2026 World Cup: How England went from misery to magnet for blue chip brands Sport Business As they begin their 2026 World Cup campaign, the England brand is unrecognisable from 10 years ago – and it is paying off in growing revenues for the FA. This month marks a decade since one of the darkest days in the Football Association’s history, when England’s men were humbled by Iceland – a nation [...]
BT boss bags pay rise despite £3.7bn cost-cutting drive Telecoms BT chief executive Allison Kirkby received a £5.6m pay package last year, more than double the £2.5m she earned a year earlier, as the telecoms giant accelerated a sweeping cost-cutting programme designed to strip billions from the business. According to the FTSE 100 group’s annual report, Kirkby was paid £5.58m for the year to 31 [...]
BT overhauls dividend policy as it vows ‘enhanced distributions’ for shareholders Markets BT has refreshed its dividend policy as the telco giant vowed to deliver “enhanced distributions” for shareholders. The FTSE 100 member declared a final dividend of 5.87p, increasing its full-year dividend by 2 per cent to 8.32p. BT said its new policy would be to “grow the dividend by low to mid single digit percent [...]
As it happened: Stocks jittery as Iran war drags on; Reeves unveil cost-of-living package May 21, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Donald Trump has warned Iran there are two options that could see the US finishing the war in Iran, with one that will “see a few people killed as opposed to a lot”. He added: “We could do it either way.” It’s the latest threat from the White [...]
BT bags five-year digital contract with BAE Systems May 14, 2026 BT has signed a five-year deal with BAE Systems to provide secure connectivity across the defence giant’s global operations, as military contractors ramp up digital infrastructure spend. The contract will see BT support BAE’s network across 40 countries, with an option to extend the partnership by an additional three years. The deal comes as BAE, [...]
Vodafone says UK merger is ‘ahead of plan’ as boss bets on mega multi-brand strategy May 12, 2026 Vodafone said it is “building momentum” as the telecoms behemoth pushes further into the British market following its £4.3bn VodafoneThree deal and signs of stabilisation in Germany. The FTSE 100 telecoms group reported better-than-expected annual revenue of €40.4bn (£35bn) for the year to March, up from €37.4bn last year. Meanwhile, pre-tax profit slipped slighty to [...]
BT shares dip as Ofcom probes EE and Plusnet data April 29, 2026 Shares in telecoms giant BT Group slid on Wednesday after the regulator Ofcom launched a formal investigation into whether it provided inaccurate or incomplete customer service data through EE and Plusnet. The UK watchdog said it is looking into whether BT complied with legally binding information requests issued in December 2023, under the Communications Act, [...]
Ofcom targets BT and Three as summer outages exposed emergency call risk December 15, 2025 The UK’s telecoms regulator has launched investigations into BT and Three after network failures this summer left customers unable to make calls, including to the emergency services. Ofcom said on Monday that the probes will assess whether the two operators complied with their legal dutiesm after separate incidents caused nationwide disruption. Telecoms giant BT notified [...]
Business leaders bemoan Budget uncertainty as tax hikes loom November 13, 2025 Business leaders up and down the country have poured scorn on the Chancellor after months of Budget uncertainty damaged consumer confidence and forced firms to hold off key investment decisions. Scores of chief executives, from retail to hospitality to telecoms and manufacturing, have voiced their concern over the lack of a clear fiscal plan after [...]
Vodafone chief shakes off Budget gloom as shares jump November 11, 2025 Vodafone’s chief executive has said the forthcoming Budget is “not a big thing for us” after the telco defied wider economic gloom to deliver a dividend hike. The FTSE 100 firm said it saw 1.2 per cent growth in the UK in the six months to the end of September, while Germany, a key market, [...]