebrandRebranding to "Gallagher Prem" focusing on physicality ("real grit", "raw speed", "big hits")10% growth in interest overall, 30% among 18-34 year-oldsPlans for US showpiece fixtures ahead of 2031 World CupClub World Cup launch in 2028 as "step forward in global expansion"5. Red Bull Buying Newcastle FalconsTaking on £39m club debtFirst rugby union purchase for Red BullPlans to use brand/marketing expertise to attract younger fansCommitment to keep team in Newcastle, eyeing Newcastle United synergies6. Women's World Cup - Rugby's Lionesses Moment?350,000 tickets already sold, targeting 400,000 stretch goalO2 partnership giving customers priority accessBBC partnership ensuring nationwide accessibilityGoal to increase women's participation from 25% to 33% by 2029Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartnerWe publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.