Why Football Can't Replace David Beckham

Why Football Can't Replace David Beckham

David Beckham retired more than a decade ago—so why was he still one of the biggest commercial stars of the 2026 FIFA World Cup? That question reveals something much bigger than one footballer's career. In this episode of Moneyball, we explore why Beckham remains one of the most valuable commercial brands in world sport, how he reinvented himself after retirement, and why football is still searching for a player who can match his global appeal. From the infamous 1998 World Cup red card and his reinvention as a global celebrity, to co-founding Inter Miami and becoming one of football's most influential ambassadors, Beckham's career offers a masterclass in athlete branding. We also examine whether today's biggest stars—including Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland—have what it takes to become football's next truly global commercial icon. This episode explores the business of football, sports marketing, sponsorship, athlete branding, personal brands and the commercial forces shaping the world's biggest sport. About Moneyball Moneyball is an Australian sports business show exploring the intersection of sport, money, media and culture. Each week, host Scott Keenan speaks with the people shaping the business behind sport—from league executives and club CEOs to marketers, broadcasters, academics and athletes—to explain the deals, decisions and incentives that shape the games we love. Whether you're a sports industry professional or simply a fan who wants to understand how sport really works, Moneyball pulls back the curtain on the stories behind the biggest moments in sport. Because if you want to know what's really going on in sport... You've got to follow the money. Get in touch 📧 moneyball.show@gmail.com [moneyball.show@gmail.com] 📸 Instagram: @moneyball_show [https://www.instagram.com/moneyball_show] ▶️ YouTube: @moneyball_show [https://www.youtube.com/@moneyball_show]

Can DAZN Make The NRL Deal Pay Off?

The NRL got its record media rights deal. But signing the contract was the easy part. Now DAZN has to make the economics work. Former DAZN executive Murray Barnett joins Moneyball – The Business of Sport to explain what happens after one of the biggest sports broadcasting agreements in Australian history is signed. How do you justify paying billions of dollars for one competition? Will Kayo Sports and Foxtel subscribers eventually pay more? Can DAZN grow the NRL internationally? And what does this deal mean for every other Australian sport competing for broadcast money, sponsors and audience attention? Scott Keenan and Murray unpack how DAZN approached its first major Australian rights negotiation after acquiring Foxtel, why retaining the NRL was strategically critical, and how global streaming companies recover the cost of billion-dollar sports rights. The conversation also explores what DAZN learned from France and other international markets, whether rugby league can become a genuine global property, what Formula One's growth can teach the NRL, and why the AFL, NBL, Super Netball, rugby union, Supercars and the A-Leagues will all be watching closely. About the guest Murray Barnett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/murray-barnett-7721723/] is the founder of 26West Sport [https://26westsport.com/], advising rights holders, broadcasters, brands and events on media rights strategy, sponsorship and commercialisation. He previously held senior leadership positions at DAZN, ESPN, Formula One, World Rugby and the Irish Football Association, and hosts The Bundle podcast on the Unofficial Partner network [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/unofficial-partner-podcast/id1459630823]. About Moneyball Moneyball – The Business of Sport explores the intersection of sport, money, media and culture. Hosted by Australian sports business commentator Scott Keenan, the show takes fans behind the headlines to explain the commercial decisions shaping modern sport. New episodes feature interviews and analysis covering media rights, sponsorship, ownership, finance, strategy and the business behind the biggest stories in sport. 📩 Questions, guest suggestions or commercial enquiries: askmoneyball.show@gmail.com [askmoneyball.show@gmail.com]

Who Owns Greatness in Football?

A trademark fight between FIFA and the owners of the Ballon d'Or has opened up a much bigger question: who gets to define greatness in world football? FIFA is seeking trademark protection for FIFA GOLDEN BALL around the world, including in Australia, but the move has been challenged by the owners of the Ballon d'Or — football's most prestigious individual award. The complication? Ballon d'Or literally translates as Golden Ball. In this episode of Moneyball, Scott Keenan speaks with Alex Sutcliffe [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-sutcliffe-18a6971a3/], Chartered Trade Mark Attorney at Reddie & Grose [https://www.reddie.co.uk/], about the dispute and what it reveals about power, prestige and money in modern football. Why does FIFA want stronger protection for the Golden Ball name now? What's the difference between the Ballon d'Or, FIFA Golden Ball and The Best FIFA Men's Player award? Could FIFA turn its Golden Ball into a major commercial property through streaming, broadcast rights and replica trophies? And could it ever rival the prestige of the Ballon d'Or? Alex also explains the potential legal threat to the Ballon d'Or, the wider rivalry between FIFA and European football, how the dispute could potentially drag on for years, and why the real prize may not be the trophy itself — but the authority to decide who gets remembered as one of football's greatest players. About Alex Sutcliffe Alex Sutcliffe is a Chartered Trade Mark Attorney at Reddie & Grose, specialising in intellectual property and trademark law. In this episode, he brings his legal expertise and perspective as a football fan to the FIFA Golden Ball trademark dispute and the broader commercial battle surrounding football's biggest individual awards. About Moneyball Moneyball is an Australian sports business podcast hosted by sports business commentator and brand strategist Scott Keenan. The show goes behind the deals, decisions and dynamics shaping modern sport, exploring the intersection of sport, money, media and culture. From the NRL, AFL, cricket, NBL and Super Netball to football, Formula 1 and the biggest stories in global sport, Moneyball explores media rights, player contracts and salaries, sponsorship deals, sports ownership, athlete brands, the creator economy and the future of the fan experience. You'll hear from the executives, athletes, journalists, broadcasters, marketers and industry insiders who understand how sport really works — and where it's heading next. Follow Moneyball YouTube: @moneyball_show Instagram: @moneyball_show [https://www.instagram.com/moneyball_show] Contact the show Questions, feedback or guest ideas? Email Scott directly at askmoneyball.show@gmail.com [askmoneyball.show@gmail.com]. Moneyball is made for sports insiders and fans who want to know what's really going on in the game. If you want to know what's really going on in sport, you've got to follow the money.

