County cricket faces viability questions, warns report Sport Business County cricket faces “questions about its long-term viability” despite a looming £520m windfall from sales of stakes in the Hundred franchises, a new report has warned. The Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report, launched yesterday at the Oval, examines the financial health of domestic cricket in England and Wales. It found that central funding accounts for [...]
Why David Gower is selling his rare cricket memorabilia on eBay Sport Former England cricket captain David Gower has eschewed fancy auction houses and instead plumped for eBay to sell off a stash of rare mementos from his legendary career. In among the usual second-hand shoes, garden furniture and iPhones, something peculiar and altogether more exotic is lurking on eBay. A bat from Botham’s Ashes, signed by [...]
Wimbledon, Euros and Test cricket set to boost pubs and supermarkets Sport Business Pubs and supermarkets are bracing for a bumper weekend thanks to the heatwave and a deluge of live sport on TV including Wimbledon finals, Test cricket and the Lionesses. A British and Irish Lions tour match, England and Wales rugby internationals, other Women’s Euros fixtures, Tour de France cycling and a trilogy fight between Katie [...]
Hundred teams to be buoyed by hike in IPL franchise valuations July 8, 2025 Hundred teams with links to the Indian Premier League (IPL) are to be buoyed by increased brand valuations for their subcontinental sibling clubs after a new report revealed major competition growth. While Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who do not have any involvement in bids for the eight Hundred franchises, topped the brand value list at £198m, [...]
Women’s sport needs to convert online fandom into ticket sales July 3, 2025 With England’s Euros defence getting underway on Saturday, how does women’s sport convert online fandom into ticket sales? Attendances down, TV viewing figures falling, but TikTok and Instagram metrics up. This is the current state of engagement with women’s professional sport in the United Kingdom. Phone surfing can be monetised, but there is an urgent [...]
Bumble: If Test cricket is dead, then why are the grounds full in the UK? June 27, 2025 David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd has hit out at those saying Test cricket is dying, pointing to the packed crowds UK stadiums enjoy week in, week out. It comes after England’s sensational victory over India at Headingley last week, and a full Lord’s for the World Test Championship fixture between Australia and South Africa. Limited tickets for [...]
Sports events must decide between purists and entertaining newbies June 26, 2025 With Britain in the height of its summer sporting season, Ed Warner debates how organisers must balance pleasing purists with enticing new fans. “Does anyone talk about The Season anymore? The social whirl of the Lord’s Test, Queen’s, Royal Ascot and then finally Wimbledon? I may have missed others…” I replied to this Sport inc. [...]
London Spirit: Tech titans eye speedy Hundred deal to beat Trump tax rises June 25, 2025 English cricket is set to be an unlikely beneficiary of US President Donald Trump’s tax changes, with the so-called “tech titans” who are buying into London Spirit eager to complete the transaction before the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is rubber-stamped by Congress. One clause of the Republic-sponsored bill, now with the Senate having been [...]
ICC set to create cricket game to rival Fifa June 16, 2025 Cricket’s governing body the ICC and its 12 members – including England – have launched an expression of interest to develop a mobile game. The ICC hopes to use a cricket version of Fifa to change the way fans engage with the sport, encouraging a new form of fandom. The process is set to see [...]
Diageo mull $2bn sale of IPL side Royal Challengers Bengaluru June 10, 2025 Beverage giant Diageo is mulling a potential sale of its Indian Premier League (IPL) side Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The reigning IPL champions – whose roster this year featured the likes of England’s Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell, as well as Australians Tim David and Josh Hazlewood – are owned by United Spirits, a [...]