Shorts: Sky Sports, Whisper, ITV
Sky Sports has been confirmed as the exclusive UK broadcaster for the Reignwood Icons of Football tournament, taking place in March.
The event, part of the Icons Series, is set to be in Asia for the first time at Robinswood Golf Course in Reignwood Park on 1st and 2nd March.
The tournament will pit Team England against Team World, with the teams captained by Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia respectively.
Former football stars Paul Scholes, Theo Walcott, John Terry, Luis Figo, Gianfranco Zola, and Carlos Tevez will participate in the team match-play format.
Sky Sports will provide live coverage of both days on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Mix, with a highlights programme airing on Sky Sports Golf. The broadcast will include commentary from experienced analysts and behind-the-scenes access to players, caddies, and team captains.
Jason Wessley, Director of Golf at Sky Sports said, “Sky Sports customers really enjoy innovative golf formats which prove the game is a fun and varied sport. Icons of Football promises to be a great live watch at breakfast time on the weekend with a terrific line-up of Football icons guaranteed to entertain”.
Former Two Circles Co-founder and CEO Matt Rogan, and former Turner Sports and Bleacher Report General Manager Tina Shah have joined Whisper’s advisory board.
Serving as advisors, their arrival is expected to strengthen Whisper’s core business, while exploring new markets and investment opportunities.
Sunil Patel, Whisper CEO and Co-Founder, said, “The whole Whisper team is absolutely focused on building on the success – born out of hard work, disruptive thinking and getting the job done – we have created over the past 14 years.
“The challenge now is how best to take advantage of the brilliant people that make up the business, our excellent client relationships, and Whisper’s burgeoning global reputation for delivering quality at scale.”
England’s Six Nations win against France on 26th February delivered a peak audience of 6 million on ITV, the UK commercial broadcaster has revealed.
The match drew an average of 5 million viewers across all devices, while 4.3 million tuned in to watch ITV’s coverage of ‘Le Crunch’.
Last weekend, ITV also aired Plymouth Argyle’s sensational win over Liverpool in the FA Cup, which generated 4.9 total viewers, and an average audience of 2.7 million.
Viewership of Manchester United’s win against Leicester City on 7th February peaked at 4.4 million, averaging 3.2 million viewers.
Overall, ITV recorded its highest viewership since last year’s UEFA Euro 2024 championships, accounting for a 28% audience share among 16-34-year-olds throughout the day, which rose to 53%.
Meanwhile, the ITVX streaming platform recorded 45 million streams throughout the weekend.
Suzann Pettersen has launched Voxa, a talent management group focused on increasing the commercial opportunities and visibility of leading female athletes.
Voxa has established a partnership with sports and entertainment agency 54, which is responsible for its operations and commercial strategy. The group has launched with five professional golfers, each ranked as the top player in their respective countries.
The inaugural roster includes Ruoning Yin, former world number one and China’s highest-ranked female golfer; Carlota Ciganda, a multiple-time Solheim Cup player and one of Spain’s most successful female golfers; Gaby Lopez, a three-time LPGA winner and three-time Olympian from Mexico; Shannon Tan, the first golfer to represent Singapore in the Olympics; and Ashley Lau, Malaysia’s top-ranked golfer and a 2024 Olympian.
Pettersen, a two-time major winner and former Solheim Cup captain, has positioned Voxa to support female athletes in maximising their careers both on and off the field.
Suzann Pettersen said, “Throughout my career, I’ve always asked myself how I could make an even bigger impact. Competing at the highest level takes not just talent but the right support network. That’s why VOXA exists – because every athlete deserves a trusted team that values their journey and lifts them up to achieve the impossible.“
Liverpool Waters has submitted plans for the UK’s first floating padel courts.
The proposed facility at Prince’s Dock includes three floating padel courts. The plans also include a floating clubhouse designed by Imagineering Global LLP, which specialises in large-scale leisure projects.
The clubhouse will feature a bar, kitchen, and retail store selling padel equipment and clothing.
There are currently more than 700 padel courts in the UK, but this project would be the country’s first floating facility.
James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters, said, “We are really pleased to be bringing the UK’s first floating Padel courts to Liverpool Waters.
“This floating concept demonstrates the open approach we have at Peel Waters to welcoming innovative, new ideas and collaborating with forward-thinking businesses to use our portfolio as a testbed for unique, UK-first activations on water and the surrounding land.”
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