Player Power in Rugby League's Billion-Dollar Era

Exclusive: Rugby League Players Association CEO Clint Newton joins Moneyball to discuss player power, the NRL’s new $5 billion TV rights deal and who gets to shape rugby league’s billion-dollar future. This episode was recorded recently, but before the NRL announced the full details of its new TV deal with Nine Entertainment, DAZN and Sky Sport New Zealand. Clint Newton joins Scott Keenan for a wide-ranging conversation about what the NRL’s next era means for players, clubs and the future shape of the competition. They unpack how the NRL’s Total Player Payments Pool works, why the players’ share of distributable revenue is about much more than salaries, and where the game should invest as revenues rise — including player wellbeing, insurance, education, career transition and support after football. With the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs joining the competition, Clint also discusses the challenges of NRL expansion, why Perth should receive additional support without compromising the salary cap, and what a future 20-team NRL competition could look like. The conversation also explores player IP, sponsorship restrictions and the commercial opportunities available to modern athletes. Clint argues that rugby league could grow significantly if clubs and the NRL gave players more freedom to build their profiles, brands and businesses. He also reflects on player influence, his relationship with ARLC chairman Peter V’landys, the importance of trust and respect in negotiations, and why the RLPA wants players to be treated as well when they leave the game as they are when they enter it. This is a conversation about NRL players, player power, the RLPA, the salary cap, the NRL media rights deal, Perth Bears recruitment, PNG expansion, player welfare, commercial freedom and who gets to shape rugby league’s future. Moneyball – The Business of Sport goes behind the deals, decisions and dynamics shaping the games we love, for sports insiders and fans who want to understand what is really going on. 🎙️ Guest: Clint Newton, CEO of the Rugby League Players Association [https://www.rlpa.com.au/rlpa-board/clint-newton-oam/] 🎙️ Host: Scott Keenan 📩 Contact: askmoneyball.show@gmail.com [askmoneyball.show@gmail.com] 📸 Instagram: @moneyball_show

How the NRL Landed a $5 Billion TV Deal

Inside Story: How did the NRL land a record $5 billion TV rights deal with Nine and DAZN—and how serious was Amazon's rival bid? In this episode of Moneyball: The Business of Sport, host Scott Keenan sits down with Sam Buckingham-Jones [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-buckingham-jones-23733a43/], media and marketing reporter at the Australian Financial Review, to go behind the story of one of the biggest sports media negotiations Australia has ever seen. For months, Sam was one of the journalists leading coverage of the NRL media rights negotiations, following every twist and turn as Nine, DAZN, Amazon and other broadcasters considered the future of rugby league on television and streaming. The result was a record $5 billion NRL broadcast deal that surpassed the AFL's landmark $4.5 billion media rights agreement—yet ultimately kept the game's existing major broadcast partners in place. So how did we get here? Scott and Sam explore why the NRL, Nine and DAZN all had so much at stake; how serious Amazon's bid really was; whether the NRL could have accepted more money by splitting its rights; and how a negotiation in which broadcasters reportedly wanted everything ultimately ended with a familiar broadcast structure. They also discuss why beating the AFL's media rights benchmark mattered to Peter V'landys, whether Kayo and Foxtel subscription prices could rise, the prospect of NRL content creators getting access to game footage and highlights, and some of the biggest questions still unanswered about the new deal. At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: the NRL, Nine and DAZN all had something significant to lose—and that mutual dependence helped shape one of the biggest deals in Australian sport. Moneyball: The Business of Sport is the show for sports insiders and fans who want to understand not just what's happening in sport, but why it's happening. Because if you want to know what's really going on in sport, you've got to follow the money. Connect with Moneyball Instagram: @moneyball_show YouTube: @moneyball_show Email: moneyball.show@gmail.com [moneyball.show@gmail.com] You can read more of Sam's excellent coverage of stories like this at www.AFR.com. [http://www.AFR.com]