About this podcast
You know the score, but what happens on the pitch is only half the story .
Soaring ticket prices. Endless subscription fees. Baffling rule changes. Even the most diehard fans are left wondering: why?
Award-winning sports journalists Natalie Pirks & Colin Murray step back from a busy news cycle to deliver the business playbook.
Armed with razor-sharp wit and genuine curiosity, they bridge the gap between the sports business and the sport itself, unpacking the power plays shaping global games and decoding what they really mean for people in the stands.
From FIFA and F1 to the Premier League and major US sports, High Performance Business delivers top-down clarity straight from the pitch-side, court-side, and paddock.
Because when you understand the mechanics behind the machine, you're no longer sitting on the sidelines.
No business degree required.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 96 episodes
- Could ONE Piece of Evidence Save Man City's Appeal? · 43 minManchester City's legal battle could change English football forever. But what if the biggest revelations are still to come? This week, we're joined by Paul Gilroy KC, one of…
- Will Everton’s Sale Cost Fans Another Transfer Window? · 34 minColin and Natalie are joined by football finance expert Paul Quinn and The Blue Room's Matt Jones to tackle the big questions facing Everton. Is the new stadium a springboard…
- Is Your Football Club at Risk? The Crisis Facing English Football · 35 minEnglish football is a £9bn industry. So why are so many clubs struggling to make money? Former Footballer & Executive Mark Palios joins Colin Murray and Natalie Pirks to examine…
- How Much Does ONE Bad VAR Decision Really Cost?! · 16 minWhen one refereeing decision can be worth millions, what price is football really paying for VAR? Colin and Natalie examine the business behind football’s most divisive…
- What Is a Premier League Fan Actually Worth? · 16 minAre football clubs becoming too focused on tourists at the expense of loyal fans? Colin Murray and Natalie Pirks explore the battle between football's biggest commercial…
- Ex Premier League Exec Chairman on Man City & Football's Soaring Wages · 42 minWhat does the man who spent almost 20 years running the Premier League make of the biggest issues facing English football today? Richard Scudamore talks Manchester City’s…
- Man City Guilty of Premier League Charges: Former Chairman Speaks Out · 49 minManchester City have reportedly been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League. But this story is far from over. There’s no…
- How American Owners Could Change The Premier League Forever · 43 min11 of the 20 Premier League clubs are now majority American owned, up from five a decade ago. This episode asks why the money's coming now, why English clubs look so cheap next…
- How Much Does an F1 Crash ACTUALLY Cost? | Otmar Szafnauer · 38 minWhen an F1 car crashes, the repair bill is only the beginning. Colin Murray and Natalie Pirks explore the hidden cost of crashes in Formula 1, from lost upgrades and valuable…
- David Ornstein Breaks Down Biggest PL Transfers: Enzo Fernandez, Morgan Rogers, Bradley Barcola · 40 minThe Premier League has just come through another record-breaking transfer window, with billions spent and some of the biggest fees football has ever seen. But who actually got it…
- Are The New Premier League Finance Rules Fair? · 33 minPSR is gone... Here comes SCR and SSR to take it's place. Colin and Nat go through what the new rules cover, what they leave untouched, and what it means for clubs already…
- The Truth About WSL Wages, Sponsorship & the Lionesses · 44 minBeing a Lioness may make you financially comfortable. Being anyone else in the WSL is a very different reality. Colin and Nat pull apart the numbers behind English women's…
- The Hidden Business Behind Premier League Shirt Sponsorship & The NBA’s £3 BILLION Bet on Europe · 45 minWhy are brands willing to pay £60 million to put their name on a football shirt? Colin Murray and Natalie Pirks explore what makes sports sponsorship so valuable. From a…
- The Failed FIFA World Cup Sale & Is EPL Viewing Changing Forever? · 1 h 1 minColin Murray and Natalie Pirks are joined by football finance expert Kieran Maguire to unpack a week that shook the game. FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell…
