As Spain's La Liga gets underway, we explore the global advertising appeal and earning potential of one of its newest football stars. Jude Bellingham is a 21-year-old midfielder from England who plays for Real Madrid, and he's hitting the peak of his career. The face of several brands, with major endorsement deals and more courting his attention, we explore his global advertising appeal, and how he might manage these partnerships while still focusing on his game. Presented and produced by Matt L...
Aug 14, 2024•17 min
We explore professional dog-walking around the world. We hear from walkers from the United States, Argentina and Europe about how they operate, the growing market, and the challenges of making a career from taking other people's pets on daily walks - sometimes several at a time. And we join a dog walker in Paris, Caroline, to find out why the relationship between walker and dog is the most important when securing clients. Expect plenty of barks. (Image: Caroline, a professional dog-walker in Par...
Aug 13, 2024•18 min
From Instagram-famous dogs to viral kittens, pet influencers are revolutionising brand marketing with viral content and endorsements. It's a lucrative market in which companies are leveraging these furry celebrities to drive engagement and sales. We'll uncover why this trend is proving to be so profitable. (Image: Tika, an Italian greyhound, modelling canine fashion. Credit: Thomas Shapiro) Presented and produced by Deborah Weitzmann
Aug 12, 2024•17 min
With animal adoptions skyrocketing during the pandemic, pet care has evolved dramatically. From self-cleaning cat litter trays to smart feeding bowls, interactive toys, and pet cameras, we'll hear from some of the brands reshaping the way we care for our furry friends. But are we missing out on the meaningful connections our pets need as automation becomes more prevalent? (Picture: Rupert the British Shorthair cat, inside his litter robot. Credit: Deborah Weitzmann/BBC) Presented and produced by...
Aug 11, 2024•17 min
As prices for homes and rents continue to rise in many towns and cities, it's one of the key issues for voters. In 2023 the average price of a home in the United States was $495,100, six per cent higher than a year earlier, though the signs are prices may now be starting to fall. That’s partly because mortgage rates have spiralled as high as 7% for many new buyers – making repayments prohibitive. We ask business owners working in housing to tell us why, and what’s the fix? Presenter: Ed Butler P...
Aug 07, 2024•18 min
Have you decided when you'd like to retire? Will it be your choice, or is there a set age in your country or profession? More than a million people took part in protests in France last year when the government proposed an increase to the retirement age without a vote. Age has also played a big factor in the replacement of Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate. So is a fixed retirement age a good idea – or workplace outdated? Should it be more fluid – a matter of personal choice? Pre...
Aug 06, 2024•18 min
Four sportsmen have reached 10 figures according to financial magazine Forbes. However the wealthiest sportswoman, tennis star Serena Williams, could triple her wealth and not get there. We speak to agent Stuart Duguid, who looks after four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who tells us how elite sportswomen are investing their money and what barriers there are to growing their fortunes. We ask if, and when it might happen, and what that would mean for women’s sport. Presenter: Sam Fenwick Pro...
Aug 05, 2024•18 min
The sudden closure of the huge open pit copper mine, Cobre Panamá, has created a dramatic economic fallout, with its loss of jobs and damage to the country’s reputation for investors. It was shut down by Panama's Supreme Court after months of protests against it. We look at the impact, and also ask what could happen next? Produced and presented by Jane Chambers Additional sound mixing by Grant Cassidy (Image: The Cobre Panama mine. Credit: Reuters)
Aug 04, 2024•18 min
The founder of one of Ireland's largest recruitment agencies, Staffline, shares how her upbringing during one of the most politically tumultuous periods in Northern Ireland's history, known as 'The Troubles', shaped her career path. From working in her parent's taxi firm, to the probation service to recruitment. And even a foray into politics. So what does Tina McKenzie MBE envision for the future of the country? Presenter: Sam Fenwick Producer: Amber Mehmood (Image: Tina McKenzie. Credit: Charl...
Aug 01, 2024•17 min
Football clubs must work under a strict policy of Financial Fair Play - or FFP - but what does it mean? And how does it work? With the summer transfer window now open, clubs are in business, buying and selling players. But football’s governing bodies are keeping a close eye on how much they spend. We take a look at how top-flight clubs in the Spanish league, La Liga, are managing the financial constraints. (Image: Real Madrid unveils new signing, Kylian Mbappe, at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Spai...
