Lessons for sponsors from sport’s biggest summer of protests since the suffragettes August 29, 2023 Sport sponsors need to be clear on what they stand for – not just what they stand next to – if they are to avoid blowback from protests, says marketing expert Matt Readman. This has been the most disrupted summer of sport for over a century. The pitches, courses and tracks of the UK now [...]
World Rugby streaming service to make all World Cup games available everywhere August 25, 2023 World Rugby has announced the launch of RugbyPass TV, a new streaming platform that will ensure live coverage of every game at the Rugby World Cup is available everywhere. British-based rugby fans will be able to follow the tournament in full on ITV’s channels, but in territories without blanket broadcast coverage the games will be [...]
Nike to sell Mary Earps England goalkeeper shirt after caving in to fan demands August 24, 2023 A limited number of replica Mary Earps goalkeeping shirts are finally being made available to buy by England kit manufacturer Nike. Earps had said prior to the World Cup it was “hugely disappointing and very hurtful” that the replica kits were not available to purchase. Calls for Nike to put things right have grown louder [...]
Qatar tightens grip on elite padel with takeover of rival Spanish-owned circuit August 24, 2023 Qatar Sports Investments, the owner of French football champions Paris Saint-Germain, has confirmed its takeover of the World Padel Tour. The move concludes around 18 months of wrangling over control of the fast-growing sport at elite level, following the launch of QSI’s rival Premier Padel circuit. It will see Premier Padel become the main tour [...]
Why Harry Kane’s lifetime contract with Skechers is no average football boot deal August 22, 2023 “Own it, own who you are and own what you want to achieve.” That was the main message that Harry Kane wanted fans to take when announcing his lifetime partnership with Skechers, as the footwear company joined the likes of Castore as disruptors in a sportswear sector long dominated by Adidas, Nike and Puma. The [...]
Manchester United to let Mason Greenwood leave after backlash over possible return August 21, 2023 Manchester United have reached agreement with Mason Greenwood to leave the club after concluding an investigation into claims of attempted rape and assault. England striker Greenwood was suspended by the Premier League club in January 2022 after images and video relating to the alleged victim emerged online. Prosecutors dropped the case earlier this year after [...]
Nike still won’t sell England goalkeeper shirt despite Mary Earps’ World Cup heroics August 21, 2023 Nike has resisted calls to put an England goalkeeper shirt on sale in the near future despite Mary Earps and the Lionesses’ success in reaching the Women’s World Cup final. The sportswear giant has attracted criticism from fans and players for not producing a replica of Earps’s kit following her World Cup heroics, despite selling [...]
Lionesses shirt sales surge 700 per cent ahead of Women’s World Cup final August 17, 2023 The Lionesses’ success at the Women’s World Cup has seen sales on England shirts and other merchandise rocket by more than 700 per cent, new consumer data has revealed. Online sales soared by 710 per cent above average daily levels on Wednesday in the aftermath of England’s 3-1 semi-final victory over Australia, according to figures [...]
Ed Warner: Lionesses bonus row will rear its head again after Women’s World Cup August 17, 2023 Ed Warner on why the FA could face a public broadside from the Lionesses after the Women’s World Cup, this week’s World Athletics Championships in Hungary and Team GB’s selection policy. Within 24 hours of winning the Davis Cup for the first time in almost eight decades, Andy Murray and his Great Britain team captain [...]
Australia v England: 2023 Women’s World Cup sees major rise in female gamblers August 16, 2023 As England take on Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final this morning, new gambling data reveals that more women are betting on football. Bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral report that 21 per cent of bets on England’s group stage games were made by women, up from 13 per cent at the last Women’s World Cup [...]