Matt Hardy

Former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen has invested in Danish fintech company Flatpay, joining football figures Paolo Maldini, Antoine Griezmann and Mario Götze as minority angel investors. Flatpay serves more than 100,000 European clients and is majority-owned by its founders and employees, with Dawn Capital as its lead institutional investor and venture funds holding about 30 percent. Magnussen said the company's payment services were a natural fit with his experience running retail businesses.

Gillian Anderson has invested in Crux Football, a Europe-based multi-club ownership group with interests in Montpellier in France and FC Rosengard in Sweden. Founded by Bex Smith, Crux includes prominent football and business figures among its investors and aims to grow the women's game by supporting players, clubs and fans. Anderson joins a wider wave of investment in women's football, including Alexis Ohanian's stake in Chelsea, while Montpellier and FC Rosengard bring significant domestic trophy records to the group's portfolio.

Airlink defended a two-aircraft flypast over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium during a Springboks–All Blacks rugby match after online criticism that one jet flew less than 15 metres above the roof. The airline said the manoeuvre followed approved and rehearsed altitude and speed limits and was conducted by highly experienced crews. Airlink plans another flypast at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium, continuing a South African tradition of passenger-aircraft flypasts at rugby matches.

Premier League clubs have voluntarily removed gambling companies from the front of their shirts, prompting clubs to replace lost sponsorship revenue with deals across finance, technology, airlines, drinks, tourism and health. Finance leads with six clubs and technology follows with five, while established agreements involving Emirates, Etihad, American Express, AIA and Standard Chartered continue. New or upgraded partnerships include Monzo at Coventry, Marex at Nottingham Forest, Indeed at Brentford, ClickHouse at Fulham and Vitality at Brentford. Sunderland is reportedly close to a Visit Ghana deal, while Chelsea remains without a permanent full-time sponsor. Industry analyst Harvey Taylor argues that clubs increasingly view sponsorship as a strategic tool for fan engagement and competitiveness rather than merely a revenue source.

Illegal betting on Premier League matches could reach £1bn a season within a year, according to analysis cited by the Betting and Gaming Council. The regulated betting industry warns that higher gambling duty from April could push customers toward unlicensed operators, which it says evade taxes, lack consumer safeguards and may be linked to organized crime. Premier League clubs have voluntarily stopped using gambling and casino companies as front-of-shirt sponsors, although such firms remain visible on sleeves and training kits. Industry representatives are also criticizing political leaders for not doing enough to suppress the illegal market.

Former Williams Formula 1 test driver and Le Mans winner Alex Lynn has invested £100,000 in Pacer, a London-focused app founded by former Ardian associate Dylan Morris-Jones. Scheduled to launch this year, Pacer connects people who want to run, play tennis or padel, and socialize through sport. The founders describe it as a way to build friendships and communities, with romantic relationships viewed as a possible secondary outcome rather than the primary purpose.

US firms and individuals hold the majority or most influential ownership stakes at 11 of the Premier League’s 20 clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United. British owners account for around 20% of clubs, while sovereign wealth funds from Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia have had a major impact at Manchester City and Newcastle. Other ownership groups come from Greece, France, Switzerland and Turkey, underscoring the Premier League’s increasingly international and investment-driven structure.

Former runner Florian Lussy is developing a private equity- and sponsorship-backed athletics league through R-evo Ventures, targeting a seven-figure funding round and a possible 2027 launch. The proposed competition would use city-based franchises, track-free races based on duration rather than distance, and athlete stakes in the franchises, with the ambition of making running a mass-market entertainment product comparable to SailGP and Formula 1. The project has secured its first host city, is seeking additional locations including London, and is in discussions with prominent athletes as well as sub-elite and social-media runners. Lussy says the league aims to involve athletes in decision-making and avoid the trust problems he believes affected Grand Slam Track.

Bill Ackman criticized the United States Tennis Association after a first-day US Open ground pass was priced at $363, excluding access to the main show courts. He contrasted the price with Wimbledon’s £33 ground pass and objected to the resale of US Open tickets at marked-up prices. The article also discusses Ackman’s tennis appearances, the rejection of his $10 million gift by the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and the US Open mixed doubles championship.