The great TV robbery: How the world’s biggest sports broadcaster lost $1bn to a brazen campaign of piracy December 13, 2018 Imagine you’ve had something stolen. But this isn’t a conventional theft: you know who did it, how they did it, where they are – and you can prove it. It isn’t a one-off theft, but rather a never-ending succession of offences which the perpetrator does nothing to hide. Instead they taunt you frequently by flouting [...]
Liverpool v Manchester United: Jurgen Klopp’s team primed to end hoodoo against rivals but don’t discount party-pooper Jose Mourinho December 13, 2018 Supremacy in the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United has swung back and forth between English football’s two traditional powerhouses but there is no mistaking where it lies currently. Liverpool have added an armour-pleated rearguard to their quicksilver front line, are enjoying their best ever start to a Premier League season and sit top of [...]
Ollie Phillips: Elliot Daly’s proposed move to Saracens makes sense for the England man – but Wasps need to be weary of their brewing exodus December 13, 2018 The rumour mill has begun to turn and there are some big names considering moves in the Premiership right now. The most active club appear to be Wasps – but not in the way they’d like, with the makings of an exodus brewing in Coventry. A third of the squad's contracts expire at the end [...]
Winning formula: Electric series Formula E continues to evolve at a rapid rate and defy the constraints of traditional motorsport December 13, 2018 Formula E set out four years ago with the goal of revolutionising racing and pioneering a transition to electric vehicles. As it prepares for its fifth season, which starts on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, the series has continued to evolve at a rapid rate and defy the constraints of traditional motorsport. This year the series [...]
Formula One teams face battle to keep attracting lucrative sponsors as major revenue stream takes hit December 13, 2018 The sponsorship landscape has changed significantly for Formula One teams over the past decade or so and it has been a change for the worse for most involved. Revenue from sponsors has decreased by a quarter since 2007, falling from $1.01bn to $772.5m last season, according to data compiled by Formula Money. In fact, there [...]
Andy Warhol’s £6m selfie and how we can all now be famous for 15 minutes December 13, 2018 | City Talk One day in 1963, Andy Warhol walked into a New York photobooth and took what have become the world’s most famous selfies. One of these trailblazing self-portraits has just been sold at a Sotheby’s auction for just over £6m. These selfies perfectly suited Warhol’s vision of the pop art era of the late 1950s and [...]
3D printed sports shoes are more about your wallet than your feet December 13, 2018 | City Talk The race is on to bring 3D printed footwear to market. Adidas, Nike and Under Armour are some of the big names that have been working on delivering bespoke shoes to their customers. From the sounds of their marketing, you may be forgiven for believing that bespoke shoes are just a footstep away. But a [...]
Champions League talking points: Phil Jones and Paul Pogba with nights to forget, but Leroy Sane and Phil Foden shine December 12, 2018 In typical Jose Mourinho fashion, Manchester United’s manager hasn’t been shy lately in letting the public know about his side’s crippling injury problems. With Chris Smalling, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian all absent, it was Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo across the back four against Valencia. It’s fair to [...]
Team Sky: Cycling behemoth will leave behind conflicted image of success tinged by “damaging scepticism” December 12, 2018 It’s no wonder some see Team Sky as cycling’s bad guys. Their bus is nicknamed the “Death Star”, their employees wear black and they have conquered all in their path through heavy investment. The shock announcement that their media giant benefactor will pull the plug on its sponsorship at the end of the 2019 season [...]
Can CVC Capital Partners’ £230m investment into Premiership Rugby save loss-making English clubs? December 12, 2018 It may not quite have got over the line at this week’s board meeting but CVC Capital Partners’ prospective acquisition of a minority stake in Premiership Rugby now seems to be a question of when, not if – and then, what will it mean for a domestic game ailing financially? The most significant immediate change [...]