Why influencers could blow traditional broadcasters out of the water February 13, 2026 The tidal wave of influencers continues to come in-land, and they could be the key to unlocking fan bases that broadcasters cannot. Staying awake past midnight and into Monday morning for a four-hour American football game, knowing the alarm will ring in a few hours, used to be a niche obsession in Britain. Now it [...]
Why KKR-Arctos is not just about private equity getting bigger February 12, 2026 The announcement that US giant KKR has acquired Arctos Partners for a reported $1.4bn (£1bn) is a significant moment in both the sports investment and private equity worlds. At first glance, the deal looks like a straightforward bet by KKR on the growing institutional appetite for sports assets. However, look closer and it says something [...]
Private equity made to wait for Super Bowl win as Seahawks triumph February 9, 2026 Private equity was forced to wait for its first NFL Super Bowl win after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Sixth Street-backed New England Patriots on Sunday. The fund, based out of Super Bowl host city San Francisco, acquired a minority stake in the Patriots last November after the NFL opened up its league to a [...]
NFL chiefs back Bad Bunny Super Bowl LX show amid Trump protest fears February 3, 2026 NFL chiefs have defended choosing Bad Bunny to headline the Super Bowl LX half-time show amid fears he will ignite a row over President Trump’s immigration crackdown. The Puerto Rican declared “ICE out” at the Grammy Awards on Sunday in protest at federal agents’ hardline approach, including the fatal shooting of two people in Minneapolis [...]
Why authenticity is key to US sport succeeding in Europe January 24, 2026 The NBA London 2026 game is not another overseas exhibition. It is the clearest signal yet that US sports leagues are no longer treating Europe as a touring destination, but as a long-term growth market with serious commercial intent. And that shift matters. The window to engage early with the next generation of global sports [...]
Football regulator may have popular support but many will be disappointed January 22, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator will not be the panacea for all of the English game’s ills that some are hoping for, says Ed Warner. To a stimulating conference titled “The Independent Football Regulator: challenge or opportunity?” There I found myself a minority voice in an echo chamber of regulatory advocates. An opening poll of the [...]
Live sport credited for Netflix subscriber surge as sign-ups hit 325m January 21, 2026 Netflix has credited its investment in live sport for a surge in sign-ups as quarterly revenue rose to beyond $12bn. Results for Q4 saw income rise by nearly 30 per cent $2.4bn while subscriber numbers jumped to 325m. Netflix was the exclusive global broadcaster of the bout between influencer Jake Paul and former world heavyweight [...]
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke becomes largest private landowner in US January 14, 2026 Arsenal’s billionaire owner Stan Kroenke has flexed his financial muscle to become the largest private landowner in the US, according to a new ranking. Trade publication The Land Report’s annual list of the top 100 US landowners places Kroenke top following his acquisition of almost 1m acres of New Mexico last month. The real estate [...]
The top 20 sporting events by bets placed in 2025, according to Entain December 31, 2025 Betting behemoth Entain has revealed the sporting events punters bet on the most during 2025. The iconic Grand National, run at Aintree, maintained its top spot but the number of footballing events in the top 50 fell slightly, largely down to 2025 being a year without a major men’s tournament. The Grand National was joined [...]
Why 2025 in sport marketing was the year that changed everything December 30, 2025 For much of the last decade, sports marketing followed a familiar script: globalisation, digital scale and steadily inflating rights fees. In 2025, that script broke. This year forced brands, rights-holders and investors to confront harder truths about attention, technology and value, and in doing so, it reset how sport is bought, sold and measured. From [...]