France will win the Six Nations but round 1 will be key January 31, 2025 It is here, the greatest annual international sports tournament in the world. The Six Nations has it all and I expect this year to be closer than ever. Ireland are on good form but below their recent best, Scotland continue to build but the championship remains elusive, Wales are desperate for a win, England are [...]
US bidders for British basketball league aren’t another 777, says federation January 30, 2025 The chair of the British Basketball Federation (BBF) has dismissed fears of another 777 Partners over plans to hand control of its league to more US investors. The BBF had to strip the 777-owned British Basketball League (BBL) of its licence last year after the Miami-based fund ran out of money, leaving clubs facing extinction. [...]
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 [...]
Why the Champions League playoff round draw is a load of balls January 30, 2025 If you thought the new format for the tournament was needlessly long and convoluted, wait until you hear about the Champions League knockout stage draw. Actually, make that draws. Because despite many elements of the draw being pre-determined by the final table of the league phase, Uefa will be conducting three separate draws to finalise [...]
Where to watch the 2025 Six Nations in London, from sports bars to posh pubs January 30, 2025 The Six Nations seems to come around faster and faster every year, and the 2025 edition will kick off on Friday. Across five of the next seven weekends, beginning on 31 January, a total of 15 matches will be broadcast across London. So City AM has done the hard and collected the best pubs and [...]
Stokes and Gakpo part of £4m funding round for AI wealth firm Prosper January 30, 2025 England cricket captain Ben Stokes and Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo are part of a £4m funding round for a wealth management platform leveraging AI. The sportsmen joined Fuel Ventures, who led the round with a £2m investment, in London-based FinTech Prosper. Olympians Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Dame Sarah Storey and Tim Podcock, and footballers Ben White [...]
2026 World Cup: Visa backlog could keep teams and fans locked out of US January 30, 2025 US officials have raised concerns that visa backlogs may prevent overseas football fans and even teams from attending the men’s 2026 World Cup. Wait times for interviews for business and tourism visas exceed 330 days at 18 US embassies and consulates, the LA Times reported. With tickets for the World Cup not expected to go [...]
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 [...]
Hamilton involved in Ferrari F1 crash during testing January 29, 2025 Seven-time world Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton is “absolutely okay” after crashing his Ferrari at testing in Barcelona. The 40-year-old ran off the road in just his second test for the Scuderia having joined the iconic Italian team from Mercedes ahead of this year’s Formula 1 season. Sources told PA that he was “absolutely okay”. [...]