Governance
Features
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.
Major League Lacrosse undertakes complete reboot to fend off PLL challenge
Outdoor league undergoes a wide series of changes to reset itself amid heightened competitive pressures within the sport. Bob Williams reports.
USL celebrates 10th season, aspiring to be a global top-10 league
Ahead of its 10th season, which kicks off this weekend, the United Soccer League has taken numerous steps to bolster its commercial structure to help prepare for another decade of growth. Bob Williams reports.
CFA regulations create casualties on Chinese football clubs’ hard road to sustainability
The Chinese Football Association’s tough line on football club finances has cooled spending at the top level and is pushing lower-tier teams toward oblivion. Chen Yaolin reports.
Fifa declares mission accomplished at Caf, but which mission?
Fifa's six-month takeover of the Confederation of African Football was promised to result in better governance and financial controls. Callum McCarthy investigates whether CAF can be trusted to deliver on those promises without supervision.
EHF outlines plan for resumption of handball season
The European Handball Federation (EHF) has presented a competition plan to potentially resume playing at the beginning of June, with president Michael Wiederer having addressed the governing body’s plans t…
Diamond League postpones three more events due to Covid-19
World Athletics’ Diamond League has postponed three more meetings scheduled for May amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Serie A 2018-19 revenues hit €2.7bn after media-rights increases
Italian football’s Serie A registered a 13.5-per-cent increase in revenues during the 2018-19 season, in part thanks to improved media-rights revenues.
Boston Bruins, TD Garden owners putting staff on leave and implementing pay cuts
Delaware North, the company which owns both the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins and the TD Garden, has announced it is putting staff on temporary leave and reducing salaries amid the sports shutdown …
Nashville SC eager to make up for lost time in MLS after overcoming stadium setback
Bob Williams takes a look at the developments in Nashville since the city was awarded a Major League Soccer expansion team in December 2017, and the challenges faced during this period.
CAS pro/rel ruling raises questions over Fifa’s reluctance to force initiative in US
For many years now, the issue of introducing promotion and relegation into the structure of US soccer has been one of contention. Bob Williams explores what is happening at the moment.
Will Fifa’s cap on commissions curb agent ‘excesses’?
Fifa’s proposals to cap agent commissions has set it on a collision course with some of the most powerful agents in world football. In this explainer, Ben Cronin outlines the reasoning behind the reforms and the legal arguments for and against them.
Former Fifa and CFG executive Johnson bullish as he starts FFA tenure
With top sponsors jumping ship, Football Federation Australia’s new CEO James Johnson faces a tough start to his new role. But there is confidence he has the know-how to turn things around. 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.
Malaysian FA pushes club privatisation but weak revenues mean state support is here to stay
Malaysia’s football clubs are to be formally privatised this year, but the journey from state support to self-sufficiency looks fraught, with questions over the future of broadcasting and sponsorship revenues. John Duerden takes a closer look.
‘Our ambition is to have the two best teams in the world’ – why OL Groupe has taken over Reign FC
The NWSL is entering a new era in 2020 following the takeover of Reign FC by OL Groupe, the parent company of French women’s soccer team Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. Bob Williams spoke to new Reign FC COO Vincent Berthillot about the strategy behind the move.
Teqball tables plans for global expansion
Dominic Bliss talks to the executives at the helm of teqball, which has just received GAISF Observer Status, and the plans the fledgling sport has for its future.
Patching-up with athletes, proving health benefits to hosts – what 2020 holds for World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon
World Athletics faces many challenges in increasing the exposure and awareness of the sport beyond its traditionally affluent participant base. Chief executive John Ridgeon tells Kelvin Tan what their gameplan for 2020 is, and why Asia matters.
A 2021 Club World Cup can deliver on both Chinese and Fifa ambitions
Why Fifa has chosen to host the 2021 Club World Cup in China, and how the competition is a step forward towards China's football ambitions. Zhang Dan reports.
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.
MiLB president O’Conner elected to fourth term amid fractious MLB talks
Longtime executive and industry lifer to remain leading the affiliated minors. But with MLB looking to overhaul the very notion of Minor League Baseball, the job has never been more complex
Turkish football creates its own FFP to deal with years of mismanagement
Turkey’s qualification for the finals of Uefa Euro 2020 has given the country’s football authorities fresh hope that their ‘Golden Generation’ of young players will help drive the commercial transformation of the …
Bayern Munich at crossroads as club prepares for life without Hoeness and Rummenigge
As Bayern Munich have all but elected a new club president, Bob Williams takes a look at how the club's executive board is set to change in the coming seasons.
Masa Takaya on Tokyo 2020’s messages of resilience, recovery and hope
In the first of a trio of interviews with the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Kevin McCullagh speaks to Masa Takaya, spokesperson and communications team leader, about what Tokyo 2020 wants to say to the world and how his team is delivering the message.
Yao Ming’s CBA juggling act gets a boost from NBA travails
After the Morey tweets, sentiment in the Chinese basketball sponsorship marketplace has swung the CBA’s way, making it easier for its leadership to focus on raising the quality of its core product: the league. Chen Yaolin finds out more.
Canadian Premier League off to solid start after filling void for players and fans
Seven-team competition is first professional soccer league in Canada since 1992
Clubs have averaged 4,300 fans a game but OneSoccer digital ratings not made public
The real reason the CFA is letting the CSL fly free: money, of course
Chinese policy towards state ownership of sports leagues has performed a massive U-turn, with oversight of the Chinese Super League being passed to a private entity. SportBusiness looks at why, and what will happen next.
MLB-MiLB negotiations look to redefine entire notion of minor leagues
Ongoing talks potentially present some of the largest organizational changes ever in baseball player development