The Disruptors
Has Sport Lost The Plot? by Pitch Publishing: Out - 7 October 2026 Sport exited lockdown behaving differently, with new attitude, new fans, new events and new owners. Over the past five years, billions have been invested, with the top football and NBA teams now traded like stock market assets.
The Disruptors tells the story of how sport has exploded into the most valuable cultural content of our time. How modern-day sport's stars connect with fans through humility and humanity. How Netflix has widened interest through clever storytelling, and new formats like the Hundred are reaching new audiences.
But why are fans attracted to this changing narrative? Why do investors think they can profit from it? Why do Gulf states want to host the major events? Why are female sport's growing so quickly? Who are the new icons?
In search of answers, Stubley spoke to some of sport's brightest minds, most active rainmakers, and commissioned new research to find out what young people are thinking and feeling. Are we living through the most exciting time in sports history, or has sport lost the plot and the bubble is about to burst?
EXCERPT: ALIVE AND KICKING 'Some say the seeds of European Super League 2.0 were sown 25 years later at Locanda Verde. A swanky Italian restaurant where the big dogs of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United were photographed having lunch in the fashionable Tribeca area of New York. On the menu that day was a feeling a closed shop consisting of Europe’s top clubs would be a far tastier dish than some of the unappetising away trips to places like St Petersburg and Split which UEFA served up. After-all, as the American’s around the table pointed out that was how US sport had worked since the 1920s and look how successful they were. The details of the breakaway were sketchy, but it planned to kick-off in four months’ time and would involve the clubs owned by these three lunch companions, along with Spurs, Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC. Milan and Juventus. All of whom had signed a participation agreement running to 2046 with JP Morgan underwriting a £4bn first-year budget which guaranteed each club £300m. UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, was blind-sided and turned on the club’s leaders calling them 'liars,' and singling out Juventus chairman, Andrea Agnelli, and Manchester United vice chairman, Ed Woodward, for reneging on an earlier pledge to stick with the Champions League, 'We didn't know we had snakes working close to us,’ Ceferin raged, and what made his attack even more personal was he was godfather to Agnelli's daughter.'
EXCERPT: ALIVE AND KICKING 'Some say the seeds of European Super League 2.0 were sown 25 years later at Locanda Verde. A swanky Italian restaurant where the big dogs of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United were photographed having lunch in the fashionable Tribeca area of New York. On the menu that day was a feeling a closed shop consisting of Europe’s top clubs would be a far tastier dish than some of the unappetising away trips to places like St Petersburg and Split which UEFA served up. After-all, as the American’s around the table pointed out that was how US sport had worked since the 1920s and look how successful they were. The details of the breakaway were sketchy, but it planned to kick-off in four months’ time and would involve the clubs owned by these three lunch companions, along with Spurs, Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC. Milan and Juventus. All of whom had signed a participation agreement running to 2046 with JP Morgan underwriting a £4bn first-year budget which guaranteed each club £300m. UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, was blind-sided and turned on the club’s leaders calling them 'liars,' and singling out Juventus chairman, Andrea Agnelli, and Manchester United vice chairman, Ed Woodward, for reneging on an earlier pledge to stick with the Champions League, 'We didn't know we had snakes working close to us,’ Ceferin raged, and what made his attack even more personal was he was godfather to Agnelli's daughter.'
ABOUT THE AUTHORDavid began his career at ITV and has spent over 30 years working in TV, advertising, and sports marketing. He's led global sports marketing teams at leading ad agencies and helped negotiate some of sports’ biggest TV and sponsorship deals with FIFA, UEFA, F1 and Olympic sports. He is considered an industry thought leader, serves on the board of numerous sport-related companies, and his debut book was talkSport book of the month in January 2025.
"I recommend it to our listeners." - Richard Gillis, The Unofficial Partner Podcast
"A truly entertaining account of how sport became big business. Highly recommendable." - Tribal Football
MEDIA REVIEWS OF GAMECHANGERS:
"A belter of a read... our book of the month." - Paul Ross, talkSPORT
"This is THE book detailing the history of the sports industry…it’s a really fun read." - Leaders in Sport