HSBC Championships: Why sponsors can’t get enough of Queen’s Club June 19, 2025 For the last three years, the men’s championship at Queen’s Club has been voted the best ATP 500-level tournament on the circuit by perhaps the most important stakeholders of all: players. The tennis-watching public also seems to love it. Last week’s women’s championship, held for the first time in 50 years, sold out for several [...]
NBA’s LA Lakers to sell majority stake to Chelsea co-owner in £7.5bn deal June 19, 2025 The Buss family are selling a majority stake in the LA Lakers in a deal that could value the NBA franchise at £7.45bn. Owned by the same family since 1979, the LA Lakers are one of sports most iconic teams in world sport with the likes of LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, [...]
Grand Slam Track stumble shows odds stacked against sport’s disruptors June 19, 2025 Michael Johnson’s decision to scrap the last of his four Grand Slam Track events will have pained the wannabe disruptor who has been a persistent critic of the track and field establishment. It will be no comfort to the former superstar to learn that a new study of British broadcast trends shows increased viewing of [...]
Juan Mata joins Mercury 13 women’s football investment group June 18, 2025 World Cup-winning former Spain, Manchester United and Chelsea star Juan Mata has become a key investor in women’s football investment group Mercury 13. The female-led group, which owns FC Como Women, has previously pledged to spend $100m on buying stakes in teams in each of the major leagues in Europe. Mata, now with Western Sydney [...]
Chelsea investors Ares buys stake in Mbappe SailGP team June 18, 2025 Chelsea, McLaren Racing and Miami Dolphins investor Ares Management has joined Kylian Mbappe in buying into the French SailGP team. The US firm’s minority stake will see the sailing team become entirely privately owned, and follows recent celebrity investments in the series from the likes of Anne Hathaway (Italy) and Ryan Reynolds (Australia). Ares Management [...]
Sheffield Wednesday: EFL hits cash-strapped club with fresh sanction June 18, 2025 Financially stricken second-tier club Sheffield Wednesday have been hit with further sanctions on player recruitment over late payments, the English Football League (EFL) has said. Sheffield Wednesday were already under a transfer embargo after they and owner Dejphon Chansiri were charged by the EFL over non-payment of player wages in March and May. But the [...]
Fifa defends ticket sales as only 3,500 attend Club World Cup match June 18, 2025 Fifa has defended their ticket sales process after just 3,412 fans attended a Club World Cup match this week. Fewer than 3,500 fans attended the match in Orlando between South Korean side Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa. It comes after fewer 23,000 fans watched Chelsea take on MLS side Los Angeles FC [...]
Muse Capital: The rise and rise of women-led multi-team ownership groups June 18, 2025 With more and more women-led investment groups in sport, City AM sat down with Muse Capital to discuss SailGP and changing tides. A recent phenomenon among the plethora of sports deals recently has been the involvement of celebrity capital. Whether that be Tom Brady at Birmingham City, Serena Williams with Toronto Tempo or the late [...]
Six Nations look to lure Sky by bundling TV rights with Lions June 18, 2025 The Six Nations unions are in talks with the British and Irish Lions about bundling their TV rights for the next four-year cycle. European unions have already sold TV rights for the Six Nations between 2026 and 2029 in a joint deal with ITV and BBC, but have yet to go to market with their [...]
London Mayor ready for London Olympics bid after Brit backing June 18, 2025 The Mayor of London says he stands ready to help form a bid for the 2040 Olympic Games after City AM polling revealed widespread support for the plans. Over half of Brits back London challenging the likes of Saudi Arabia to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Britain for a fourth time. The exclusive [...]