In 2026, sports organisations are operating in an ecosystem shaped by more platforms, more formats, and more screens than ever before.
Fans expect depth, personality, access and authenticity across a multitude of platforms and media. That can feel like an overwhelming challenge but the good news is this: podcasting remains one of the most efficient, high‑impact tools a rights holder can deploy.
A single well‑executed show can deepen supporter connection, unlock unheard stories, fuel multi‑platform content strategies, and surface the authentic voices that fans crave. But to extract full value, clubs need more than just a weekly interview, published via a single channel. They need a strategic, deliberate approach.
Here are seven essential action points every rights holder should embrace to ensure their podcast becomes a fan-engaging, high‑performing, commercially valuable pillar of their content.
1. Book Great Guests Who Deliver True Insight
Rights holders possess two superpowers no external creator can replicate: access and insight.
The magic happens when you combine both with guests who are rarely heard anywhere else. Fans can find the star striker’s latest press‑conference soundbite anywhere but a conversation with the head of medical, the kit man, the academy nutritionist, or the performance analyst? That’s gold.
The value isn’t in fame; it’s in perspective. These are the people who see the club from angles fans never get to experience. They tell the stories that build connection, loyalty, and trust.
Employing the same approach when there is the opportunity to speak to high profile athletes also plays dividends. How can an official interview go deeper and create content that reaches beyond what is available via other outlets.
When a podcast becomes the place supporters go to understand what really happens inside their club, it anchors itself as an indispensable part of the fan relationship.
2. Squeeze the Lemon.
Every podcast episode is a Full Content Engine.
A 30‑minute episode can become:
- A hero YouTube episode
- Five social cutdowns
- A long-form website article
- Quotes in the matchday programme
- Q&A content for club apps
- A newsletter feature
This isn’t a one-size-fits all approach. Each piece of content should be crafted for the appropriate channel but it all leads back to one podcast living across multiple platforms and multiple audiences.
This approach scales reach and increase returns on production effort, creating more sponsor-ready inventory across all channels.
3. Treat Social Cutdowns as Strategic, Not Supplemental
Short‑form content is your discovery engine.
Five well-crafted 30‑second clips from every episode can reach millions of non‑podcast listeners and funnel them toward the long‑form show.
Your “in room producer” is best placed to identify these moments during the recording process rather than in the edit, but also AI tools can be used to suggest optimum clips and even to create content cutdowns.
This isn’t just smart podcast promotion, each clip is valuable engagement in it’s own right, engaging different audiences where they want to consume content.
4. Optimise for Connected TV
Over 700 million hours of video podcasts are watched on YouTube and Connected TV every month.
Fans aren’t just listening anymore; they’re watching podcasts like they watch any other piece of living room content.
That shift requires rights holders to raise their production standards. Clean visuals, consistent lighting, pro audio, strong framing, and CTV-ready editing become non-negotiable.
Titles, thumbnails, and on-screen graphics must be legible and engaging from three metres away.
5. Collaborate with Creators to Expand Reach and Credibility
Fans increasingly trust individuals over institutions. When you pair your official voice with a creator who already has authenticity and rapport with the fanbase, you expand reach while “borrowing” credibility.
The key is controlled collaboration, not turning over the narrative, but inviting trusted personalities into your ecosystem. Whether it’s cohosting special episodes, guest features, or crossplatform activations, creators can bring energy and authenticity clubs sometimes struggle to express.
The key is allowing the creators a certain element of freedom, they need to remain authentic if you want to engage their audiences. Choose creators wisely who naturally align with club values and already speak in the tone your fans respond to.
6. Make Your Podcast Look and Feel Official
Clubs often underestimate the value of their own identity.
Title, artwork, branding, and tone must instantly communicate: this is the official voice of the club. When fans understand that your show is the place for verified insight and trusted storytelling, you establish a clear USP and make the offering immediately recognisable.
From thumbnail design to episode titling to intro music. Choices should be intentional, branded, and unmistakably you.
7. Explore New Formats to Grow Your Audience Beyond Interviews
Although they have become the medium with which podcasting is most associated with, interviews are just one lane in a much wider highway. To grow reach and enhance fan engagement, introduce additional creative formats.
The opportunities are literally endless…
- Tactical breakdowns
- Behind-the-scenes diaries
- Fan roundtables
- Matchday audio documentaries
- AI-assisted multilingual highlight clips
- Creator-led specials
- Youth team spotlight features
Develop formats that both reflect your official voice and reach your own objectives.
Each new format enables you to tap into different segments of your audience and adds depth to your content ecosystem. This diversification reflects the wider shift IMG highlighted in their “2026 Digital Trends“ report: Fans reward personality, authenticity, and formats that go beyond corporate polish.
And Finally: Speak to the Experts (That’s Us)
If your boiler breaks, you don’t start watching plumbing tutorials (or you shouldn’t anyway) - you call a plumber.
The same applies here.
At Sport Social Podcast Network, we build, launch, grow and manage world class podcasts for sports rights holders. Whether you need full end-to-end production or targeted help with YouTube optimisation, cutdown strategy, format development, or creator collaboration, we’re here to help bring your podcast to life and make it work for your KPIs.
If you’re ready to turn your podcast into a true strategic asset, one that drives engagement, reach, and long-term fan connection, let’s talk.