England footballers probed by advertising watchdog over promotion of Supreme CBD July 25, 2023 Three former England footballers are the subject of investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority over their promotion of CBD products. Ex-internationals Paul Merson, Chris Kirkland and Alan Thompson have collectively posted almost 200 tweets about the Supreme CBD brand. The CAP Code, which applies to influencer marketing, requires anyone promoting a brand on social media [...]
HSBC and other sponsors not to blame for Emma Raducanu’s decline, insists agent July 25, 2023 Emma Raducanu’s agent has rejected suggestions that a swathe of money-spinning sponsorships including HSBC and Vodafone have held her back since her sensational 2021 US Open triumph. The British tennis player’s Grand Slam title brought her a swathe of deals with brands also including Dior, Porsche, British Airways and Nike which earned her £22m last [...]
Kylian Mbappe: Paris Saint-Germain accept world record £259m bid from Al-Hilal July 24, 2023 Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have kicked off a transfer scramble for Kylian Mbappe by tabling a package worth €1bn (£865m) for the France and Paris Saint-Germain striker. PSG accepted Al-Hilal’s offer, which includes a potential world record transfer fee of €300m (£259m) and a contract worth €700m (£605m) a year for Mbappe. The 24-year-old [...]
Bring Commonwealth Games to London, says capital business body July 23, 2023 London is the “ideal city” to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a top business lobby body has said. The £3.5bn, 12-day event was meant to be held in the Australian state of Victoria but premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the region had pulled out after costs tripled. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said London “stands [...]
Open prize money: How much do golfers get for winning the world’s oldest major? July 22, 2023 Good news for golfers teeing it up at Royal Liverpool this week: Open prize money is up to record levels. For the sixth year in a row, organisers the R&A have increased both the total prize pot and the winner’s payout. In fact, both have more than doubled in a decade since Phil Mickelson lifted [...]
Ed Warner: I found a solution to cricket’s privilege problem in the South Downs July 20, 2023 Cricket can tackle its elitism problem by supporting initiatives take the sport to new audiences such as disadvantaged kids, says Ed Warner. Back in my investment banking days, I was responsible from across the Atlantic for a US research department. Every time I headed for JFK after a visit to my team of analysts I [...]
Golf’s Open chiefs change tack on Saudi sponsorship following LIV-PGA deal July 19, 2023 Open Championship chiefs have admitted they would consider sponsorship from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund despite previously criticising its impact on the sport through LIV Golf. On the eve of last year’s tournament Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, said LIV Golf was “harming the perception of the game” and depicted it as “entirely [...]
‘Absolutely embarrassing’: Victoria blasted for Commonwealth Games hosting U-turn July 18, 2023 A bitter war of words has broken out over the 2026 Commonwealth Games after the Australian state of Victoria abruptly pulled out of hosting the event. Victoria was named host for the multi-sport championships last year but reneged on that commitment on Tuesday, citing spiralling costs – plunging the Games into doubt. Commonwealth Games Australia [...]
2023 Women’s World Cup: Prize money up three-fold – but Lionesses in bonus row July 18, 2023 The Women’s World Cup may not have kicked off yet but it has already been hailed as a transformative moment in the growth of the game, with prize money increasing more than three-fold and, for the first time, most of it being paid directly to players. But some financial issues, including a bonus row between [...]
Fan-owned AFC Wimbledon named best-run club in English football July 17, 2023 AFC Wimbledon are the best-run club in English football, according to a new report on the future funding of the game by campaigners Fair Game. The Fair Game Index rates all 92 teams in the top four divisions in four areas: financial sustainability, governance, fan engagement and equality standards. Wimbledon achieved the highest score of [...]