Premier League + and why owning the broadcast isn’t owning the fan May 17, 2026 The Premier League and Uefa’s moves into streaming platforms misunderstand the way fans want to consume football, says George Gilmore. In the last few months, the two leading lights in global club football, the Premier League and Uefa, have announced they will be launching direct-to-consumer broadcast offerings. In so doing, a revolutionary, if predictable, moment [...]
Britain takes first steps on journey to 2040s North of England Olympics bid May 17, 2026 The first steps have been taken to see Great Britain host the Olympics, in the North of England, for the first time since London 2012. The government this morning commissioned an “initial strategic assessment” into the potential for the North of England to stage the quadrennial games in the 2040s. Though any decision to bid [...]
London Marathon’s staggering popularity isn’t about running at all May 16, 2026 Why does one in 50 UK adults want to run the London Marathon? Maybe because it’s an oasis of joy in a desert of doldrums, says Matt Readman. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, as breadlines lengthened and unemployment spread across entire cities, something unexpected happened: people laughed more. Or at least, they looked [...]
Championship clubs up promotion gamble by adopting new financial rules May 15, 2026 Loss-making Championship clubs have raised the stakes in their £1.2bn gamble to reach the Premier League by voting in new financial rules. Teams in the second tier have agreed to adopt a framework based on squad cost ratio (SCR), similar to those set to be implemented in the top division, from next season. The new [...]
Hearts: Fan ownership, Tony Bloom and upsetting the Old Firm status quo May 15, 2026 A decade ago Leicester City beat odds of 5000/1 to win the Premier League. Hearts could replicate that level of upset on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership. Because for the first time since 1985 one of Rangers or Celtic may not lift the title. Forty years ago it was Aberdeen under Sir Alex Ferguson, this [...]
David Beckham becomes Britain’s first billionaire sportsman May 15, 2026 David Beckham has become Britain’s first billionaire sportsman after his wealth doubled in the last year, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. The former captain of the England football team and his wife, Victoria Beckham, are now estimated to be worth almost £1.2bn. Beckham has benefited from the surging valuation of Inter Miami, the [...]
Sunday Times Rich List: Bath and Man United owners Dyson and Ratcliffe lose £10bn May 15, 2026 Manchester United and Bath Rugby investors Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir James Dyson have lost £10bn in the last year, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. Dyson, who earlier this year purchased 50 per cent of Prem Rugby club Bath, saw his and his family’s wealth fall £8.8bn, from £20.8bn to £12bn between 2025 [...]
England Red Roses are great for rugby, but are they bad for business? May 15, 2026 Should the dominant England rugby team beat France on Sunday in the final round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations they will notch up their 38th consecutive Test victory. It is an amazing feat by one of the most incredible sports teams in the world, but is it good for business? For England, yes. For [...]
Championship play-off final may be postponed over spygate, EFL admits May 14, 2026 The EFL have not ruled out postponing the Championship play-off final between Hull and Southampton over recent spygate accusations. Southampton’s semi-final opponents Middlesbrough lodged a complaint with the Championship’s governing body after a man was spotted outside of Boro’s training ground with a camera. Southampton were charged with breaching EFL regulations after Middlesbrough’s complaint but [...]
Arsenal sign Deel deal with CEO who is fan of Champions League finalists PSG May 14, 2026 HR firm Deel, whose chief executive supports rival Champions League final side Paris Saint-Germain, will replace Visit Rwanda on the sleeve of Arsenal’s kit. The Gunners, currently top of the Premier League and on the verge of a first title in over 20 years, had initially looked to renew a long-standing deal with the tourism [...]