Shorts: Sport England, Racing TV, LTA

Tim Hollingsworth OBE has confirmed he will step down as Chief Executive of Sport England at the end of July.

Hollingsworth has led Sport England since 2018, following seven years as Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association. His tenure has included managing the organisation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing investment in grassroots sport across England.

Until his departure, he will continue to oversee key strategic priorities, including negotiations with the Government as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review and the ongoing delivery of Uniting the Movement, Sport England’s 10-year strategy for sport and physical activity.

“Being Chief Executive of Sport England has been an enormous privilege and the past six years have been among the most fulfilling of my professional life,” Hollingsworth said.

“I will remain forever grateful for the opportunity and proud of what we have achieved; our response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the publication of our Uniting the Movement strategy and our radically different ways of investing through system and place partners are three particular high points.  

“There is still much to be done to deliver the change we want to see and make sport and physical activity part of everyone’s lives.”

Racecourse Media Group has extended its agreement with Sky Business, which will remain the exclusive provider of Racing TV for pubs and clubs in the UK.

Under the renewal, Sky Business will continue to offer Racing TV’s coverage of 8,000 live races annually to the hospitality sector.

Racing TV broadcasts British and Irish racing, including 90% of all Grade 1 and Group 1 races, from venues such as Cheltenham, Aintree, Newmarket, and Leopardstown.

Racing TV subscribers in the hospitality sector will also continue to access the Racing TV Club Day scheme, which provides complimentary race tickets for events across Britain and Ireland.

Nick Mills, CEO at Racecourse Media Group, parent company of Racing TV said, “This renewal will take the partnership with Sky Commercial to 15 years by the end of 2028, which is testament to what a mutually beneficial relationship we enjoy.

“The day-in, day-out top-class content we provide, and the service Sky offer to their customers, means we are now serving more than 10,000 pubs and clubs.

“Hopefully, we can work together to grow the commercial subscriber base further and ensure an even wider reach for the sport.”

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has become the Strategic Partner of the Pro Am Padel Tour.

As part of the partnership, the LTA will lead the organisation and delivery of community-focused days, aiming to increase youth participation and engagement with underrepresented groups.

This builds on previous initiatives where the Pro Am Padel Tour collaborated with community organisations, schools, and governing bodies such as Tennis Wales to provide coaching and taster sessions.

Through the new alliance, the LTA will oversee the sport’s continued development across the UK.

Tom Murray, Head of Padel, LTA added “We are delighted to be partnering with the Pro Am Padel Tour to deliver community days to open up padel across Britain.

“We want to open it up to more communities and drive greater youth engagement and participation across Britain.”

Powerboat racing league E1 Series has penned a global free-to-air (FTA) broadcast rights deal with DAZN.

The multi-year pact will see all E1 Series sessions air on the streaming platform, and includes live and non-live coverage in more than 200 markets.

The final race of the London-headquartered championship will air exclusively on DAZN across key markets, including,  Canada, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, and Japan.

DAZN will additionally provide highlights from the group stages and qualification rounds of the sailing series.

“In DAZN, we have a broadcaster who shares our vision to engage the sports fans of the future through technological advancement and unique sporting entertainment,” said Rodi Basso, CEO at E1.

“In season two, we continue in our mission to redefine racing on water, providing sports fans across the world with a compelling sports product at the intersection of motorsport, entertainment and sustainability.”

Stay up to date with the world of sports business by subscribing to the Sport Industry Daily.