#245 Building Women's Sport from Scratch: How Netball Is Creating the Future of Fandom | Claire Nelson

Welcome to episode 245 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Claire Nelson, Managing Director of the Netball Super League. Claire is leading one of the most ambitious transformations in women's sport - building a fully professional league, growing fandom, and redefining what a modern sports product looks like.

In this episode, we spoke about:

• Building a women's sport league without a men's structure
• Turning participation into fandom
• Commercial partnerships and growing revenue
• Leadership, resilience, and driving change in sport

Timestamps:

00:00 What Is the Netball Super League
00:16 Building Women's Sport Without a Men's Model
01:53 Turning Participation into Fandom
03:29 The Relaunch Strategy
06:19 Transforming the League Structure
07:44 New Clubs & Innovation
08:32 Creating a Fan Experience
10:52 Competing for Attention (Not Just Sports)
12:25 Digital Storytelling Strategy
13:22 Broadcast Strategy Explained
14:44 Commercial Partnerships Strategy
16:20 Aligning Brands with Purpose
18:42 Leadership Style & Vision
21:45 Biggest Challenges Behind the Scenes
26:54 Vision for the Next 5–10 Years

Photo: Ben Lumley.

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