High Performance Business

Colin 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 for success – or is debt swallowing the extra income? Has owning Roma left The Friedkin Group with divided priorities? And do football’s financial rules stop ambitious owners from breaking into the elite?

With transfer frustrations mounting, they explore what ownership limbo means on the pitch – and whether the next buyer can offer more than Premier League survival.

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English 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 a financial model that rewards ambition but often punishes sustainability.

From spiralling wages and owners willing to gamble millions to the clubs that have already disappeared, they explore what happens when the pursuit of success puts the future of a club, and its community, at risk.

With a new football regulator promising change, the question is whether it can make the game f...

When 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 technology, from the millions riding on a single league position to the companies cashing in on the systems designed to get decisions right. But with three-quarters of surveyed fans opposing VAR, the bigger question is whether football is fixing mistakes at the cost of the matchday experience.

Because in a sport chasing perfection, getting the decision right might not be the only thing that matters.

Are 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 opportunity and the supporters who make the matchday experience worth selling, and ask how clubs can grow globally without losing what makes them special.

With international visitors generating more than £1 billion for the UK economy in 2024, the stakes are clear. But how much is a club willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of more revenue?

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What 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 long-running charges, the pressure facing current Premier League chief Richard Masters, and what happens behind the scenes when the league faces a challenge of this scale.

They get into football’s new financial rules, the extraordinary sums being spent on players, and the arrival of the Independent Football Regulator. Are the rules making the game fairer, or making it harder for clubs to challenge at the top?

Th...

Manchester 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 punishment yet, City maintain the process is ongoing, and an appeal is expected. So the biggest question now is: what happens next?

Natalie Pirks and Colin Murray are joined by former Manchester City and FA chairman David Bernstein and football finance expert Kieran Maguire to wargame what could come next. Could Manchester City face a points deduction, relegation or even expulsion from the Premier League? Co...

11 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 to the NFL, and what the new owners actually want to change: ticketing, the matchday experience, and whether promotion and relegation survive.

Also a proper defence of American sport, from why closed leagues have produced seven different World Series winners in ten years to what Wrexham got right.

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When 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 data to the millions at stake in the Constructors’ Championship. They look at why a mistake can hit smaller teams like Haas far harder than the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull, and what happens when teammates become each other’s biggest rivals.

With former F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer bringing a view from inside the paddock, they reveal how crashes can affe...

The 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 right?

Natalie Perks and Colin Murray break down the winners, losers, bargains and biggest gambles of the window, from Chelsea’s profitable summer and Everton’s deadline-day panic to the growing number of £100m+ deals across the league.

They’re joined by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, one of football’s leading transfer reporters, to explain why prices have exploded, how the Premier League’s new financi...

PSR 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 punished under the old system.

Then, 14 years on from Lance Armstrong's ban, cycling writer William Fotheringham joins them on why cycling has slipped off terrestrial TV in the UK, and how a sport that can't sell tickets runs on sponsorship.

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Being 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 football — from minimum wage rules for 18-20-year-olds to what happens when a league's biggest stars retire in their mid-30s with no fallback plan. 

They're joined by Beth Fisher, senior advisor to UEFA Vice President and Mary Earps, for an inside look at sponsorship, fandom, and why the WSL still has work to do outside its Lioness elite.

Plu...

Why 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 financial services company using a Premier League star to reach new markets to Crystal Palace's unexpected FA Cup sponsorship return, they unpack how brands measure the value of being part of the game.

They also look at the Premier League's gambling sponsorship restrictions, why basketball generates less than 1% of Europe's sports revenue, and the billions the NBA is prepared to invest in building its p...

Colin 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 stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors has met fierce opposition from UEFA and football associations around the world. So what happens next, and what could it mean for the future of the tournament?

Plus, the Premier League is quietly building its own direct-to-consumer streaming service. Colin and Natalie debate how soon it could change the way fans watch football, while Kieran breaks down the financial...

First episode out Tuesday 4th August!

Behind every transfer, takeover, sponsorship and sporting controversy is a business story.

High Performance Business takes you beyond the headlines and inside the boardrooms, negotiations and decisions shaping the world's biggest sports.

Every week, sports host Colin Murray and award-winning journalist Natalie Pirks explore the money, power and strategy driving football, Formula 1 and the global sports industry. Through expert insight, in-depth analysis and conversations with the people closest to the action, they uncover the stories behind the biggest headlines, from club ownership and player...

