Shaun Paga

Impact 2026: 8 Partnerships Already Creating ROI in Sports Eight success stories. Eight real deployments. Measurable outcomes. This is the focus we all need now in sports innovation: Move from “interesting tech” to proven ROI in the real world. If you lead innovation, media, digital, data, or commercial in sports: What’s the one outcome you want to prove in 2026? #SportsTech #SportsBusiness #Impact2026 #InnovationWithROI #AIInSports HYPE Sports Innovation

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On Substack (paid): A Bit Worried About the Mid-Level Exception - not in a panic, but at least concerned about what happens with the MLE, now that teams have experienced its power as a trade exception: https://lnkd.in/gw9B4dUy

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Apollo invests in GoodLife Fitness The strategic minority investment by Apollo into GoodLife Group is another marker that fitness has fully crossed into institutional-grade infrastructure. GoodLife is not a growth experiment. It is a scaled, founder-led platform with more than 400 locations, 1.5 million members, and decades of embedded consumer behavior across Canada. That profile matters. Capital like Apollo does not show up to chase trends. It shows up when cash flows are durable, participation is structural, and the operating model can compound over time. A few things stand out. First, this is partnership capital, not a control reset. David “Patch” Patchell-Evans remains chairman. Jeff van Haeren stays CEO. That tells you the thesis is about acceleration, not reinvention. Hybrid capital fits businesses that already work and need flexibility to invest across real estate, technology, programming, and member experience without forcing short-term exits. Second, fitness continues to converge with healthcare, mental wellness, and lifestyle infrastructure. As participation becomes more consistent and outcomes more measurable, fitness platforms start to look less like discretionary retail and more like essential services. That is exactly the kind of transition long-duration capital looks for. Third, this reinforces a broader pattern. Institutional investors are increasingly backing scaled participation platforms rather than fragmented boutique concepts. Reach, retention, and operating discipline matter more than novelty. GoodLife checks those boxes. Zooming out, this deal sits alongside similar moves across sports, wellness, and active lifestyle assets. Capital is flowing toward platforms that sit at the intersection of physical health, community, and repeat engagement. Fitness is no longer a side category. It is core infrastructure. Canada just happens to have built one of the cleanest examples. #FitnessIndustry #PrivateCapital #WellnessEconomy #SportsBusiness #ActiveLifestyle #InstitutionalCapital #FounderLed #HealthAndWellness #Canada

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What if a single platform could run FTEM, LTAD, UK Sport Pathway models, or any professional league framework — without forcing organisations to change their methodology? That question sparked one of our biggest innovations yet. In GM Blog #9, I unpack how AccelerWare has become the world’s first performance-framework-agnostic athlete pathway engine. It’s seven universal stages, unlimited configuration, and true scalability in both directions — elite international pipelines down to school and club fitness pathways. And with Synthetic Intelligence about to layer on top, we’ll soon be delivering unprecedented insights into athlete longevity, performance probability, and contract certainty for professional organisations. This is the future of athlete development — and it’s already live. https://lnkd.in/grgx5Hip #AthletePathways #PerformanceManagement

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High performance isn’t about being “talented.” It’s about building systems that remove delay. Speed shows up when: • Decisions are pre-made • Roles are clearly defined • Reps are intentional, not random • Standards are enforced every day In football, this means the QB feels pressure before he finishes his drop. In training, it means movement patterns are automatic under fatigue. In leadership, it means you don’t hesitate when it’s time to act. If performance feels inconsistent, don’t look for motivation. Audit the system. Systems create speed. Speed creates dominance.

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Momentous Sports's Marley Hughes latest newsletter examines the behavioral economic impact of cashless transactions at sports venues using AMB Sports and Entertainment as a case study. His primary insight is that fans "spent significantly more while reporting higher satisfaction levels" is particularly compelling for #sportsbiz leaders given there is usually an inverse correlation between increases in price and fan satisfaction. I highlighted a similar dynamic when examining the increase in Major League Baseball (MLB) attendance during the 2023 season by spotlighting cashless transactions as catalyst for league attendance growth in a JohnWallStreet column. https://lnkd.in/gVCP9akk

