Sports Ticker #125: All Blacks settle sponsor spat, WDC ups top prize and UK Baller League kicks off – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

In a fortnight which saw Patrick Mullins ride Nick Rockett to victory in the Grand National, Dmitry Bivol renounce his WBC light-heavyweight title in pursuit of a trilogy fight with Artur Beterbiev, and Cardiff Rugby serve a notice of intention to appoint administrators, we bring you updates on Fnatic’s IMG partnership, news of a major increase in prize money in the World Darts Championship, and details of a settlement between the International Tennis Federation and Gerard Piqué’s Kosmos.

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Super League Basketball serves pre-action notice on British Basketball

Super League Basketball (SLB) has served a pre-action notice on the British Basketball Federation (BBF) after BBF awarded the operating licence for the men’s professional basketball league to a US consortium. In July, the SLB was awarded an interim licence by the BBF to operate the top tier of men’s domestic basketball for three seasons, following the financial difficulties faced by the British Basketball League and termination of its operating licence. However, the BBF shortly thereafter announced that it had opted to grant the long-term licence to GBB League Ltd, a US consortium. The SLB, whose ownership comprises the nine clubs who make up the league, claims the new league operators lack the “clubs, fans, arenas [and] expertise” to build the infrastructure and future that British basketball deserves. Moreover, the SLB asserts, in what it alleges to be a breach of UK competition law and the FIBA Regulations (the rules that govern the sport), tactics employed by the BBF in failing to consult the SLB during the tender process were both “illegal” and “unjust”. The SLB seeks to continue its operation of the league into the future, with a focus on making the league “attractive to homegrown players, both in terms of economics and development”. 

WDC expands player field to ooooooone huuuuundred and twenty-eight 

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has announced a £7 million increase in its prize fund across all 13 of its tournaments, the largest rise in the corporation’s history. The 2026 World Darts Championship – which comprises the PDC’s most popular tournament – will offer £400,000 to the lucky runner up and £1 million to the luckier winner, marking a two-fold increase on the £500,000 received by Luke Littler for winning the 2025 final. The 2026 Championship will also see an additional 32 players, expanding the tournament to a 128-player field. The larger event is a reflection of the sport’s growing popularity. Statistics published by Sky Sports on the 2024/25 Championship indicate that viewership for the competition is up 29% year-on-year, with this year’s final drawing a peak audience of 3.1 million people. A larger competitor pool will mean four extra days of coverage for Sky, who in January agreed a five-year extension to their existing broadcast deal with the PDC, worth £125 million.
 

International Tennis Federation avoids court showdown with Kosmos

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has settled its two-year dispute with investment company Kosmos, avoiding a costly showdown at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The ITF decided to break ties (rather than its usual practice of tie-breaks) with Kosmos in 2023 following a collapse in contractual relations and the termination of a 25-year deal between the two to co-run the men’s Davis Cup competition after only five years. In response, Kosmos, a business founded and chaired by former Barcelona defender and World Cup winner Gerard Piqué, filed a lawsuit against the ITF at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claiming damages arising out of the perceived “unjustified termination” of the $3 billion contract. The match was hardly made in heaven, with the arrangement sparking almost immediate controversy in 2018 after it was announced the format of the 123-year old Davis Cup was to be replaced with an “18-nation World-Cup style event”. After a turbulent few years, however, it seems the challengers have finally settled the score, with the ITF announcing that the pair had reached “an amicable resolution regarding their previous contractual disagreements”. 

It’s maul over as New Zealand Rugby and Ineos settle sponsorship dispute

A six-week legal dispute arising out of a collapsed sponsorship deal between New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and petrochemical giant Ineos has been settled, the parties have announced. Ineos, chaired by Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, agreed to become the performance partner of NZR in 2021, a deal which was expected to last until 2027. As part of the arrangement, Ineos branding was displayed on the back of playing shorts and the front of training jerseys for the All Blacks and Black Ferns, NZR’s respective mens’ and womens’ teams. However, issues arose this February when NZR accused Ineos of failing to pay the first instalment of its 2025 sponsorship fee. In a subsequent statement, the body announced that it had “been left with no option but to launch legal proceedings” in order to protect its commercial position and recover its lost income. Ineos identified its decision to renege on the arrangement as a “cost saving measure”, spurred on by “high energy taxes”, “extreme carbon taxes” and “the deindustrialisation of Europe”. While the specific terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, it has been confirmed that the pair have resolved the short-lived action, in a joint statement which read, “New Zealand Rugby and Ineos can confirm that a settlement has been reached between the two parties”. 

Game on! Fnatic partners with IMG in bid to boost commercial growth 

In a bid to accelerate its global growth, professional esports organisation Fnatic has appointed IMG as its exclusive commercial agency partner. Under the agreement, IMG will provide new sponsorship opportunities to Fnatic’s performance teams’ jerseys, talent and digital assets. Already one of the world’s most successful esports organisations, the partnership looks to be a winner for Fnatic, with IMG’s status as a leader in sports marketing, media rights management and brand partnerships set to open the door to a whole new world of commercial opportunities for the UK-based company. Fnatic’s roster of content creators and professional gamers already boast a following of over 35 million people; with the additional benefit of IMG’s wealth of sports marketing and branding expertise, Fnatic’s success is certain to grow even further. With the potential impact on the wider industry, the announcement makes for exciting news not only for the Fnatic and its fans, but the esports industry as a whole. Gamers, watch this space. 

Extra time...

…and finally, the first season of the UK Baller League kicked off last week at the Copper Box Arena in London. The 12-team, 6-aside tournament, which is presided over by Youtuber KSI and lists amongst its team managers the likes of Gary Lineker, Luis Figo and the rapper Dave, positions itself as a fast-paced, high intensity football disruptor. As espoused by the league’s founder and entrepreneur Felix Starck, sport is no longer as simple as saying “look, we’re here […] come and watch us”, sport “needs to be exciting, and it needs to be authentic”. Football purists may wish to look away, however, as the format is a far cry from the traditional domestic bastion of the sport – the English Premier League. Baller League games comprise only fifteen-minute halves and are subject to dynamic rule-changes throughout, drawing closer parallels to Brazil’s Samba than the classic English 4-4-2. Whether the format will cement itself as a household mainstay is yet to be decided; but, whatever happens, the format looks set to turn heads and make noise.