By: Matt Hardy

Deputy Sports Editor - City AM Matt Hardy is the City AM Deputy Sports Editor with a specialism in the business of sport. He covers the likes of rugby, cricket, sporting investment and venture capital funds; while also being across golf, cricket, and the politics of sport.

Connect on socials

All 3356 Articles

Papua New Guinea to join NRL in £301m ‘diplomacy deal’ against China funded by taxpayer

December 12, 2024

A team from Papua New Guinea will join Australian rugby league competition the NRL in a “diplomacy deal” that will cost the taxpayer £301m. It is understood the deal is part of an Australian push to counteract increasing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific and follows Australian support for Pacific island rugby union teams participating in [...]
Super League Hull FC get new owners worth reported £500m

December 11, 2024

Super League club Hull FC was taken over on Wednesday by two businessmen who are reportedly worth a combined £500m. The club, which lost its IMG Grade A status after the conclusion of the 2024 season, has been taken over by former Leeds Rhinos president Andrew Thirkill and businessman David Hood. The pair entered into [...]
NFL confirms third European city for 2025 international games

December 11, 2024

The NFL will expand its international game programme with a match in Berlin in 2025, the sporting league has announced. It comes as the NFL announced a “multi-year commitment” to playing games in the German capital following successful stints in Munich and Frankfurt. Berlin’s Olympic Stadium is not new to NFL, having hosted pre-season matches [...]
Premier Sports hit Champions Cup targets, says broadcaster chief

December 11, 2024

Investec Champions Cup broadcaster Premier Sports insisted they hit viewership targets across the opening weekend of action. The Irish broadcaster has taken over the broadcast rights from TNT Sports for Great Britain as part of a three-year deal with the competition’s governing body EPCR. Despite concerns over the coverage, which featured some technical glitches and [...]
Exclusive: Forest, Chelsea and Inter players join £1.1m boot firm Sokito’s funding round

December 11, 2024

Players from clubs such as Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Inter Milan have joined a £1.1m funding round for eco-friendly football boot firm Sokito. A total of 60 players, 44 of whom are new investors, have joined the roster of investors from leagues including the Premier League, MLS and the Bundesliga. Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah is on [...]
McLaren winning Constructors’ Championship shifts tectonic plates of F1

December 10, 2024

At first glance Formula 1 might look like a billionaire boys’ club, where the cash reserves are endless and the supplies infinite. And to a large extent, that’s true. But the motorsport series has a budget cap now which was introduced to level the playing field, to allow challenger teams to take on the might [...]
Ferrari to help General Motors and Cadillac Formula 1 entry

December 10, 2024

Ferrari will provide engines and a gearbox to the General Motors and Andretti bid that will see Cadillac enter Formula 1 in 2026. The agreement, subject to the American newcomers having their application approved by both Formula 1 and the sports governing body the FIA, represents a huge obstacle passed for the General Motors team, [...]
European football to rebel over winter World Cup in Saudi Arabia

December 10, 2024

European football leagues are set to rebel against plans to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup in Saudi Arabia in the winter. The Middle Eastern kingdom is set to be officially confirmed as hosts for the 2034 edition of the World Cup on Wednesday at a Fifa congress meeting. The move could see Saudi Arabia [...]
Why doesn’t Saudi Arabia sponsor rugby when it invests everywhere else?

December 7, 2024

If you were going to have a gander through the list of sports sponsorship deals related – directly or indirectly – to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, you’d be scrolling for a good while. Because research by Play the Game reports that there’s a total of 910 deals between Saudi Arabia or Saudi companies/individuals and [...]
Russell: Bully Verstappen wanted to put me on my f****** head in the wall

December 5, 2024

Formula 1 driver George Russell has unleashed a brutal attack on world champion Max Verstappen after the Dutchman moaned about the Brit. Verstappen said he lost all respect for George Russell after an incident in Qatar but the Mercedes driver hit back, saying the Dutchman had “bullied” people for years and promised to purposely crash [...]

Could Burnham be the answer to free-to-air sport for all?

Could Burnham be the answer to free-to-air sport for all?

The best wine to take to a picnic in the sun

By: Matt Hardy

All 3356 Articles

Subscribe