Six Nations in-game ads pave way for football to be split into quarters Sport Business Like many Welsh rugby fans, the highlight of the first round of the Six Nations was the small moment of relief granted by the ad breaks in either half, twenty seconds of respite from giving away penalties, points and accumulating yellow cards. I’m not sure everyone was as pleased to see them as me. They [...]
Virgin Atlantic uses Heathrow slots as collateral for $745m Apollo loan Aviation Virgin Atlantic has borrowed $745m (£564m) from alternatives giant Apollo in a groundbreaking private credit deal that will see the airline use the value of its landing slots at Heathrow as collateral. Virgin said it would use the funds to pay down a legacy debt and make upgrades worth hundreds of millions of pounds to [...]
Branson-backed Virgin Active slashes losses amid WFH battle Business Virgin Active, the gym chain founded by Sir Richard Branson, has significantly slashed its losses as its battle with the work-from-home trend continues. The business, which runs 224 international locations, has reported a pre-ax loss of £78.1m for 2024, down significantly from the £146.7m it lost in 2023. New accounts filed with Companies House also [...]
Week in Business: The billionaires backing Britain May 1, 2025 BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Virgin supremo Sir Richard Branson, businessman John Caudwell and JP Morgan top dog Jamie Dimon – quite the quartet – have all made some fascinating interventions this week. Let’s start with BlackRock, the world’s largest investor, running more than $11 trillion on behalf of pension funds, private clients and sovereign wealth [...]
Virgin Wines: ‘A decent Christmas was needed and delivered’ January 29, 2025 Virgin Wines delivered a strong Christmas trading performance and outperformed the wider market, although revenue remained flat year on year. Revenue increased by 6.7 per cent year-on year during the six weeks to 27 December, 2024, the company told markets this morning. Sales rose nine per cent in December 2024 versus December 2023, reaching the highest level since the Covid-19 lockdowns, [...]
Virgin Active: Billionaire owner of Richard Branson-founded gym chain eyes UK listing November 13, 2024 The billionaire majority owner of Virgin Active is looking to list the business in the UK, according to reports. South African Christo Wiese owns the company private equity firm Brait, while Richard Branson’s Virgin Group holds a 16.8 per cent stake. A listing is “most likely” to be in the UK, with a secondary offer [...]
Virgin Active continues to make huge loss despite revenue passing £500m October 28, 2024 Virgin Active continued to make a huge pre-tax loss during its latest financial year despite its revenue passing £500m, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered chain has posted a pre-tax loss of £146.7m for 2023, after also reporting a loss of £147.3m in 2022. The last time the group made a pre-tax profit was the [...]
Boardroom Uncovered: How Virgin Group’s CEO went from New Zealand to running Richard Branson’s empire July 30, 2024 Boardroom Uncovered is City A.M.‘s on-camera interview series featuring the CEOs of the biggest and best-known companies operating in the UK.
Virgin Wines returns to black as subscription sign ups soar July 25, 2024 Virgin Wines has returned to profitability despite a "challenging" backdrop, with its wine subscription service helping to offset its increased running costs.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Hotels to open first London hotel in Shoreditch June 13, 2024 Virgin Hotels, the luxury lifestyle hospitality brand owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, has announced its first London hotel will open this August in Shoreditch.