• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Office Hours: Peter Hutton on Facebook’s Next Step In Sports

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Powered by RedCircle

Welcome to a new episode of Office Hours: a podcast where Front Office Sports CEO Adam White has a discussion with figures from throughout the sports industry centered around three basic questions. Those questions are “What’s on your mind today?”, “What are you excited about?”, and “Any big ideas or theories you want to share?”

Peter Hutton is the current Director of Sports Partnerships at Facebook. Previously, he spent just over three years as the CEO of Eurosport. Hutton joins White in today’s episode to chat about the tech giant’s strengths and opportunities in the sports space, being a seasoned world traveller, and preparing for the future.

Edited highlights appear below:

On Facebook working and growing their relationship with athletes (14:47)

Hutton: “We’ve got teams of people who work specifically with athletes to talk about best practices on the platform, how they can grow their fan base, how they can potentially commercialize that fan base. And I think that’s definitely something that we’ll look at more and more. That’s a worldwide phenomenon. You know, it’s cricketers in India, it’s Lewis Hamilton in the UK, it’s NFL stars here. I think that’s a really interesting area. That idea that you can talk directly to your favorite athlete, I think, is a wonderful thing.

On knowing Facebook is in a good spot (36:39)
Hutton: “The fundamental part for being part of this industry is that you’re part of a growth story. And you know, I’ve been through sort of all these different companies on a very winding route to get there. Some of them have definitely not been growth stories…Facebook’s not like that. It’s clearly a growth business. It’s one which is looking to the future, investing in technology, things like Portal and Oculus. It’s tremendous to be around the sort of engineers who are building that and therefore to be part of that energy, to be part of that sense of where we’re a future looking company I think is really important and really sort of enlightening.”

Office Hours is Presented to You By Bittrex

On growth opportunities for Facebook Sports (37:17)

Hutton: “I think you look at the technology and the doors the technology is opening up. So you look at things like Messenger, WhatsApp, or Oculus. You look at where that can take the sports industry and find that connection between what Facebook is building and what the sports industry needs. And if we can help find the middle ground that works for both organizations, then that’s a good place to be.”

On the biggest issues that teams hope Facebook can help them solve (39:00)
Hutton: “The first thing is really audience development. We often go with really long presentations of all the book things that we can open. And the number one factor is how do we find our next audience? And that’s the right thing for a sports organization because you’ve permanently got to be looking at how you engage with younger demographics, with worldwide demographics, how you spread your fan base and therefore prepare better for the future. So we do offer up lots of different business solutions, whether it be branded content or commerce and conversion, but fundamentally audience development is the number one thing that I think we can help with.”

Love what we are doing? Help us grow and get in front of more people by subscribing below and leaving a review! 

Powered by RedCircle

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Shannon Sharpe Eyes $100M+ Podcast Deal As Volume Contract Expires

Sharpe’s podcasts have exploded in popularity over the last several years.
Apr 5, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; View of the NBA logo on a backboard before the game between the Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat at Toyota Center.
exclusive

Elon Musk’s X Launches New NBA Portal Ahead of Playoffs

X also had an NFL portal last season.
Feb 26, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith walks past head coach Will Hardy in the second half during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Delta Center.

Ryan Smith’s Billion-Dollar Sports Tech Bet

Smith and his investing partner see a hole in the rapidly growing sports investment space.
Mar 30, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Fox sports sideline reporter and former NFL quarterback Brock Huard talks on the sidelines with Arlington Renegades quarterback Holton Ahlers (15) during the second half of the game against the Birmingham Stallions at Choctaw Stadium.

Brock Huard Stepping Aside From Fox Sports College Football Booth

Huard will be an assistant coach on his son’s high school football team.

Featured Today

Jun 21, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics majority owner Wyc Grousbeck holds the Larry O’Brien trophy prior to the Boston Celtics championship parade.

The Celtics Succession Plan Remains Murky

The transfer of power to a private-equity group is still unresolved.
April 26, 2025

The Rays Groundskeepers Are Adjusting to Life Outside the Dome

After nearly three decades in a dome, Tampa groundskeepers were forced outside.
April 25, 2025

The Former NBA Agent Who Became a Pickleball Deputy Commissioner

Chris Patrick went from representing Jimmy Butler to pickleball deputy commissioner.
Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after a three point basket against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.
April 21, 2025

Cooper Flagg’s Timing Is Perfect for the NBA and USA Basketball

The projected No. 1 pick just declared for the draft.

How the Chiefs Are Prepping for Year 2 of Taylor Swift Mania

The pop star is expected to attend more games this season.
Olivia Moody
August 4, 2021

Colin Cowherd’s New Podcast Network Going All-In On Sports Betting

With sports betting rapidly legalizing, Colin Cowherd’s The Volume podcast network is hiring Olivia Moody, a.k.a. ‘Liv Moods,’ from Bookit Sports.
Actor Vince Vaughn throws out first pitch at Chicago Cubs game
exclusive
December 9, 2022

Vince Vaughn, Greg Olsen’s New Company Eyeing Financing

Greg Olsen and actor Vince Vaughn’s new company has launched first two podcasts.
Sponsored

Fighting for Clarity: Inside UFC’s New Partnership With Total Wireless

UFC teams with Total Wireless in a no-frills partnership built for today’s mobile-first, value-driven fanbase.
exclusive
May 13, 2021

Cris Carter Scores New Deal With Blue Wire Podcasts

Cris Carter has scored a deal with Blue Wire Podcasts. The Pro Football Hall of Famer will interview star receivers, past and present, on his new “WR1” podcast.
September 24, 2020

Office Hours: Alex Magleby, co-founder and CEO of the New England Free..

Alex Magleby, the New England Free Jacks co-founder and CEO, is bullish on rugby’s future in the U.S. and Major League Rugby.
August 13, 2020

Office Hours: Bart Conner, Owner of Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy and Former..

Bart Conner is the only American male gymnast to win a gold medal at every level of national and international competition.
July 22, 2020

Office Hours: Devon Kennard, Real Estate Investor

Devon Kennard has found success on and off the field with a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio that includes 14 different properties.