Off Ball Logic

Sports business through commercial, brand and competitive lenses, with a Latin American angle. For people who think before the ball arrives.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

This week’s two pieces were both about how stories shape value in sport.

In a close Ballon d’Or vote, the way candidates and clubs told their story became part of the contest. Rugby’s national teams have strong brands, but they still need a story that reaches younger fans.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

New post is live.

The biggest national teams in rugby remain strong brands, and the All Blacks are still the world’s most valuable rugby brand. But a strong brand doesn’t always mean a strong story.

Link in bio. Free for everyone.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

Mbappé was ahead in the Ballon d’Or voting for most of the time, but in the end, he didn’t win.
So, what changed in the final moments?
https://t.co/RUhYLrp1YD

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

Over 800 million people worldwide say they're interested in rugby union, but only 24 million consider themselves superfans.

Tomorrow, I’ll explore how rugby’s national teams can reach people who didn’t grow up with the game.

Check the link in my bio.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

Shirt-front bans may seem impressive, but they address only 9.6% of the gambling messages fans actually notice.
So what about the rest? Take a look and let me know if you find this surprising too.
https://t.co/FYuW2TDWl0

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

According to The Lawyer, the Premier League has appointed Sir James Eadie KC, the UK government’s First Treasury Counsel, to represent the league in Manchester City’s appeal.

In 2023/24, the league spent £48.1m on legal fees after planning to spend about £8m.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

New Cooling Break is live, and it asks:
Who really wins on Ballon d’Or night?
https://t.co/RUhYLrp1YD

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

Is F1 fandom starting to look like K-pop fandom?

In F1's latest US fan survey, 40% said they follow a driver rather than a team. But most sponsorship is sold through teams, and drivers can leave.

F1 fans: did you start with the team or the driver?

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

Harry Kane won the 70th Ballon d’Or last Monday, but the real shock was how close it was: the final gap was even smaller than the 41-point gap between Rodri and Vinícius in 2024.

So who really wins on Ballon d’Or night?

Tomorrow’s Cooling Break unpacks it. Link in bio.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

FIFA has opened bids for the 2030 World Cup media rights in the US and Puerto Rico, with an option to include 2034, and a November 19 deadline.

Bidders now have to figure out how much of the audience tuned in for the excitement or for home matches.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

The AFCON will return to its usual 2-year cycle after the CAF reversed its decision.

I can’t help but wonder whether FIFA’s changes to the international calendar and the need to fill the space during long breaks influenced this decision.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

This week's two pieces asked one question: how to connect the calendar with meaning?

City-themed kits that connect to a place; UEFA filled the 16-day break with its own competition. Both pieces are on:

[https://t.co/yKHFXdZZDc](https://t.co/yKHFXdZZDc)

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

2026 is the last Copa Libertadores of the current rights cycle. From 2027 ESPN keeps South America, Mexico and the Caribbean through 2030.

Where pay TV is fragile, a distributor with an existing audience can be worth more than a higher fee.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

What packaging does for international football: the 2021 Nations League finals drew the competition's biggest TV audience, with live viewers up 30% on 2019.

The difference from a friendly was the format, the trophy and the story.

https://t.co/yKHFXdZZDc

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

Rugby is played the same way in New Zealand, France and Argentina, but the business differs hugely.

How much of a sport's business model comes from its rules, and how much from the culture that adopted it? Rugby fans, what stands out where you live?

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

Is Boca Juniors South America's Manchester United?

Both have worldwide fans and tell stories about their past as much as their present. The difference is ownership: one is a listed company, the other belongs to its members.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

New post is live.

UEFA used the new 16-day break to launch the Nations League as a product. But when I asked, most of you compared it with the club football you missed, not with the friendlies it replaced.

https://t.co/yKHFXdZZDc

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

UEFA says the Nations League and European Qualifiers lose money overall. EURO profits cover the gap.

So why build a 16-day international break around them? Tomorrow I'm looking at whether the new break is worth it.

https://t.co/yKHFXdZZDc

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

The Mbappé-China story is developing by the minute, and it feels like a shame the focus is shifting from the winner to another candidate. It’s an interesting debate, though.

[Off Ball Logic @0ffballlogic]

The NBA has teamed up with Kalshi and Polymarket, giving them access to official league data and branding.

They will decide which markets are allowed, and the platforms will share data and ensure that players and league staff do not participate.