Why Rennes and Como were the surprise spenders in January transfer window February 8, 2025 Manchester City may have led the way in England but the biggest January transfer window spenders in other major European leagues were not the usual suspects. In France it was Rennes who spent the most, eclipsing mega-rich Paris Saint-Germain despite the champions splashing £58m on Napoli’s twinkle-toed Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Rennes invested £62m on [...]
Super Bowl LIX: The adverts that cost $7m for 30 seconds February 8, 2025 Steve Howell of sports marketing agency Dark Horses takes us through this year’s Super Bowl LIX ads, featuring Beckham, Keoghan and Meg Ryan It’s a strange time for brands wishing to advertise. Technology designed to help consumers avoid commercials has never been more pervasive, whatever medium you choose. There are adblocker apps, browser extensions, unsubscribing [...]
CMA and ASA probe Chelsea-linked Vivid Seats over ticket touting February 7, 2025 Consumer group FanFair Alliance has reported Vivid Seats, a company part-owned by Chelsea chair Todd Boehly, to watchdogs for alleged illegal ticket touting. Chelsea fans have described the involvement of Boehly, the highest-profile member of the club’s US ownership group, as a “breach of trust” after it emerged this week. Vivid Seats offers tickets to [...]
Nandy rejects football regulator pay fears: ‘£130k is more than reasonable’ February 7, 2025 Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has dismissed concerns that the incoming football regulator’s effectiveness will be inhibited by more modest public sector pay. Recruitment for the regulator’s first chair is under way but fears have been raised that the calibre of candidate could be restricted by the salary of £130,000 for the part-time role. While still [...]
Netflix eyes Formula 1 TV rights deal after Drive to Survive success February 7, 2025 Netflix could soon advance their Formula 1 offering beyond Drive to Survive with the streaming giant plotting a move for live TV rights. Having dipped their toe into live boxing, showing Mike Tyson’s bout with Jake Paul, and Christmas Day NFL, the streaming service appears to be interested in the US rights for Formula 1. [...]
LIV Golf 2025: The five big changes to the tour during the off season February 6, 2025 LIV Golf returns for its fourth season this weekend in Riyadh on arguably its strongest footing ever, having outlasted three British prime ministers, the reign of our longest-serving monarch and the Biden administration. There may not have been any blockbuster signings like that of Major winner Jon Rahm 12 months ago, but there is plenty [...]
Rugby head injury trial could be delayed until 2027 after court spat February 6, 2025 A high-profile trial against rugby’s governing bodies brought by former players who suffered head injuries may not take place until 2027 after key legal voices sparred in the High Court. Delays caused by holding further case management conferences (CMC), which deal with any pre-trial admin such as available days and application requests, will likely push [...]
Chelsea Women’s rivals face a stark choice: spend – or be left behind February 6, 2025 During the January transfer window Chelsea Women made headlines with their spending, although that is nothing new for the club. Their male counterparts hold the record for the most spent in one winter window, having splashed out £275m in 2023. Chelsea Women broke the $1m transfer fee glass ceiling in the women’s game when they [...]
Meta fact-checking U-turn probed over Ronaldo Facebook deepfake scam February 6, 2025 Meta’s decision to scrap fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram is under review after Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazario was caught up in a deepfake scam. The company’s oversight board has launched an investigation after Meta initially rejected calls to remove a post that used an AI-manipulated video of Ronaldo to promote a gambling app. Meta [...]
Olympic Games set to steady ship with major Chinese sponsor February 6, 2025 Consumer electronics firm TCL is reportedly set to become an Olympic partner in a boost to the International Olympic Committee after long-term sponsors jumped ship. The Chinese organisation is in the final stages of signing a deal to join the IOC sponsorship family, according to SportBusiness. In 2023 the cooperation generated £19bn and its subsidiaries [...]