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Business of Sport

Sports business news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

Person, Human, Golf Club

PGA Tour overhauls schedule, player purses amid LIV threat

The PGA Tour’s top golfers have committed to competing against each other on a more regular basis while the bonus pool for players who positively impact the game was doubled to $100 million, Commissioner Jay Monahan said on Wednesday. The changes represent the PGA Tour’s most serious response to the threat posed by the Saudi […]

Los Angeles Angels owner to explore selling team

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno on Tuesday said he has begun exploring the possibility of selling the Anaheim-based team he has owned for 20 seasons. “Although this difficult decision was entirely our choice and deserved a great deal of thoughtful consideration, my family and I have ultimately come to the conclusion that now is […]

FC Barcelona still unable to register Kounde as player

Barcelona have still not been authorised to register French defender Jules Kounde as a player, one of their marquee summer signings, as the club works to comply with LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, manager Xavi Hernandez said on Saturday. “At the moment, we don’t know anything. We are on stand-by,” Xavi told a news […]

Person, Human, Restaurant

Hacker tournament brings together world’s best in Las Vegas

A team of hackers from two North American universities won the “Capture the Flag” championship, a contest seen as the “Olympics of hacking,” which draws together some of the world’s best in the field. In the carpeted ballroom of one of the largest casinos in Las Vegas, the few dozen hackers competing in the challenge […]

Person, Human, Suit

Elon Musk says he was joking about buying Manchester United

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, said early on Wednesday that he was joking when he tweeted hours previously that he was going to buy currently struggling English football club Manchester United Plc. “No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams,” Musk posted when asked by a user if […]

Formula One governing body approves 2026 engine rules

Formula One’s governing body approved engine regulations for 2026 on Tuesday, an eagerly-awaited move that could lead to the arrival of premium Volkswagen Group brands Porsche and Audi. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) also updated the 2022 and 2023 technical rules to address safety concerns. The new power unit […]

Qatar wealth fund-backed Group One mulls US listing

Group One Holdings, backed by sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), is planning an initial public offering (IPO) in the US, Bloomberg reported. The company behind mixed martial arts brand One Championship is changing its legal domicile to the Cayman Islands from Singapore as a step towards the listing. Earlier, the company had explored […]

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation wants to grow women's football at home and across Asia

Saudi Arabia’s next goal: women’s sport

Likely Saudi investment in an overseas women’s football team  Kingdom may fund other sports such as athletics Sector’s contribution to Saudi GDP is $7bn Just five years ago, Saudi women were banned from watching football at stadiums. Fast forward to 2022 and Saudi Arabia has officially announced its intention to bid for the 2026 AFC […]

Saudi Arabia bids to host Asian Winter Games in NEOM

The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) has officially submitted a letter of interest to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to host the 10th Asian Winter Games in 2029 in TROJENA, NEOM’s global destination for mountain tourism. The letter included a brief introduction about the Saudi Vision 2030, which will support TROJENA to host […]

Person, Human, Sport

Mickelson and others sue PGA Tour in LIV fight

Hall of Fame golfer Phil Mickelson and 10 other players filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Wednesday, alleging that it broke anti-trust law by refusing them to participate on the tour and the new rival LIV Golf circuit, backed by Saudi Arabia. The lawsuit was led by six-time major champion Mickelson and includes […]

Sweden's Henrik Stenson lost the Ryder Cup captaincy when he announced he was joining the rebel tour

Stenson loses sponsorship after he joins LIV Golf

Mutual of Omaha have ended their sponsorship of Henrik Stenson, the American company said on Wednesday, a week after the Swede joined the lucrative LIV Golf Invitational Series. Stenson, who won the 2016 British Open with a record score, was stripped of Team Europe’s Ryder Cup captaincy last week, hours before he announced his decision […]

world cup advertising

World Cup is an advertiser’s dream worth millions

With a projected worldwide audience of five billion people, the 2022 FIFA World Cup is an advertiser’s dream.  Although some brands have toyed with the idea of boycotting the event, and may eventually do so due to the controversies that have dogged Qatar’s hosting of the tournament, ignoring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles […]

Person, Human, Sport

Bridgestone ends deal with DeChambeau after LIV Golf move

Bryson DeChambeau and Bridgestone Golf have agreed to end their brand ambassador partnership following the former major champion’s decision to join the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, the company said on Tuesday. DeChambeau, who is among the game’s more high-profile players and one of the longest hitters the sport has ever seen, joined LIV […]

Ex FIFA duo Blatter, Platini cleared of fraud in Swiss trial

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France footballing legend Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court on Friday after a seven-year investigation during which they were booted out of the sport. A judge said the pair’s account of a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ for FIFA to pay Platini 2 million Swiss francs […]

A-listers to splash cash on extravagant World Cup parties

A star-studded line-up is set to splash out on after-parties at the Qatar World Cup, according to the region’s event planners. F1 champion Lewis Hamiliton, supermodel Bella Hadid and singers Usher, The Weeknd and French Montana are among the celebrities flying out for the winter tournament, said Bally Singh, founder of the Rich List Group. […]

The pros (and cons) of big stars backing your business

As French footballer Paul Pogba becomes an angel investor and brand ambassador for Islamic fintech Wahed, we look at the benefits and pitfalls of celebrities from David Beckham to Jay-Z teaming up with brands When global Islamic fintech Wahed announced its latest list of investors, Paul Pogba, the Manchester United and French international footballer, stood […]

Football stars who invest in startups

Cristiano RonaldoIn 2012, Ronaldo invested in a startup named Mobitto, a Portuguese app, while also becoming a brand ambassador. In 2017, he purchased a minority stake in the Portuguese agency Thing Pink, responsible for the technology in the CR7 museum in Funchal, Madeira.  David BeckhamFormer Manchester United and Real Madrid star Beckham reportedly invested $319,000 […]

Pearl Lounge

Most lavish World Cup package costs $1.6m – hotel not included

UAE residents have bought 7,500 hospitality packages for the Qatar World Cup, with the most expensive option costing an eyewatering $1.6 million. Football fans wanting to attend Qatar 2022 matches have two routes: FIFA's ticket lottery, where prices start at 40 riyals ($10.99) for Qatar residents or 250 riyals for international supporters, or one of the official hospitality packages, which begin at $950.