Miguel is one of the sports industry’s leading commercial agents. Mbappe, Neymar, Beckham, Mourinho, Rosberg; Miguel has been involved with all of them. This is the side of the sports industry we don’t hear about. Yet this is the side that drives more business than any other.

Having worked directly for Kylian Mbappe’s family office, and then for some of the worlds biggest agencies like CAA and Kin, Miguel’s experience of capitalising on the global profiling of sport’s biggest stars brings to life the art of the commercial deal.

How do you source a sponsorship? Who are the most in demand athletes? Who has capitalised on their profile the best, and who has struggled to do so.

This is a conversation unlike any other we have had on the show. If you want to know the inside track on the business world behind the world of the athlete, this is a conversation for you


Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro
(00:52) Miguel’s Role
(01:30) How Agent Builds Top Athletes' Brands Off the Pitch
(08:53) Athlete Interests & Business Objectives in DealMaking
(13:11) Balancing Image Rights Between Clubs & Commercial Representation
(20:19) Percentage of Revenue from Sponsorships & Brand Deals
(24:00) Impact of Social Media on Athletes' Commercial Revenue Potential
(28:34) Managing Potential Conflicts Between OnField & Commercial Agents
(33:10) Comparing US & European Athletes' Approaches to Commercial Deals
(35:33) Will Athletes Evolve into a Content Business?
(38:29) Breaking Down Payment Structures in AthleteBrand Contracts
(43:44) The Brand Deal Miguel Regrets Not Doing
(45:13) The Brand Deal Miguel Regrets & Why
(50:26) The Rise of Equity Swap Deals in Athlete Partnerships
(55:47) AI & Deepfakes: The Future of Athlete Representation
(57:16) The Hardest Part of Miguel’s Job
(58:58) The Future of the Agency Model in the Next Five Years
(01:00:10) Athletes with Brands That Outshine Their Playing Performance
(01:02:56) Bellingham, Alcaraz, or Clark


On today’s show we discuss:

1. Athlete representation:
What is the role of the off field agent?
Neymar, Mbappe and many more; how has Miguel worked with the top talent in sport to build their brand off the pitch?
How is it different representing athletes in football compared to an individual sport like Formula One or tennis?
Commercial deals are a major part of modern sport. What is the process like to source and deliver commercial partnerships for the biggest talent in the industry?
What is the makeup of the behind the scenes team that top athletes now have to work with?
Who would Miguel most like to work with?

2. Positive/Negative brand associations:
How do you decide if a particular brand is the right partnership to sign for an athlete?
How important is it for athletes to know what their image and profile is looking to become off the field?
What would an example of a negative brand association be? Is it company or industry driven?
What factors come into play when negotiating access to a sports person as part of the brand deal?
What are the best deals Miguel has been a part of?
Is the demand on athletes to fulfil their commercial obligations manageable?

3. Changing sports landscape:
How is the industry changing with its approach to commercial partnerships?
Which athletes are proving the most sought after in the modern sporting landscape, and who needs to work harder to build a stronger profile.
Some top players prefer to stay out of the commercial limelight. What does this mean for them?
Will we see more productised business endeavour to replicate the CR7/RF type commercial agreements?


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