Siobhan Cassidy [#48]: Why CHANEL Sponsored The Boat Race

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The
Boat Race, an event recognised as one of the world’s oldest and
most famous amateur sporting events. 


The Boat Race is regularly attended by over 200,000 spectators at
the banks of the river and watched by millions more on
television. This year’s race will take place on Sunday 13 April
2025.


Although now Chair, Sionhan is previously a winner of the race
herself whilst at Cambridge. 


In today’s conversation, we’re going to explore what it takes to
deliver one of the UK’s most iconic sporting events, how they
landed an extremely unique new title partner, as well as how she
goes about balancing innovation with history and legacy. 





Timestamps


2:00 - Siobhan's Journey


5:00 - Getting into Rowing


10:00 - Creating an Impact Beyond Oxford and Cambridge


15:00 - What can be Learned from American Collegiate Sport?


21:00 - Revenue Streams of The Boat Race


23:00 - Tapping into Fandom of British IP like Harry Potter


26:00 - Festivalisation of Sporting Events


28:00 - Partnering with CHANEL


35:00 - Leveraging Content to Educate Audiences


46:00 - Looking Forward





Additional Links


The Boat Race Documentary 2025: Ep 1 | "All Change" - Turning The
Tide (2025) Oxford v Cambridge


CHANEL and The Boat Race announce long-term partnership


Connect with Siobhan on LinkedIn - Here


Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - Here