Cricket lawmakers MCC relax bat rules amid worldwide run on willow February 3, 2026 The soaring cost of English willow has forced cricket’s lawmakers the MCC to rewrite their rule book and allow the use of previously-banned laminated bats. Top-of-the-range Grade 1 bats have more than doubled in price to around £1,000 over the last decade, fuelling fears that swathes of would-be cricketers are being priced out. Those concerns [...]
AI-driven workforce fuels private equity surge in sports February 3, 2026 The influx of businesses investing in AI is a key factor driving the surge in private equity (PE) within the leisure and sports sector, as sports is the new luxury. Cleary Gottlieb partner Tihir Sarkar explained to City AM, “With day-to-day activities being taken over by AI, there’s going to be a lot more time for participation [...]
NFL chiefs back Bad Bunny Super Bowl LX show amid Trump protest fears February 3, 2026 NFL chiefs have defended choosing Bad Bunny to headline the Super Bowl LX half-time show amid fears he will ignite a row over President Trump’s immigration crackdown. The Puerto Rican declared “ICE out” at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in protest at federal agents’ hardline approach, including the fatal shooting of two people in Minneapolis [...]
Exclusive: Olympian Matt Richards launches sports-tech platform Sponza February 3, 2026 Double Olympic champion swimmer Matt Richards has launched a new business that will help thousands of athletes find commercial backers. Sponza, Richards told City AM, has raised a six-figure sum at a seven-figure valuation ahead of its launch this week. The sports tech platform will allow athletes to connect with brands, with the aim of [...]
GB Snowsport chief: City execs should sponsor Winter Olympics athletes, and go skiing with them February 2, 2026 “If you know our British world champions, put up your hands,” GB Snowsport chief executive Vicky Gosling said at the organisation’s annual corporate bash last year. No one raised their hands. “And it’s really sad,” she tells City AM, “because [despite] no snow and mountain ranges, we have unbelievable talent.” Team GB head to the [...]
‘They don’t bring anything’: World Cup boycott talk rebuked by Fifa chief Infantino February 2, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has rubbished talk of nations staging a boycott of the 2026 World Cup over President Trump’s US administration. The debate has gathered momentum in recent weeks, with Infantino’s predecessor Sepp Blatter endorsing calls, following Trump’s attempts to annex Greenland. A close ally of Trump, the Fifa chief argued that sport should [...]
Sussex CCC forced to prove financial stability after ECB loan February 2, 2026 Sussex County Cricket Club will need to prove their financial stability to the England and Wales Cricket Board after entering into an agreement with cricket’s governing body. The three-year financial framework agreement will see the county receive a points deduction ahead of the 2026 season, a suspended fine of £100,000, and a further suspended points [...]
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff tells rivals: ‘Get your s*** together’ February 2, 2026 Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has accused rival teams of looking for excuses before the season has even begun amid murmurings about the legality of their new engine. Ferrari, Honda and Audi are said to have raised objections about the power unit, which is set to be used not only by Mercedes but also McLaren, [...]
Alex Yee: Why Britain’s fastest marathon runner is sticking with triathlon February 2, 2026 Alex Yee insists he will keep following his heart and return to his first love, triathlon, despite the financial possibilities opened up by his breakthrough marathon performance last month. The two-time Olympic champion in swim-bike-run clocked 2:06:38 in Valencia in December, the second fastest 26.2-mile time by a Briton, behind only Sir Mo Farah. Yee [...]
Why transfer window could be a tax issue for footballers February 1, 2026 As the end of the transfer window approaches, once again many young international footballers have relocated to England, with considerable salaries now in their pockets. For instance, Chelsea’s pair of teenage summer signings, Jorrel Hato and William Estevao, joined with reported salaries worth a combined £180,000. While these contracts mark the sudden arrival of significant [...]