Sports Ticker #124: IOC's marathon month, London Lions stadium and Six Nations free-to-air deal

In a fortnight which saw Kirsty Coventry elected as the first female president of the International Olympic Committee, Newcastle United win its first major domestic trophy since 1955, and a reported eightfold increase in Ferrari-branded merchandise sales for Puma following Lewis Hamilton's arrival, we bring you updates on the launch of Arsenal Women's first lifestyle range, a major complaint (and PR campaign) commenced by a professional tennis players’ association against the ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA, and details of the Six Nations' extended free-to-air deal with the BBC and ITV.

As always, if there are any issues on which you'd like more information (or if you have any questions or feedback), please do let us know or get in touch with your usual contact at RPC.

Marathon Month: IOC elects first female president amidst turbulent times

 It has been a marathon month for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who last week announced the election of its tenth president, Kirsty Coventry, who will take the reigns from incumbent Thomas Bach on 23 June 2025. The former Zimbabwean swimmer is set to take over as not only the youngest president in the 130-year history of the organisation, but its first female and African leader as well. Coventry views her victory as a “really powerful signal” amidst turbulent times for the IOC, which amongst other challenges has recently faced calls by more than 400 Olympic athletes urging the Committee to prioritise tackling climate change, which they view as a “current and growing harm to the sports [they] love”. The coalition of athletes, which is spearheaded by former British champion sailor Sir Ben Ainslie, makes a number of demands of the new president elect which include championing sustainable practices in host cities and using the IOC's platform to advocate for broader environmental action globally. 

Arsenal Women launch first lifestyle range

Arsenal Women FC (AWFC) has launched its first-ever lifestyle range following a debut at an afterparty hosted to celebrate the team's 5-0 win in the North London Derby, a fixture attended by almost 56,000 fans. The collection was announced ahead of International Women's Day, and is a tribute to the history of the women’s team, which was originally founded by long-term Arsenal men's kit manager Vic Akers as a safe space for girls to play football in North London. “Wearing this as a player and as part of the Arsenal Women community is a reminder of our journey together – the legends who paved the way for us, and our supporters who drive us forward now and in the future”, said Beth Mead, AWFC and England forward. The Emirates has since become the main home of AWFC who booked a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League with a remarkable 3-0 comeback against Real Madrid this week (matched by Chelsea who also won 3-0 to come back from a 0-2 deficit against Man City).

London Lions reveal plans to build “world class” stadium in the capital

 Current frontrunners of England's Super League Basketball (SLB), the London Lions have announced plans to develop a “world class” stadium in the British capital. The club, which currently plays at the Copper Box Arena and competes in the domestic top division of both men's and women's basketball, hopes to develop a purpose-built stadium that can serve not only its teams but also act as a hub for youth programmes, community engagement initiatives and talent development. The plans, which have yet to be laid out in full, follow Mayor Sadiq Khan's pledge to establish a “basketball taskforce” in the capital, with the aim of growing the sport in the city. The new stadium would support the Lions' resurgence in top European basketball while simultaneously expanding access to the sport in fostering its grassroots development. With renewed financial backing and the support of City Hall, the stage (or court, as it may be) is set for the start of a golden age of elite basketball in London. 

Tennis players serve competition complaint against governing bodies

 The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has commenced major competition law complaints against ATP Tour, WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency. The PTPA, which was co-founded by Novak Djokovic in 2020, has brought the complaints in the US, UK and EU concerning allegations that the tennis bodies have operated as a “cartel” in “suppressing[ing] player compensation” and ignoring player welfare. The players who have signed up to the complaint, which include PTPA co-founder and 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion Vasek Pospisil, also take issue with the points ranking system employed by the ATP and WTA, suggesting that it stops players from participating in other tournaments and affects their potential earnings as a result. The ATP and WTA have both released strong statements outlining their intention to defend the claims, which they describe as “baseless” and “without merit”. The complaint appears to have PR and comms strategy firmly in mind, and it is notable that the first step for the players was to issue a complaint to competition law regulators, rather than commencing legal proceedings before any court.

Scrum one, scrum all: Six Nations stays free-to-air for another four years

 The BBC and ITV have struck a new free-to-air deal to continue broadcasting Six Nations games until 2029. Under the agreement, BBC Sport will have the rights to broadcast five men's matches a year involving Scotland and Wales and will also continue its existing coverage of the women's tournament. ITV will air the remaining ten men's fixtures, including all England games. The new deal follows calls to keep the competition free-to-air by England captain Maro Itoje, who last month warned organisers that moving the tournament behind a paywall could limit exposure to the sport and detriment its long-term growth. The message appears to have been received loudly and clearly by Rugby Football Union (RFU) CEO Bill Sweeney (who separately survived a no-confidence motion this week) commented that in spite of an “increasingly challenging and competitive broadcast market”, the RFU was committed to keeping the Six Nations free-to-air, “ensuring maximum visibility of our sport” for all. 

Extra time...

……and finally, football legends Harry Redknapp and Robbie Fowler have been announced as managers in an all-star North versus South clash to be played in the capital this summer. The match, organised by the company Football Origin, follows in the footsteps of such seminal star-studded fixtures as Soccer Aid and more recently the Sidemen Charity Match, and is loosely based on the Australian State of Origin rugby league series, which sees Queensland face off against New South Wales in a tense regional showdown. The only on-field player confirmed so far is former Chelsea and England captain John Terry, but fans can expect to see a further fifteen “great names from English football's recent past” take part in the winner-takes-all fiasco. The game will take place on 1 June at Charlton Athletics' The Valley ground, with some proceeds set to be donated to a yet unannounced charity partner.