YOUR TRUSTED GLOBAL SPORTS DATA PARTNER

By Pete Menzies, Senior Commercial Manager – APAC 

I’ll admit it…cricket and I have never been close. I don’t own a bat, I can’t name every fielding position, and I’ve never lasted the full five days of a Test match. But when the Ashes return to Australian soil, that all changes. Suddenly, even the most casual observer gets drawn into the rhythm of an Australian summer: beaches, barbecues, and backyard cricket. You might not follow every over, but when that first ball is bowled, the country shifts gears. 

I may not follow cricket closely, but the Ashes is the one contest I’ll always watch. The rivalry between England and Australia transcends sport, it’s steeped in history, pride, and fierce competitiveness. Every series tells a story of strategy, endurance, and national identity, and that intensity makes it impossible to look away. Even as an outsider to the game, the drama, tension, and narrative arcs of the Ashes command attention in a way no other cricket series can. 

The Ashes aren’t just another series; they’re part of Australia’s sporting DNA. Generations have grown up with its stories – Warne’s Ball of the Century, Ponting’s Boxing Day dominance, Langer and Hayden setting the tone at the Gabba, and, more recently, Ben Stokes’ miracle at Headingley that every Australian remembers for the wrong reasons. History, rivalry, and redemption all rolled into one, that’s what makes it unmissable. 

There’s something special about the way this series grips a nation. Even for those of us who don’t live and breathe cricket, the energy is contagious. It starts around the barbecue, in the office, or on the train: “Who opens at the Gabba?” or “Can Bazball hold up on Australian wickets?” The debates run hot, the pride runs deep, and by December, everyone’s got an opinion. 

This summer’s Ashes will be no exception. The schedule itself reads like a tour of national icons: 

• Perth Stadium, Perth (21–25 November 2025): where searing heat and bounce set the tone for the series. 
• The Gabba, Brisbane (4–8 December 2025): the only day/night pink-ball Test, where fast bowlers thrive under lights. 
• Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (17–21 December 2025): the series’ most tactical battleground, where patience, precision, and partnerships often decide the story. 
• Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (26–30 December 2025): the Boxing Day epic, a cauldron of 90,000 fans and pure theatre.  
• Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (4–8 January 2026): steeped in sentiment and tradition, where farewells become folklore.

Each Test tells its own story, and this year’s contest is perfectly balanced: England’s fearless Bazball meets Australia’s measured control. It’s a clash of philosophies, of tempo and temperament, and for those of us with a data-driven mindset, it’s a dream. Every delivery generates hundreds of insights: ball speed, seam movement, bounce, spin, trajectory. Predictive models interpret sessions in real time, broadcasters visualise the unseeable, and sportsbooks adjust markets ball by ball. 

It’s this hidden world, the data behind the drama, where Podium plays a key role. Our live feeds and analytics platforms allow broadcasters, sportsbooks, and media partners to enhance fan engagement and understanding. From ball-by-ball statistics to expert analysis, predictive models, and performance metrics, the Ashes becomes more than a match: it becomes a fully connected experience. Fans can follow narratives, anticipate outcomes, and stay engaged throughout every session, even if they aren’t watching every delivery. 

For all its complexity, the Ashes remains simple at heart. It’s about rivalry, resilience, and respect. It’s about kids bowling tennis balls in driveways, veterans reliving highlights, and an entire country quietly hoping for another summer of dominance. You don’t need to be a die-hard cricket fan to appreciate it, you just need to be here when it happens. 

As someone who’s spent a career helping partners navigate the intersection of sport, data, and digital experience, I’ve learned to value moments like this. The Ashes aren’t just five Tests; they’re a reminder of how sport unites people, drives innovation, and fuels passion, both on and off the field. 

So, while I might not spend every session glued to the screen, I’ll be watching: for the stories, strategy, and spectacle that only the Ashes can deliver. With the urn already in Australian hands, the stakes are high, every delivery counts, and the entire country will be tuned in. Even those of us who weren’t born cricket fans will find ourselves right there in the moment. 

Connect with Pete: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pme/ 

Podium, a leading global provider of trusted sports content and data solutions, is working with Dabble to help bring its socially driven betting experience to UK audiences.

Dabble combines traditional betting functionality with a social media-style interface to offer the next generation of racing fans a more interactive way to connect and share. The app-based platform is integrated with Betmakers technology, with all UK horse and greyhound racing data delivered by Podium.

Ian Houghton, Commercial Director at Podium says:  

“At Podium, we are always excited when we see innovation in the industry, so we are delighted to play a part of Dabble’s expansion into the UK market, particularly at a time when the racing industry needs to retain a younger audience. We look forward to exploring how Podium’s services can continue to support Dabble’s global ambitions.”

