The Week in Sportbiz: Cricket meets hip-hop; Germany exports VAR; and the ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ goes global November 19, 2020 Cricket and hip-hop aren’t obvious bedfellows but they cosied up this week when South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi joined Jay-Z’s talent stable Roc Nation. Ngidi, South Africa’s player of the year in one-day and T20 internationals, is the first cricketer to sign with Roc Nation Sports. Roc Nation has snapped up mostly American athletes, [...]
Why Francis Warren is taking the family Queensberry empire to Poland November 18, 2020 Boxing promoter Francis Warren is hoping to expand his family’s Queensberry empire by mining an untapped Polish fight scene. The son of hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren has launched Queensberry Poland, which is due to stage its first show on Saturday. Warren Jr, 36, hopes to groom future Polish world champions who buck the trend by [...]
English cricket fans set to be welcomed back to grounds for full summer of international action November 18, 2020 English cricket chiefs have announced a full programme of international action — with fans in attendance — for next summer. England’s men’s will play India in a five-Test series starting August, following white-ball matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The women’s side will host one-day and Twenty20 series with South Africa and New Zealand, while [...]
ATP Finals prize money: Why payouts at one of tennis’s most lucrative events have been cut by up to 59 per cent November 17, 2020 What the ATP Finals lacks in prestige next to grand slam events it makes up for in prize money. Or at least it did. Because this year’s prize money fund at the men’s tennis showpiece has been cut by more than a third. And whoever claims the title on Sunday will bank barely half the [...]
UK beats US to be named most influential country for sports technology November 17, 2020 The United Kingdom has been named the most influential country in the realm of sports technology by a new report. The UK leads the way because it is home to Formula 1 and golf’s European Tour, organisations praised for innovation. The United States is the second most influential country, according to the inaugural Sports Technology [...]
Ryan Reynolds confirms Wrexham takeover with spoof advert for Welsh trailer company November 16, 2020 In a plot that even Hollywood might deem far-fetched, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are buying fifth-tier football club Wrexham AFC. The pair have been given the green light to complete a takeover following a vote of the Wrexham Supporters’ Trust, which owns the club. Reynolds and McElhenney marked the news by posting a [...]
Give Gareth Southgate a break. Belgium defeat is a consequence of England’s necessary experimentation November 16, 2020 Professional misanthrope Roy Keane was at it again after England’s 2-0 defeat to Belgium in the Nations League on Sunday. “I know they’ve got players to come back in,” he said on ITV, “but on tonight’s evidence I still think they’re short.” Keane wasn’t the only critic. Social media was awash with questioning of manager [...]
Why Juan Manuel Fangio, not Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher, is the greatest Formula 1 driver ever November 15, 2020 Lewis Hamilton’s seventh world title, clinched today in Turkey, revives debate about whether he is the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time. The Briton has now equalled Michael Schumacher’s record for the most championships, and, with 94, has won more races than anyone else. But what if you could objectively compare drivers from different [...]
The Masters effect: How winning a green jacket can double a player’s social media following November 13, 2020 Some spoils of winning the Masters are easy to quantify, like one green jacket and around two million dollars. Others – joy, relief, satisfaction, prestige, profile – are less so. But new research has attempted to put a figure on the last of those by analysing the social media followings of recent Masters champions. Tiger [...]
The Week in Sportbiz: Big W for W Series; United show FA the way; Tour de Yorkshire; British Cycling; and Uefa November 12, 2020 Women’s sport has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic but it received a boost today from the W Series. The women-only single-seater racing championship is to stage eight races on the same bill as Formula 1 grands prix next year. “There is no doubt that our global reach, impact and influence will be [...]