Ahead of the Game: Fifa eyes Morocco over Spain as 2030 World Cup HQ August 27, 2025 Fifa is in advanced discussions about basing the headquarters of the 2030 World Cup in the Moroccan capital Rabat. The centenary World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, with the opening three games to be held in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay in a nod to the competition’s roots. The 2026 World Cup [...]
Hundred: ECB under fire over opt-out data transfer cut-off date August 15, 2025 Hundred organiser the ECB has come under fire for forcing fans to opt-out of having their data transferred to new franchise owners. At least 49 per cent of each of the eight Hundred franchises have been sold to overseas investors, with some teams selling a majority shareholding. And with it, as is common with ownership [...]
London Spirit captain hopes Hundred investment can close pay gap August 4, 2025 London Spirit captain Charlie Dean hopes that more investment into The Hundred can close the pay gap between the men’s and women’s competitions. Players in the women’s top bracket of this year’s edition of The Hundred are set to earn £65,000, a 30 per cent increase on last year, for a month of cricket. In [...]
ECB hails ‘exciting new phase’ after six Hundred deals completed July 30, 2025 England and Wales Cricket Board chair Richard Thompson has welcomed “an exciting new phase” for cricket after confirming completion of the sale of six stakes in The Hundred franchises. The six deals formally finalised ahead of next week’s fifth season include London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Southern Brave and Welsh Fire. Despite [...]
Oval Invincibles sale delayed due to unresolved issues, reports say July 22, 2025 Unresolved issues including the future name of the franchise have delayed completion of the sale of Oval Invincibles – and the flow of funds to hard-up counties – according to reports. The deal will see RISE Worldwide, a subsidiary of the Ambani family’s Reliance Industries, take 49 per cent ownership of the Oval Invincibles franchise [...]
County cricket faces viability questions, warns report July 15, 2025 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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
Six Nations look to lure Sky by bundling TV rights with Lions June 18, 2025 The Six Nations unions are in talks with the British and Irish Lions about bundling their TV rights for the next four-year cycle. European unions have already sold TV rights for the Six Nations between 2026 and 2029 in a joint deal with ITV and BBC, but have yet to go to market with their [...]
Premiership Rugby taps Raine and Deloitte as investors circle June 11, 2025 Premiership Rugby Limited (PRL) has engaged the Raine Group and Deloitte to manage potential investment in the competition or some of its clubs. Premiership Rugby is attracting inquiries from American investors looking to buy into English sport following the recent influx of purchasers of Premier League and EFL clubs, with interest expected to grow ahead [...]