Banning betting companies from sport sponsorship will create a huge void that may never be filled December 7, 2020 A few months ago, football club Swansea City announced its university namesake as its new shirt sponsor and thereby broke ties with a betting company. They may be just the first of many football clubs to break away from gambling and, like Swansea City, they will take a financial hit from the switch. This year’s [...]
Successful Indian Premier League 2020 underlines that competition remains king December 3, 2020 Cricket’s Indian Premier League ended with the Mumbai Indians beating the Delhi Capitals in a rather one-sided and lacklustre final last month. Yet while the showpiece event failed to deliver, it couldn’t take the gloss off a remarkably successful tournament in the UAE. Uday Shankar, president of Disney Asia Pacific, which owns broadcaster Star Sports, [...]
Premier League agrees £250m bailout package to help EFL clubs survive pandemic December 3, 2020 The Premier League has agreed a £250m bailout for struggling clubs outside the top division. The aid package for the English Football League (EFL) includes £50m in grants for teams in Leagues One and Two. A further £200m in interest-free loans will be made available to clubs in the Championship. The long-awaited deal to mitigate [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Yashenkov makes fan pledge ahead of election; global golf tour moves step closer; and Cazoo trumpets Hundred deal December 3, 2020 It’s a big weekend for rugby in Europe, and not just because of the final round of Autumn Nations Cup fixtures. On Friday, Russian challenger Kirill Yashenkov is hoping to topple incumbent Octavian Morariu and be named president of Rugby Europe. Yashenkov has vowed to double the organisation’s budget and create more opportunities for elite [...]
Coaches have played a vital role in 2020 and now that sport is returning we need them even more December 2, 2020 Sport and physical activity have never been more important to society and many of the UK’s 3m coaches have proved instrumental in helping communities stay connected and active this year, even in full lockdown. We have seen real recognition that high-quality physical activity is absolutely central to the mental and physical well-being of the nation. [...]
NFL poaches World Rugby boss Brett Gosper as it aims to increase its presence in UK and Europe December 2, 2020 World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper will leave the governing body next year to run the NFL in Europe and the UK. Gosper has been in his current role for eight years, during which time he has overseen the staging of two successful World Cups. The Australian has agreed to become head of Europe and [...]
It’s coming home: Former City banker bids to bring England’s 1966 World Cup glory back to life December 1, 2020 A former City banker hopes to bring England’s finest footballing hour back to life by showing the 1966 World Cup final in colour for the first time. Neil Canetty-Clarke is one of the leading figures behind #FullColour66, which aims to raise £700,000 via a unique crowdfunding campaign that launches today. Investors can pledge as little [...]
Return of fans to sport will encourage brands to lift the handbrake on big campaigns November 30, 2020 When The Beatles walked off-stage at Candlestick Park, San Francisco in August 1966 it would be another two and a half years until they played live. When they walked out onto the roof of Apple Records HQ on Savile Row a small matter of 885 days later, they launched straight into a brand-new track: Get [...]
Diego Maradona’s maverick spirit lives on in a new wave of athlete activists November 27, 2020 Maradona’s rebellious nature and habit of hanging out with the wrong crowd was a product of his upbringing in the shanty town of Villa Fiorito, and it’s fair to say it never left him. In a world where athletes and celebrities are increasingly held up as role models, Maradona, through his own words and actions, [...]
How to stage a limited capacity match in the Covid era, from socially distanced seating to ordering drinks November 25, 2020 Sports clubs across England are preparing to host limited-capacity events when lockdown ends next week, but Harlequins are one step ahead. The Premiership rugby club had 2,800 at their home, The Stoop, for a match against Bath in early September, as part of a nationwide pilot scheme. Here, Adrian Wells, chief marketing officer at Harlequins, [...]