Ratcliffe, IPL and Littler: The City AM Sport 2024 year in review
It was the year that was in sport; when iconic athletes retired, major brands made fascinating choices and one pole vaulter was knocked out of the Olympics because of his hefty package.
The 12 months that made up 2024 weaved the retirement of cricketer James Anderson with the iconic breakdancer Raygun, it saw a German take charge of England’s football team and a certain Briton in Lewis Hamilton head to Italy to join Ferrari.
But away from the star moves and funny moments, how can we sum up 2024? Let’s give it a go.
Littler, sports breakaways and the Eras Tour
The year began with companies clambering to sponsor Britain’s newest child star: Luke Littler. The darts sensation, at the age of 16, rocketed his way to the final of the World Darts Championship at Ally Pally before being beaten by another Luke, this time Humphries.
We thought we were edging closer to a merger deal between the PGA Tour of America, the DP World Tour of Europe and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf breakaway. Alas 12 months on the deal remains in the works, and appears to be watered down from the initial reports.
Speaking of challengers, rumours of a rugby version of LIV Golf began to swirl around with American private equity backing the idea, while athletics legend and BBC regular Michael Johnson launched Grand Slam Track to pump cash into the sport and give it a new lease of life.Â
Was the biggest business story of the year Taylor Swift’s relationship with NFL tight end Travis Kelce? Tickets were like gold dust for Kansas City Chiefs’ run to the Super Bowl, but it wasn’t just mega sports fans trying to get tickets. Eras Tour fanboys and girls wanted a snap of Swift watching her fella. Marketing genius if nothing else.
Pannick, Klopp and Ratcliffe
Causing a Pannick was the Blackstone Chambers KC bearing the same name who represented Manchester City in their 115 charges case with the Premier League. Nottingham Forest and Everton were deducted points in 2024 but Leicester City beat the system with sports KC Nick de Marco at the helm, who represents racing driver Alex Palou in a huge case against McLaren Racing in 2025.Â
There was an Olympics in Paris, a Women’s Cricket World Cup in the UAE and a European Championships in Germany where, yet again, football didn’t come home.
Gareth Southgate left his England post, Jurgen Klopp departed the Kop and Erik ten Hag became Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first managerial sacking since buying a stake in Manchester United. Ratcliffe increased his stake late this year.
Having sunk a fortune into his stake in Manchester United, Ratcliffe was also the headline backer for Great Britain’s failed attempt to win the America’s Cup – albeit his reported £100m+ investment was enough to see Ineos Britannia, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, reach a first final in 60 years.
But Ratcliffe was dealt another blow late in the year, losing star cyclist Tom Pidcock – who was key in irritating the French at the Paris 2024 Olympics when he came from 30 seconds back to win gold in the mountain biking against the home favourite – from his Ineos Grenadiers team. And with Ruben Amorim already feeling the pressure at Old Trafford (because of results, not the water leaks) Sir Jim will be hoping the Annus Horribilis that was 2024 is a flash in the pan.
The Last Supper, Gypsy King and IPL
But across the channel in Paris the Olympics got off to a very French (both brilliant and silly) start with Celine Dion shocking the world singing Hymne à l’amour atop the Eiffel Tower just moments after Parisian actors shocked the world themselves with their interpretation of the Last Supper scene. A sign of how religious satire could soon be banished to keep brands and investors happy?
Over in the Middle East Riyadh Season under Turki Alalshikh concluded a successful 12 months with a second Oleksandr Usyk victory over Tyson Fury after a first venture to Wembley for the series to see Anthony Joshua take on Daniel Dubois. The decisive victory for Usyk, regardless of what the Gypsy King says, leaves boxing longing for its next big heavyweight clash. Usyk is the golden bullet in the boxing business right now.
And back on these shores the England and Wales Cricket Board put 49 per cent stakes up for sale in each of the eight Hundred franchises. Interest ranges from the United States to the Indian Premier League, with the London Spirit franchise expected to fetch top dollar.
How overseas investors react to the British sporting landscape will be a fascinating watch in 2025. How do foreign owners feel about cricket’s recent racism issues, how does the Premier League deal with another American owner in the Friedkin Group at Everton and how can overseas cash help save rugby? All questions we might get answers to in the next 12 months.
Pay packets, sports markets and Cadillac
And down in the south west of the capital, in the comfortable offices of the home of rugby, Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney is hanging onto his role after a mega pay package that saw him take home £1.1m for the latest published financial year.
Sweeney can take credit for helping the RFU sign a reported £100m, decade long deal with insurance giant Allianz to rename Twickenham Stadium as much as he can take credit for not ensuring the word Twickenham remained in it.
A new game agreement for rugby was signed but has already annoyed some of its signatories and Sweeney’s mega salary has only inflamed the situation. His chairman Tom Ilube has stepped down and Sweeney faces a vote of no confidence in February. Is the clock in the red for the man at the top?
But 2024 has been mega for one sport: Formula 1. A market cap exceeding $20bn, a huge transfer move before the season started, scandal throughout and a number of different winners to satisfy the fans hungry for any sort of competition; it has had it all.
Cadillac/GM announced that they’d join the grid in 2026 while Audi confirmed that the Qatar Investment Authority would back their entry in the same year. Adrian Newey became one of the highest paid people in Formula 1 when he ditched Red Bull and Christian Horner for Aston Martin and Sergio Perez (and his monumental financial backing) left the front line of the sport.
It’s Dior darling… and the Beyonce Bowl
Formula 1, seen as a billionaire boys club of sport, enhanced its reputation with a 10-year deal with Givenchy and Tiffany parent LVMH. Hamilton already has a brand deal with LVMH’s Dior and it will be a trend to keep an eye on over the next decade. Rival luxury brand Chanel dipped its oar into sports sponsorship for the first time with a deal that’ll see its wristwatch arm sponsor The Boat Race in London. It’ll be a brilliant brand match given those at Oxford and Cambridge are in the same boat as Chanel customers, but the French stalwart will be keen to avoid E. coli and s**t stories that marred the 2024 race.
There was no partridge in a pear tree this festive period (do we blame chancellor Rachel Reeves for that?) but we did get Beyonce at the NFL. Netflix ramped up their live sports commitments, hosting two NFL matches on Christmas day as part of a three year, $150m deal for the festive broadcasting slot.
The matches were the most watched streamed NFL games ever while Beyonce’s Texas-themed half time show topped the viewing list. A sign for the future? Netflix has just signed a deal handing them the next two Fifa Women’s World Cups and hosted a bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. The future is online even if Amazon Prime’s Premier League deal is coming to an end.
The last 12 months has had its highs and lows, but amidst the gloom sport has shone yet again. 2025 has a lot to live up to, but there’s little doubt it’ll be able to do that. Happy New Year.