A 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 is coming soon.

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What 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 scroll through economics blogs led him to Nudge, sparking a fascination with behavioral science that would quietly transform global brands. From saving a snack brand with a single word to helping an airline generate millions through a subtle design change, Rory shares the twists, experiments, and happy accidents that redefined how companies speak to their customers.

It’s a masterclass in innovation, risk, and the powe...

Who 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 reporting behind her book to explore the growing influence of OpenAI over governments, the environmental cost of the race for artificial intelligence, and what some former colleagues revealed about Sam Altman's leadership and mysterious personality.

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From 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 episode, Andy opens up about the high-stakes Amazon deal that launched The Grand Tour, the legal and creative gymnastics of building something “like Top Gear, but not Top Gear,” and the spontaneous tent idea that became the show’s trademark. He reflects on the behind-the-scenes chaos, the unexpected magic of Clarkson’s Farm, and the times they got it wrong, and what those moments ta...

Football 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 faster, leaving the sport structurally loss-making.

He unpacks the 2025/26 season's biggest financial shockwaves, from Arsenal’s £200m+ Champions League windfall to how Spurs’ brush with relegation rattled multi-billion-dollar investors. Kieran also exposes football's strangest paradoxes: why playing in Europe can lose clubs money, and how the Club World Cup now outpays the actual World Cup. 

Looking ahead to the new 2026/27 campaign, Kieran breaks down the impact of the new Sq...

Journalist 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 the entire US economy.

Drawing parallels to 1929, the dot-com era, and 2008, he unpacks a dangerous paradox: for AI's massive valuations to make sense, it must replace human labour, but if everyone loses their jobs, who's left to buy the products?

Andrew also makes a compelling case that history's greatest leaps in progress, from railways to Tesla and SpaceX, were born out of destructive...

CEO 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 political visibility. He shows how real legacy isn't a buzzword, it's a measurable strategy that must begin years before the first whistle.

From the Matildas' historic run becoming the most-watched television event in Australian history, to unlocking government funding by aligning sport with public health policy, James makes the case that the deepest legacy of any major event is a permanent cultural shift, one felt far beyond...

Former 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 managing over €200M. 

In this episode, Nico breaks down the brutal reality of reinventing his identity after reaching the absolute peak of elite sport, and how a lifetime of racing failures completely inoculated him against the fear of failing in business.

This conversation also exposes what most athletes and entrepreneurs get wrong about building a network and how Nico uses his network strategically to connect tec...

Why do good companies go bad? Eric Ries reveals forces corrupting companies right as they are at their most successful - from

Blockbusters activist shareholders inadvertently setting the company on a path to bankruptcy, to the British health company forced to sell to a cigarette giant.

Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great by Eric Ries is publishing on 28th May (Penguin Life, £17.99)

Eric also reveals how companies can avoid the corruption, and the surprising examples of when things are done right.

Award 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 introduces the "AI Cake", a strategic internal nervous system every business must build, to explain why traditional information gatekeepers are becoming obsolete.

We go behind the scenes of a £170k legal dispute where Daniel bypassed six-figure fees by using Claude to identify critical oversights missed by human counsel. This serves as a case study in using AI to disrupt established professional services and solve complex problems in hours rather t...

The 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 reveals how a bakery from Bolton bypassed the traditional corporate playbook to land global icons like Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Jonathan breaks down the high-stakes world of celebrity negotiation, explaining why he treats Hollywood stars as collaborators rather than just paid endorsements. He dives into the "Hollywood grapevine", where legends like Morgan Freeman and Samuel L. Jackson compares notes on the brand, a...

Venture 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 low-agency response to an unstoppable shift, warning that the real risk isn’t the technology itself, it’s the choice to ignore it.

Bill pulls back the curtain on the "safety" movement, questioning why the leading AI giants are suddenly the loudest voices calling for regulation. He explores whether this fear-mongering is a calculated move to invite state intervention, potentially allowing a handful of companies to write the...

PDC 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 sports model on its head: instead of telling fans what to want, he listened to them, removing the stress of the result to create the most authentic atmosphere in live events.

In this episode, Matt explains why the "Luke Littler phenomenon" wasn't a stroke of luck, but a decade-long masterclass in building youth pathways and relatability. He draws sharp, uncomfortable contrasts between the organic growth of Darts and...

