Six Nations look to lure Sky by bundling TV rights with Lions June 18, 2025 The Six Nations unions are in talks with the British and Irish Lions about bundling their TV rights for the next four-year cycle. European unions have already sold TV rights for the Six Nations between 2026 and 2029 in a joint deal with ITV and BBC, but have yet to go to market with their [...]
Premiership Rugby taps Raine and Deloitte as investors circle June 11, 2025 Premiership Rugby Limited (PRL) has engaged the Raine Group and Deloitte to manage potential investment in the competition or some of its clubs. Premiership Rugby is attracting inquiries from American investors looking to buy into English sport following the recent influx of purchasers of Premier League and EFL clubs, with interest expected to grow ahead [...]
How ‘unsexy’ B2B firms are pushing out consumer brands in sport May 9, 2025 “Unsexy” B2B firms are increasingly replacing consumer-facing brands in some of the country’s most prized sport sponsorship deals, new research has found. Manufacturing/engineering, specialist professional services, construction and software are four of the five fastest-growing industries appearing as front-of-shirt sponsors of England’s top football, rugby and cricket teams. The study by sponsorship intelligence firm Caytoo [...]
How club revenue turns Champions Cup into cash of the titans April 4, 2025 This weekend’s Investec Champions Cup round of 16 may be about getting the win in one of Europe’s most iconic stadiums, but in reality competitions such as this – seen by many as the top club rugby competition in the world – can have a monumental impact on rugby finances. The classic cliches in rugby [...]
Sweeney should get RFU bonus if he earned it. He didn’t, so shouldn’t February 18, 2025 England Rugby’s CEO Bill Sweeney should get a hefty pay package, but only if the numbers add up. They don’t, so he shouldn’t, argues Matt Hardy Should the chief executive of a major organisation receive a bonus for the work they do? For some it will depend on where they stand on the morality of [...]
Sponsors All Blacks could chase after falling out with Man United part-owners Ineos February 15, 2025 Last week it was revealed that rugby giants New Zealand, including the famous All Blacks, were suing sponsors and Manchester United part-owners Ineos. The chemicals firm, co-owned by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, stands accused of breaching its sponsorship agreement by failing to pay an installment of a £27m, six-year deal, that was signed in [...]
RFU criticised for lack of consultation over bonus row engulfing Sweeney February 13, 2025 An independent review of the bonus controversy engulfing the Rugby Football Union and its chief executive Bill Sweeney has criticised a lack of consultation with the RFU Council. The review, conducted by law firm Freshfields, backed the RFU’s design and implementation of its long-term incentive plan (LTIP), which saw Sweeney receive a £358,000 bonus last [...]
Row erupts over bid to resurrect London Irish February 12, 2025 London Irish administrators and former frontrunner Daniel Loitz are at loggerheads over the breakdown of the German’s proposed deal to buy the stricken rugby club. Sources close to the deal claim that Loitz had months – including an exclusivity period – in which to finalise a purchase with the ReSolve Group, which was appointed when [...]
Ahead of the Game: Six Nations TV rights tender hit by delay February 12, 2025 The Six Nations TV tender has been put on hold due to delays in finalising the format of the new global Nations Championship, which will launch next year. The 12-team tournament will definitely take place, with each nation playing three games in each hemisphere followed by play-offs in London, but the Six Nations and Sanzaar [...]
Ratcliffe and Ineos bite back after being sued by New Zealand Rugby February 11, 2025 Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos has blamed the “deindustrialisation of Europe” after the Manchester United co-owner was sued by New Zealand Rugby over its latest cost-cutting measure. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) went public with the dispute on Monday, claiming that Ineos had breached its sponsorship agreement by failing to pay an instalment of the £27m, six-year [...]
