Ferdinand, Crouch, Foster: How footballers have built media empires for the future July 3, 2026 Footballers need to retire eventually. Calum Hopkins takes a look at how they can do it in a changing media landscape. With the World Cup knockouts well underway, it is time to consider whether the people sitting in the studio continue to have the power. We are seeing a massive shift in football; the audience [...]
Why brands can fail miserably at sponsoring Wimbledon July 3, 2026 With the Grand Slam in full swing, Sam Milne discusses why brands still manage to fail at Wimbledon Pimm’s, strawberries and cream, pristine grass courts, and royalty and sporting legends intermingling evoke only one place: Wimbledon. It’s one of the few global sporting events that feels timeless, and minus the players themselves, an image from [...]
Reality is rugby’s Nations Championship is botched July 3, 2026 With the inaugural Nations Championship around the corner, Ollie Phillips looks at why the sport’s bosses missed a trick. The Nations Championship kicks off this weekend, but when you look at what is the star match of round one based on the players involved – South Africa’s home fixture against England on Saturday – it [...]
Sumo’s London return shows the capital really is a global sport leader July 2, 2026 An astonishing thing is happening in Greenwich’s historic Borough Hall. The somewhat garish landmark of SE10, until next Wednesday, is at the epicentre of London’s love affair with Sumo. Having returned to the capital in 2025 for the first time since the early 1990s, City AM revealed last month that the highest level of the [...]
Ben Stokes bombshell shows how power has swung to sport’s players and coaches July 2, 2026 Social media has allowed the likes of Ben Stokes to control their own narrative but we are no nearer to knowing the truth, says Ed Warner. Truth is a pliable concept, capable of being moulded to suit the interests of the individual, and a battleground for competing narratives. Perspective is not all; volume and reach [...]
Good call: How Wimbledon’s comms help it to avoid break points June 28, 2026 Wimbledon’s success lies in heritage, prestige and scale but its disciplined communications also give it a competitive advantage, writes Jess Chan. Wimbledon is one of the most commercially successful institutions in global sport. I won’t dispute that its heritage is to be credited for its prestigious reputation. But its biggest competitive advantage is how it [...]
World Cup: How brands will activate as the knockouts begin June 27, 2026 Most eyes will be firmly fixed on the pitch as the World Cup enters the knockout phase next week. But for the discerning observer, there is another contest playing out in the background: what are the sponsors up to? With marketing and sponsorship deals related to the World Cup reported to generate between $2.5bn and [...]
Why sport fans got bored of influencers and forced brands into a mind shift June 27, 2026 Are we a sport generation that loves influencers or hates them? Jack Moriarty looks at how brands have changed their approach Sport has never just been about who wins and who loses. For fans, it’s a vehicle that allows them to escape from their everyday lives and connect with something deeper. That Saturday afternoon on [...]
How onerous UK tax system can sting players at Wimbledon June 26, 2026 With the Wimbledon Championships set to begin on Monday, Pete Fairchild takes us through the (very) complex tax issues players face. At Wimbledon, while spectators sip on Pimm’s and eat strawberries, the world’s top tennis players are earning income on British soil. For stars such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, competing in London means [...]
Could Burnham be the answer to free-to-air sport for all? June 25, 2026 With Andy Burnham set to be the next Prime Minister, Alan Sendorek assesses how his approach to broadcasting sport may differ from Sir Keir Starmer’s. Sir Keir Starmer – the country’s most powerful Arsenal fan – last month joined the Football Supporters Association in calling on TNT Sports to make the Champions League final available [...]