Football missing bank-grade infrastructure as regulator powers grow March 19, 2026 English football is entering a new era: the Premier League has just handed Chelsea a record fine for hidden payments, while the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is starting to flex its intentions to improve financial soundness and resilience across the pyramid. The latest licensing proposals go further, allowing the regulator to categorise clubs as “high‑risk” [...]
Why World Cup hydration breaks will push traditional ads to the subs bench March 15, 2026 Hydration breaks at the World Cup could usher in major changes to advertising during live sport, writes Jonathan Haines. As broadcasters prepare for the 2026 World Cup, an unexpected talking point has emerged. The tournament will feature mid-half hydration breaks, introduced to protect players from the searing heat predicted this summer in North America. But [...]
Arsenal: Leading the digital charge as well as the Premier League March 14, 2026 If Arsenal lift the Premier League trophy this season, it won’t just be a victory on the pitch; the club could also win the race to redefine how fans engage with football online. Arsenal are building a quiet revolution, investing in digital platforms that house ticketing, merchandise and original content to pull fans deeper into [...]
Horse racing came together to fight tax hikes. Now it must unite again March 12, 2026 The Jockey Club’s chief executive’s recent rallying cry to British horse racing was bang on, writes Ed Warner. All successful sports have tentpole events, the occasions that attract attention well beyond hardcore fanbases and which drive profits that may (although not always) provide financial scaffolding for its lesser players and promoters. The Cheltenham Festival is [...]
Premier League +: Football following the Disney playbook with streaming platform March 8, 2026 When the Premier League last week quietly confirmed that it will be launching its own streaming platform, Premier League +, in Singapore, it might have slipped under the radar for many. At first glance, it’s a new app in a new territory; a controlled test of in-housing distribution and cutting out the broadcasters. But this [...]
Fifa’s credibility is shot because it can’t decide what it wants to be March 6, 2026 Does Fifa want football to be pure sporting competition floating serenely above politics, or a global force for peace? Its current approach is dumbing down, writes Matt Readman. On 21 June 1998, Iran faced the United States at the Fifa World Cup in what was billed as the most politically charged football match in history. Fifa later declared it the match that “football [...]
Italy Six Nations revival a lesson for Wales as England challenge awaits March 6, 2026 In 2019 rugby in Italy was staring down the barrel of extinction: three home Six Nations matches at their 70,500-capacity Stadio Olimpico drew crowds of just 38,500 versus Wales, 49,700 against Ireland and 48,800 for their match against France. Fast forward to 2026, however, having just beaten Scotland in front of 68,200 fans Italy will [...]
English rugby is on brink of seismic change. It mustn’t fumble at the try line March 5, 2026 Ed Warner was part of the group that has recommended major changes to the way English rugby is governed. He explains why this is a generational opportunity. This is news overload time for English rugby. The men’s national team wilting twice in the Six Nations under weighty expectations, debate about the possible impact of head [...]
Olympics should lead way in AI and lighten impossible load on its judges February 26, 2026 If any sporting body has the means to fund investment in AI judging it’s the International Olympic Committee, writes Ed Warner. I’ve no idea whether Zoe Atkin’s “amplitude” deserved to bag silver rather than bronze in the freeski halfpipe on Sunday. All I know is she didn’t wipe out on all three of her three [...]
Britain must launch no-brainer 2038 Winter Olympics bid February 22, 2026 What strikes you when attending the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is not just the spectacle, but the structure. Multiple cities. Regional clusters. Existing venues reused. An iconic cultural backdrop. These were Games shaped as much by pragmatism and fiscal discipline as prestige. The spread-out model may have muted the traditional host-city buzz, but Milano Cortina [...]
