Sorry performative politicians, a 2026 World Cup boycott just won’t work January 29, 2026 Politicians calling for a boycott of the World Cup are only proving how out of touch and powerless they are, writes Ed Warner. Every four years, politicians rediscover our football. And inevitably, they then threaten to take it away from us. Think Russia, then Qatar. This time, President Trump is the trigger. Quelle surprise! The [...]
Why Independent Football Regulator could give fans more access than ever January 25, 2026 Football’s new regulator may well shine a light into the dimmer corners of the beautiful game: its legal disputes. For decades, the most high-stakes legal battles in English football have been resolved behind closed doors. Whether it’s the intricacies of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), Manchester City’s infamous 115 charges, or Associated Party Transactions, the [...]
Why authenticity is key to US sport succeeding in Europe January 24, 2026 The NBA London 2026 game is not another overseas exhibition. It is the clearest signal yet that US sports leagues are no longer treating Europe as a touring destination, but as a long-term growth market with serious commercial intent. And that shift matters. The window to engage early with the next generation of global sports [...]
Someone put out the bin fire that is the Welsh Rugby Union January 23, 2026 Every sporting body goes through its annus horribilis, when nothing seems to go right and the public demands answers as a result. But the Welsh Rugby Union and the sport more broadly across the Severn Bridge is into what feels like its fifth consecutive year of horror and a complete inability to shift the narrative. [...]
Football regulator may have popular support but many will be disappointed January 22, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator will not be the panacea for all of the English game’s ills that some are hoping for, says Ed Warner. To a stimulating conference titled “The Independent Football Regulator: challenge or opportunity?” There I found myself a minority voice in an echo chamber of regulatory advocates. An opening poll of the [...]
Australian Open’s One Point Slam shows that merit still makes the best stories January 20, 2026 The Australian Open officially got under way this week, but the most talked-about moment of the year’s opening tennis slam may already be behind us. Before a ball had been struck in the main draw, a little-known tennis coach from Sydney, Jordan Smith, walked away with A$1m after winning the One Point Slam — a [...]
NBA’s European show dazzles on and off court but new league is no slam dunk January 20, 2026 No one disputes that NBA Europe represents a big opportunity but the lack of detail around 18 months from launch is tempering excitement. The mascots for the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic descended from the O2’s ceiling, celebrities dotted the courtside seats, and the NBA reported a sell-out for its first game in London for [...]
Regional stadiums: the infrastructure solution for WSL and women’s football? January 18, 2026 Women’s football is one of the fastest growing sports and investment opportunities in the UK right now – think Michelle Kang’s cash injection at London City Lionesses or Alexis Ohanian’s £20m investment in Chelsea Women. In the 2023/24 season Deloitte reported that the 12 Women’s Super League (WSL) football clubs generated an aggregate revenue of £65m [...]
The Jenga Effect: Why professional rugby’s collapse has already happened January 17, 2026 Professional rugby is not approaching collapse; it is recognising one that already occurred and mistaking that recognition for failure. What we are watching across leagues, unions and competitions is not chaos, bad luck or incompetence finally catching up, but the delayed visibility of a structural outcome that was locked in years ago. What feels sudden [...]
UK ready to mirror US with female athletes becoming investors January 17, 2026 For three consecutive years, not a single female athlete has appeared among the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes. The bar keeps rising. In 2025, the threshold jumped to $53.6m, up 19 per cent year on year. Coco Gauff, the highest-earning female athlete in the world, made $34.4m and still fell nearly $20m short. Meanwhile the global [...]