Bumper IPL takeovers boost T20 cricket franchise league’s value to over $20bn Sport Business Multiple blockbuster team sales have boosted the Indian Premier League’s business value to more than $20bn, according to a new report by global investment bank Houlihan Lokey. The IPL’s value has increased more than 11 per cent year-on-year to $20.6bn following the takeovers of franchises Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a record $1.78bn and Rajasthan Royals [...]
2026 World Cup: Why YouTube and TikTok could re-write Fifa’s revenue playbook Sport Business The 2026 World Cup could erode the price that Fifa can command for its media rights as YouTube and TikTok compete directly with traditional broadcasters, analysts have warned. This World Cup, which kicked off last night, is the first in which YouTube and TikTok will both stream the first 10 minutes of every game and [...]
Streaming overtakes traditional sports broadcasting, spending $12.5bn in 2025 Sport Business Streaming has overtaken traditional broadcast and cable TV viewing as its biggest players have increased investment in sports rights, according to a new report. Platforms such as Dazn have pumped significant funds into showing live sport, with the sector as a whole spending $12.5bn in 2025, up 25 per cent on last year. Streaming’s share [...]
Trump tariffs forcing sports firms to be more flexible with supply chain September 17, 2025 Sports merchandise and apparel firms are being forced to be more flexible due to President Donald Trump’s ever-changing tariff policies, according to a leading investment bank. Moves by Trump have impacted the share price of major firms in the sporting space, while US import costs for merchandise made in high tariff countries is hitting the [...]
Hundred teams to be buoyed by hike in IPL franchise valuations July 8, 2025 Hundred teams with links to the Indian Premier League (IPL) are to be buoyed by increased brand valuations for their subcontinental sibling clubs after a new report revealed major competition growth. While Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who do not have any involvement in bids for the eight Hundred franchises, topped the brand value list at £198m, [...]
Littler, Gen Z and Netflix: Why investment banks have fallen for darts March 20, 2025 Forget AI, clean energy and healthcare, there is a new hot tip for investors looking for big returns: the historically downmarket, beer-soaked world of darts. The sport is riding the crest of a wave generated by better promotion, wider consumption and, more recently, the rise and rise of teenage phenomenon Luke Littler. Ticket demand is [...]
Foreign takeovers of UK companies plummet amid M&A decline March 4, 2025 The number of foreign investors launching M&A deals for UK companies plummeted in the fourth quarter of last year, with only £4.5bn spent by buyers from abroad. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, the number of foreign companies acquiring UK companies (known as ‘inward M&A) fell to its to its lowest level [...]
Foreign firms launch £7.8bn summer deals raid on British companies December 3, 2024 A raid by international firms on UK companies accelerated over the summer as foreign buyers kicked off deals worth some £7.8bn – even as domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) slumped. Foreign spending on UK companies rose by 16 per cent between July and September, thanks in part to the $976m (£769m) swoop by US-based Quanex [...]
As many as 20 finfluencers targeted in crackdown October 22, 2024 The Financial Conduct Authority is interviewing 20 ‘influencers’ under caution as it ramps up its scrutiny of those touting financial services products on social media. While the FCA was unable to name those targeted for an interview, it came after the regulator targeted a host of Love Island stars earlier this year for running unauthorised financial promotions. [...]
Mergers and acquisitions: UK deals dry to pandemic low amid ‘constrained’ conditions March 5, 2024 The number of UK mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals continued to fall in the final three months of 2023, with December seeing the lowest number since the coronavirus pandemic began. There were a total of 367 combined domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions in the fourth quarter of the year, down from 400 in the [...]