Joe 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 led to his success, from launching his first PDF to building a brand rooted in purpose over profit. He also reveals the brutal truth about today’s market, admitting that starting his career now would be “impossible” due to the changing dynamics of social media and the death of organic reach.

Joe explains how the perfect storm of social media timing (2012-2014) helped him reach millions with no paid...

Is 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 steered the firm through it by trading the ego of a "warrior" for the "professional paranoia" of a worrier.

In this episode, Lloyd explains why the "kindling" for the next global crisis is already building on the forest floor and why survival depends on a discipline most leaders ignore. He offers a sharp assessment of the AI bubble and why America’s unique standing allows it to r...

When 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 Everton's point deduction to the ongoing Manchester City case and what a “win” actually means for the league.

Drawing on his background advising clubs and now analysing them from the outside, Stefan breaks down the decisions, loopholes, and pressures shaping modern football. He explains why owners lose rationality, how clubs can lose tens of millions even when they succeed, and why some of the biggest teams in the worl...

Before 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 inside the decisions that built “Brand Beckham,” and the close working relationship that underpinned it; built on trust, alignment, and a shared focus on performance first.

He breaks down how Beckham’s brand was carefully constructed, from defining what made him marketable to choosing partnerships that delivered real impact. It’s also a look at how that model has evolved, and why today’s top athletes are no longer j...

How 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 of creating Castore. That early sacrifice sparked a relentless drive to succeed and made failure not an option.

Tom Beahon takes us through the early hustle, from hiding in train toilets to avoid paying fares, to camping in magazine office lobbies to get meetings. He talks about the struggles of paying himself and his brother just £1,000 a month for three years while building the business and h...

Spencer 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 personal evolution from battling alcohol to building Clean Co, a brand that’s revolutionizing the alcohol-free space. 

He takes us through the defining moments that changed everything, including the £1M investment offer from Nicole Quinn at Lightspeed and the explosive growth that saw the company hit £2M in sales in its first year, followed by a £20M raise at an £80M valuation.

But success didn’t com...

With 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.

Pete directed Monsters Inc., Up, Inside Out, & Soul, and has worked with some of animation and technology's biggest icons, including, John Lasseter, Steve Jobs, and Andrew Stanton, just to name a few.

In this episode we dive into all of Pixar's behind-the-scenes stories, discuss the incredibly detailed creative process, and break down some of the studio's biggest hits such as Toy Story, Cars, and Monsters...

What’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 a rapidly shifting landscape. Have side hustles truly replaced traditional entrepreneurship, or are they just a distraction?

Tim reveals why the road to success is harder than ever and how the game is changing for the next generation of business leaders.

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Jeff 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 takes us back to that moment, when he committed another £100,000 despite promising his wife he wouldn’t, and reflects on how that spontaneous decision set the course for a 17-year journey with the club.

From the highs of creating the "greatest winning capsule" with Eddie Howe to the lows of financial crises and personal sacrifice, Jeff opens up about the hard-earned lessons along the way...

Victor 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. In this episode, Victor takes us through how he went from that first conversation to building Side+ in just 75 days, a challenge that became the blueprint for a new approach to content creation and distribution.

From the rush of their first subscriber to the groundbreaking decision to recruit a team of young, self-taught editors from Discord and Fortnite communities, Victor discusses the unconventional methods that fuelled their success. He re...

CEO 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 early setbacks, including the loss of his father and living with dyslexia, influenced his leadership style, turning perceived limitations into creative strengths. Neil also discusses the lessons learned through private equity and the importance of surrounding himself with people who think differently.

Beyond commercial success, Neil explains how Kurt Geiger’s Business by Design Academy became a way to create wider impact, opening doors fo...

How 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 for Humanity, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to space travel. His vision grew from a desire to unlock space’s transformative potential for solving Earth’s most pressing issues, and today, he’s helping to shape a future where space is accessible to all.

In this episode, Dylan Taylor takes us through his unexpected journey, from his life-changing space flight to the creation of Voyager...

From 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 from the ground up..

Mark opens up about his evolving relationship with AI, from early scepticism to using it practically in everyday life and high-stakes business decisions, and why industrial AI represents one of the biggest untapped opportunities of the next decade. From robots inspecting underground tunnels to helping frontline workers do safer, better work, he outlines a future where curiosity beats fear and people who learn to use...