List of All Articles with Tag 'ba'

TNT Sports’ football coverage will be led by four female presenters in the new season as it seeks to “push the boundaries” of sports broadcasting. TNT Sports replaces BT Sport from Tuesday, with Laura Woods confirmed as host of its Champions League coverage alongside Reshmin Chowdhury. Jake Humphrey, who fronted BT’s Champions League coverage last season, announced he was stepping back from his role in May. Lynsey Hipgrave will continue to host live Premier League coverage on TNT Sports, having done so since the start of last season, while Jules Breach replaces Des Kelly as the broadcaster’s pitchside reporter. Ally McCoist joins the TNT punditry line-up for Premier League and Champions League matches, which will still feature the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch and Joe Cole. “We do want to be contemporary, we do want to be bold, we definitely want to push the boundaries of what sports broadcasting has been in this market over the previous years,” Andrew Georgiou, the president and managing director of Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe, said. “It’s a really good opportunity for us to reflect on what’s happened and it’s almost like, ‘Okay, we’ve got a moment in time to refresh and rethink’.” The rebrand follows the completion of a deal in September last year to form a joint venture that combines the assets of BT Sport and Eurosport UK. We do want to be contemporary, we do want to be bold, we definitely want to push the boundaries of what sports broadcasting has been in this market over the previous years Andrew Georgiou From Tuesday, TNT Sports is available to stream via the discovery+ platform. UK subscribers with a premium plan will be able to access TNT Sports and Eurosport via the discovery+ platform, allowing them to watch both networks’ live sport in the same place as well as discovery+ entertainment content. The cost of the premium plan is £29.99 a month, the same as was previously charged for the BT Sport Monthly Pass. Eurosport’s live rights include the Olympic Games and the Tour de France. Georgiou said TNT Sports would be keenly focused on the Premier League’s invitation to tender for its next set of domestic television rights later this year. “We are a premium sports broadcaster and our 100 per cent stated ambition is to remain a premium sports broadcaster, and reviewing our rights portfolio to make sure that remains (the case) is in the bullseye of our agenda,” he said. “We look at everything that comes up. Obviously the Premier League tender is up at the end of the year. That is a key part of our rights portfolio and something we’re focused on.” The PA news agency understands the new domestic offering will feature at least 60 more live matches than the current deal but split into a smaller number of packages available for broadcasters to buy, from the current seven down to five.

Gruelling work hours and a dismal job market are forcing young Chinese to make unusual choices.

Lindsay Lohan's family just got a little bigger.

Monica De Leon Barba, a US citizen who the FBI said was kidnapped in Mexico in November, has been reunited with her family.

Leeds have announced the EFL has approved the club’s takeover by American investment group 49ers Enterprises. Chairman and majority shareholder Andrea Radrizzani agreed to sell his controlling stake last month and the deal, which valued the club at around £170million, has now been confirmed. 49ers Enterprises, which owns NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers, has steadily increased its stake in Leeds since becoming a minority shareholder in 2018, while the deal includes full ownership of Elland Road. Paraag Marathe, previously vice-chairman, will take over as chairman, chief executive Angus Kinnear will remain in his current position and Rudy Cline-Thomas, founder and managing partner of venture capital firm MASTRY, will join the board as co-owner and vice-chairman. Former Norwich boss Daniel Farke was appointed manager on a four-year deal earlier this month ahead of the coming season’s bid to secure an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation in May. Marathe said in a Leeds statement: “This is an important moment for Leeds United and we are already hard at work. “This transition is a necessary reset to chart a new course for the club. We have already appointed a highly-respected first-team manager with a track record of success, and we are confident Leeds will field a competitive squad to contend for promotion next season. “It’s a privilege to carry this torch as I know we have a responsibility to ensure this club makes our staff, players, supporters and the Leeds and Yorkshire communities proud.” This is an important moment for Leeds United and we are already hard at work. New Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe Cline-Thomas said: “With my family hailing from Leeds, it’s an honour to be able to uplift this incredible community. “This is more than just an opportunity, it’s a personal mission. The chance to reinvigorate the cherished Leeds culture, to create a platform that attracts the world’s finest players, and build a truly global brand that celebrates diversity, is a prospect that thrills me.” 49ers Enterprises increased its stake in Leeds to 44 per cent in 2021 with the option of buying Radrizzani’s remaining 56 per cent before January 2024. The Americans had been keen to push through a full takeover this summer, but that agreement, which had valued Leeds at around £400million, was contingent on the club remaining in the Premier League. Leeds’ relegation forced both parties back into intense negotiations and a valuation of close to £170m was agreed. The deal marks the end of a six-year ownership of Leeds for Radrizzani, who said: “It has been an honour to guide Leeds United…and to spend so much time with the best fan base in the world. “49ers Enterprises have been fantastic partners for years and I’m confident they will take Leeds to the next level.” Radrizzani completed a full takeover from fellow Italian Massimo Cellino in 2017 and was initially hugely popular. He bought back Elland Road stadium, which had been in private ownership since 2004, and brought in fresh investment when 49ers Enterprises purchased its first 10 per cent stake in 2018. The appointment of Marcelo Bielsa soon after proved a masterstroke as Leeds won promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years. But Radrizzani’s relationship with the Leeds fan base began to sour when Bielsa was sacked in February 2022. Leeds escaped relegation on the final day of the 2021-22 season and Radrizzani promised that the club would not be involved in another survival fight. But results this past season failed to improve under three different managers. Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia were both sacked, while Sam Allardyce left after his four-game rescue mission ended in failure. 49ers Enterprises have been fantastic partners for years and I'm confident they will take Leeds to the next level. Andrea Radrizzani When relegation was confirmed with a final-day defeat to Tottenham, Radrizzani was absent from Elland Road, opting instead to remain in Italy to finalise his takeover of Sampdoria. He later admitted Leeds’ board had made mistakes and apologised for the club’s relegation in a personal statement posted on social media. But after it emerged he had offered to use Elland Road as collateral when securing a £26m bank loan to buy Sampdoria – one of his companies and not Leeds owned the stadium – his legacy was further tainted. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Hannah Dingley’s interim spell to end as David Horseman named Forest Green boss Mikel Arteta believes ‘lighthouse’ Declan Rice can take Arsenal to next level Marcus Rashford set to sign new five-year deal at Manchester United

Microsoft Corp.’s once imperiled $69 billion bid for Activision Blizzard Inc. has fresh momentum. At a hearing on

By Jamie McGeever A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist.

Abortions in Iowa will for now remain legal up to 22 weeks into a pregnancy after a judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state's newly signed law that would ban the procedure as early as six weeks.

Former Tennessee Volunteers football coach Jeremy Pruitt is effectively banned from college football for bribing recruits. His excuses won't cut it.Jeremy Pruitt coached the Tennessee Volunteers football program from 2018-20. He went 16-19 over that span and was fired in 2021 after an inter...

Giants running back Saquon Barkley tweeted a simple message after the extension deadline passed apparently without a new deal.Monday's deadline to get an extension done for Saquon Barkley came and went without an agreement between the running back and the Giants.Barkley's apparent ...

The question looming as Damian Lillard trade talks continue.

Only one out of two dozen stocks in the KBW Bank Index was left standing in the green