12 June 2020: The Financial Times is launching Scoreboard, an essential weekly briefing on the business of sport, responding to strong reader demand for detailed and reliable sports investor information. Available in full to FT subscribers from this Saturday, the briefing will cover financial issues affecting the largest global sports clubs, franchises, competitions, owners, investors and media groups across the growing global sports industry.
Led by sports editor Murad Ahmed, and Due Diligence co-creators Arash Massoudi and James Fontanella-Khan, the FT has hired two new journalists to join the team: Sara Germano joins from the Wall Street Journal as US sports business correspondent; and Samuel Agini joins from Financial News as sports business reporter.
Ahmed said: “Sports news tends to follow the ball, not the money. There is a gap in the market for quality information about global deal-making in sports and the evolution of clubs’ business models. As a new FT team of experienced sports writers we are excited to bring our readers expert insight, scoops and analysis on the key issues affecting this growing global asset class.”
Scoreboard will analyse the financial pressures hitting global sports businesses, while having the inside track on those plotting a recovery. Its audience will include star athletes wanting to become venture capitalists, billionaires seeking new assets, and broadcasters, digital companies and financiers seeking to profit once the action returns.
Last Saturday’s introductory newsletter kicked off with a statistical analysis of the sponsorship deals that have led to an upcoming legal case between English Premier League champions Manchester City and Uefa, European football’s governing body, as well a deeper look at how American athletes are responding to the anti-racism protests in the United States.
The Scoreboard initiative follows the success of FT Due Diligence, the FT’s daily briefing on corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, and private equity. It is backed by investment from parent company Nikkei. Scoreboard will also build on the success of other projects, such as the FT Business of Football summit, an annual event that draws hundreds of top level delegates from across the football industry.
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For more information, please contact: Katrina Fedczuk - katrina.fedczuk@ft.com
About the Financial Times
The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading business news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. The FT has a record paying readership of more than one million, three-quarters of which are digital subscriptions. It is part of Nikkei Inc., which provides a broad range of information, news and services for the global business community.