Tennis’ US Open was in August-September, so I’m a little late to catch up on a branded company podcast by the organization:

Equal Play: 50 Years of Equal Pay in Tennis

I’m a tennis fan myself, so I’m already inclined to have an interest in a podcast about key moments in the sport. I think it is has wider appeal and useful takeaways for other branded shows.

1. The show has a host, ESPN’s Chris McKendry, who is an active expert in the sport, genuinely loves connecting with the legendary athletes, an in turn is well-respected by the players
2. It’s a smart funding and promotion technique to combine the brand of the show (US Open), with a presenting sponsor, JP Morgan. That’s a great way to share the costs of developing the show, and in this case it expands on the existing partnership JP Morgan has as an event sponsor of the US Open
3. The narrative of the show, developed with production partner Neon Hum Media, does a nice job linking the ongoing attention on gender pay equality in sports, to the historical trailblazers and stories that are less well known
4. By releasing the show on a schedule that exactly matches the tennis tournament, they can capture additional press and promotional opportunities