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 [...]
Reading owner Rob Couhig considers selling training ground to raise funds Sport Business Reading owner Rob Couhig is considering radical measures including downgrading the club’s Academy or selling the training ground to increase the funding he can make available to the first team. The American, who paid around £25m to buy the League One club from Dai Yongge at the end of last season, has been an outspoken critic of [...]
Exclusive: CVC Capital Partners nearing external investment for $14bn Global Sport Group Sport Business Six Nations investors CVC Capital Partners is close to securing external investment in its $14bn Global Sport Group, which is expected to trigger a wave of new sporting acquisitions at the start of next year. GSG, which is chaired by former EE chief executive Marc Allera, was formed earlier this year to run CVC’s existing [...]
WTA and Mercedes-Benz pen decade-long deal said to be worth $500m December 10, 2025 The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) has penned a decade-long partnership agreement with Mercedes-Benz believed to be worth as much as $500m (£376m). The deal, announced at the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart with WTA co-founder Billie Jean King and 20-time grand slam winner Roger Federer in attendance, will see the automotive behemoth become a “premier partner” [...]
WTA Finals set to extend stay in Saudi Arabia as kingdom invests in tennis November 10, 2025 The money-spinning WTA Finals are set to remain in Saudi Arabia beyond the current contract. The finals, featuring the world’s top eight women’s players, concluded its second season in Saudi Arabia at the weekend as part of a three-year deal. But WTA chief Portia Archer said they would be looking to keep the event “in [...]
WTA Ventures: Queen’s, CVC Capital Partners and an organisation pushing on June 16, 2025 After a successful week of WTA tennis at Queen’s, WTA Ventures chief Marina Storti discusses the state of the sport, its private equity partner CVC Capital Partners and a potential merger with the ATP. When 37-year-old Tatjana Maria upset the odds to win the HSBC Championships in front of 9,000 fans on Sunday, she became [...]
Sky Sports, TNT and Premier Sports snub England Rugby vs USA Test May 7, 2025 Ahead of the Game: England Rugby rights snub, Nottingham Forest ownership, TNT Sports backs Premiership, Relevent Sports in London and WTA commercial agreement England are facing a TV blackout for their summer rugby union Test match against the USA, with no domestic broadcasters bidding for the rights. Sky Sports will show the first two Tests [...]
Clear and simple calendars like NFL, not tennis, should be applauded in sport January 23, 2025 The NFL, unlike tennis, should be applauded for its clear and simple sport calendar that sees athletes thrive, writes Ed Warner. Naomi Osaka, Gael Monfils, Jack Draper. Each retired from the Australian Open mid-match. No substitutes bench in tennis, so the ultimate anticlimax for spectators. Injuries are an occupational hazard, but across sport the sheer [...]
Iconic venue Queen’s Club to host major women’s tennis event May 16, 2024 The iconic Queen’s Club in west London will host the world’s best female tennis players in a competitive tournament for the first time in 50 years. Home to the men’s pre-Wimbledon championships, a WTA 500 event will now be held at the club from 2025, according to the LTA. As a result of the move, [...]