The Sports Agents

The biggest contract in the history of sport has just been signed. It's a 15-year deal worth $765m for 26-year-old Major League Baseball player Juan Soto to join the New York Mets. Is Soto worth the jaw dropping contract? How did a deal that big come together? And are European clubs like Chelsea headed in the same direction? We pick the brains of U.S. Sports Business Reporter, Daniel Kaplan, formerly of The Sports Business Journal and The Athletic. After Gabby went to Germany to see Aston Villa's Champions League win over RB Leipzig, we wax lyrical about Jhon Duran and their throwback style. And as Saudi Arabia is confirmed as the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, Mark asks what this means for the future of global sporting events. Plus, is this teenager the new Usain Bolt? We try very hard not to big up Australian 16-year-old sensation Gout Gout too much. Like the look of Gabby's Sports Agents mug? You can buy the Sports Agents merch here! [https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents] Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides Producer: Sophie Penney Video Producers: Sam Trudgill Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".

Gabby and Mark are with you one day earlier than usual this week, following yet more off-field drama at Manchester United as Sporting Director, Dan Ashworth, leaves after just five months in the job.... What went wrong, and can Sir Jim Ratcliffe recover from this? We speak to The Athletic’s Adam Crafton for the inside story (08:28). The Formula One season is over so it’s time for a debrief with BBC F1 presenter and voice of Drive to Survive, Jennie Gow (19:26). Is the big argument between champion Max Verstappen and George Russell just for the cameras? How did Lando Norris and McLaren get so good so quickly? And what can we expect from Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari next season? And we have a special guest appearance from Kenny Logan, the ex-Scotland and Wales rugby player who is, of course, Gabby’s husband (39:08). He spills all the funny stories about Gabby and just how competitive she really is. Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides Producer: Sophie Penney Video Producers: Sam Trudgill Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents". And, the Sports Agents now have merch! [https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents]

This week on The Sports Agents, Gabby & Mark tackled the controversy surrounding the Premier League’s annual LGBTQ+ 'Rainbow Laces' campaign - after some players chose to directly challenge the Premier League’s directives. Wales all-time top goalscorer, Jess Fishlock (10:34) - MBE awarded for her services to football and the LGBTQ+ community and double-Paralympic 200m Champion Richard Whitehead joined us for a discussion about how 'inclusion' in wider sport (17:13). The 4x Olympic Champion, Sir Ben Ainslie, joined us in the studio for an insight into working with Manchester United's new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe (02:39). Got a question for The Sports Agents - email us at thesportsagents@global.com New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

Inclusion has been top of the agenda this week in sport. Rainbow armbands and rainbow jackets have caused a stir after some Premier League players refused to wear them for religious reasons or added their own religious messages on. Rather than get bogged down in the detail about armbands we ask the bigger question - how do you make space for everyone in sports? Jess Fishlock, the two-time Champions League winner who has an MBE for services to football and the LGBTQ+ community, joins us to talk about rainbow armbands and making history with Wales. As Wales most capped player and top goalscorer this week she led the team to qualify for their first ever major tournament. Richard Whitehead, two-time 200m Paralympic champion, then joins in to discuss how to make sport more inclusive for disabled people. His new documentary, Dare to Defy, with Adele Roberts, is out on Amazon Prime now. Plus, what was on Gabby and Mark's Spotify Wrapped? Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides Producer: Sophie Penney Video Producers: Sam Trudgill Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents". And, the Sports Agents now have merch! [https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents]

Man United may have lifted the FA Cup last summer and just got their first Premier League win under new manager Ruben Amorim but the biggest victory for their co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe this year... was probably in the sailing. He helped Ben Ainslie's team reach the Americas Cup final for the first time in 60 years and the four-time Olympic champion joined Gabby & Mark in studio to talk about what’s it like to work with Ratcliffe and how a 'multi-sport ownership model' can speed up progress. The Athletic's Adam Crafton explains how Ratcliffe has managed to turn some Manchester United fans against him in just 11 months as supporters gathered outside Old Trafford to protest ticket price rises. Ben’s wife and broadcaster Georgie Ainslie, will also be with us as the couple shed some light on one of the secrets to high-performance - how to get a good night's sleep. Plus, what does Chappers think of Pep's six-finger salute and do the Arne Slot x Bob Paisley comparisons ring true? Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides Producer: Sophie Penney Video Producers: Sam Trudgill Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents". And, the Sports Agents now have merch! [https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents]