Emma Oldfield on Building a Career Across Content, Presenting and Sport

There’s no single lane into the sports industry anymore – and Emma Oldfield is proof of that.

From working on major TV campaigns at the BBC, Channel 4 and SkyShowtime to building a career that spans content creation, presenting and creative strategy, Emma’s path has been anything but conventional.

Today, she operates at the intersection of sport, culture and media, creating content that connects with both lifelong fans and those discovering the game for the first time.

In this edition of Industry Insider, Emma takes us inside a career defined by curiosity, consistency and carving out your own opportunities in an industry that rarely hands them to you.

Tell us about yourself, what do you do in your current role and what roles have you done previously?

I’m Emma Oldfield, and I’m a freelance creative and presenter, essentially I chaotically juggle a number of roles both behind the scenes and in front of the camera.

In my current work, I create sport-focused content across my own social channels and in partnership with brands, clubs and athletes. Day-to-day that can look like ideation, hosting, interviewing, filming, editing, creative briefs, and brand strategy, often all in the same week (sometimes the same day).

The core of what I do is making sport feel accessible and exciting, whether that’s helping newer fans feel like they belong, creating those “if you know, you know” moments for the day-one crowd, or spotlighting what athletes are doing on and off the pitch. I also love getting stuck in and trying new sports whenever my majorly injury-prone body allows.

Before going freelance, I spent most of my 20s in PR and communications. I started at the BBC working across radio and podcasts before leading the publicity for flagship TV shows at Channel 4 and then SkyShowtime. Working on campaigns for the likes of Derry Girls, Grounded with Louis Theroux and Ru Paul’s Drag Race; delivering everything from press launches and screenings to red carpets, talent interviews, press junkets and media training.

Working in that world taught me a lot about how this world operates, understanding the moving parts, the pressures, the deadlines, the “can you just…” moments, and what it takes to make something land both creatively and strategically, even when the plan changes at the last second (which happens more often than not). That definitely shapes the way I work today, especially when I’m creating content that is authentic to me, but also delivers for the bigger brand or broadcast picture.

What three words would you use to describe your role?

Unpredictable. Unique. Stimulating.

“Normal” isn’t a thing in sport so what does an “average” week look like for you?

There’s no such thing as an ‘average’ week over here, but most are a mix of client work, my own content, and whatever the sporting calendar throws at me. I usually have a couple of retainer/freelance strands running, which could be anything from creative sprints and ideation for a brand, to scripting, filming and editing content on behalf of clients.

Alongside that, I’m constantly (trying) to keep my own socials ticking over, which tends to be a blend of reactive content around major news moments, or sporting events, a few skits and some silly stuff thrown in for good measure, on top of planning ideas for upcoming media days or panels. That often means prepping formats, writing interview questions, getting approvals, editing, publishing, and then doing the less glamorous bits: emails, admin, invoices, and chasing timelines.

Then there’s the ‘out in the wild’ side of the job. Some days I’m at games, launches or events creating content for my own channels, other times I’m there with set campaign deliverables, and sometimes I’m stadium presenting, announcing, or hosting Q&A panels and talent interviews, which comes with its own prep and research.

And on top of that, I have a podcast, so I’m squeezing in guest booking, research, hosting the recordings, editing the main episodes, cutting social clips, and publishing. There’s a lot of travelling, a lot of time spent on my phone, and a lot of consuming sport and culture in the background, podcasts, articles, if there becomes a more efficient way to consume it, I’ll be the first to try! Staying curious and plugged in is basically part of the job (but it’s hard to find the time to stay afloat)

How did you end up where you are right now? When did you know you wanted to work in sport?

Honestly, I ended up here by creating a lot of my own opportunities. I didn’t know anyone working in sport, I just loved it. Growing up, I played every sport available to me and it was my outlet for everything. At that stage, my options for what I wanted to be were either PE teacher, presenter or actor, I didn’t really know there was a route where you could blend sport, storytelling and media! I also didn’t grow up seeing women’s sport or even women in sport as visible in the way it is now, so the idea of working in that space didn’t feel obvious.

