What London losing athletics to Nairobi tells us about future World Cup and Olympic bids Sport Business England winning a World Cup in our lifetime. This may appear as elusive as ever, but hosting it may be more achievable. Particularly given our stadia, infrastructure and track record for hosting major global events. The signals from Downing Street suggest a similar plan. There’s talk of a potential 2042 World Cup in Great Britain, [...]
Kylian Mbappe receives shares in On as he jumps ship from Nike deal Sport Business Swiss sportswear brand On has pulled off a marketing coup by luring Real Madrid and France striker Kylian Mbappe from Nike to launch its football products. Mbappe, who was previously on a £13m-a-year contract with Nike, is working alongside former Arsenal, Barcelona and France star Thierry Henry to develop On’s forthcoming football range. The 27-year-old [...]
China’s EV brands are all over sport in the west. Why? Sport Business Electric vehicle brands from China are snapping up sport sponsorship opportunities across the west. Matt Hardy asks why. The automotive sector has long had an association with sports sponsorships: think the century-old deal between Ford and AFL side the Geelong Cats, or Volkswagen’s enduring patronage of Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, originally a works team from its [...]
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur criticised for unlicensed gambling deals September 18, 2026 Clubs including Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been criticised for doing deals with unlicensed gambling firms as the government continues a consultation on banning such organisations from sponsoring sport. Chelsea and Spurs are two of 11 Premier League clubs which hold agreements with betting companies not licensed in the UK. Others include Aston Villa and [...]
Cristiano Ronaldo can cash in from Saudi Pro League streaming initiative September 17, 2026 The Saudi Pro League is giving Cristiano Ronaldo another way to top up his £170m salary by incentivising players to promote livestreams of matches via social media. The SPL’s “Share and Earn” initiative will allow players and influencers to share links to broadcasts of the league, whose stars also include Sadio Mane, Gabriel Martinelli and [...]
Celtic and when does financial prudence become sporting underinvestment? September 17, 2026 By most conventional measures, Celtic should be a model of how to run a football club. According to the club’s latest accounts, Celtic generated £143.6m of revenue and £33.9m of profit after tax, while finishing the year with £77.3m in cash. Shareholders have benefited too. According to FactSet, Celtic shares have appreciated approximately 153 per [...]
Major development in £3bn project backed by Crystal Palace co-owner David Blitzer September 17, 2026 Co-owner of Premier League club Crystal Palace, David Blitzer, is part of a group that has announced a major update to a £3bn stadium development. The American businessman, who became an early multi-franchise investor and was one of the first people to hold stakes in all five big North American leagues – NHL, MLB, MLS, [...]
Who owns Chelsea after £950m Boehly and Walter stake sales? September 17, 2026 Todd Boehly and Mark Walter have sold their combined 25 per cent stake in Chelsea in a deal that values the Premier League club at £5bn. The agreement, announced last night, will see the former chairman of Chelsea Boehly – who was the face of the consortium that purchased the club from Roman Abramovich in [...]
Spurs owners take 12-month investment to £300m with fresh £120m injection September 16, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur’s majority owners will take their investment into the club to beyond £300m in the last year after agreeing to an additional £120m injection. The family of billionaire Joe Lewis – which owns 70 per cent of the controlling ENIC Sports Inc company – have pumped £120m into the north London club, who currently [...]
Manchester United’s new stadium could be delayed until 2035 as timeline slips September 16, 2026 Manchester United’s new stadium may not open until 2035, according to official planning documentation. The timeline for the £2bn-plus project has repeatedly slipped ever since minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe announced in March 2025 that United would build a new stadium rather than renovate Old Trafford. At the time, the billionaire said it could be [...]