England’s outgoing Commonwealth chief still sees future for Games August 24, 2022 Team England’s outgoing chief executive insists there is a future for the Commonwealth Games despite debate surrounding where a multi-sport tournament rooted in Britain’s former Empire sits in the 21st century. Paul Blanchard is preparing to leave his position at the head of the team who hosted this year’s competition in Birmingham games after seven [...]
Ed Warner: Value of hosting sport found in hearts and minds as well as spreadsheets August 18, 2022 Just what does constitute a sport? Breaking – otherwise known as breakdancing – will debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics. So how about singing with a dose of choreographed body-poppery? The unlikely combination of Vladimir Putin and Sam Ryder is bringing Eurovision to the United Kingdom in 2023. Seven cities – cut from 20 – are [...]
Ryan Howsam: Why Staysure boss bought Legends Tour and how it can be profitable August 17, 2022 Sports sponsorship usually follows a playbook – Brand X pays to be associated with Team Y or Competition Z – but Ryan Howsam, founder of insurer Staysure, has ripped it up with golf’s Legends Tour. Howsam, a keen golfer in his youth who played off a scratch handicap, got involved with the circuit formerly known [...]
A green and gold decade: Australia prepares for spell as host of sport’s biggest events August 15, 2022 The sun-kissed nation of Australia is about to embark on a decade-long installation as the centre for world sport. Although it was beaten by Qatar to the rights to stage the men’s football World Cup later this year, the country is set to co-host the women’s equivalent as well as Rugby World Cups, a second [...]
Track and Field at Commonwealths shows British Athletics there’s no more excuses August 8, 2022 At the weekend 30,000 fans crammed into Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium for a Saturday evening session of athletics. On show were British superstars Keely Hodgkinson, Laura Muir and Zharnel Hughes. But the loudest cheer of the night was for Rosefelo Siosi from the Solomon Islands. The 25-year-old long-distance runner came last in the 5,000m – by [...]
Crypto firms spend £1.9bn on sports sponsorships as they rack up advertising expenditure August 5, 2022 Crypto companies have spent $2.4bn (£1.9bn) globally over the last year and a half on sports sponsorships as they splurge on marketing. Major crypto firms have signed deals with big athletes, sporting franchises, and leagues as they seek to rival the marketing prowess of non-crypto brands, according to Bloomberg. Crypto exchange Binance has signed with [...]
Gambling sponsors back on the up in sport despite continued threat of a ban, study finds August 4, 2022 Gambling sponsorship in English sport is back on the rise despite the threat of a potential ban, according to a new study. The number of betting companies with front-of-shirt sponsorship deals at leading clubs appeared to be in terminal decline just a year ago, having plummeted 48 per cent from 2019 to 2021. Premier League [...]
England Women set for sponsorship offers after Euros success turns Lionesses into stars August 1, 2022 The stars of England’s success at Women’s Euro 2022 could be in line for lucrative personal sponsorship deals as a result of the tournament making them household names. Lionesses including captain Leah Williamson and super-sub Alessia Russo have enjoyed greater prominence than ever as women’s football has made the front and back pages. But the [...]
Kit hits the fan: Retailers running out of England Women’s shirts ahead of Euros final July 28, 2022 Retailers are running out of England Women’s football shirts ahead of the Lionesses’ Euro final against Germany on Sunday. The official England online store, kit maker Nike’s website and a host of high street retailers had sold out of all but extra-small women’s home shirts, which are priced at £75, on Thursday. “We have seen [...]
EXCLUSIVE: 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst: ‘My own memory could fade. You expect it to happen’ July 27, 2022 Sir Geoff Hurst tells Frank Dalleres that seeing most of his 1966 World Cup winning team-mates suffer with dementia convinced him to preserve his memories in the form of a digital artwork that will help to raise money for two Alzheimer’s charities. Every morning Sir Geoff Hurst goes for an hour-long walk through the park [...]