Sports stories without the shouting
This week it was reported that Thesis, the horse who won the 2022 Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot, had been sold to race in Hong Kong. The horse’s trainer Harry Charlton admitted that the ‘spending power is hard to contend with’ when a bid comes in from Hong Kong. Looking through the data it is …
Continue reading “Racing in Hong Kong could be worth three times the value to an owner”
When a country finishes on top of the Winter Olympic medal table you immediately think it must be the best nation for winter sports. But a more detailed look at the medal table from Beijing 2022 shows a story of specialisation, with big gains to be made by specialising in sports that offer lots of …
Late in December the NHL decided to withdraw from sending players to the 2022 Winter Olympics. It was a decision that disappointed those wanting to promote the sport in Asia, as well as many fans hoping to see the best compete for their National teams at the Olympics. But what will be the likely impact …
Continue reading “The winners and losers of the NHL’s decision to withdraw from the Olympics”
At the end of each year I like to look back at what I’ve written over the last twelve months and see what I’ve learnt. So, my own personal review of the year shows that: Football Covid has helped to shift attention from the Premier League’s continued dependence on gambling, where nearly half of all …
The annual Goff’s horses in training sale takes place in Doncaster on St Leger week and once again there will be an interesting side show as Gigginstown Stud continue the dispersal of some stars of the turf. But looking at previous sales results it would make you wonder what all the fuss is about. It …
Continue reading “The Gigginstown dispersal sale is no place to look for return on investment”
When it comes to gambling advertising in the English Premier league there is a lot of noise but not a lot of action. Looking at shirt sponsors for the 2021/22 season shows an increase the number of teams being sponsored by gambling firms (from eight to nine), and gambling sponsorship now accounts for 45% of …
The Kentucky Derby is marketed as the ‘Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” but a 43% drop in TV ratings in 2020 must have sent shivers up the backs of organisers, sponsors and broadcasters. Thankfully, the figures for 2021 show a significant increase from 2020, and while slightly behind 2018 and 2019, they will provide …
In September last year the European Club Association (then chaired by plotter-in-chief Andrea Agnelli) published research on the Fan of the Future. Looking at this report you can see why the ‘Dirty Dozen’ and their bankers were so sure they were on to something with a new super league of top team across Europe. The …
Continue reading “What the Fan of the Future research didn’t understand about football fans”
A bit of personal research has shown that new running shoes can increase speeds by nearly 5%. If they do that for an ordinary runner, what must shoe technology be doing for the elite? I have a weird habit with new clothes and shoes where I tend not to wear them if there is any …
One of the most interesting things about the cost of attending an NFL game is how there is no relationship between how much you pay and how good the team is. In fact, only three of the ten most expensive NFL teams to watch had winning seasons last year. This is worse than the ten …
Continue reading “On the pitch, NFL fans aren’t getting what they paid for”
Sport.dat