- Introducing High Performance Business, with Colin Murray & Natalie Pirks · 1 minFirst episode out Tuesday 4th August! Behind every transfer, takeover, sponsorship and sporting controversy is a business story. High Performance Business takes you beyond the…
- World Cup Payouts, Space Industry & AI Bubbles: Jake’s Top Moments · 42 minA special episode where Jake sits with the show’s Producer to discuss some of the most impactful moments and guests from the show so far, before revealing some big news on what…
- "Flat White Or F*** Off": Rory Sutherland's Marketing Masterclass (Re-Release) · 41 minWhat if the biggest breakthroughs in business don’t come from logic, but from noticing what others overlook? In this episode, Rory Sutherland unpacks the moment a late-night…
- What's Really Happening Inside OpenAI? | Karen Hao (Re-Release) · 46 minWho is Sam Altman, and what is the real story behind OpenAI? Award-winning journalist Karen Hao takes us inside one of the most secretive companies in the world, drawing on the…
- Clarkson's Farm, The End Of Top Gear & More With Andy Wilman (Re-Release) · 33 minFrom Top Gear to The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm, Andy Wilman has spent decades redefining what car television can be, and learning a few hard lessons along the way. In this…
- West Ham's Financial Crisis, Tottenham's Disaster, & World Cup Prize Money | Kieran Maguire · 59 minFootball finance expert Kieran Maguire exposes the volatile economics of the modern game, where Premier League revenue has risen 3,100% since 1992, yet spending has climbed even…
- SpaceX IPO, Broadcom Crash & Anthropic Vs. OpenAI: The AI Bubble Explained | Andrew Ross Sorkin · 44 minJournalist and founder of DealBook Andrew Ross Sorkin cuts through the hype to expose the high-stakes reality of the AI boom and how a single technology is currently holding up…
- How to Win & Host a World Cup Bid | Ex-Fifa Executive · 36 minCEO of CSME James Johnson takes us behind the scenes of hosting the most successful Women's World Cup in history, revealing why major events need strategic purpose, not just…
- The F1 Champion Who Conquered Silicon Valley | Nico Rosberg · 36 minFormer F1 driver Nico Rosberg traded the adrenaline of the racetrack for the high-stakes world of venture capital, leveraging his unique F1 access to build a powerhouse fund…
- How Private Equity Bankrupts Your Favourite Companies | Eric Ries · 47 minWhy do good companies go bad? Eric Ries reveals forces corrupting companies right as they are at their most successful - from Blockbusters activist shareholders inadvertently…
- The £50,000 Lawyer Problem AI Solved In Half A Day | Daniel Priestley · 48 minAward winning author and entrepreneur Daniel Priestley joins us to reveal how AI has become the ultimate power shift, turning global knowledge into a universal commodity. He…
- Why Robert De Niro, Sly Stallone & The Muppets Sell Bread for Warburtons · 49 minThe ambition of a family business meets the influence of the A-list in a story that redefined British advertising. In this episode, Warburtons chairman Jonathan Warburton…
- Silicon Valley to China | Bill Gurley's 2026 Investment Playbook · 43 minVenture capital legend Bill Gurley joins Jake to challenge the "AI doomerism" narrative and expose the high-stakes power play defining our future. He argues that AI anxiety is a…
- How Much Money is Professional Darts Worth? | PDC CEO · 42 minPDC Chief Executive Matt Porter has spent over a decade transforming Darts from a smoke-filled niche into a global entertainment powerhouse. He did it by flipping the traditional…
- Joe Wicks: Social Media In 2026, Dealing With Criticism & Sticking To The Mission · 46 minJoe Wicks built a multi-million-pound empire on a £147 workout plan, creating a cash-rich, self-funded business with no investors. In this episode, Joe shares the journey that…
- AI, Private Equity, & Predicting The Next Financial Crisis | Ex-Goldman Sachs CEO · 47 minIs the next global financial crisis not just possible, but overdue? Former Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein didn’t just survive the 2008 financial crash; he…
- Football Finance Expert Explains Man City's 115 Charges | Stefan Borson · 1 h 3 minWhen football meets finance, the real story often sits behind the headlines. In this episode, Stefan Borson takes us inside the financial reality of the Premier League, from…
- How David Beckham Became Football’s First $500M Brand | Simon Bayliff · 60 minBefore athletes became global brands, there were a handful of people shaping the strategy behind the scenes. In this episode, founder and CEO of ARETÉ Simon Bayliff takes us…
