In the latest episode of the Gameday Podcast, Kike Levy, Head of Gameday by NJF Holdings, speaks with Sunil Singhvi about how social media has changed the economics of sport, the power of athlete storytelling, and why clubs, leagues and sponsors need to think differently about their relationship with fans.
Singhvi brings a rare perspective on the shift. His career spans the BBC, talent management, early Twitter, Meta, major sports sponsorships and his current work with Courtyard, a platform rethinking digital collectables, ownership and fan engagement. Across that journey, he has seen sport move from a world where clubs and broadcasters controlled the narrative to one in which athletes increasingly act as their own publishing empires.
The conversation explores a question that is becoming harder for sport to avoid: when two players are similar in ability, does the one with the stronger personal brand now carry greater commercial value?
Levy and Singhvi discuss whether clubs are already factoring social following, camera presence and marketability into recruitment decisions. The answer is not that performance no longer matters. It is that performance now sits alongside a wider commercial equation. A player who brings goals, assists, or defensive quality is valuable. A player who also brings millions of followers, engagement and sponsor relevance may be more valuable still.
The episode also looks at the golden age of social media, when athletes, musicians and public figures first realised they could speak directly to audiences without relying on journalists, broadcasters or clubs to shape the story for them.
From Lukas Podolskiās role in Germanyās 2014 World Cup story to Lionel Messiās ability to transform the reach of clubs almost overnight, the discussion shows how modern fandom is increasingly built around individuals as much as institutions. Fans follow players, personalities and stories. For clubs and leagues, that creates both an opportunity and a risk.
As Singhvi puts it, if athletes and rights holders donāt tell their own story, someone else will.
The podcast also examines one of the most persistent problems in sport: sponsorship without a clear commercial objective. Singhvi reflects on major partnerships involving Manchester United and McLaren, arguing that sports sponsorship can deliver extraordinary brand recognition, but only when both sides understand what success actually means.
The message for rights holders is direct. Selling inventory is not enough. Player appearances, social posts and logo placement matter only if they support a larger strategy. Without that, sponsorship becomes expensive theatre rather than a serious growth tool.
One of the episodeās sharpest arguments concerns fantasy football. Singhvi suggests that traditional league-wide fantasy games may be quietly weakening club loyalty by teaching young fans to cheer for rival players. A Liverpool fan celebrating an Erling Haaland goal because of fantasy points is not a trivial detail. It reflects a deeper shift from club-first loyalty to player-first engagement.
For Gameday by NJF Holdings, this question sits at the centre of the future of sport: how can clubs build digital products that deepen loyalty rather than dilute it?
The final section turns to Courtyard and the rise of digital and physical collectables as part of the modern fan economy. Singhvi explains how authenticated items, vaulting, peer-to-peer marketplaces and instant liquidity can change how supporters discover, own and trade memorabilia.
For clubs, leagues and IP holders, the opportunity is significant. Instead of treating merchandise as a one-off sale, rights holders can build recurring, discovery-led experiences around scarcity, heritage and fan identity. In this model, ownership becomes part of the entertainment.
The full episode of the Gameday Podcast with Kike Levy and Sunil Singhvi is available now on the Gameday by NJF Holdings YouTube channel.