I trained as an actor, and then built a career in media and PR, which I loved, but I still felt like sport was the world I always gravitated towards. While working full-time in comms, I began creating content on the side for fun, and for a long time it was basically two full-time jobs (except one was unpaid).

I said ‘yes’ to as much as possible, showed up to things when I felt out of my depth, and I put myself in rooms where I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have access at the start, so I had to be creative. If I couldn’t be inside the room, I’d find a way to tell the story from the outside that still felt fresh, funny, and genuinely useful for fellow fans.

Over time that content built a following, but more importantly a community, and that’s what opened doors. Once people could see what I did and how I did it, opportunities started to come with brands, clubs, athletes and presenting roles.

Looking back, it feels very full circle, all my worlds have collided. Sport, storytelling, media, performance. And a lot of it came down to pushing through the anxiety, and showing up consistently.

What is your number one focus when it comes to your work?

Ensuring my content speaks to everyone, bringing new fans in without being patronising, while still making day-one fans feel seen. And alongside that, shouting about what athletes are doing on and off the pitch. Aside from that it’s very much continuing to think outside the box, original ideas or putting my own spin on things.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?

To keep coming back to why I started. I do this because I genuinely love sport – there’s nothing like it. It’s easy to lose sight of that when you’re caught up in comparison, numbers, and feeling like you’re never doing “enough” because the goalposts keep moving.

Perspective is everything. The work is better, and I’m happier, when I focus on the impact and the joy, not the ‘what ifs’ or the parts I’m missing.

What are you most excited about in the sport industry?

The growth of sport as culture, not just sport as results. We’re seeing more personality-led storytelling, more crossover and more space for athletes to be fully human, not just elite performers.

Women’s sport in particular has shown how powerful community can be, and I’m excited to see that energy keep shaping how brands, broadcasters and clubs show up.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

I’d love to see better measures in place to protect athletes and creators from online trolling and pile-ons. So much of the criticism comes from people who don’t know you, don’t understand the job, and only see a tiny snippet of what’s really going on.

It can get toxic fast, and you never know what someone is dealing with behind closed doors. If we want the industry to be sustainable, we have to value people properly and protect them better.

Sport is a hectic industry, what do you do to switch off?

Switching off is definitely a work-in-progress as a neurodivergent, chronic overthinker, but I’m getting better at trying to step away when I can. Getting outside and moving my body helps the most, whether that’s going to the gym, a walk, or anything that gets me out of my head.

I also love doing things that feel separate from work, like going to the theatre, dinner, concerts, and seeing my friends. My best friends are the girls I went to school with and we’re all doing wildly different things, so being with them is a great reset. And I’ll never say no to a holiday either.

If you were to give a piece of advice to someone wanting to do your role, what would you say?

Just start doing. Create things consistently, even if you don’t have access or a big platform yet. Say yes to opportunities that stretch you, be reliable, and treat people how you would want to be treated. Don’t get too caught up in numbers or comparison.

If you keep improving your craft and putting your own spin on things, the right people will find you.

Emma’s journey is a reminder that there’s no fixed blueprint for working in sport – especially in an industry that’s evolving as quickly as the platforms it lives on.

What stands out isn’t just the variety of her work, but the intent behind it: making sport feel accessible, human and culturally relevant. In a space increasingly driven by personality and storytelling, that ability is becoming one of the most valuable skills there is.

And if there’s one takeaway from Emma’s story, it’s this: don’t wait for permission. Start creating, stay consistent, and let the work speak for itself.

How to connect with Emma Oldfield…

Instagram, TikTok and YouTube: EmmaLouOldfield

Game Face Off – podcast on Instagram, TikTok, Apple, Spotify and YouTube

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