HSBC and other sponsors not to blame for Emma Raducanu’s decline, insists agent July 25, 2023 Emma Raducanu’s agent has rejected suggestions that a swathe of money-spinning sponsorships including HSBC and Vodafone have held her back since her sensational 2021 US Open triumph. The British tennis player’s Grand Slam title brought her a swathe of deals with brands also including Dior, Porsche, British Airways and Nike which earned her £22m last [...]
Open Sunday should be free-to-air going forward, says MP golf group chair July 25, 2023 The final day of the Open Championship should be broadcast live on free-to-air channels to attract more people to the sport, says the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for golf. Craig Tracey MP says the sport could soon be prescribed by doctors to help patients get healthy, and that bringing live coverage of [...]
Kylian Mbappe: Paris Saint-Germain accept world record £259m bid from Al-Hilal July 24, 2023 Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have kicked off a transfer scramble for Kylian Mbappe by tabling a package worth €1bn (£865m) for the France and Paris Saint-Germain striker. PSG accepted Al-Hilal’s offer, which includes a potential world record transfer fee of €300m (£259m) and a contract worth €700m (£605m) a year for Mbappe. The 24-year-old [...]
Open prize money: How much do golfers get for winning the world’s oldest major? July 22, 2023 Good news for golfers teeing it up at Royal Liverpool this week: Open prize money is up to record levels. For the sixth year in a row, organisers the R&A have increased both the total prize pot and the winner’s payout. In fact, both have more than doubled in a decade since Phil Mickelson lifted [...]
UFC Fight Night figure: London will host card every year July 22, 2023 A senior member of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) management has said London remains in the long-term future for the combat sport going forward. David Shaw, executive vice president, head of international and content, has used an interview with City A.M. to display a vote of confidence in London and its future as a UFC host [...]
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami debut: All you need to know and how to watch in the UK July 21, 2023 All you need to know about Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami debut, from the date and time to the opponents and TV details – plus suggestions that the club could yet make fans wait a little longer. After jetting in to Florida last weekend to confirm his long-awaited signing, Lionel Messi is poised to play his [...]
Ed Warner: I found a solution to cricket’s privilege problem in the South Downs July 20, 2023 Cricket can tackle its elitism problem by supporting initiatives take the sport to new audiences such as disadvantaged kids, says Ed Warner. Back in my investment banking days, I was responsible from across the Atlantic for a US research department. Every time I headed for JFK after a visit to my team of analysts I [...]
Chelsea land deal boosts Stamford Bridge revamp prospects July 19, 2023 Chelsea have boosted their prospects of redeveloping Stamford Bridge after winning the race to buy adjacent land. The Blues are keen to play at a bigger home and are exploring the possibility of expanding their current stadium, which holds 40,000 fans. The club saw off 12 other bids to agree a deal for a 1.2 [...]
Golf’s Open chiefs change tack on Saudi sponsorship following LIV-PGA deal July 19, 2023 Open Championship chiefs have admitted they would consider sponsorship from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund despite previously criticising its impact on the sport through LIV Golf. On the eve of last year’s tournament Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, said LIV Golf was “harming the perception of the game” and depicted it as “entirely [...]
Is it time for the Commonwealth Games to move on and change tact? July 18, 2023 In the early hours of Tuesday morning a statement dropped announcing that the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games would not take place in the southern state of Australia. It triggered a crisis for the Commonwealth and what it perceives to be its legacy. Once the British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games encompasses a modern Britain and [...]