Ligue 1+: French football league losing hundreds of millions to piracy Sport Business 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 Sport Business 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 [...]
Millwall stadium development inches closer with 999-year lease deal Sport Business 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 [...]
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 [...]
Football regulator told: Give well-run clubs a bigger slice of game’s billions March 17, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator has been urged to mandate a new deal between the Premier League and English Football League that funnels more money to well-run clubs. The IFR this week published a new consultation on the club licensing regime it will implement from next year, which will give it the power to suspend a [...]
Chelsea hit with £11m fine and Premier League transfer ban March 16, 2026 Chelsea have been slapped with a £11m fine and a transfer ban for breaching Premier League rules under their previous ownership. An investigation into the London club found “undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties” between 2011 and 2018, when the club was [...]
Why World Cup hydration breaks will push traditional ads to the subs bench March 15, 2026 Hydration breaks at the World Cup could usher in major changes to advertising during live sport, writes Jonathan Haines. As broadcasters prepare for the 2026 World Cup, an unexpected talking point has emerged. The tournament will feature mid-half hydration breaks, introduced to protect players from the searing heat predicted this summer in North America. But [...]