# Tough T&Cs, dodgy media buying, Swans or ugly ducklings?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mumbrellacast-311595/tough-t-cs-dodgy-media-buying-swans-or-ugly-ducklings
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mumbrellacast-311595/tough-t-cs-dodgy-media-buying-swans-or-ugly-ducklings.md
Podcast: [Mumbrellacast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/mumbrellacast-311595)
Published: 2026-08-20T05:09:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/MEEME7131011429.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/MEEME7131011429.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mumbrellacast-311595/episodes/tough-t-cs-dodgy-media-buying-swans-or-ugly-ducklings
Duration seconds: 1551

## Resource

Welcome to the latest Mumbrellacast, scandal-free since 2023 (unless we missed something in the T&Cs). The biggest non-war, non-AI news at the moment is the Sydney Swans player controversy. We don't dwell on the details -- mainly because it is a developing story -- but instead look at what this scandal (and others like it) means for team and player sponsorships in sport in the future. With millions in gambling money soon to go south, and brands increasingly wary of controversy, might we see a situation where professional sporting leagues become underfunded due to brand reticence? Will this have a knock-on effect where it jeopardises sponsorship for underfunded Olympians? Brands and ambassadors usually have drum-tight contracts that allow the sponsor to pull out if the talent brings them into disrepute, but by then, the damage is often done. And while we are perusing iron-clad deals, Eleanor has been digging into the fine print of T&Cs, and what you actually own when you work with an agency. It turns out, it might not be a lot. Checking out the terms and conditions of working with a number of Australian digital agencies -- some of which have page counts that technically make them novellas -- shows that buried in the fine print are often provisions about who actually owns the assets brands pay good money to develop with the agency: landing pages, backlinks, creative assets, data, and even access to advertising accounts could all be owned by your agency. While we are taking on dodgy practices, media agencies are increasingly promising clients incredibly cheap advertising rates in order to win pitches, and the media owners are then left to make those rates work. Is this a race to the bottom, or a practice that has been going on since Triple M was only half-an-M? Fi…

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## Transcript

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