UK, Ireland World Cup 2030 bid

The UK government announced its intention to launch a joint bid, with Ireland, to host the 2030 World Cup The Smart Money podcast asked - Do we finally need to have an honest conversation about the worth of World Cups to countries? It was revealed in an exclusive interview given by Prime Minister Boris Johnson…

ByDavid ClaxtonMarch 24, 20210Comments

Analysis The Smart Money Podcast

The Smart Money Podcast launches

The Smart Money Podcast, from A State Of Mind is now out in the open, subscribe on YouTube today The news dropped on an episode of Colin Watt's fantastic Football Insomniac podcast, which I had the pleasure of being a guest on Business Of Sport is still going strong and read more about The Smart…

ByDavid ClaxtonMarch 21, 20210Comments

Analysis XFL

CFL, XFL Merger?

The XFL and CFL reveal they've opened talks to "work together" The CFL has suffered badly due to COVID-19 - could a merger with the XFL help? But what might the XFL get out of it? Wow - the CFL and XFL today publicly announced a potential partnership. Well, sort of. But still.…

ByDavid ClaxtonMarch 10, 20210Comments

Analysis Sports

Boston sports are intense

A year into a life in Boston I blog about my experience as a sports fan in Titletown USA From my experience - Boston really is a proper 'sports city' - fans take their sports very seriously. "The Hub" as Boston is also called is a hub for sports and sports culture Also, after another…

ByDavid ClaxtonMarch 9, 20210Comments

Analysis Uncategorized

Ban betting sponsors in football?

In England, an influential political committee has recommended that shirt sponsorship by betting firms be banned by 2023 I spoke on the excellent Football Insomniac Podcast about a host of issues, including a potential betting sponsorship ban in football The sponsorship by betting companies on shirts currently brings in an estimated £70 million in revenue…

ByDavid ClaxtonFebruary 16, 20210Comments

Analysis XFL

The XFL returns in 2022

Announcement that XFL will not rush back in 2021, but instead restart in 2022 League plans to overhaul its entire infrastructure next year Ex-WWE wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson bought the league for $15m in August And now we know. The XFL (Xtreme Football League) will return in 2022, with a YouTube video…

ByDavid ClaxtonDecember 29, 20200Comments

Analysis Interviews

How could sports survive with no fans in stadiums due to COVID-19?

I spoke with Ben Ryan Shields, Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School about the return of sports in the era of COVID-19 He believes that the current situation has likely accelerated the digital transformation of sports organisations and clubs Yet his central point is also that sports are competing against entertainment properties like Fortnite, as…

ByDavid ClaxtonAugust 24, 20200Comments

Analysis

How fitness became mainstream

Every January Google Search sees huge spikes in searches for "gym membership" as people look to shift the excesses of the Christmas period. However, beyond this yearly spike, the fitness industry is now worth a record $100 billion as people increasingly look to become healthier and a gym membership/class pass is now part…

ByDavid ClaxtonJanuary 19, 20200Comments

Analysis NFL

Will London get an NFL team?

BusinessOfSport.Net YouTube ChannelBack in October 2007, the BBC's website produced a headline: "NFL takes the UK seriously" ahead of the first regular-season game to be hosted outside of North America between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants. The game was pretty turgid, 13-10 to the Giants with the Wembley pitch becoming a quagmire,…

ByDavid ClaxtonOctober 20, 20190Comments

Analysis Football Longform

Why did Bury FC die?

At 23.07pm on Tuesday 27th August, for all intensive purposes, with the announcement that the club had been demoted from the English Football League (EFL), effectively signaled the extinction of Bury FC. Bury FC was dead as it had, effectively, run out of money. With the English Football Association (FA) moving the game…

ByDavid ClaxtonSeptember 6, 20190Comments

Analysis

Analysis

UK, Ireland World Cup 2030 bid

The Smart Money Podcast launches

CFL, XFL Merger?

Boston sports are intense

Ban betting sponsors in football?

The XFL returns in 2022

How could sports survive with no fans in stadiums due to COVID-19?

How fitness became mainstream

Will London get an NFL team?

Why did Bury FC die?

All or Nothing: Arsenal Amazon Prime review

Pele, Argentina and the dictators

Finding Jack Charlton