Champ clubs demand divorce payment from RFU over Prem franchise plan Sport Business The Rugby Football Union is facing the threat of legal action from Champ clubs if the RFU Council approves a proposal from the Prem to become a franchise league with no promotion from the second tier. City AM has learned that the Champ Rugby board held an emergency meeting with clubs last week at which [...]
Manchester City v Premier League battle set to drag on beyond season Sport Business Manchester City will face another lengthy wait to discover their punishment if they are found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules, as the much-anticipated verdict of the independent commission will be delivered in stages. The initial judgement of the commission, which finished hearing the case 13 months ago, will only deal with matters [...]
Paramount takeover of UK sport cools despite Champions League grab Sport Business Paramount Skydance has no plans to launch a UK sports channel after acquiring Champions League rights from 2027 onwards in an indication that a major expansion into sport from the global streaming platform is unlikely. As it stands the Champions League is likely to be broadcast in this country on Paramount+, while the entertainment network [...]
Sheffield Wednesday: Joint bid could win £30m fight for crisis-hit club December 3, 2025 A number of the six bidders for Sheffield Wednesday are considering joining forces as competition to buy the Championship club hots up. Administrator Begbies Traynor has set an initial deadline of this Friday to begin exclusive negotiations with a preferred bidder, but with a number of credible offers on the table that timeline is likely [...]
Mercury13: Mata-backed women’s football group lines up Spanish club November 26, 2025 Juan Mata-backed investment group Mercury13 is in advanced negotiations about buying a stake in Spanish top-flight women’s club Levante Badalona. Mercury13, which bought FC Como Women in 2024 before investing in WSL2 club Bristol earlier this year, has pledged $100m to build a global portfolio of clubs, with Badalona earmarked to be its next investment. [...]
Wimbledon set to get exemption from anti-ticket touting law for debentures November 19, 2025 Wimbledon chiefs are set to receive an exemption from legislation to be introduced in next year’s King’s Speech that would ban the resale of tickets above face value for sport and music events. The proposed new laws – designed to stamp out touting – would have a significant impact on the sale of debentures by [...]
Exclusive: Middlesex to play just two T20 Blast games at Lord’s in 2026 November 12, 2025 Middlesex will play just two Twenty20 Blast matches at Lord’s next year in a further indication of their declining foothold at the Home of Cricket. The 13-time county champions have been tenants at Lord’s since 1864 and have a 12-month rental agreement with the Marylebone Cricket Club that is renewed on an annual basis, but [...]
Fifa casts net as Budweiser Uefa talks throw World Cup contract into doubt November 5, 2025 Fifa has begun exploratory talks with other alcohol companies as a contingency measure in case long-term partner AB InBev, maker of Budweiser, opts against extending its contract as the world governing body’s official beer supplier after next year’s World Cup. AB InBev’s flagship brand Budweiser has been the official World Cup beer since the 1986 [...]
British basketball at war: GBBL proposes peace deal to BBF and SLB November 4, 2025 The chief executive of the Great Britain Basketball League (GBBL) has moved to make peace with the existing clubs and the sport’s governing body following the 12-month civil war that has resulted in the men’s national team being suspended from international competition. In a letter sent to the interim chair of the British Basketball Federation [...]
Exclusive: Budweiser to challenge Heineken for Uefa Champions League deal October 29, 2025 Uefa’s long-standing Champions League beer partners, Heineken, are facing competition from Budweiser for the contract to be the competition’s official suppliers from 2027 onwards. City AM has learned that Budweiser’s parent company, AB InBev, are willing to pay Uefa €200m per season, a significant increase on the €120m-a-year they are currently getting from Heineken. Budweiser [...]
