News & Views

As fans become ever more integral to the commercial value of professional sport, broadcast revenues, sponsorship deals, matchday income, and brand equity are now aligned with supporter engagement, meaning long-term value in sport is linked to fan trust, loyalty, and stability.

Warren Buffett said you should never test the depth of the water with both feet – as the Vicar of Dibley found out. Likewise, you should never enter into a financial services agreement with your eyes closed - and yet many still do.

Over the past decade, the financial and governance architecture of professional sport has undergone a significant transformation, with investors now viewing clubs as assets within larger thematic portfolios that can share capital, infrastructure, and brand reach.

The past few years have brought unprecedented investor interest to the European professional sports market. Private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and high net worth individuals are actively seeking exposure to sport - drawn by recurring revenues, loyal audiences, global reach, and the resilience of live entertainment.

I’ve never been one for celebrity gameshows – Pointless Celebrities about sums them up for me - but I must confess to being slightly hooked on The Celebrity Traitors. I think the round-table finger-pointing has become a form of regression therapy for me, triggering memories of partners’ meetings from my distant past. Thankfully, in my working life, the Faithfuls have always far outnumbered the Traitors.

The pace of artificial intelligence (AI) investment is exponential, with new funding rounds announced daily and the global AI market now estimated in the hundreds of billions. Across every sector, executives are being told that AI will redefine productivity, reinvent their customer experience, and reshape their workforce. It comes as no surprise then that investors, boards, and politicians alike are betting heavily that AI will drive the next wave of growth in the UK. Yet, beneath the excitement lies an uncomfortable question: are we inflating another tech bubble?

Over a million ticketholders have now rejoiced in the Oasis reunion concerts across the UK and Ireland, but when the tickets first went on sale, many were aghast at the price presented at the checkout, seemingly due to the application of dynamic pricing. Some might say they had their money’s worth. Some might not.

From 18 November 2025, anyone setting up, running, owning, or controlling a company in the UK will need to verify their identity for Companies House - to prove they are who they claim to be. This is a legal requirement under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, with strict deadlines and penalties.

As the Premier League continues to dominate national headlines and valuations, a quieter revolution is taking place elsewhere in UK sport. Across cricket, rugby, lower-league football, national governing bodies, and emerging new formats, a new investor ecosystem is emerging. This new investor ecosystem is targeting under-leveraged rights and sports, distressed assets, and commercial innovation in traditionally overlooked spaces.

To keep you up to date with activity in the sport sector, here is a brief round-up of some of the sector's more significant business stories in July 2025.