Football M&A shake-up as investors swap mega-deals for lower league takeovers October 30, 2025 Football’s M&A market has seen a drop in mega-deals as investors have turned their attention to lower leagues, expanding multi-club networks and strategic minority acquisitions. A new report by independent consultancy Football Benchmark said its analysis of the 76 deals to take place so far this year reflected “a maturing market”. While recent years have [...]
Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium to host first non-football match October 30, 2025 Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium is gearing up to host its first non-football sporting event as the rugby league Ashes arrives on Merseyside. The 52,000 capacity Bramley-Moore Dock venue is the newest in the Premier League, hosting its first trial match in February, and will this weekend add a new sport to its roster. England head [...]
Dettori lands role with big-spending Amo Racing months after bankruptcy October 30, 2025 Frankie Dettori has announced that he will take up a new role as an ambassador for Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing after his US swansong at this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup. The record-breaking jockey, 54, has five rides booked at Del Mar on Friday and Saturday, with his appearance on Argine in the Breeders’ Cup Mile set [...]
Punk Padel and Tough Mudder: It pays for sports to buy into fun innovation October 30, 2025 I am happy to go down any rabbit hole, or country lane, in search of innovation in sport. Driving back from a trail race the other day, I passed a small sign tucked on a grassy verge in deepest Sussex. “Punk Padel”, it seemed to whisper rather than shout, as if conscious it was out [...]
Ariel Must Go close on Sha Tin’s dirt under Wong October 29, 2025 RACING in Hong Kong moves from its regular Wednesday Happy Valley slot to Sha Tin today, with an eight-race card on the all-weather surface starting at 11.15am. Regular bettors in the city are always wary when attempting to find winners on the dirt surface as there are so many imponderables to contend with. Will the [...]
Agility has Supreme chance to gain first Hong Kong win October 29, 2025 A WINNING double at Sha Tin on Sunday was just the tonic needed for the Pierre Ng stable, who had been languishing near the bottom of the trainers’ championship table with just a solitary winner from the first two months of the season. That must have felt like a poor return for a trainer who [...]
EuroLeague CEO: ‘NBA Europe is not needed. We’ve been here for 25 years’ October 29, 2025 EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas is on bullish form. European basketball is a hot topic and his organisation, which runs the competition home to continental giants such as Real Madrid and Panathinaikos, has just begun a new season in good shape. It has a new main sponsor in Etihad Airways, a new deal with Adidas and [...]
Real Madrid vow to sue Uefa for millions over European Super League stance October 29, 2025 Real Madrid have vowed to seek damages from Uefa expected to run into the millions of Euros for the governing body’s efforts in quashing the European Super League breakaway. The Spanish giants said they would seek financial compensation after a Madrid court rejected appeals by Uefa, LaLiga and Spain’s FA and reaffirmed a previous European [...]
Streaming overtakes traditional sports broadcasting, spending $12.5bn in 2025 October 29, 2025 Streaming has overtaken traditional broadcast and cable TV viewing as its biggest players have increased investment in sports rights, according to a new report. Platforms such as Dazn have pumped significant funds into showing live sport, with the sector as a whole spending $12.5bn in 2025, up 25 per cent on last year. Streaming’s share [...]
The Punter Podcast Episode 54: Breeders’ Cup, Ascot and Wetherby October 29, 2025 Bill Esdaile and Tom Marriott are back to preview the Breeders’ Cup action from Del Mar across Friday and Saturday, and trainer Jack Davison joins to discuss the chance of She’s Quality in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Tom and Bill also spin through the domestic action, looking at Wetherby’s Charlie Hall card as well [...]