Apple makes biggest sports rights bet so far on 10-year, £2bn Major League Soccer deal June 15, 2022 Apple has agreed to pay $2.5bn (£2.1bn) for the global streaming rights to Major League Soccer for the next 10 years. The deal with the top division of men’s football in the US and Canada represents the tech giant’s biggest investment in sports rights so far. Apple, which bought a package of Major League Baseball [...]
Simon Shaw interview: ‘Addressing concussion is for the here and now’ June 15, 2022 It was a project hatched over a pre-arranged dinner, but the cogs that were left turning once the bill had been settled have spearheaded innovation into understanding concussion in and out of sport, and provoked questions as to why it continues to take so long to implement change. Simon Shaw is a former Wasps rugby [...]
Burnley appoint Vincent Kompany as new manager June 14, 2022 Championship outfit Burnley have appointed former Manchester City player Vincent Kompany as their new manager. The Clarets were relegated from the Premier League following the recent conclusion of the season and will compete in their first Championship season since 2015-2016 this summer. Kompany, 36, joins after a spell with Belgium’s Anderlecht – where he guided [...]
What it’s actually like in Qatar ahead of the World Cup 2022 June 14, 2022 Before I touched down in Qatar, I assumed it was a nation of falconry, beauty pageants for camels, and endless amounts of money. Save for a sprinkling of snazzy, FIFA-approved stadiums, little suggests Qatar plays football. When I arrive I see no goal posts in parks, locals playing, or even “No Ball Games” signs like [...]
Lydia Hall interview: Welsh golfer on her Amazon delivery sideline and the Aramco Team Series June 14, 2022 Lydia Hall spent much of the pandemic delivering parcels but now the Welsh golfer is enjoying improved returns on the Ladies European Tour, thanks in no small part to the Aramco Team Series. When Covid-19 shut down much of sport in early 2020, Hall was forced to put her clubs to one side and turn [...]
George Blackshaw interview: Amputee Golfer on learning from the pros at the Aramco Team Series June 14, 2022 The Aramco Team Series might boast some of the best women’s golfers in the world but that doesn’t mean that it remains roped off to non-professionals. George Blackshaw, known to thousands of followers on social media as the Amputee Golfer, was one of those who got the chance to play alongside the elite at the [...]
Hannah Burke interview: Aramco Team Series tipped my season into profit June 14, 2022 Sharing in victory at the Aramco Team Series in Jeddah last year was more than just a welcome boost towards the end of a long season for England’s Hannah Burke. It also marked her first success since being sidelined by injury in 2019, losing sponsors and then having to take more time away from competition [...]
Aramco Team Series: Why the Saudi energy and chemical giant is backing women’s golf June 14, 2022 Aramco public affairs general manager Talal Al-Marri explains why the Saudi energy and chemicals giant became one of the biggest backers of women’s golf via the Aramco Team Series, and what the company looks for in a sports sponsorship. Q. How did you come to be title partners of the Aramco Team Series? A. We [...]
Liverpool agree club record £85m transfer fee for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez June 13, 2022 Liverpool have agreed a £85m deal to make Benfica striker Darwin Nunez their record signing, the Portuguese club have confirmed. The Premier League team will pay a guaranteed £64m, plus additional performance-related fees up to a maximum of £21m. Uruguay international Nunez, who scored 34 goals in 41 games last season, is due to undergo [...]
Leicester and Saracens final offers far more than first versus second storyline June 12, 2022 For the sixth time in the last seven seasons, the Premiership final will be contested between the sides who finished in the top two places in the table. In Leicester Tigers and Saracens, English rugby is set to witness a clash between historic giants of the league and the newer dynasty from the capital. Saracens [...]