Back of the Netflix: Sports content is fuelling wave of ad-funded streaming April 4, 2026 Owning live rights is no longer the only way for streaming platforms like Netflix to capture sports audiences, writes Chris Keenan. Could there be a way to engage sports audiences without the billions spent on traditional broadcast rights? It’s this thinking that appears to be shaping Netflix’s latest moves. Over the past year, the streaming [...]
World Cup no longer has global audience – and that’s a marketers challenge April 4, 2026 The domestic football season is hurtling towards its conclusion and, despite England’s drab international break and talk of boycotts, World Cup fever is starting to build. Soon, wallcharts will be pinned up, vintage England kits pulled out from the back of the wardrobe, and Three Lions will find its way onto office playlists. However, this [...]
School of Hard Knocks and Investec celebrate spring rugby tournament April 3, 2026 Around 350 boys and girls used rugby to test their teamwork, resilience and determination as the School of Hard Knocks celebrated its latest Eton Manor RFC spring tournament. The two-day event, backed by international bank and wealth manager Investec, saw students joined by Red Roses legend Shaunagh Brown and the president of English rugby’s governing [...]
Investec Champions Cup organisers should meddle with knockouts April 3, 2026 On Wednesday the amount of tickets still available for Harlequins’ Investec Champions Cup round of 16 fixture against Sale Sharks was well over 6,000. Against their registered capacity of 14,800, that could result in an attendance of less than 9,000 – or around 40 per cent empty – come Saturday night. It is a better [...]
NBA and EuroLeague line up fresh talks over compromise deal April 2, 2026 The NBA and EuroLeague are set for further meetings, perhaps as soon as next week, amid growing hopes of a resolution to their rift over a new European basketball league. The US giant and its European counterpart had been at loggerheads for months over the plans for NBA Europe to launch in 2027 and potentially [...]
Italy World Cup flop kills five per cent of bets on tournament winner April 2, 2026 Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this week was an early win for bookmakers as it killed five per cent of wagers on the outright winner, betting data shows. Four-time champions Italy lost on penalties in a play-off with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, meaning they will miss a third men’s World [...]
PSG sign deal with Whoop as Qatar links grow April 2, 2026 Paris Saint-Germain have announced a multi-year partnership with Whoop just days after the wearable tech firm was valued at $10bn following investment from a Qatari sovereign wealth fund. PSG’s parent firm, Qatar Sports Investments, is closely aligned with fellow state vehicle the Qatar Investment Authority, which this week joined Whoop’s $575m Series G fund raise [...]
E1: Thibaut Courtois joins ex-Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba as team owner April 2, 2026 Real Madrid and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has become a co-owner of Sierra Racing Club, one of the newest teams in the E1 electric powerboating series. Courtois has acquired a stake in the Turkish-backed team, which joined the PIF-backed E1 this year, through his investment vehicle Nxtplay Capital. He joins a host of sports stars [...]
Mind games: How the VR tech used by Martin Ødegaard is revolutionising Norwegian football April 2, 2026 In recent years, Norwegian football has elevated its presence on the global stage, from the success of Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard in the Premier League to Bodø/Glimt’s headline-grabbing European performances. Alongside this rise, football technology experts, Be Your Best, are driving innovation through virtual reality training designed to enhance technical ability, perception and decision-making. [...]
Middlesex CCC needs saving from oblivion so ECB must take bold action April 2, 2026 As the English cricket season begins again, the demise of Middlesex should be ringing alarms bells at fat cats Surrey and the ECB, writes Ed Warner. Of course the forecast is for biting winds across the country this weekend. What did you expect? The English cricket season starts tomorrow. Expect confected hoopla about The Hundred, [...]