It is vital to understand the evolution of media and the big impact it has on every path in the sports industry!
Today we are pleased to share with you the interview of the great professional of the sports industry - Pedro Arnau. Pedro is a sports writer and journalist with over 10 years of content development for different media outlets such as TV, radio, internet, social media and books.
Pedro started his career with an internship in the radio and now he should be proud of all the heights he has reached.
And also, Pedro is the alumni of one of our academic partners - the European Sport Business School.
Enjoy this amazing interview!
Pedro, before we start, can you share with us a bit about your professional and academic experience?
I’ve been working in the sports and entertainment industry for over a decade now in pretty much every media there is: television, radio, streaming, social media and print. As well as collaborating with other areas besides media such as sponsorship, PR and operations. And I’ve had the chance to work side by side some of the biggest names in the sports industry like ESPN or Real Madrid.
I took my bachelor’s degree in Mexico majoring in Communications and took my master’s degree in Spain majoring in International Sports Management.
What is sport for you? And how did your passion for sports come to life?
Sport is entertainment. We should never forget that.
When we’re kids, we play football or basketball or tennis not because we want to be like the great stars, not because we want to work in that world when we’re older, we don’t even do it because it’s good for our health. We play because is fun. We practice sports because it’s entertaining.
That same aspect continues in different approaches later in life and solidifies in a business point of view with the so-called sports industry that lives, competes and shares its space with the entertainment industry.
For me, ever since I was a kid (and not particularly good at playing any sport) until today, sports, in every aspect, has been a window to knowing, socializing and befriending new people. That’s what I love about it! It doesn’t matter if it’s in a football field playing with some buddies or watching the Super Bowl, sports bring people together and that’s what reeled me in.
As ESBS alumni, how did ESBS Business school helped you in your career path? What program did you study and what were your key learning points?
I took the Master’s in International Sports Management at ESBS European Sport Business School and graduated in 2018. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever taken.
The Master focuses strongly on actual case studies, analysis and solutions, helping us, the students, to take the point of view a wide range of different shareholders, something that’s difficult in every career path and can be more problematic in the sports industry if not tackled properly.
Sports in one of the most diverse working ecosystems there is. People that work in sports come from huge different backgrounds and have an immense diversity of functions, responsibilities, and expertise. The professional athlete that signs a contract with a club goes through the paperwork with a lawyer, that needs to go through some of the details with the advertisement and/or social media department without interfering with the sporting director’s objectives. If these people, and the many other involved, can’t understand the role and goals from the other side, negotiations like these will become harder.
The Master’s in International Sports Management at ESBS European Sport Business School provides you not only with the academical knowledge, but with the real-world-tools thanks to the roleplaying scenarios, the expertise of people involved in those kinds of situations and the backgrounds of a very heterogeneous group between classmates, school personnel and lecturers.
You are a sport journalist and a content developer for various media. How did you understand that you want to develop your career especially in that way? How did you build your professional path in the sports industry?
Sports journalism is just one form of entertainment storytelling, regardless of the media is used on. I’ve always enjoyed that approach and it’s something that’s kept me going ever since I began my career in radio over 10 years ago: knowing that your work, from the smallest to the most notable roles, contributes to the final product that brings joy to lots of people.
Like lots of people in the entertainment industry, I began with an unpaid internship, in my case at a local radio station (Ibero 90.9). First with near-cliché responsibilities like picking up the phone during on-air shows, but in time, and thanks to my hard work and dedication, I got the chance of writing small bits, starting with on-air promos and ads, then blog posts, reviews and finally full show scripts, shows that after my one-year stay I became an on-air producer.
You are working in Condor Media… How did you become the part of this company and what are your professional responsibilities?
Networking is crucial. I worked for five years at ESPN Mexico and had the opportunity to work side-by-side some great professionals. One of those co-workers, and a great friend, contacted me when I was living in Spain and told me about this company he was working at and the job-opening they had.
I joined Condor Media as a researcher and content developer, helping the rest of our team with script writing, KPI analysis, benchmarking, social media planning and video editing.
What professional tips do you have for new students who are trying to find their path in the sports industry?
Sports is a beautifully tough environment, and it has its ups and downs. It’s filled with exciting moments and stressful situations, but, if you prove that you’re worthy, then it is worthy.
There’s a big challenge ahead of major sporting properties that transforms into a big opportunity: this is a mixed generation for sports and entertainment, one that’s been powered by media, both traditional and social media. A lot of people talk about how mistaken a strategy is if it rules out the importance of social media and platforms like Twitch or TikTok, but it would be equally mistaken if it doesn’t consider traditional approaches like television or newspapers.
First you need to understand the evolution of media and the big impact it has in every path in the sports industry, from legal to sporting directors. But with that in mind, you need to accept the fact that the things you know today, the skills you have, the platforms you master, the things you know to be correct, will all change tomorrow. Adapt or perish.
What professional goals you have for the next 5 years?
My professional goals are linked to the personal ones, that’s also another tip I’d like to share. Our jobs are really important, yes, but they don’t define us entirely, and balancing work and personal life, something that lots of baby boomers struggled with, needs to be an objective.
But another one of my goals for sports journalism and media communications would be one that I have now a days but amplified: collaborate in the creation of quality content and stay away from easy-clicks, fake-filled news, pseudo controversies and lack-of-depth content.
If I had contributed to it and play my part in promoting it for the next five years, I would consider myself happy.
