Tokyo 2020 facing threat of spectator ban, says Japanese prime minister June 21, 2021 Japan may ban spectators from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics if the country’s Covid-19 situation worsens, prime minister Yoshihide Suga has warned. Holding this summer’s delayed Games behind closed doors was “definitely a possibility”, Suga said. “I think that’s obvious from the standpoint of making safety and security our utmost priority.” Japan has been slow to [...]
Roger Federer Wimbledon blazer set to fetch £25,000 as tennis star auctions vast trove of memorabilia June 17, 2021 Roger Federer is auctioning one of his iconic Wimbledon blazers as part of a sale of treasures from his tennis career. The 2016 blazer, which he wore to walk out on to Centre Court, is expected to fetch £15,000-£25,000. It is one of the most prestigious of 300 lots in the online auction, which is [...]
Explained: Why Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coke snub at Euro 2020 was not the cause of Coca-Cola’s share price drop June 17, 2021 Cristiano Ronaldo was credited with knocking $4bn off the value of Coca-Cola earlier this week when he snubbed the soft drink – but does the theory stack up? The Portuguese football superstar pointedly moved two bottles of Coke from his desk at a Euro 2020 press conference and instead held up a bottle of water, [...]
Russian boss of Gazprom-backed boxing body AIBA turns to man who lifted lid on Russian state-sponsored doping to lead corruption probes June 17, 2021 Richard McLaren, the Canadian law professor and sports investigator, is best known for exposing Russia for state-sponsored doping. So eyebrows were raised this week when it emerged that McLaren had been hired by one of Russia’s most powerful sports administrators. Umar Kremlev has called on McLaren Global Sports Solutions as part of his bid to [...]
US Open prize money 2021: How much can the stars of men’s golf win at Torrey Pines? June 17, 2021 US Open prize money reflects the event’s reputation as perhaps the most difficult of the four men’s majors. Whoever triumphs at Torrey Pines this week will take home a winners’ prize of $2.25m from a total pot of $12.5m. Those sums – frozen from last year – mean that US Open prize money remains the [...]
United Rugby Championship: Four South African teams join northern hemisphere sides in private equity shake-up of Pro14 June 15, 2021 Club rugby union is set for a private-equity-led shake-up later this year when the United Rugby Championship replaces the Pro14. Four South African teams will join the dozen Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian sides already part of the Pro14 to form a new 16-team tournament. The changes, which will incorporate lucrative new TV deals and [...]
Premier League clubs slip to record £1bn loss as Covid-19 hammers income from match days and broadcasters June 15, 2021 Premier League clubs suffered a record aggregate pre-tax loss of almost £1bn in 2019-20 as a result of Covid-19’s impact on football. The combined revenues of the 20 top-flight teams fell for the first time ever to £4.5bn, a drop of 13 per cent, according to Deloitte. A delay to the completion of the season, [...]
French Open prize money 2021: How much can tennis players win at Roland Garros? June 11, 2021 Tennis has been badly affected by the pandemic, and that is reflected in a further reduction in French Open prize money for 2021. The winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles at Roland Garros this weekend stand to earn €1.4m each. That is 12.5 per cent down on the payouts to Rafael Nadal and [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Ukraine told to change Russia-baiting Euro 2020 kit; Germany muscles in on London NFL patch; beIN and Channel 4 bag rights deals June 10, 2021 Euro 2020 may not have started yet but it has already kicked off between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine tweaked the nose of Russia earlier this week when it revealed a Moscow-baiting new football kit, to be worn at Euro 2020. The yellow shirt features a map of Ukraine that includes Crimea, which Russia annexed in [...]
Covid-19 at Euro 2020: What are the rules if players test positive for coronavirus during the tournament? June 10, 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic may not be over yet but Euro 2020 is about to take place, a year later than planned, all across Europe. Despite measures in place to minimise the risk of infection, it is likely that teams will suffer outbreaks during the tournament. So what happens if a player tests positive for Covid-19 [...]