Mumbai Indians IPL owning Ambanis win race for Oval Invincibles January 30, 2025 Oval Invincibles have become the first Hundred franchise to see a 49 per cent stake sold, with Indian family the Ambanis the winning bidders. The 49 per cent stake in the Oval-based London team will value the franchise at £123m, according to the Telegraph, with Sky News’ Mark Kleinman reporting the Ambanis fended off bids [...]
It’s not the 90s, TNT deal for Six Nations wouldn’t hurt rugby January 30, 2025 On the eve of this year’s men’s Six Nations bursts forth news that TNT Sports is preparing a bid for broadcast rights to the tournament from 2026. Cue mild hysteria at the possibility of rugby’s premier annual competition “disappearing” behind a TV paywall. An accelerant to the decline in mass interest in the sport or [...]
Hundred: Sale of franchise stakes could value cricket league at £700m January 29, 2025 English cricket is set for a major financial boost with the Hundred sale, which enters its final round of bidding, expected to value the eight franchises at as much as £700m. That figure is double the sum the England and Wales Cricket Board rejected from Bridgepoint for the whole tournament in 2022 and would therefore [...]
Leicester City crash ‘accident’ but family say helicopter ‘death trap’ January 28, 2025 The deaths of five people in a helicopter crash, including the former owner of Leicester City, were accidents, according to an inquest jury delivering their conclusion on Tuesday. Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, referred to in court as Khun Vichai, died alongside pilot Eric Swaffer, co-pilot Izabela Lechowicz, Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare when his private helicopter crashed [...]
Top executives back sport clubs and tech as attractive investments January 28, 2025 Over two thirds of business executives see clubs and franchises as the most attractive investment opportunity over the next half-decade, new research has revealed. Over a quarter of executives asked instead said leagues and federations were preferred while nearly one fifth favoured participation events, according to Altman Solon’s Global Sports Survey. It is a tonic [...]
Can rugby union and the Six Nations survive behind TNT paywall? January 28, 2025 For the next two months, up and down the country, you’ll walk into the pub when the Premier League is supposed to be on and instead see Six Nations rugby. It is testament to the reach of a tournament that, despite football being the national sport, kicks off its rivals for the bumper Saturday and [...]
Owners of London Stadium forced to pay West Ham United £3.6m January 27, 2025 The owners of West Ham United’s London Stadium have been forced to cough up £3.6m after losing a court case against the Premier League club. E20 Stadium, set up by publicly-owned London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), must pay back the multi-million pound sum to the club after West Ham challenged a payment they made to [...]
Fans issue warning to Ratcliffe over Manchester United sponsors January 27, 2025 The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) has warned Sir Jim Ratcliffe that fans have the power to drive away sponsors if the club does not freeze ticket prices. Old Trafford regulars fear that co-owner Ratcliffe will hike prices for next season as he looks to reverse losses of more than £300m in the last three [...]
Barclays becomes main sponsor of Lord’s and MCC January 27, 2025 Barclays has expanded its sports sponsorship portfolio by becoming principal partner of Lord’s Cricket Ground and its owner, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The multi-year partnership, effective immediately, sees the Home of Cricket’s iconic Media Centre renamed the Barclays Media Centre. It will also mean the bank making “one of the largest ever donations” to the [...]
How immigration rules affect football clubs in the January transfer window January 26, 2025 Immigration lawyer Hateem Ali on how quotas on overseas players affect Premier League teams’ business during the January transfer window. Although we now have a new government, we are unlikely to see any dramatic changes to the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) rules which were originally implemented in 2021 following a lengthy consultation with the Football [...]