Mercury13: Mata-backed women’s football group lines up Spanish club Sport Business Juan Mata-backed investment group Mercury13 is in advanced negotiations about buying a stake in Spanish top-flight women’s club Levante Badalona. Mercury13, which bought FC Como Women in 2024 before investing in WSL2 club Bristol earlier this year, has pledged $100m to build a global portfolio of clubs, with Badalona earmarked to be its next investment. [...]
No Limits Tour: Cliff diving, Tom Daley and the TikTokification of sport Sport Business When launching a new sports property it helps to have one of the biggest names in the game lend their support and, in diving, they don’t come much bigger than Tom Daley. So it was a timely boost to the No Limits Tour Cliff Diving Championship that former Olympic champion Daley agreed to appear in [...]
Red Bull sales spike ahead of England ban Retail Sales of Red Bull have spiked ahead of a planned new law in England to ban energy drinks being sold to under 16s. The giant has reported a UK revenue of £668.3m for 2024, up from the £594.1m it achieved in 2023. New accounts filed with Companies House also show that its pre-tax profit rose [...]
Newcastle’s Red Bull takeover litmus test for Prem Rugby governance September 26, 2025 Red Bull’s ownership of Newcastle will be a “litmus test” of the quality of Prem Rugby’s current governance structures, according to a top business management consultant. The energy drink giant entered English domestic rugby this summer with the purchase of lowly Newcastle, who take on Saracens this evening in their first sell-out since 2018. But [...]
Prem Rugby: Four business stories to watch this season September 25, 2025 English top flight rugby is back this evening with a snazzy new brand: the Premiership has become the Prem, and Thursday nights are the new Fridays. Sure, tonight’s opener between Sale Sharks and Gloucester is a one-off to accommodate the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Allianz Stadium, but a lot is going on in [...]
Horner leaves Red Bull with £80m pay-off as F1 return touted September 22, 2025 Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner officially severed all ties with the Formula 1 team on Monday, insisting his two decades at the team had been “an honour and privilege”. Horner, married to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was sacked by the team in July and leaves the Milton Keynes outfit amid rumours he [...]
Rugby is crying out for celebrity investment September 12, 2025 If you take a gander across the sporting landscape there’s a plethora of celebrity faces propping up a new kind of club. Take Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham, or Tom Brady at Birmingham City; both clubs have been propelled to stardom off the field as a result of celebrity investment – with the [...]
Newcastle unveil new logo after major Red Bull investment September 9, 2025 Newcastle have unveiled their new branding having been purchased by energy drinks giant Red Bull in the summer. The Prem Rugby club faced severe financial woes last season but could now, theoretically, be one of the wealthiest clubs in the game after being given “wiiings” by their new owners. Red Bull’s sporting portfolio contains a [...]
Carlyle announce deal with Formula 1 team Red Bull September 9, 2025 Global investment firm Carlyle has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Formula 1 team Red Bull in a first-of-its-kind deal. The Nasdaq Carlyle Group, with a market cap of $23bn, will use its partnership with the Formula 1 team title sponsored by Oracle to “open new avenues” for engagement, global connectivity and technology. And their [...]
Paqueta phone celebration raises eyebrows at FA as judgement looms September 3, 2025 The Football Association is expected to publish the independent commission’s full judgement in the acquittal of Lucas Paqueta on spot-fixing charges imminently, days after spotting a possible double meaning in his goal celebration during West Ham’s win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. After converting a penalty, the Brazilian mimed receiving a phone call and then [...]