tale end
my weekly match report from tales of a woman working in sport.
OK I started this and then forgot to do it again. So we’re back, with a punny new name (links to my Substack if you didn’t know) and comes with a cartoon avatar of mwah. nice.
so what is this? a weekly match report of life as a freelance sports brand and marketing strategist, muddling my way through and highlighting my learnings along the way, as well as the interesting sports brand and marketing news piquing my ears.
what’s new in pact sport?
the last couple of weeks have been focused on new biz, content and outreach. check out my Substack to see all the goings on, including:
my first focused piece on brand, ‘Brand: Sports’ most underrated asset’. more to come in this series
attending the Cadillac F1 x Tommy Hilfiger Silverstone launch
reflecting on my 13 years in the UK
this week’s lesson
when you’re a freelancer, your client doesn’t become your boss
thankfully, this was something I read rather than a personal lesson but it stuck and is something I want to keep in mind. even when I worked for others, I was always proud to have partners over clients; people who’ve stuck by me, become friends, mentors, colleagues. as a freelancer, it’s weird not having someone to be accountable to. well, except yourself. so a natural thing is to look to the person paying your bills. not to be confused by paying your salary. you’re paying your salary.
next week’s focus
i have two projects kicking off next week plus a range of really exciting new biz opportunities. it’s shaping up to be a busy Summer alongside kids holidays, Kiwi visitors and general life.
piquing in the world of sports brand and marketing
to read
Hark’s ‘The Fan Gap’ report: Based on 1,504 young people, this report maps where girls’ sport fandom drops off in the teenage years and what brands/rightsholders can do to close that gap. Essential reading for anyone building youth or female fan acquisition strategy.
Women’s Sport Trust ‘Battle for Attention’ visibility report: Shows women’s sport engagement hit a new high in early 2026 with record watch time and streaming growth even as competition for attention intensifies, reinforcing that brands need an ecosystem play (athletes, leagues, broadcasters, creators) rather than one-off sponsorship moments.
to action
Youth Sport Trust, Creating Movement That Matters: A case for embedding movement into the school day itself rather than treating PE/sport as a bolt-on, relevant to any brand marketing purpose around youth activation and wellbeing or parents and carers simply wanting better for their kids.
Play England, More Play. Better Learning: Drawn from the latest Youth Sport Trust report, Play England makes the case for “play sufficiency”…meaning enough space, time and acceptance for self-directed play. The studies show that play drives wellbeing, attention and learning in schools, rather than distracting from it; a strong evidence base for brands wanting to position around grassroots/community play rather than elite performance.
to follow
West Ham’s new crest consultation: West Ham launched a fan-led consultation on its crest. A bold, potentially risky, potentially powerful, potentially catastrophic move but a case study in the making I am excited to follow
“We Are Now In The Creative Director Era of Football”: Traces how the fashion-world “creative director” title has moved into football (Como, Venezia, Ajax, Tottenham, Nike), arguing clubs are becoming world-building brands.
and to finish this edition, to enjoy
how beaut is this from Jonny Selman
Thanks for the inclusion!