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STAYING RELEVANT (Lessons from sports) Recently I had this conversation with a CEO Revenue was up. Everything should be great! However, … Decision-making was slower. … Meetings had doubled. … Margins were tightening Growth has led to a drop in performance. It reminded me of lessons from the ATP tour. Top players can continue to win matches, even when their movement is slowing. The decline doesn’t show immediately. Not against most opponents. They still have experience and belief that pushes them through.  But when the opponent pushes them to the limit, then the cracks start to show. Business leaders experience the same process. Relevance doesn’t disappear overnight. It slips when complexity increases and leaders keep operating an outdated model. On the surface, performance continues but . . . . . . focus fragments . . . priorities conflict  . . . improvement flatlines Elite performers adjust before the drop in performance becomes visible. That is what staying relevant really means. #StayRelevant #GOLDResults #Leadership #ScaleUp #Performance

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Club Partnerships - MCO Loophole 50% of 25/26 PL clubs have formed 20 club partnerships Reasons to why clubs form Club Partnerships *Technical partnerships eliminate acquisition costs or investment *Up skilling staff & learning new operational environments *Club partnerships can be financially lucrative for the bigger clubs whilst the investing club can gain a long term ROI *Enter emerging markets with minimal complications, whilst clubs can rapidly exit partnerships to address evolving needs *Fans perceptions of club partnerships are significantly different to those of acquisitions *Navigate NGBs rules, FIFA / UEFA prohibits sister clubs from competing in the same tournaments. Example CWC, If LAFC win the playoff vs Club America, LAFC & Bayern Munich will be cleared to participate despite having a JV in club partnerships & acquisitions through Red&Gold  *Exiting EU meant British clubs cannot sign players U18 placing clubs at a disadvantage, club partnerships can provide a holding ground. Partner clubs defined as having no ownership stake (minority or majority) & the partner club being a professional team AFC Bournemouth  *Kyoto Sanga (Japan) - 2025: youth development, staff exchange *Orlando City (MLS-USA) - 2025: player development, scouting operations, & executive collaboration Aston Villa FC *Vissel Kobe (Japan) - 2023: Player pathways into Europe and staff development *Zed FC (Egypt) - 2020: Develop youth Brentford FC *Gil Vicente (Portugal) - 2025: Knowledge sharing on player development, plus access into Brazil Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Through Jamestown, all four partnerships are Player & staff development *Hearts of Midlothian (Scotland) - 2024 *COMO (Italy) - 2023 *CD Castellon (Spain) - 2022 *Grimsby Town (England) - 2024 Burnley FC *Dundee (Scotland) - 2024: Developing talent & knowledge sharing Everton FC *Sligo Rovers (Ireland) - 2021: Academy training base & summer camps *Everton De Vina Del Mar (Chile) - 2020: Renewed, links ongoing since 1910s, player & knowledge sharing Fulham FC *Dundee Utd (Scotland) - 2023: Coach exchange & academy games Manchester City FC *Club Bolivia (Bolivia) - 2021: Access to CFG's expertise, technology & strategic advice, including coaching and scouting *İstanbul Başakşehir FK (Turkey) - 2024: Consultancy on transfers, senior training & youth development. *Geylang International (Singapore) - 2023: Access to CFG's expertise, technology & strategic advice, including coaching & scouting *Vannes olympique club (France) - 2021: Share best practices in scouting, training methods, & to explore other areas of common interest West Ham United *FC Austria Klagenfurt (Austria) - 2023: Loan players Wolverhampton Wanderers FC *Shonan Bellmare (Japan) - 2024: Academy Development - sharing practices *Nantong Zhiyun FC (China) - 2025: Academy Development - sharing practices Article: https://lnkd.in/e8NETTTp #multiclubownership #footballbusiness #footballfinance

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I got to write something for Coya and tried to present a fair take—both the pros and the cons. For many people, dedicated Zone 2 training—or even using a meaningful zone system—adds too much complexity to sustain consistency. Broadening the working definition to include any low-intensity movement removes that invisible “complexity barrier” that keeps a lot of people from exercising in the first place. That said, if you’re training a lot of hours and you care about the details, Zone 2 may be the best place to invest your time multiple times per week. Not only for its specific adaptations, but also because it’s typically the highest intensity you can do and still be fully recovered within 24 hours (with the exception of very long Zone 2 sessions). Check it out and let me know what you think: https://lnkd.in/ewkXSajM

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My latest piece in Sportico looks at the 2031 Rugby World Cup through a simple lens: delivery risk. hosting does not fix structural weakness, it amplifies it.  If the US system cannot carry current load, increasing that load is not development - it is exposure.  full article:  https://lnkd.in/eXhhfFak

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