Podcast probes rising costs of live sport — R&A and DAZN guests featured
October 8, 2026 23:31
BBC’s 5 Live Sport podcast episode “All About...” explores the rising cost of attending and watching major sporting events. Host Katie Smith is joined by Wake Up to Money’s Sean Farrington and sport finance expert Dr Tom Bason to ask why ticket and subscription prices are increasing and what might happen next.
WHO SPEAKS
Guests include Richard Flint, chairman at Seat Unique, who discusses how demand for live events has changed; psychologist Dr Kayleigh Smith, who addresses how the connection between fans and live sport has shifted since the pandemic; Mark Darbon from the R&A, who explains what it costs to stage a major sporting event and how the organisation aims to keep events affordable; and Pete Oliver, DAZN’s CEO of growth markets, on how a newer streaming service approaches the market. The episode also features responses from sport fans.
WHY IT MATTERS
The programme brings together industry, academic and commercial perspectives to explore both the economic pressures behind ticket and subscription rises and the fan experience implications since the pandemic.