Is chess a sport? It soon may be chasing the Olympic Holy Grail August 10, 2023 Columnist Ed Warner discusses chess, funding fringe sports and what makes a solid sporting body chief executive. Where do you draw the line between games and sports? Mine is at the door of the pub, so ruling dominos, bar billiards, space invaders and darts out of the sporting firmament. I realise of course that this [...]
Industries tops front of shirt list despite no Premier League deal August 9, 2023 Industries have overtaken consumer services as the chief sector for front of shirt sponsors in England’s top sports with automotive brands facing a new-found slump, according to new research released today. Of the 225 clubs assessed – across men’s and women’s football, rugby union, rugby league and cricket – just under 15 per cent, or [...]
Saudi Arabia’s PIF creates new sports investment company, SRJ Sports Investments August 6, 2023 The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) yesterday announced the formation of a new company which will be at the heart of the Kingdom’s sporting ambitions going forward. SRJ Sports Investments will “invest in acquiring and creating new sports events IP, commercial rights of popular and prominent sports competitions and hosting major global events in [...]
Can the Saudi Pro League buy a reputation for good, watchable football? August 4, 2023 It is difficult not to look to the Saudi Pro League with a sense of admiration. Many will disagree with the methods of the Saudi Arabian clubs – throwing money at players until they nod and accept a transfer to the Middle East – but others will argue that other leagues, especially in Europe, had [...]
Formula E, going green, and that £4bn Tata Group battery factory August 4, 2023 The Formula E season may be over but the technology never sleeps. And when technology can be transferred from a race track and into our homes – whether that be electric generation software or broadcasting structures – it can be revolutionary. When tech folk talk of what’s called “Race to Road” they refer to motorsporting [...]
Championship clubs need to make money, but Sheffield Wednesday are taking the mick August 3, 2023 The Championship kicks of on Friday evening as nearly 3,000 Southampton fans make the eight-hour round trip to Sheffield Wednesday. Football’s second tier is crazy; 46 matches with 24 clubs stretching from Plymouth to Sunderland, Swansea to Norwich. In 2019 the average away ticket would set you back £27.04, but data from TheAwayFans states that [...]
QB legend Tom Brady switches NFL for football with Birmingham City investment August 3, 2023 Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, has invested in Birmingham City alongside existing shareholder Tom Wagner
‘Sooner The Hundred is scrapped the better, the Ashes shone’ August 3, 2023 I’ve had a tough summer so far on behalf of readers, dragging myself from Ashes to Ashes – a day at each of the five men’s Tests plus one of the women’s T20s. From the maddening Rubik’s Cube of ticket application ballots last autumn, through the tyranny of rail strikes, to the final dose of [...]
Scrapping Premier League relegation on table after flood of new private equity August 3, 2023 Private equity buyers flooding into Premier League and European football are likely to want more of a say over the rules of the game, top lawyers have told City A.M., including the potential introduction of ‘closed leagues’ without promotion or relegation. The value of deals in Europe’s top five leagues – England, France, Germany, Italy [...]
The Cut Company: City duo doing golf greener August 2, 2023 If you stroll down Lower Thames Street in the City, you’ll come across the most out of place American Golf outlet. It means little to passers-by but it does reinforce the mantra, or stereotype, of the City of London being a hotspot for avid golfers. But let’s be honest, a lot of the apparel on [...]