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 [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Premier League still No1 in China; Leeds boss keeping busy; Matchroom’s media move; Wimbledon optimism; London 2012 gold for sale January 28, 2021 The Premier League’s ongoing dispute with a Chinese broadcaster doesn’t appear to have affected its popularity in the Far East. England’s top division has been named the most popular football league in China by a new report ranking digital performance. It had 80 per cent more engagement on leading social media platform Weibo than La [...]
Chris Tremlett: Joe Root looked back to his best in England’s confidence-boosting 2-0 win in Sri Lanka January 27, 2021 Sri Lanka may not have looked the best, but that was an important Test series for England – and in particular Joe Root – to win 2-0. The tourists had very little preparation, with limited resources in Loughborough and then just one warm-up game once they got out there. Sri Lanka handed England the initiative [...]
England cricet team ‘unconcerned’ by Covid-19 outbreak at team hotel in Sri Lanka January 15, 2021 England are “not concerned” after two staff members at their hotel in Galle where they are playing two Test matches against Sri Lanka tested positive for Covid-19. The kitchen workers returned positive results after routine tests conducted by the hotel due to the presence of the England team, Sri Lankan media reported. “We are not [...]
England football team chef Omar Meziane on feeding Harry Kane and Co, Joe Hart’s soup strop, and his new business Tweakd January 8, 2021 He might be the England team’s trusted chef now, but Omar Meziane did not expect his first assignment with the country’s best footballers to last long. “It was a rainy Sunday night when I got a call from the FA saying: ‘We’d love you to go to South Korea with the under-20s.’ About a week [...]
How Covid is affecting sport in 2021: Will Premier League, Tokyo Olympics, England’s Test series in Sri Lanka and the Lions tour go ahead? January 5, 2021 The first wave of Covid-19 saw professional sport grind to a halt as countries across the world imposed lockdowns. With cases on the rise again, particularly in England, some sports – including football, rugby union, boxing and snooker – have already been disrupted. So how is elite sport in 2021 being affected by the pandemic [...]
England cricketer Moeen Ali tests positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Sri Lanka January 4, 2021 England cricketer Moeen Ali has tested positive for Covid-19 following the team’s arrival in Sri Lanka. Moeen must now quarantine for 10 days, meaning he is unlikely to feature in the first Test on 14 January. Team-mate Chris Woakes must also self-isolate and undergo further tests, having been deemed a close contact of Moeen. England [...]
Major League Cricket: Silicon Valley and Bollywood’s grand plan to make America fall in love with T20 December 23, 2020 People don’t tend to associate the game of cricket with the United States. The world’s second most popular sport has an estimated global following of 2.5bn, yet has struggled to attract an audience in the US, where American football, baseball, and basketball dominate the live sport broadcasting schedule. But a group of investors that includes [...]
The Big Sport Quiz of 2020: How well were you following the action this year? December 22, 2020 Roll up, roll up: it’s City A.M.’s Big Sport Quiz of 2020! Yes, a lot of it was severely disrupted and most of it happened without fans present, but there was still plenty of vintage sport and some intriguing storylines to follow. So test your knowledge on our selection of questions covering all major sports [...]