During Amsterdam Dance Event 2025, Buma Music in Motion hosted a full day at the BumaStemra Hub in the Pulitzer Hotel – a day filled with meetings, new connections and conversations at the intersection of music, media and creativity. Among all these moments, one panel stood out: Beating the Crowd: How Music Moves the Game, about the ways music and sport strengthen each other. The panel featured Grayson Repp (FIFA), Mark Nipius (Tribe Company/KNVB) and Tom Roberts (Shoot Music). Moderation by Diederik van Zessen (Sport Sounds).
Anyone who watched the 2022 World Cup final will remember it: the powerful track ‘Intro’ by The xx, played right before the penalty shootout between France and Argentina. That was the work of Grayson Repp, FIFA’s Head DJ and Music Director. “I wanted to build tension. It was a dream final, and that song just fit that exact moment,” he said. What followed was a magical collision of timing, instinct and experience; ten thousand hours of DJing condensed into one decisive moment. Behind the scenes, Repp explained, there’s a world of coordination and trust: carefully curated playlists, legal checks, and post-show rights handling. He was given remarkable freedom by FIFA, as long as he followed the proper compliance steps.
Singing along together
Closer to home, music also plays a major role in sport. Mark Nipius spoke about the collaboration between the KNVB, Armin van Buuren and Chef’Special, which resulted in the European Championship anthem ‘Larger Than Life’. A writers’ camp at the team hotel led to an unexpected highlight: players singing along to the chorus themselves. The moment was spontaneous and unscripted. What followed was pure goosebumps, all over. The track became a radio hit and a stadium favourite. Whether it’s already being sung from every stand? That takes time, smiled Nipius. Repp added that Seven Nation Army didn’t become a stadium anthem overnight either.
The discussion about stadium shows sparked an engaging debate. The Champions League pre-show featuring Linkin Park, said Nipius, was a massive production but lacked story and interaction with fans. Roberts saw it differently: “A strong TV moment, maybe the closest Europe has come to a true halftime show.” The room agreed that the real magic happens when fan energy in the stands and television spectacle go hand in hand.
Music as the backbone of the game experience
Tom Roberts showed how music has evolved into a world of its own within sports, from syncs on BBC’s Match of the Day to curated playlists in Premier League stadiums. Clubs are eager for new music that resonates online; a stadium exclusive offers reach and engagement in one. Nipius sees the same development in the Netherlands: more pre-match shows, more DJs, more atmosphere. “If a ticket costs 70 euros, the whole day has to deliver,” he said. “Music is the backbone of that experience.”
The main thread running through the conversation: authenticity always wins. Whether it’s a remix that builds tension before a penalty shootout or an anthem uniting players and fans; the power of music lies in the moment when everything aligns. As Repp put it: “Look good, feel good, play good.”
Text by Meike Jentjens
Photo by Rogier Boogaard