The collaboration, which has been in place since the summer, marks an evolution in how racing data is used and experienced, with Podium delivering UK racing content via Betmakers technology to help power Dabble’s social platform.

Tom Rundle, CEO of Dabble, says:

“Dabble’s move into the UK is a natural fit. We’re a challenger brand with an exciting product that we built ourselves from scratch. We’re already seeing that resonate with the UK audience. Yes, you can get a bet on, but essentially, we are placing ourselves as being community driven. We’re creating a richer experience at every touch point.”

The UK is Dabble’s third international market, following rapid growth after launching in its native Australia.

In our latest staff Q&A, we find out about Richard Duncan, Head of New Business & Strategic Partnerships

What’s a childhood sporting memory that sparked your love for sport?

Watching World Cup Italia ’90 with my dad, I had no idea how tough things had been for England in the years running up, losing every group game at Euro ’88, and I was just a toddler when Maradona knocked us out in ’86. I didn’t grasp the history or the weight of it, I was just caught up in his excitement. I was the same age then as my son is now, and I can’t wait to watch this summer with them both.

What’s the most emotional match or moment you’ve experienced as a fan?

The 1999 FA Cup semi-final replay between Manchester United and Arsenal had absolutely everything. United went down to 10 men after Keane was sent off, Schmeichel saved a late Bergkamp penalty, and then Giggs tore through five of the best defenders of their day to score the winner. Even better that one of my best mates, a die-hard Gunner, had been bragging about Bergkamp barely five minutes earlier.

What’s your favourite sports tournament and why?

I watch the X Games every year. The way the athletes compete fiercely yet still root for one another and celebrate each other’s performances is something you rarely see in sport. I think when you’re doing something that dangerous, out in the shadow of a mountain, you gain a perspective that makes the small stuff seem less important, a mindset I wish more people could experience.

I couldn’t tell you why I got so interested in snow sport exactly. Seems strange when you consider I grew up in probably the flattest, low-lying part of Yorkshire, the wrong side of the Pennines where it never snows!

If you could play any position in any sport professionally, what would it be and for which team?

Sticking with snowboarding, I’d have loved to put in my 10,000 hours as a kid and compete for Team GB at the X Games, riding Slopestyle and Natural Selection as a backcountry freerider. Ungroomed, unpredictable terrain, powder, trees, cliffs, and natural kickers – that’s the dream.

Have you ever played sport competitively? If so, what did it teach you about performance, pressure, or teamwork?

I ran short and middle-distance track and field at county level. I was a small kid, but until I was 15 or 16, I consistently finished on the podium.

Eventually, the physicality of other sprinters caught up with me. My dad, who remembered Seb Coe winning 1500m gold in LA the summer after I was born, wanted me to shift my focus to the 800m and 1500m. We were a similar build and the same height, so it made sense, but I’ve always hated cardio, and soon after I quit. It was probably some of the best advice I ever had, and being a stubborn kid, I ignored it.

Years later, I made my Olympics debut at Beijing 2008, not as an athlete but as part of the UK’s national press agency team covering the Games. Seeing what might have been haunted me, but it taught me that I don’t know everything, and that every opportunity is worth exploring.

What type of bet do you think brings the most excitement — a last-minute winner, a long-shot outsider, or a perfectly predicted accumulator?

I love a wild acca. All outsiders and zero chance at a life-changing pay-out…here, take my money.

What’s one challenge in your job that feels like being “in the final minutes of a close game”?

Trying to hit the Q3 sales target while everyone is on holiday.

If you could design a new sports-based product or feature, what would it look like and why?

I would develop the ‘Racing Ledger’, a blockchain-based ecosystem built on Solana (SOL), designed to unify and simplify the fragmented world of global horse racing. It would serve as a single, transparent source of truth for every aspect of the sport – from breeding records and ownership data to pre-race entries, declarations, and real-time race-day data.

By leveraging Solana’s speed and scalability, Racing Ledger would record, verify, and connect all transactions and datasets across the industry – including rights holders, operators, regulators, breeders, and data providers – through smart contracts that ensure trust, traceability, and equitable value distribution.

Racing Ledger would transform how the sport’s complex ecosystem interacts, streamlining data exchange, reducing duplication and creating an open, auditable framework that gives every stakeholder true visibility and ownership of their part in racing’s digital supply chain.

I’m also in early-stage development of the flying pig, seeking investment. DM if interested.

Connect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richoduncan/