O2 Arena owners: Lions announcement future of sport in London Sport Business Last Thursday nearly 2,000 people packed their way into Indigo at the O2 as the squad for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia was announced. It’s not the first time this kind of event has taken place. At the same site, albeit the larger O2 Arena, earlier this year Formula 1 hosted its [...]
British and Irish Lions launch takes heritage brand into modern age at O2 Sport Business The British and Irish Lions have followed in Formula 1’s footsteps in hosting launch events in London and it’s dragged a heritage brand into the modern era, writes Will Taylor. This afternoon, the British and Irish Lions did something they’ve never done before, they turned their usual squad selection into a show. For the first [...]
F175: Formula 1 tour de force launch a lesson to other sports in innovation Sport Business Everything about Formula 1’s 75th anniversary extravaganza at London’s O2 Arena shouldn’t have worked: mass commercialisation of a sport with £9 pints and 10 teams showing off this year’s designs on last year’s cars one after another. What unfolded, however, was a lesson in how sport can continue to innovate, and how it can take [...]
Sport in 2025: A rallying cry to London, Mayor Khan and Londoners January 2, 2025 For at least the past five years it has felt as if London was disappearing off the global sporting stage. The capital may boast the Home of Cricket, 17 professional football clubs and five stadiums with a capacity of over 50,000 but huge sporting events have sought refuge in the likes of Saudi Arabia, the [...]
UFC to return to London in 2025 in UK’s 30th event November 12, 2024 UFC will return to London in 2025 in what will be its 30th event in the United Kingdom, the MMA promotion company announced on Tuesday. UFC Fight Night 254 will take place on 22 March at the O2 Arena in Greenwich in what will be the company’s first event in the UK since UFC 304 [...]
Cheque mates: Harry Kane and Magnus Carlsen top up stakes in football brand October 10, 2024 England captain Harry Kane and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen have taken part in a $100m funding round for the company behind the football-themed entertainment and dining venue Toca Social. The move will help Toca Football launch further sites in London, where it already has a venue at the O2, as well as Paris, Mexico and [...]
Gig economy: O2 Arena posts record revenue April 28, 2024 New numbers out from the O2 arena show the venue earned over £500,000 a day as revenue was up 12 per cent and it put on more shows.
Man behind O2 Arena plots rival London venue April 21, 2024 The American businessman behind Manchester’s new £365m Co-op Live arena is considering building a second glitzy venue in the UK, this time in Hammersmith, arguing the capital is underserved by its current entertainment options.