Paul Samuels

SB Weekly - the sport business podcast

Paul Samuels, Executive Vice-President at AEG Global Partnerships, is the feature interview on this week's SB Weekly. Part of sports and entertainment giant AEG - which owns numerous venues and sports teams across the world - AEG Global Partnerships is responsible for creating, selling and servicing marketing and other strategic opportunities for AEG assets. Paul manages the Global Partnerships division outside the United States and has negotiated deals with numerous blue-chip brands including O2, with whom he recently signed a 10-year naming rights extension for the AEG-run O2 Arena in London. On the podcast, Paul discusses: - Why O2's naming rights partnership with AEG works, and how it very nearly didn't happen in the first place - How rights-holders have to be hugely creative in their sponsorship proposals, just to get brand attention - Rapid global growth for AEG and how the investment opportunities come about - Why the ultimate success in sponsorship is renewing with a partner - Exactly how the demands of both rights-holders and sponsor brands have changed during the last decade - The huge opportunities presented by VR, and why AEG is perfectly positioned to capitalise on them.