Sport expects true fan Andy Burnham to take a leaf out of John Major’s book July 16, 2026 Andy Burnham was Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for 16 months in Gordon Brown’s cabinet. This was a time in which shirt and tie was the required political dress code for swinging in a children’s playground in Brixton with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Family, one Ed Balls. Burnham’s [...]
Government is set to deal major blow to Big Tech’s moves into sports rights June 23, 2026 The government is set to deal a major blow to Big Tech’s moves into sports rights after launching a consultation on the future of broadcasting. A green paper – an exploratory consultation – was announced by the minister for creative industries, media and arts, Ian Murray, on Tuesday, proposing to prevent streaming platforms such as [...]
Give me home Euros over World Cup, but is it really worth £557m of taxpayers’ money? June 11, 2026 I’m sure I’ll enjoy much of the 2026 World Cup, provided I can stay awake late enough, but I’ll approach Euro 2028 with far greater enthusiasm. Home nations competing on home soil in British Summer Time and with advertisers and broadcasters whipping up interest among the general populace. What’s not to like, other than violent [...]
UK Government warns Joe Joyce against travelling to Russia for Moscow fight June 9, 2026 The UK Government has warned Joe Joyce against travelling to Russia after the British heavyweight boxer agreed to fight Artem Suslenkov in Moscow next month. The 2016 Olympic silver medallist will head to the 14,000-capacity VTB Arena next month to take on the unbeaten Suslenkov, from Volgograd, amid Russia’s continued military operation in Ukraine. Vladimir [...]
Government risks British Grand Prix jeopardy over F1 visa issues April 28, 2026 Formula 1 has said the government risks jeopardising the British Grand Prix and damaging the country’s soft power by dragging its feet over visa issues. The Home Office has been accused of being slow to adapt to visa requirements specific to hundreds of Formula 1 workers, where delays force employees used across the entire calendar [...]
Treasury ignored DCMS gambling tax hike concerns before Budget raid March 6, 2026 Whitehall raised questions about the amount of money a gambling levy could raise before Chancellor Rachel Reeves pushed ahead with tax hikes in the Autumn Budget. A Freedom of Information request seen by City AM shows analysis by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in response to proposals by the Social Market Foundation and [...]
Exclusive: Parliament must scrutinise Prem Rugby franchise plans, MP says January 27, 2026 The government has been called upon to scrutinise Prem Rugby’s franchise plan, which promises to be the biggest shake-up of the domestic game since professionalisation. It comes as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also accused of passing the buck over Covid loans to English professional rugby. Liberal Democrat MP Edward Morello told [...]
Football regulator to investigate bad club owners from next week December 5, 2025 Time is ticking for poor football owners as the Independent Football Regulator will be able to investigate unsuitable club bosses from next week. The Independent Football Regulator was set up following the passing of the Football Governance Bill in Parliament earlier this year, with Richard Monks and David Kogan tasked with being chief executive and [...]
Basketball England pauses CEO search amid fallout from BBF liquidation November 19, 2025 The aftershocks of the British Basketball Federation’s slide into liquidation continue to be felt across the game, with Basketball England forced to suspend its appointment of a new CEO. The English governing body, whose main roles are increasing participation and talent identification, is set to take on many of the BBF’s functions following its demise [...]
Fans support Independent Football Regulator but unsure on remit November 19, 2025 The majority of fans back the new Independent Football Regulator but are divided on its remit, a new study has shown. Sport’s latest quango, the Independent Football Regulator, is up and running with a remit to make the English game more sustainable. Early plans suggest the regulator could have the power to force the sale [...]