Jul 31, 2024•17 min
More than 25 years after the Kosovo war, a music festival in the capital Pristina is hoping to change the image of the country around the world by inviting international artists and fans to learn more about the country’s cultural scene. Sunny Hill Festival is organised by global pop star Dua Lipa and her dad Dugi, who’s from Pristina. They are using their industry contacts to bring acts like Bebe Rexha, Stormzy and Burna Boy to party with tens of thousands of people, as well as inviting top indu...
Jul 30, 2024•17 min
We look at Japan's policy to boost its economy by getting more women into the workforce. It was announced back in 2013 by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and dubbed 'Womenomics'. Mr Abe gave a deadline of 2020 to significantly increase the number of women in leadership roles. But that date quietly came and went without the target even getting close. However could things could be starting to change? Japan Airlines new CEO Mitsuko Tottori is a woman, and that has restarted conversations. We hear...
Jul 29, 2024•18 min
We hear from 4-time Olympic gold medallist Libby Trickett and her entrepreneurial husband Liam. Libby Trickett (Lenton) competed for Australia at the highest level, winning gold in the pool in Beijing and London. At the height of her swimming career she married fellow swimmer Luke Trickett, who had left the sport and was using the skills he'd learnt as an athlete to enter the business world. We hear how the Global Financial Crisis inspired Luke’s entrepreneurial spirit. And through it all, how t...
Jul 25, 2024•17 min
Paris 2024 will see the debut of the competitive street dance, Breaking. From the streets of the Bronx in the 70s to sport's biggest stage, we hear from the pioneers and the athletes hoping to turn their passion into a lucrative career. Breaking isn’t currently on the list for the next games in LA in 2028, so could it be a one-hit wonder? (Image: Man doing a headstand outside with his crew cheering in the background. Credit: Getty Images) Presented and produced by Matt Lines...
Jul 24, 2024•17 min
The running shoe industry is worth around $50bn across the world, with more and more of us taking part in the sport. With more popularity comes more competition, so what are brands doing to keep consumers interested? We ask the chief marketing officer at Swiss sportswear company, ON, and find out how it helps sales when a top athlete wears their shoes. And as the debate around 'super shoes' rumbles on, are they really worth the expensive price tag? US marathon winner Kellyn Taylor tells us about...
Jul 23, 2024•17 min
We’re used to fashion giants like adidas and Nike designing athlete uniforms for the Olympics and Paralympics. This year however, it’s likely we’ll see smaller labels on the podium. In this programme we hear from the diverse list of designers and learn why the fashion industry is so keen to work with sports stars. Presented and produced by Megan Lawton (Image: Portugal's Gabriel Ribeiro competes during the Skateboarding Men's Street Preliminaries of the Olympic Qualifier Series 2024.Image: Getty...
Jul 22, 2024•18 min
People arriving at Paris’s Orly Airport for the 2024 Olympic games will be able to take an underground train straight to Saint-Denis where most of the Olympic action is taking place. It's thanks to a line extension that opened on June 24. And that is just the ‘hors d’oeuvre’. The Grand Paris Express is a metro expansion on a massive scale whose aim is to transform the city from a normal-sized European capital to a metropolis the size of London. What could it do for the Parisian, and French, econ...
Jul 21, 2024•18 min
We go to India to find out what it takes to manage one of the country's most iconic brands – Bisleri. It is so popular that it has become synonymous with the product itself - bottled mineral water. We hear from CEO Angelo George about the ethics of paying for water, plastic pollution and the challenges of shrinking water resources. Produced and presented by Devina Gupta Sound mixing by Wayne Parkes (Image: Angelo George. Credit: Angelo George)
Jul 18, 2024•17 min
For decades, Nigeria has struggled to grow its domestic automotive industry while vehicles made by manufacturers from Japan, Korea, Europe and the US have dominated. But critics say many of those cars are not suitable for Nigeria’s roads. Lately, there has been a surge of “made in Nigeria” brands, of vehicles manufactured and assembled locally, which have been designed with the country’s challenging road conditions in mind. But as Nigerians are gearing up to the idea of replacing their trusted f...
Jul 17, 2024•18 min
Love them or loathe them, retailers across the world are installing more automated checkouts, as they aim to reduce staff costs. But the loss of personal service and the unreliable technology has prompted complaints from customers. And supermarkets are also facing a significant increase in theft from self-scan checkouts. We're in Ireland, where shops only installed the technology in recent years. Plus we hear from experts in Australia, China, the UK and United States. (Image: A man scans some br...
