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”. [...]
EE: Home nations agree four-year contract extension with telco January 29, 2025 The Football Association (FA) will continue with EE as its lead partner after the telco signed a four-year contract extension. The agreement covers the England men’s and women’s senior teams, the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium and the other three home nations football associations up to the 2028 Euros, which Great Britain and Ireland will co-host [...]
British basketball at war: Clubs split from federation over new league plan January 29, 2025 Civil war has broken out in British basketball after furious Super League Basketball clubs vowed to break away from the British Basketball Federation over plans to impose a new league on them. Super League Basketball (SLB) teams say they were not consulted by the British Basketball Federation (BBF) before it announced former Portland Trail Blazers [...]
Manchester set to become ‘global capital of football’, says Burnham January 29, 2025 Manchester will become “the global capital of football” following a major regeneration project centred around a new Manchester United stadium, says the city’s mayor Andy Burnham. The government and Trafford Council have pledged to support the wider revamp of the area, which is set for a transformation like that catalysed in Stratford by the London [...]
Formula 1 team owner sponsors MotoGP outfit in new deal January 28, 2025 One of the 10 Formula 1 teams set to compete in the 2025 season has agreed a sponsorship agreement with MotoGP team Pramac Racing. Alpine – whose F1 outfit boasts Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan – will be a main sponsor of the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team. The French manufacturer – whose Formula 1 [...]
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 [...]
Record numbers of UK Anti-Doping whistleblowers come forward January 28, 2025 Whistleblower numbers for suspected sports doping are at a record high in the United Kingdom, according to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD). According to its intelligence and investigations team, UKAD states that there were 211 reports of suspected doping misconduct across 30 sports in 2024. That represented an almost three-fold increase since 2020, when the service was [...]