Hampshire sell up but insist Southern Brave won’t be thrown in for free September 30, 2024 Hampshire Cricket insist GMR is not getting a Hundred franchise on the cheap after agreeing a deal to become the first Indian-owned county in the English game. GMR, which owns Indian Premier League side the Delhi Capitals, has signed a deal worth around £120m to acquire Hampshire and the Utilita Bowl, and pay down debt. [...]
Premiership rugby stays on free-to-air TV in new two-year deal September 30, 2024 Premiership rugby will remain available to terrestrial TV viewers after the league extended its deal with ITV to show seven live matches per season. The two-year agreement ensures the Premiership Final will be shown live on ITV, which will also continue to broadcast a weekly highlights programme. “Premiership Rugby is thrilled to extend our relationship [...]
Indian Premier League owners agree deal to buy Hampshire Cricket September 30, 2024 Hampshire Cricket has confirmed it has agreed a sale to GMR Global Pte Ltd (GGPL), the owners of Indian Premier League side the Delhi Capitals. The deal, believed to be worth £120m, will see GGPL acquire Hampshire Cricket and the Utilita Bowl but it remains unclear if it will also include a 51 per cent [...]
Architect of Premier League calls for it to be cut to 18 teams September 29, 2024 The Premier League should be trimmed to just 18 teams in order to tackle the player workload row dividing the game, says former chief David Dein. Europe’s 20-team domestic leagues are coming under increasing pressure to slim down as clubs juggle additional European games and the imminent expanded Club World Cup. France’s Ligue 1 joined [...]
Controversial Wimbledon expansion plans get green light September 27, 2024 Wimbledon’s controversial expansion plans have been given the green light by the Greater London Authority. The decision taken by Jules Pipe, London’s deputy mayor for planning, means the All England Club’s proposal to build 39 new courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, on the adjacent former Wimbledon Park Golf Club and nearly triple the size [...]
Cricket in focus: England, India, the IPL and Hundred September 27, 2024 As England and India forge their own paths with white-ball cricket competitions the Hundred and T20, is the future one of cooperation? When the bumper England versus India Test series rolls around in the summer of 2025 – a year where the hosts also head Down Under to face Australia in the Ashes – the [...]
Three charts which show why Manchester United want a new stadium September 27, 2024 Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made renovating Old Trafford or building a brand new stadium one of his top priorities since investing in Manchester United. Ratcliffe wants the club’s home to be a modern, 100,000-seater stadium and has assembled a task force that includes Lord Coe and Gary Neville to shape the plans. The project is [...]
Sadiq Khan meets NBA chiefs with potential London return on cards September 26, 2024 London mayor Sadiq Khan today met the NBA Deputy Commissioner as hopes of a NBA return to London grew further. The pair spoke on Thursday “to discuss their shared ambition to expand the sport’s reach and influence in the capital, including through live NBA games”. “I want to do big events, whether it’s Wrestlemania, whether [...]
Premier League spent over £45m on legal costs in 2023-24 season September 26, 2024 The Premier League spent more than £45m on legal costs over the 2023-24 football season in an effort to fight alleged rule breakers. The body that runs England’s top flight is currently in ongoing disputes having also concluded proceedings on a number of matters across last season. Everton were hit with two separate points deductions [...]
Ed Warner: A player power reckoning is coming for football and cricket September 26, 2024 Whether or not Rodri truly believes over-worked footballers are close to taking strike action, his comments have certainly had cut-through. Athlete strikes are not without precedent, in football and elsewhere. Think of the four strikes in the NFL’s history plus its owner lockouts, and Argentina’s football strike of 2017. Back in 2001, English footballers voted [...]