Ligue 1+: French football league losing hundreds of millions to piracy March 23, 2026 French football chiefs say they have lost hundreds of millions of euros to illegal streaming of Ligue 1 matches in the latest blow to the value of their media rights. Despite the competition being broadcast legally on Ligue 1+, the league’s own streaming platform, and pay TV network BeIn Sports, research found that 59 per [...]
Clubs like Chelsea won’t be able to hide from regulator scrutiny March 22, 2026 English football is a global entertainment and cultural powerhouse, contributing more than £9bn annually to the UK economy. Matches are broadcast to hundreds of millions worldwide, with clubs operating not just as teams but as global brands. But with that status comes increased scrutiny of how clubs are run. Under the new Independent Football Regulator [...]
Villa, Forest and Palace net £30m from Europa and Conference League runs March 20, 2026 Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace set to rake in over £30m in on-field prize money after winning in Europe on Thursday. After a disappointing week for Premier League teams in the Champions League, the Thursday night crew saw dramatic wins as three sides progressed to the quarter-finals of their respective competitions – and [...]
Millwall stadium development inches closer with 999-year lease deal March 20, 2026 Millwall’s stadium development plans jumped forward on Friday with a 999-year lease for The Den officially signed off by government officials. The south London club secured a deal with Lewisham Council back in 2024, with long-term ambitions for the development of their South Bermondsey relying on the club’s future being at The Den. Plans for [...]
Erling Haaland follows Eze and Salah chess passion with investment March 20, 2026 Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland has followed fellow Premier League stars Eberechi Eze and Mohammed Salah in sharing his passion for chess after investing in the game. Haaland has backed Norway Chess and its modernised format, the Total Chess World Championship Tour, alongside Norwegian business leader Morten Borge. It is the superstar’s latest [...]
Carabao Cup: Arsenal and Manchester City tailgaters to be deemed criminals March 20, 2026 Arsenal and Manchester City fans will be deemed criminals this weekend should they enter the Carabao Cup final without a football match ticket, the Home Office has announced. The move, introduced by crime and policing minister Sarah Jones, comes into force today and will cover all of football, and is part of a wider response [...]
Streaming surpasses free-to-air TV in key European markets, research shows March 19, 2026 Streaming has already surpassed linear television in key European markets, new research released this week shows. Fans now consume a larger share of sport via digital platforms than free-to-air television in Italy and Spain, with Iberian audiences watching around 40 per cent more of their sport through streaming services, according to Altman Solon’s Global Sports [...]
Football missing bank-grade infrastructure as regulator powers grow March 19, 2026 English football is entering a new era: the Premier League has just handed Chelsea a record fine for hidden payments, while the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is starting to flex its intentions to improve financial soundness and resilience across the pyramid. The latest licensing proposals go further, allowing the regulator to categorise clubs as “high‑risk” [...]
Government ‘must not delay’ over Abramovich’s £2.5bn Chelsea funds, Tories say March 18, 2026 Shadow chancellor Mel Stride has insisted the government “must not delay taking further action” against Roman Abramovich to unlock £2.5bn held after his sale of Chelsea. The Russian was forced to offload the Premier League club in 2022 after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with the proceeds of the sale to a consortium led by [...]
Chelsea punishment ‘extremely lenient’, says club’s former exec Purslow March 18, 2026 Former Chelsea executive Christian Purslow has labelled the club’s punishment from the Premier League for making undisclosed payments totalling £47.5m “extremely lenient and favourable”. Chelsea escaped with a £10.75m fine and suspended transfer ban after the club’s current owners self-reported offences they said they had discovered in an audit of the previous ownership of Roman [...]