World Cup brand deals score David Beckham £39m payout Retail David Beckham has taken a £38.9m payout from his personal business empire after World Cup brand deals drove record income for the former English football captain. DRJB Holdings, the company which represents Beckham’s business activities, posted a 20 per cent uplift in revenue to $110.5m (£84m) in 2025, as profit nearly doubled to $66m (£50m). [...]
Erling Haaland: Manchester City star credited with carrot sales boom in native Norway Sport Business Erling Haaland’s brand power shifted into a new stratosphere at the World Cup – and the proof is in Norway’s carrot sales. Haaland has long appeared in internet clips and memes with carrots dangling from his mouth – while signing autographs for fans or driving his car – and this summer appeared in an advert [...]
AIG to acquire stake in Salford City Lionesses and expands partnership with Neville’s club Sport Business Insurance giant AIG is set to become the first Fortune 500 company to invest in an English women’s football team after agreeing to acquire a stake in Salford City Lionesses. The move is part of an expansion of the partnership between AIG and Salford City, the club co-owned by former Manchester United stars Gary Neville [...]
Extraordinary athletes, ordinary content: why even Nike should make more of its talent August 30, 2026 Nike’s former global editor, Dan Rookwood, argues that brands are leaving value on the table by wasting their allocated time with star athletes. Since landing my first job on the sports desk of The Guardian’s website in 2000, I’ve spent a good chunk of my career interviewing athletes. Sometimes it has been a joy – [...]
Where Mbappe will go if he breaks up with Nike August 13, 2026 With rumours swirling about Kylian Mbappe’s future with Nike, marketing expert Steve Martin breaks down what could come next. I have spent more than 30 years working in sports marketing, and one of the most consistent truths I have learned is that the football boot market is one of the most tightly controlled consumer categories [...]
Did this World Cup have too much of Sir David Beckham? July 18, 2026 Graham McKenna assesses whether David Beckham proves this World Cup had too much celebrity As the curtain starts to fall on another World Cup, a lot of conversation around this year’s tournament hasn’t been about the football itself, but the business surrounding it. The introduction of mandatory hydration breaks sparked plenty of debate, with many [...]
England v Argentina: Bellingham bounce attracts more bets than Messi to score July 14, 2026 Jude Bellingham’s emergence as England’s World Cup hero has seen him backed by more punters than Lionel Messi to score in Wednesday’s semi-final with Argentina. Data from Sportradar, which processes betting tickets for 250 gambling firms worldwide, reveals that Bellingham has accounted for more than half (52 per cent) of wagers in the goalscorer market. [...]
Sports hospitality has never been this good – but which sport does it best? July 13, 2026 | Sponsored It’s impossible to start this column without a mention of England and the World Cup. It felt like interest levels were low at the start of the tournament but England’s heroic performance in Mexico and their nervy win against Norway has got the whole country behind them. Will football finally be coming home? One thing’s [...]
Why England World Cup host city Miami is amazing for sports lovers July 6, 2026 The next England World Cup game takes place in Miami this Saturday 11 July, with the Brits facing Norway. England have made the World Cup Quarter finals after a 3-2 win against Mexico, which means this Saturday’s host city Miami is about to steal the limelight. Brits are expected to spend £250million if England reaches [...]
Manchester United debt pile may force owners to fund new stadium June 24, 2026 Doubts have emerged over Manchester United’s capacity to fund their £2bn-plus new stadium unless the owners inject cash. The club announced on Monday that they had secured the land required to build the 100,000-seater venue – dubbed a “Wembley of the North” – from Indurent, which lets industrial units. The 25-acre site is only 350m [...]