MP calls on government to mandate for free-to-air Champions League final May 19, 2026 MPs have called on the government to ensure the Champions League is on free-to-air television in the future after the three European football finals went behind a HBO paywall. The Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League will feature three Premier League clubs – Arsenal, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace respectively – but will [...]
Premier League streaming platform to cost less than half what UK fans pay May 19, 2026 The Premier League has released pricing for its first ever streaming platform, which will show every single game next season when it launches in Singapore. Premier League + will be available via a dedicated app, with access priced at S$16 (£9.31) for 24 hours, S$44 (£25.62) for a monthly rolling contract, and S$399 (£232.39) for [...]
Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn on darts in US, Bruin Capital, Saudi and Dana White May 19, 2026 Matchroom Sport chair Eddie Hearn on wooing Bruin Capital, darts breaking America, Saudi Arabian money, AJ-Fury and getting back at Dana White. A night at the darts might not seem the obvious place to clinch a billion-pound deal but that’s where Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn invited Bruin Capital to show the US firm why it [...]
Premier League clubs’ success could earn HMRC £40m windfall May 19, 2026 Premier League clubs’ unprecedented success in Europe this season could earn HMRC a £40m windfall, according to tax experts. Bonuses paid out to players for winning domestic and continental trophies could hit £70m, generating a lucrative pot for the taxman, if Arsenal, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace clean up in the next two weeks. The [...]
The story of Keir Starmer’s failure is boringly familiar May 18, 2026 Keir Starmer’s fate was not brought about chiefly by his lack of personality. It was the predictable result of the economic conditions that have wracked Britain for almost two decades, a political system poorly attuned to fixing them, and more than a little of his own hubris, says Andrew Griffith Analysing why Keir Starmer failed [...]
Premier League + and why owning the broadcast isn’t owning the fan May 17, 2026 The Premier League and Uefa’s moves into streaming platforms misunderstand the way fans want to consume football, says George Gilmore. In the last few months, the two leading lights in global club football, the Premier League and Uefa, have announced they will be launching direct-to-consumer broadcast offerings. In so doing, a revolutionary, if predictable, moment [...]
Britain takes first steps on journey to 2040s North of England Olympics bid May 17, 2026 The first steps have been taken to see Great Britain host the Olympics, in the North of England, for the first time since London 2012. The government this morning commissioned an “initial strategic assessment” into the potential for the North of England to stage the quadrennial games in the 2040s. Though any decision to bid [...]
Championship clubs up promotion gamble by adopting new financial rules May 15, 2026 Loss-making Championship clubs have raised the stakes in their £1.2bn gamble to reach the Premier League by voting in new financial rules. Teams in the second tier have agreed to adopt a framework based on squad cost ratio (SCR), similar to those set to be implemented in the top division, from next season. The new [...]
Hearts: Fan ownership, Tony Bloom and upsetting the Old Firm status quo May 15, 2026 A decade ago Leicester City beat odds of 5000/1 to win the Premier League. Hearts could replicate that level of upset on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership. Because for the first time since 1985 one of Rangers or Celtic may not lift the title. Forty years ago it was Aberdeen under Sir Alex Ferguson, this [...]
Sunday Times Rich List: Bath and Man United owners Dyson and Ratcliffe lose £10bn May 15, 2026 Manchester United and Bath Rugby investors Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir James Dyson have lost £10bn in the last year, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. Dyson, who earlier this year purchased 50 per cent of Prem Rugby club Bath, saw his and his family’s wealth fall £8.8bn, from £20.8bn to £12bn between 2025 [...]