Jul 17, 2024•18 min
We head to Montreal, host city of the Canadian F1 Grand Prix. It's the country's largest tourist event, with an estimated 345,000 fans attending in 2023. And the sport is growing in popularity, thanks in part to the Netflix series, Drive to Survive. So how valuable is a Grand Prix to a country's economy? And which other cities are trying to get in on the action? Produced and presented by Megan Lawton (Image: The start of the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec on...
Jul 16, 2024•17 min
Some cities around the world have decided to make public transport free. Services can range from local bus routes to shopping malls to city-wide transit. We're in the rich nation of Luxembourg which became the first country to introduce free public transport nationally, as well as in Delhi where women can travel for free in an effort to boost the numbers of women in the workforce. We're also hearing from Kansas City where the funding model is running out for a scheme introduced four years ago. P...
Jul 14, 2024•17 min
We hear from Democrat fundraisers who are divided over whether he should pull out of the campaign for re-election. In the past week, since Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance, a number of donors have publicly warned they will withhold funds unless Mr Biden is replaced as the Democratic party candidate. Pressure on Mr Biden, 81, to step aside has grown, including from Hollywood celebrities George Clooney and Michael Douglas. However he has vowed to stay on, taking on Donald Trump, 78, in th...
Jul 11, 2024•17 min
Two football mad continents, Europe and South America, are competing in international tournaments at the moment. Fans are all decked out in their teams shirts - but they’re not all wearing the latest versions. In fact, sales of retro or vintage shirts are booming. Be it the iconic Italian kits of the 90s, the classic sky blue of Argentina or Nigeria’s viral world cup kit - we look into this trend and speak to the fans who are buying, and the companies cashing in. Produced and presented by Imran ...
Jul 10, 2024•17 min
It's the biggest operation of its kind in US history, as the state tries to save its coastline which is vanishing at an alarming rate. We travel to the Mississippi River and the city of New Orleans to see how billions of dollars are being spent to fix the rapid land loss. The project to revert the Mississippi to its land-making pathways could restore ecosystems destroyed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and create buffers to protect against sea level rise and hurricanes. The Louisiana coastlin...
Jul 09, 2024•17 min
The global alcohol industry is worth just over one and a half trillion US dollars, and celebrities want a part of it. Famous faces and their drinks brands are filling up the shelves, from model Kendall Jenner’s tequila to actor Ryan Reynolds’s gin. And it’s not just alcohol: the energy drink market is in the sights of celebrities, too. How much more are customers willing to pay for these products? In today’s episode of Business Daily, we'll ask those who stock the drinks, and those who serve the...
Jul 08, 2024•17 min
Ghana’s parliament has recently passed a tough new anti-LGBT bill. President Nana Akufo-Addo hasn't yet signed it in to law, after warnings that it could threaten Ghana’s much needed donor funding from places like the World Bank and IMF. Ghana is suffering a major economic crisis and last year had a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Other African countries have also brought in similar laws. But is it fair for international financial institutions to get involved in politics in t...
Jul 07, 2024•17 min
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied in multiple industries all around the world, and in travel, the technology has made big strides. We travel to Spain to find out how the airline Iberia and the hotel chain Iberostar are using AI to change the way they operate. At Iberostar, AI applications can analyse and predict the amount of food that restaurants will need, and hopefully reduce food waste as a result. Meanwhile, Iberia is using the tool as a personal assistant to help high-end trave...
Jul 03, 2024•17 min
In the midst of a snap general election, we take the opportunity to look at the state of the country’s economy. France has a huge debt burden and some business leaders are worried that the economy could worsen if Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party get into power. The French stock market has been falling since the parliamentary election was announced - although it has recovered slightly after Sunday's result. Meanwhile the parties on the left have formed a new alliance, The New Popula...
Jul 02, 2024•17 min
It is the biggest sporting event on the planet based on the millions of spectators who line roads for a fleeting view, but this year a shake up will mean the loss of the iconic Champs Elysees finish. We look at how a cycling race became a global money spinner - particularly for its owners, the Amaurys, one of the richest families in sport. We also visit the Maurienne valley, a regular stop off for the Tour, to find out what’s in it for sponsors and hosts. And with a new final stage ending in Nic...
Jul 01, 2024•17 min