- How an Unknown Sportswear Brand Landed Red Bull & McLaren | Castore · 1 h 1 minHow does a £20,000 family loan turn into a £300 million global brand? For Tom Beahon, it all began with his parents remortgaging their home to support him and his brother’s dream…
- How I Raised £28.5M In Startup Capital | Spencer Matthews · 49 minSpencer Matthews’ journey from reality TV star to the founder of a £100M business is a story of transformation, grit, and resilience. In this episode, Spencer talks about his…
- BONUS: Pixar’s Secret Story Formula Behind Toy Story, Cars, & Monsters Inc. | Pete Docter · 11 minWith Toy Story 5 & Hoppers releasing this year, The Chief Creative Officer of PIXAR, Pete Docter, joins The Room Where It Happened to break down 40 years of Pixar's history…
- Why Gen-Z Will NEVER Be Wealthy | Tim Armoo · 46 minWhat’s stopping Gen Z from becoming millionaires? In this eye-opening conversation, Tim Armoo uncovers the harsh realities young entrepreneurs face, from crushing competition to…
- The Brutal Reality of Running a Premier League Football Club | Ex-Bournemouth Chairman · 1 h 3 minJeff Mostyn didn’t set out to become the savior of a football club, but that’s exactly what he did when a single nod saved Bournemouth from liquidation. In this episode, Jeff…
- Are YouTube & Netflix Joining Forces? | Sidemen CEO · 51 minVictor Bengtsson’s journey with Sidemen began with a single, unexpected interview, where instead of touting credentials, he cracked a joke that showed he understood their world…
- Struggling Student to Kurt Geiger CEO: How I Did It · 45 minCEO of Kurt Geiger Neil Clifford reflects on the moments and challenges that shaped his journey from a department store floor to leading a global fashion brand. He shares how…
- Why Are Billionaires Rushing to Own Space? · 39 minHow does a personal space flight spark a mission to reshape humanity’s future? For Dylan Taylor, it started with a transcendent experience in orbit, which led him to found Space…
- What AI Will Look Like in 2030 | IFS CEO · 42 minFrom washing dishes in a chaotic hotel kitchen at 13 to leading a global software company, Mark Moffat traces a leadership journey shaped by humility, curiosity, and learning…
- Inside the $10 Billion Cybercrime Industry: Are We Safe? · 45 minLong before cybersecurity became a daily concern for businesses, Danny Jenkins encountered a moment that changed his entire trajectory. A ransomware attack on a small company…
- How To Become a Billionaire | From Zero to £4.1B Sale · 39 minFrom a childhood helicopter dream to building and selling a £4.1bn company, Richard Harpin shares the moments that nearly ended, and ultimately defined,his journey as a founder…
- The Drink Startup Taking On Coca-Cola & Red Bull · 45 minWhat begins as a personal crisis quickly turns into a leap of faith. For Olivia Ferdi, everything changed seven weeks before her wedding, when a serious ACL injury forced her to…
- From Flatlining to £25M: Layoffs, Marketing Genius & Product Messaging · 49 minWhen Heights hit a wall after rapid early growth, founder Dan Murray faced a brutal truth: the product wasn’t the problem, the story was. In this episode, Dan takes us inside…
- How Did Deliveroo Become Worth £2.9Bn? · 34 minWhat starts as a side idea quickly becomes a full-scale obsession. For Will Shu, that obsession turned into Deliveroo, and it began with him delivering meals himself, learning…
- How Five Guys Franchised The UK & Europe · 48 minWhat happens when a career built on spreadsheets collides with a gut-level belief in great food? John Eckbert’s path to becoming CEO of Five Guys is anything but conventional…
- The Family Elf That Became a $100M Christmas Empire · 52 minBefore it became a worldwide holiday staple, The Elf on the Shelf was simply a Pitts family tradition, one that Christa Pitts helped turn into a cultural phenomenon through grit…
- How The Grand Tour & Clarkson's Farm Were Born | Andy Wilman · 33 minFrom Top Gear to The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm, Andy Wilman has spent decades redefining what car television can be, and learning a few hard lessons along the way. In this…
- How The AJ Vs. Jake Paul Fight Was Made | Frank Smith · 58 minFrom delivering coffees at 14 to becoming CEO of Matchroom Boxing, Frank Smith has lived every side of the fight game. In this episode, Frank reflects on the defining moments…
