Shorts: City Football Group, WRU, Premier Sports
City Football Group and Oak View Group have launched a joint venture to operate catering services at the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live.
The new company will integrate service operations across the Etihad Campus, employing over 80 full-time staff and a casual workforce of 3,000.
It aims to enhance service standards across 150+ annual events and provide greater job stability and training opportunities for local workers through multi-venue shifts.
Jessica Koravos, President, International for Oak View Group, added, “In less than a year, Co-op Live has grown to operating over 150 event days a year. Our dedicated and passionate service teams consistently deliver exceptional fan experiences from concessions to our numerous premium spaces. Partnering with CFG will benefit our employees, and ultimately our fans.”
Dave Reddin is reportedly the leading contender to become the Welsh Rugby Union’s (WRU) Director of Rugby.
Reddin previously worked for England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) as a fitness expert between 1997 and 2006, including being a key member of Sir Clive Woodward’s staff when England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He was also part of Woodward’s backroom team on the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour.
He held the role of Director of Performance Services for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics before joining the FA in 2014 as Head of Performance Services. Appointed Head of Team Strategy and Performance in 2016, his responsibilities included performance medicine, analysis, physical performance, nutrition, and people development. He worked with Gareth Southgate’s senior England side, including at the 2018 World Cup, before leaving the FA in 2019.
The WRU seeks a successor to Nigel Walker, former Executive Director of Rugby, to oversee the professional men’s and women’s games in Wales.
The appointment comes as Wales look to halt a record 17-Test losing streak and appoint a new head coach following Warren Gatland’s departure.
Broadcaster Premier Sports has stated its desire to revitalise the Investec Champions Cup with potential format changes.
Premier Sports Chief Richard Sweeney indicated that the European tournament should adapt to meet the demands of younger audiences.
Sweeney specifically proposed the introduction of Thursday night fixtures and suggested an earlier start date for the competition in August.
The broadcaster believes these changes, alongside encouraging more partisan fan involvement, are necessary for the tournament’s future appeal.
Sport Social Podcast Network has teamed up with Virgin Bet for a UK-wide podcast advertising campaign titled ‘A Grand Isn’t Grand’.
The initiative, run by Europe’s largest sport podcast network, was designed to assist football fans dealing with increasing season ticket prices.
The campaign featured across Sport Social’s portfolio of football fan-focused podcasts and resulted in eight dedicated supporters each receiving £1,000 towards the cost of their season tickets.
Sky Sports has secured a one-year agreement to broadcast every match of the Baller League UK season live
Sky Sports and streaming platform NOW have secured rights to show the Baller League UK in full, marking the indoor football competition’s first season in the UK.
Matches have been taking place weekly from 25th March and will continue until the final on 11th June. Each round is broadcast live on Monday evenings, with coverage hosted by Chunkz and Olivia Buzaglo.
The UK edition will featured 12 teams made up of footballers, futsal players, influencers and celebrities. Former England internationals John Terry, Ian Wright and Chloe Kelly have been named among the team managers, while KSI has been the headline figure for the UK launch.
Data expert Laurie Shaw has taken up a role with Fenway Sports Group (FSG) after leaving City Football Group (CFG).
Shaw’s position will involve working across the multiple sports entities owned by FSG, which includes Liverpool FC, the Boston Red Sox of MLB, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, Boston Common Golf of The Golf League, and RFK Racing in NASCAR.
Shaw joined CFG, the multi-club group that owns Manchester City among others, in 2021. The former Harvard research scientist and lecturer moved from the university to join CFG’s data insights and decision technology team, initially as Head of AI, before becoming Director of Football Data in September 2023.
Subscribe to the Sport Industry Daily for regular updates on the biggest stories and latest news in the sport industry.
