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Despite Covid uncertainty and 23 Capital’s demise, football’s financiers are here to stay
Covid-19 may have proved too much for 23 Capital, but business is booming for other lenders in the football finance sector.
Francis: OTT streaming operators have struggled to provide lockdown service
Barney Francis, the former managing director of the UK division of Sky Sports, has suggested the Covid-19 crisis has exposed the business models of some of the OTT streaming services operating in the sports sector but says there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the industry. Ben Cronin reports.
Lee Gibbons | What Olympic sponsorships can teach brands in the Covid-19 era
Self-confessed 'Olympophile' Lee Gibbons, managing director of the Sport Unlimited agency, explains why the values and strategies attached to Olympic sponsorships translate so well to today's market in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“London is critically important to us” | Jon Dutton, Rugby League World Cup 2021
Rugby League World Cup 2021 chief executive officer Jon Dutton details how the Rugby League World cup are looking to transcend the traditional audience of rugby league when the tournament is held in England…
Louise Mansfield, Brunel | Evidence-led research impacts Sport England policy
Louise Mansfield, professor of sport, health and social sciences in the Institute for Environment, Health and Societies at Brunel University in London, discusses her Research Impact Award-nominated work.
LT signs up as Villa sleeve sponsor, Acronis adds Southampton to European portfolio
English Premier League club Aston Villa has signed Asian betting operator LT as the club’s new shirt sleeve sponsor.
ITV retains British Touring Car Championship rights until 2026
UK commercial broadcaster ITV has extended its long-running coverage of the British Touring Car Championship for a further five years to 2026.
The renewal with rights-holder Toca starts in 2022
Cambridge United invests in players’ financial education
A new partnership with the Football Finance Academy will help educate players & staff for future success beyond the pitch
Sponsorship network expanded by eToro in 12 deals in English and German football
Global investment platform eToro has launched 12 new sponsorships across the UK and Germany, as the brand expands its investment in football clubs across Europe
# 3 – The Fifa Master at The International Centre for Sport Studies
The Fifa Master is Europe's best postgraduate sport management degree.
Alumni profile, CIES | Pierre Ducrey, Olympic Games operations director at the IOC
Pierre Ducrey was part of the third intake of students on the CIES Fifa Master, which he graduated with distinction in 2003. He was appointed as Olympic Games operations director in March 2020, having joined the International Olympic Committee as an intern shortly after finishing his Masters degree.
Martin Polley, De Monfort University | Fifa Master shows commitment to anti-racist research
As part of this year’s Postgraduate Rankings, SportBusiness is highlighting some of the most important and impactful research to have been produced and published by the institutions we survey. The CIES Fifa Master takes place across three European universities – Neuchâtel in Switzerland, Milan’s SDA Bocconi, and De Monfort in Leicester, England. Professor Martin Polley, director of the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort, discusses how Fifa Master students at the school have taken a lead on anti-racist research in sport.
Alumni profile, Brunel University London | Dr Razan Baker, Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee
Dr Razan Baker graduated from Brunel University London with a PhD in sports sciences in 2014 and was appointed director of international communication at the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee in 2020.
Partnerships help universities bridge the gap between academia and industry
As the ties between universities and sports organisations grow closer and educational institutes continue to look for new ways to strengthen their connections to industry, SportBusiness takes a look at…
How sport management courses faced the Covid-19 crisis
While the Covid-19 pandemic has inevitably touched almost every aspect of modern life, the two sectors with which this publication is concerned were arguably among the hardest hit
“Over time we plan to make acquisitions” | Simon Bazalgette on his new advisory firm
Former Jockey Club chairman Simon Bazalgette describes how the Covid-19 pandemic has forced him to adapt plans for a new consultancy business and how there will be an even greater need for right-holders to control operational costs when sport resumes. Ben Cronin reports.
Rugby League World Cup looks to expand game beyond its traditional heartlands
With the Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) just over a year away, the team behind the event are working to achieve central objectives of transcending the traditional audience for the sport. Matthew Williams talks to RLWC2021 chief executive Jon Dutton about how he plans to make the most of the opportunity.
Ospreys has potential to become one of sport’s most renowned franchises
James Davies-Yandle, founder and chief executive of Y11, which recently acquired Welsh Rugby Union club Ospreys, speaks to SportBusiness about the ambitions for the club and the opportunities he sees on the horizon.
Omar Khan | More action needed to address BAME representation in UK sport
Omar Khan, managing director EMEA, Leverage Marketing Advisors, calls for fewer reviews and more action in addressing BAME representation on the boards of UK sports bodies.
Simon Green, BT Sport | Closed-door matches “not the product we paid for”
Simon Green, head of broadcaster BT Sport, talks about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on media rights values and consumer habits and says closed-door sport is not the product the broadcaster paid for. Adam Nelson reports.
49ers ready to help Leeds United become “more of a global force”
NFL team the San Francisco 49ers are ready to play an active role in helping Leeds United become a Premier League force both on and off the field following the club's promotion to English soccer's top flight. SportBusiness speaks to 49ers Enterprises president Paraag Marathe.
Anthony Goddard & Gareth Smith | Sport bounces back on TV
Publicis Sport & Entertainment’s Anthony Goddard, head of media research, and Gareth Smith, media research manager, explain why the post-lockdown period has seen unprecedented and consistently high audiences for Sky Sports in the UK
“The ICC revenue share model is unsustainable” | Johnny Grave, Cricket West Indies
In the wake of the West Indies’ recent tour of England, Cricket West Indies chief executive officer Johnny Grave speaks about CWI’s opposition to the ICC's current revenue sharing model for international cricket tours.
James Thompson | How can brands activate with no rugby fans in the stands?
James Thompson, senior account manager at Cake, looks at creative ways rugby union's sponsors can activate and leverage their partnerships as the sport prepares to return behind closed doors.
Ben Cronin | Stadium variables complicate safe spectator return
Spectators could soon be allowed back into UK sports stadiums if a series of pilot events pass by successfully. But Ben Cronin says social distancing requirements could be easier to maintain in some sports venues than others.
Phil Carling | The Rise of Liverpool – From Super Club to Super Brand
Phil Carling, head of football at the Octagon agency, explains why the brand positioning of Premier League winners Liverpool as a club where ‘This Means More’ is key to unlocking its commercial potential
BT Sport COO Jamie Hindhaugh on socially-distanced boxing and the remote production roadmap
SportBusiness speaks to Jamie Hindhaugh, chief operating officer of BT Sport, who says that in the light of Covid-19, remote production points the way towards the broadcaster’s future
Location technology developed for the oil industry helps ECB to deliver bio-secure matches
A network of Bluetooth sensors installed at the venues for the three-match cricket series between England and the West Indies is allowing the ECB to detect the exact location of everyone involved in the matches and to track and trace any suspected outbreaks of Covid-19. Ben Cronin reports.