Saudi Arabia aiming for £17bn sports sector valuation by 2030 April 8, 2025 The world’s newest major sports player Saudi Arabia aims to have a sports sector worth $21bn (£16.5bn) by 2030. It comes as the Gulf state confirmed the sector was currently worth $8.5bn (£6.7bn) in 2025 having been worth just $1.3bn (£1bn) in 2016. The entirety of the UK’s sports sector contributes around £100bn to the [...]
Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren interview: ‘Let’s not f*** this up’ April 7, 2025 Listening to Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren bounce off each other it is easy to forget they were sworn enemies until around 18 months ago. That was when Saudi sports impresario Turki Alalshikh essentially instructed Britain’s two biggest boxing promoters to bury the hatchet if they wanted to keep staging lucrative fights at his expense [...]
ECB facing pressure to drop prices in Hundred franchise sale April 2, 2025 The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could be asked to accept less than the £520m offered by new investors for 49 per cent of the eight Hundred franchises if they refuse to hand over control of the competition’s next television contract, which will begin in 2028. The ECB wants to continue its successful policy [...]
Spring Statement 2025: Reeves misses trick ignoring sport and Old Trafford March 27, 2025 Standing at the dispatch box on Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her much anticipated Spring Statement. Just months after her autumn fiscal plan, where she hiked taxes by £40bn and confirmed funding for a football regulator which continues to divide the game, the member of parliament for Leeds West and Pudsey – and one of [...]
Trump is making Russia the next IOC president’s burning issue March 20, 2025 If Trump can claim to have brokered peace in Ukraine, and with swathes of the world still beholden to Russia, the IOC will have to accept them back into the Olympics, says Ed Warner. The final bell has sounded at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Nis, Serbia. The tournament’s medal table is emblematic [...]
Could Ademola Lookman take legal action over Atalanta coach’s criticism? February 22, 2025 Footballer Ademola Lookman found himself at the centre of a storm this week when his Atalanta coach publicly derided his penalty taking skills. But did Gian Piero Gasperini go too far? Lawyer Chris Deeley explores the case. We all make mistakes at work occasionally. Sometimes, we are also unlucky enough to have our bosses call [...]
Minister Peacock apologises to Brady, Arsenal and Brighton chiefs February 21, 2025 Sport Minister Stephanie Peacock has been forced to issue an apology to Baroness Brady and directors of Arsenal and Brighton and Hove Albion “for any distress caused” after hitting back at critics of the football regulator. In a statement published today by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) today, Peacock said she had [...]
Amazon Prime Video offers French football for £2.49 February 20, 2025 Amazon Prime Video has expanded its sport portfolio in the UK by offering live French Ligue 1 football matches on a pay-per-view basis. Up to three games per weekend will be available on the streaming platform for the price of £2.49 each – to Prime subscribers and non-subscribers alike. It is designed to appeal to [...]
Spanish football chief Rubiales found guilty over Hermoso kiss February 20, 2025 Shamed former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales has been fined almost £9,000 after being found guilty of the sexual assault of player Jenni Hermoso. Rubiales is also banned from going within 200m of Hermoso or communicating with her for a year but was found not guilty of the additional crime of coercion. The case related [...]
Leeds United and NFL team owners in talks to buy hard-up Rangers February 20, 2025 Rangers look set to become the latest British football club to get American owners – as revealed by City AM six months ago. The Glasgow giants are reportedly in advanced talks with a consortium led by Paraag Marathe, the chairman of Leeds United and a vice-president of NFL team the San Francisco 49ers’ investment arm, [...]