Fans and athletes both lose in sport’s endless entertainment loop July 24, 2025 New tournaments, expanding global championships, tours of dubious sporting merit and very little rest – isn’t it time we gave our athletes a break, asks Ed Warner? If only the world wasn’t spherical, maybe then we wouldn’t have lost the sporting seasons. As it is, summer bleeds from northern hemisphere to southern, which sends winter [...]
Lionesses’ semi-final drama breaks ITV viewing figures record July 23, 2025 The Lionesses’ dramatic semi-final win over Italy in the 2025 Women’s Euros drew a peak audience of 10.2m, according to TV broadcasting data. The game which saw England take on Le Azzurre averaged 8m viewers, delivering ITV’s highest average audience of 2025. The peak audience figure of 10.2m was achieved in the final minutes of [...]
Jannik Sinner reappoints trainer he sacked after positive doping test July 23, 2025 Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner has reappointed his former fitness trainer, who he sacked following his positive doping tests last year. Sinner parted ways with his fitness coach Umberto Ferrara and physio Giacomo Naldi last summer, after it was announced that the Italian tennis superstar had twice tested positive for the steroid clostebol in March 2024. [...]
Dragons’ Den athlete sentenced for using Covid loans to buy £1m house July 23, 2025 A British world champion sprinter who appeared on Dragons’ Den has been given a suspended prison sentenced after using Covid loans to help fund a £1.3m house purchase. Rick Beardsell, who competed on the senior Masters circuit, obtained two maximum-value £50,000 Bounce Back Loans for his sportswear manufacturing business Sports Creative Limited in 2020 and [...]
Brentford FC sponsor rapped by watchdog for pushing gambling to kids July 23, 2025 Premier League club Brentford FC’s main sponsor, Hollywoodbets, has been rapped by the advertising watchdog for targeting children. The Advertising Standards Authority today upheld a complaint from a minor prompted by an ad for the bookmaker on the esports website Virtual Football League. The complainant was presented with the ad, which urged users to sign [...]
Red Roses sign up Clinique as sponsor ahead of Women’s Rugby World Cup July 23, 2025 The Rugby Football Union has added Clinique to its roster of Red Roses partners ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. The global skincare giant has become the official beauty partner of the team, who begin their World Cup campaign next month. It expands Clinique’s presence in the women’s game, having partnered with [...]
Three Lions fans snap up 2026 World Cup packages… in three days July 23, 2025 Hospitality tickets to watch England at next summer’s World Cup sold out within three days of being put on sale last week, with fans eager to secure the right to follow Thomas Tuchel’s side in the US, Canada and Mexico at the first opportunity. Fifa released hospitality packages last Monday for the group and first [...]
Zharnel Hughes: It sucked that Grand Slam Track didn’t come to Europe July 22, 2025 Britain’s fastest man Zharnel Hughes wants Grand Slam Track to return next year with dates in Europe despite the financial difficulties that forced Michael Johnson to cut short its first season. Hughes said it “sucked” that all four Grand Slam Track meets were awarded to venues in the US and Caribbean, given the appetite for [...]
Oval Invincibles sale delayed due to unresolved issues, reports say July 22, 2025 Unresolved issues including the future name of the franchise have delayed completion of the sale of Oval Invincibles – and the flow of funds to hard-up counties – according to reports. The deal will see RISE Worldwide, a subsidiary of the Ambani family’s Reliance Industries, take 49 per cent ownership of the Oval Invincibles franchise [...]
Crystal Palace made to wait until August for Europa League verdict July 22, 2025 Crystal Palace may have to wait until after the Community Shield to discover their Europa League fate for the upcoming season. The Eagles have been told they will find out no later than 11 August whether they will play in the Europa League or the Conference League in 2025/26 after submitting an appeal to the [...]