Doing good is now part of doing business: Why every sports brand and athlete needs to help society in order to find commercial success March 2, 2021 The influence and social media reach of sports women and men is incredible – and growing. But who is using it to greatest effect, both for their own benefit and that of society? Cristiano Ronaldo has 263m followers on Instagram and Lionel Messi has over 100m on Facebook. Manchester United, widely regarded as the biggest [...]
Why science, engineering and business must unite to protect our athletes and the sports we love February 24, 2021 The stadiums were echoing, the stands empty, but when normal life ground to a halt, many professional sportsmen and women played on. The spectacle gave the rest of us a dose of much-needed escapism. Watching from our locked-down homes, it was easy to imagine the athletes on-screen didn’t have a care in the world beyond [...]
England cricket chiefs to launch The Hundred with women’s match between Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals February 23, 2021 The Hundred, English cricket’s new short-form competition, will begin with a women’s match between the Oval Invincibles and the Manchester Originals. The fixture at the Kia Oval on Wednesday 21 July will be followed by the first men’s match, featuring the same franchises at the same venue, the following day. Tickets for The Hundred are [...]
Up to 10,000 sports fans to be allowed back to stadiums from 17 May, says Prime Minister February 22, 2021 Sports fans will be allowed to return to stadiums from 17 May, with up to 10,000 spectators permitted in the largest venues. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the relaxation of rules today as he laid out his plans for emerging from lockdown. The announcement means that crowds should be in attendance for Euro 2020 matches [...]
The changing face of match-fixing and why integrity mustn’t be allowed to suffer as Covid-19 squeezes budgets February 19, 2021 As sports events continue to take place in unfamiliar surroundings, the integrity of competitions has been thrust into the spotlight as match-fixing grows and evolves. The global pandemic has created many new challenges to the sporting world, none more significant than the way in which criminals have been able to intensify their operations and become [...]
Chris Tremlett: India have stolen the momentum but I’m confident that England can win series February 19, 2021 England may have suffered a disappointing 317-run defeat in the second Test in India but they won’t be panicking. Not many people gave the tourists a chance of winning any matches in this four-Test series. Their victory in the first game is as impressive as any England Test result in history and offered so many [...]
Sport on TV: How to watch India v England, the Six Nations, Liverpool v Man City and Super Bowl LV in the UK February 6, 2021 What better way to beat the lockdown blues than by gorging on a feast of sport on TV? Answer: none. And this weekend’s fare is the most abundant yet this year, with an England Test series on terrestrial TV, the first round of the Six Nations, a Premier League title showdown between Liverpool and Manchester [...]
Chris Tremlett: India tours pose unique challenges, even more so at this time February 3, 2021 An India tour can feel very alien for a cricketer, as England’s players there for a Test series that begins on Friday will know. It is a completely different culture to other places you visit, like Australia, South Africa and the Caribbean, and poses unique challenges. Cricketers are like gods to Indians, so when you [...]
Why Test cricket is back on Channel 4 and what it means for the future of sport on terrestrial TV February 2, 2021 For the first time since the heady 2005 Ashes series, Test cricket is returning to British terrestrial television. Channel 4 has bought the rights to show England’s tour of India, which begins on Friday in Chennai. But why is cricket back on a free-to-air broadcaster? Who stands to gain? And what does this mean for [...]
Former England cricket chief Colin Graves: ‘I know Indian investment in The Hundred is there if the doors are opened’ January 30, 2021 Colin Graves may have stepped down as chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last year but he is not done shaping the game he loves. This month, the 73-year-old joined the board of Oakwell Sports Advisory, which advised CVC Capital Partners on its investment in Premiership Rugby and the Pro14. The man [...]