Dear Keir Starmer and Labour, please double down on funding Team GB athletes August 15, 2024 Sport columnist Ed Warner reflects on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Team GB medal haul and UK Sport funding. Dear Sir Keir, Ms Reeves and Ms Peacock, How do you feel about Team GB’s medal tally at the Olympics? More medals, 65, than last time out in Tokyo and equal to the London 2012 [...]
How Samsung, Pampers and NBC struck gold at Paris 2024 Olympics August 14, 2024 The Paris 2024 Olympics marked a cultural shift in how brands connect with global audiences, with the games being dubbed the “TikTok Olympics” due to many sponsors’ digital-first approach. As the International Olympic Committee (IOC) acknowledges an ageing fanbase—the average age has risen by approximately 10 years in just a decade—the need to captivate younger [...]
Growing participation is fuelling golf, but it must stay affordable August 14, 2024 There is no doubt that golf is big business but is it in danger of making the age old elitist mistakes of the past which alienate the masses? Globally it’s estimated that the golf market is worth in excess of $90bn (£70.5bn), a figure that is expected to rise to $104bn (£80.5bn) by 2028, exhibiting [...]
Who gives a crap? Lewes FC confirm new sponsor of ‘crappiest kit of all’ August 14, 2024 Lewes FC, the world’s first gender equal football club, have announced eco toilet paper brand, Who Gives A Crap, as its new sponsor. It is claimed the kit will be the first “created by a toiled brand” as the club looks forward “to a season of clean sheets”. The two-year-deal sees the Who Gives A [...]
BBL champions London Lions bought out of administration by Lithuanian group and Zalgiris Kaunas August 14, 2024 British basketball champions London Lions have been bought out of administration by Lithuanian group Tesonet and Zalgiris Kaunas. London Lions were taken to the brink of extinction by the collapse of former owner 777 Partners’ sporting empire. Tesonet, a tech hub and investor in Lithuanian side Zalgiris Kaunas, was the early frontrunner and the only [...]
Premier Sports planning 24/7 rugby channel with Champions Cup at heart August 14, 2024 Broadcaster Premier Sports are planning to create a 24/7 rugby union channel after announcing a deal to show every match of the Investec Champions Cup over the next three years. Club rugby’s top competition is moving from TNT Sports, mainly due to the Warner Bros. Discovery company making an investment into international rugby with the [...]
AI-powered semi-automated VAR set for Premier League debut August 14, 2024 The Premier League will partner with Genius Sports Limited to produce AI-powered semi-automatic VAR for the 2024/25 season, it was announced this morning. VAR faced serious backlash last season with a number of key incidents going viral for mistakes. But the Premier League will now introduce AI-powered semi-automatic VAR, similar to the system used in [...]
NBA and Paris 2024 star Kevin Durant takes minority stake in PSG August 14, 2024 Phoenix Suns NBA player and Team USA gold medallist at Paris 2024 Kevin Durant has invested in Ligue 1 football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The 35-year-old – formerly of Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets – has reportedly purchased a “single digit millions” shareholding in the Arctos Sports Partners stake [...]
Amazon Prime top of the table to bag Liverpool documentary rights August 14, 2024 Amazon Prime are in pole position to pick up the UK rights for the Liverpool documentary based on Jurgen Klopp’s last six months at Anfield. City A.M. has learned that Amazon have entered advanced negotiations with the club and production company Lorton Entertainment to show the documentary, which was filmed over the second half of [...]
Work from home culture may damage the future of sport branding August 13, 2024 Has the phenomenon of working from home damaged the way sports brands can reach their audiences? Joe Langsworthy investigates. Sport in 2024 has never been more accessible. Yet watching our favourite pastimes live in stadiums, arenas and other venues remains out of reach to millions. Recently, Sir Lewis Hamilton condemned the rising prices of tickets [...]