United Kingdom
Features
Latest Features
Lower league football | Exeter City’s turbulent past equips it to cope with Covid-19 crisis
English lower league club Exeter City's personal commitment to commercial partners has put the club on solid ground during the Covid-19 crisis. Callum McCarthy speak to club chairman Julian Tagg about the club's journey thus far and the hard road ahead.
Paul Garbett | French Open the first ‘land grab’ as the sporting calendar is ripped up by coronavirus
Paul Garbett, associate director at CSM Sport & Entertainment, gives his view on the impact and opportunities of a dramatically changed post-coronavirus sporting calendar.
Health and duty of care considerations override rights commitments as sports seek Covid-19 legal advice
UK law firms acting for clients in the sports industry say they are dealing with an unprecedented demand for advice after the Covid-19 outbreak caused the widespread cancellation of sporting events.
BT’s ‘Beyond Limits’ rebrand informs CSR-focused partnerships with Home Nations FAs
The telecommunication company’s 2019 rebrand saw it move toward a focus on community and social engagement, something it is intending to carry through into its lead partnerships of all four UK football associations.
Wolves turns to Ipsos’ retail monitoring to understand the customer journey
Why Premier League side Wolves has engaged Ipsos Retail Performance's footfall-counting technology in its club megastore.
Hearn awaits clarification on closed-doors events in move for live TV content
Matchroom Sport’s Barry Hearn is continuing to look at ways to stage live sports events behind closed doors despite the UK being in a state of ‘lockdown’ due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
H
Nike postpones Euro 2020 national team kit launches as contracts scrutinised
Nike’s launch of Euro 2020 national team kits for England, France and three other European countries were postponed this week because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus update: “Massive” Tokyo costs, Olympic qualifications to stand, Tour de France options, and more
The costs of rescheduling the Olympics next year will be "massive", Tokyo 2020 organising committee chief executive Toshiro Muto has said
RFU braced for revenue hit of up to £50m as Covid-19 impact felt
England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) has said it expects revenue losses of between £45m (€49m/$53.6m)
Features
Minamino signing helps Liverpool on long road to catch United in Asia
Signing Japanese international Takumi Minamino will be a boon for Liverpool's commercial activity in Asia, but the club's strategy to become number one in the region goes beyond a single signing. John Duerden reports.
World Snooker Tour looks to global future with rebrand
The World Snooker Tour revealed a new corporate identity and name at the start of this year as it marked ten years of ownership by Barry Hearn's Matchroom Sport. The rebrand is intended to see it towards another decade of international growth, with China, India and the Middle East on snooker's radar.
Mud, sweat and tears | Where did it go wrong for Tough Mudder?
At its zenith, Tough Mudder posted a $10m profit, but the company now finds itself subject to bankruptcy proceedings in the US. Ben Cronin asks how it got to this point and whether a likely sale to rival Spartan can save it.
Velon’s anti-trust case against UCI highlights shifting sands of rights-holder and governing body relations
When Velon announced that it had filed an anti-trust case with the European Commission against the UCI, in September, it exposed a fault line that had long been threatening to send shockwaves through cycling. Adam Nelson speaks with the organisation's chief executive, Graham Bartlett, about the implications of the case for the sport.
Focused activations | Ben Stokes’ tweet helps Specsavers make the most of its ECB partnership
Opticians brand Specsavers used its title sponsorship of this summer’s Ashes series to focus on the resonances between its products and Test cricket, while a quick response to a Ben Stokes tweet showed the value in reactive marketing. Adam Nelson reports.
“It’s like a wave that hits you” | British Olympic federations on their commercial preparations for the Games
British Gymnastics chief executive Jane Allen, British Swimming chief executive Jack Buckner and UK Athletics chairman Chris Clark discuss their organisations' plans for the final run-in ahead of Tokyo 2020 and explain how to ensure a strong commercial return from the Olympic Games.
DAZN’s ‘logical’ interest in UK launch is hard to square with commercial realities
Rumours are swirling around DAZN's potential interest in a UK launch, but market conditions must be perfect for profitability to be a realistic goal. Callum McCarthy reports on the possibility of the streaming service getting off the ground in the country where it is based.
Aston Villa looking to turn fan engagement into commercial revenue with new loyalty card scheme
Data-led fan engagement platform Fortress and Barclays have developed a new universal payment scheme at Aston Villa FC, aiming to deepen the connection between a club and its fans and open up whole new commercial revenue opportunities in the process.
坎特伯雷的英格兰橄榄球装备销量激增,2020年茵宝接手
从2020年9月开始,英国体育品牌茵宝将为英格兰橄榄球联合会提供装备,尽管在日本橄榄球世界杯的最后一周里,现任装备供应商Canterbury的销量十分强劲。
Andrea Radrizzani: “I’m good to go up, it would be great. Otherwise, I need to consider other options.”
English Football League club owners face a near-impossible dilemma. Pushing for the Premier League can risk a club’s entire future, but focusing on sustainability can see a club swallowed up by the pack. SportBusiness Professional spoke to three English club owners, each with distinct ambitions, about why they took the plunge and how they intend to succeed.
Carol Shanahan: “The pros were to help the community, the cons were that we were getting robbed!”
English Football League club owners face a near-impossible dilemma. Pushing for the Premier League can risk a club’s entire future, but focusing on sustainability can see a club swallowed up by the pack. SportBusiness Professional spoke to three English club owners, each with distinct ambitions, about why they took the plunge and how they intend to succeed.
Dale Vince, Forest Green Rovers: “It was two years before we had all the skeletons out of the closet.”
English Football League club owners face a near-impossible dilemma. Pushing for the Premier League can risk a club’s entire future, but focusing on sustainability can see a club swallowed up by the pack. SportBusiness Professional spoke to three English club owners, each with distinct ambitions, about why they took the plunge and how they intend to succeed.
Radrizzani ready to ride again, but for how much longer?
When Andrea Radrizzani bought Leeds United in 2017, the club was in dire straits. It’s now pushing for promotion to the Premier League, but the cost of competition means the clock is ticking. Radrizzani doesn’t want to own a Championship club much longer.
The NBA’s burnt bridges in China won’t be mended easily
Despite NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s best efforts, the wound from Daryl Morey’s pro-Hong Kong protest tweets will have lasting repercussions on the future of basketball in China, not least among fans and sponsors. Industry insiders in China tell SportBusiness about Chinese sentiment on the ground.
Q&A | Chrissy Fice, brand director, Vitality UK
Health insurance provider Vitality has developed a reputation for promoting participation and inclusivity in sport through its extensive sports sponsorship portfolio. Chrissy Fice, brand director for Vitality UK, explains the company’s sponsorship strategy.
IBB Polonia London blaze a trail for British volleyball
British volleyball is scheduled to break new ground next week (October 22) when the London-based IBB Polonia London club faces HAOK Mladost Zagreb away in the CEV Champions League