IMG’s three sports sponsorship trends to watch in 2026 Sport Business Look out for higher demands on AI, more prediction markets and greater sophistication in women’s sport sponsorships next year, says IMG partnerships expert Sam Galet. As we close out 2025 and look ahead to 2026, the sports business landscape is once again at an inflection point. Rightsholders, brands and agencies are all asking the same [...]
Earps fiasco at least sparks much needed debate on culture of women’s sport Sport Business Mary Earps has hit the headlines this week, and provoked a conversation about culture in women’s football “Things have escalated really quickly today, women pitted against each other. It’s gut-wrenching to be portrayed as someone you’re not. I know that the negative is what gets clicks, but it’s sad that’s the only thing being discussed.” [...]
Mercury13 acquires Bristol City as fund expands into English football Sport Business Women’s football investment fund Mercury13 has entered the English market, acquiring a majority stake in second tier Bristol City Women. The Juan Mata and Giorgio Chiellini-backed investment vehicle is adding to its portfolio, which counts FC Como Women as its crown jewel, by forging a presence in the West Country. The deal, subject to league [...]
Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian says Chelsea Women could be worth $1bn September 12, 2025 Reddit co-founder and Chelsea Women investor Alexis Ohanian has said interest from the United States could turn the London club into a billion-dollar business. Ohanian, who is married to tennis legend Serena Williams, purchased a stake in Chelsea Women in May, believed to be around 10 per cent at a £20m valuation. The investment valued [...]
Ex-FA chief Alex Horne: Club game, regulator and football finance September 7, 2025 Since September began the world of football has continued to offer talking point after talking point. The Premier League transfer window closed to bring the curtain down on a summer splurge which topped £3bn for the first time; the Independent Football Regulator published its first piece of official policy ahead of its November detachment from [...]
Exclusive: Just third of Brits think women’s football good value August 21, 2025 Only a third of Brits think women’s football is value for money, exclusive data shared with City AM reveals ahead of next month’s WSL return. The surprising statistic comes as the English top flight looks for an attendance bounce after the Lionesses won a second consecutive Euros title. Ipsos data shows that only 35 per [...]
Dynamic ticket pricing will not be used at Home Nations Euros in 2028 August 20, 2025 Uefa has opted against introducing the dynamic pricing model favoured by Fifa for selling tickets for the 2028 Euros in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. The European governing body’s decision has been welcomed by the four domestic FA’s, who are continuing to consult with Uefa over Euros tickets and want to offer [...]
Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool to lift ban on drinking alcohol in stands July 24, 2025 Football fans will be able to drink alcohol in the stands during Women’s Super League games at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United next season. They are among 14 clubs from the top two divisions of English women’s football who have signed up to the second phase of a trial, following a successful [...]
Women’s Euro 2025: WSL and Barcelona lead way for player provision July 4, 2025 The Women’s Super League’s status as the leading domestic competition has been underlined by a squad analysis of all players at the current Women’s Euro 2025. While some European clubs are arguably bigger in terms of historical success and star power, as a whole the English top flight has by far the biggest array of [...]
Women’s sport needs to convert online fandom into ticket sales July 3, 2025 With England’s Euros defence getting underway on Saturday, how does women’s sport convert online fandom into ticket sales? Attendances down, TV viewing figures falling, but TikTok and Instagram metrics up. This is the current state of engagement with women’s professional sport in the United Kingdom. Phone surfing can be monetised, but there is an urgent [...]