"Sport first": F1's Liam Parker on growth, partners and the limits of entertainment
SportsPro PodcastShow Notes
F1 has gone from 13 commercial partners a decade ago to around 33 today, from a paddock that barred drivers from posting on social media to an always-on content operation, and from a linear US broadcast deal with ESPN to a streaming partnership with Apple.
Liam Parker, chief communications and corporate relations officer at F1, has a simple framing for all of it: none of it works unless the racing does.
In this episode of the SportsPro Podcast, produced in collaboration with Mics Out from BlackBook Motorsport, Parker joins motorsport editor Cian Brittle to discuss what "redefining reach" means in the Apple era, how F1 decides when its global partner roster is full, and why he would swap the word Americanisation for modernisation.
Recorded ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the conversation also covers the collaborative fix to this season's new power unit regulations, fan activation work with Heineken and Lego, the markets F1 believes are underserved — India chief among them — and how the sport is contingency-planning the end of its season amid geopolitical uncertainty.
More from SportsPro Podcast
Formula One has confirmed a long-awaited return to Africa, with a ten-year deal to stage a race in Rwanda from the early 2030s.
Few people know the business of event hosting quite like Esther Britten. As UK Sport's deputy director and head of major events and external affairs, Britten has overseen more than 100 major international sporting events and plays a key role in deciding which ones the country should bid for.
Since its launch in 2010, On has grown from a Swiss running startup into one of the world's fastest-growing sportswear brands. The company generates more than CHF 3 billion in revenue, has nearly 100 stores worldwide and recently announced a move into football with France and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé.
Kylian Mbappe stunned soccer last week by announcing that he was ending his 20-year partnership with Nike to become the face of Swiss sportswear brand On’s move into the sport. This week, Steve McCaskill dials in from New York to join Sam Carp to unpack why the France and Real Madrid star made the switch, how the reported equity component could benefit both sides and what this deal says about the trajectory of On and Nike. They also consider whether On, a premium brand whose growth story has been built around product innovation, can recreate the success it has seen in running in a sport that has long been dominated by Nike and Adidas. Meanwhile, with the new NHL season fast approaching, the pair also take a look at the growing business of the North American ice hockey league and preview some of the key media developments that are likely to dominate the headlines during the 2026/27 campaign.
What happens when a football league needs to broadcast its own live games?