You are not alone
Sport inc. stats and a seasonal polite request
No usual Sport inc. this week. However, as at this time last year I endeavour to reassure you that if you are a regular reader you are not alone…
There have been 130 weekly editions of Sport inc. since launch in July 2021. And not a Thursday missed yet (touch wood!)
The email list initially comprised 259 addresses, all for people I knew. Twelve months ago it stood at 880 and has since grown a further 69% to 1,484 (chart below). Most names now on the list are strangers to me - or hiding behind obscure email addresses (the known unknowns).
I’m very grateful to all 1,484 of you - and for every bit of feedback you’ve given me. Feel free to email your thoughts at any time on any sporting subject.
The first edition was viewed a total of 366 times. Now each Sport inc. typically has around 2,000 reads, up from about 1,200 last year, many as a result of you forwarding it to friends.
In 2023 by far the most popular edition was Running on fumes, which led with my critique of the parlous state of UK Athletics’ finances. It was read over 3,800 times. Things have only got worse financially at UKA since. I will return to the subject early in 2024.
Second most read edition was Lads! Lads! Lads! reacting to a particularly calamitous performance by the Premier League’s VAR officials, led by Darren ‘Daz’ England. Cricket and LIV Golf are both subjects which tend to trigger spikes in interest.
Sport inc. appears every Thursday in City A.M. newspaper and on its website CityAM.com. Any readership via this platform isn’t included in the above stats. Thanks to Frank Dalleres and Matt Hardy at the paper for giving my views this outlet.
And now for the polite request. I’d love to expand the list of people who receive Sport inc. directly into their email inbox weekly, rather than finding it each time via Substack, LinkedIn, X or being forwarded it by someone else.
So, if you know of friends, colleagues, casual acquaintances or random strangers with an interest in the business of sport, please forward them this email and recommend that they click on the ‘Subscribe’ button.
Alternatively, anyone can send an email to sportinc@substack.com and I will add their address to the distribution list.
Remember, it’s free to subscribe and I’ve no intention of making money from this newsletter. It exists purely for my own enjoyment and I hope yours too. So long as the Sport inc. readership keeps expanding, I’ll keep on writing.
Thanks very much in anticipation! And thanks too for sticking with me. Normal service resumes next week - in 2024. Happy New Year!