Rahul Mehta

This is an iconic deal in the landscape of English cricket and possibly world cricket. GMR Group and Hampshire County Cricket Club and its assets, currently owned by Rod Bransgrove, have agreed to an aquistion! Rod has been such a huge contributor to the game in the UK. I personally think this deal will be the catalyst to opening the gates to further Indian investment into English cricket (not new news) which points towards a bigger holistic future of players being centrally contracted by franchises (not countries). There will be mixed views on this deal and the the future of state of world cricket. https://lnkd.in/gFKvGPsN

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Great to see our whitepaper featured in The Golf Business. Want to know more about how we believe the tide can be turned on golf club closure? Download your copy of the whitepaper on the link below. #golf #savinggolf #custodiangolf

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The Great Indian Sports Curry - Why is it taking long to cook? Are we missing a key ingredient? A large sports company in the US sent two of its sales representatives to India to assess the market potential. After exploring the landscape, they reported back with contrasting insights: First rep: "No business opportunities here—hardly anyone plays sports." Second rep: "Huge business potential—not many people play sports yet!" This anecdote reflects the current state of the Indian sports industry. It sits at a promising juncture, with vast unrealised potential and struggling since few years to unlock that next level of growth. Over the years, there have been numerous efforts by entrepreneurs, private organizations, and government bodies to nurture this potential, but the "Great Indian Curry" still lacks some critical ingredients. So, what’s missing? While Grassroot and Infrastructure are always 2 important elements, there are 3 more areas holding us back from realising India's full sporting potential: 1-Corporate Investment: India needs more consistent corporate sponsorship and investment across a variety of sports. Cricket is well-funded, but other sports struggle to attract corporate attention, stunting their growth. 2- Professional Leagues & Opportunities: While we’ve seen leagues non cricket sports emerge, they are still finding their footing. More structured leagues with a sustainable business model would create professional opportunities for athletes and attract larger fanbases. 3- Public Engagement & Media Coverage: Indian audiences still largely gravitate toward cricket. Other sports lack the same level of media attention and public enthusiasm. Without better storytelling and continuous engagement, sports like football, athletics, and tennis will find it difficult to capture the public’s imagination. The ingredients are there—passion, talent, and entrepreneurship. But to truly unlock India’s potential, we need to get the mix right. The question is: will we crack the recipe before the dish goes cold? #sports #sportsbiz #india

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Althought this article is discussing Golf in England, this is the birthplace of golf. They are asking some really critical questions about equity as it relates to the golf course. It's refreshing to hear England Golf chief executive Jeremy Tomlinson acknowledging that "Ladies Days' arent necessarily the most inclusive. "Focusing on equality of access, and looking at working women who may not be able to play on a traditional ‘Ladies Day’ during the week before finding weekend golf restricted in a way it may not be for a man. Tomlinson continued: “Everybody goes out and earns a living. So to have a situation where you have a membership where people are paying the same amount, but there is a differentiation between the rights of certain elements of your membership, I think is antiquated. FINALLY...we agree. It is antiquated. I really hope golf clubs in the US and all over will start really looking at their business model, who they are targeting for membership and quite simply, how they are running their business. “It is something that every golf club...should be looking at themselves – again looking in the mirror – and asking ‘is there an equality of access? If somebody is paying the same amount to be a member of my club, they are a member of the golf club..so they should be able to utilise it in the same way – and certainly with regards to gaining access to tee times and playing rights." Once there is equity as it relates to tee times and playing rights, that will signficantly change the golf club culture in a positive direction. It's no longer a boys club, or won't be for much longer. Move over boys, women love golf too and we have entered the conversation.

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My belief remains that live broadcast of football should adopt the same model as Fortuna Dusseldorf (Credit Andy Marston). Leagues, Clubs and players and these days, long term institutional investors, should ask themselves, is it better for my content to be consumed by ~3m paytv customers in UK every month or 20m+ FTA viewers. Which model would build more longer term value? The NFL has long figured out the answer. We at LiveScore Group still have a vision to make this happen. We haven't achieved the necessary unit economics yet to progress but we are not too far! https://lnkd.in/d8vAhqAa

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Is it me being ultra negative, or is the LTA strategy for Padel a bit thin on the ground? it is 9 pages long. 2 pages are bookends, 1 title page, an overview page, a page of facts. That leaves 4 pages that give an information about the 5 year strategy itself. And what do they say? One objective is to increase courts from 500 courts now to 1000 in 2026. Is that really a stretch given what we in the industry know about the pipeline? Also, how are the LTA proposing they help in achieving this given nearly all investment is coming from private sources? And what else do they say? Invest, grow, engage, diversify, perform, lead. And the tactics? Make padel accessible, welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring. Quite interesting that this is how padel has developed thus far without their help (more of a hinderence) and the opposite of what my experience of the LTA is (inaccessible, unwelcoming, unenjoyable and uninspiring). Is this really as good as the LTA gets? Happy to meet and discuss Tom Murray to see if you can convince me otherwise.

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In the wake of my post this week on the relationship between #padel and the LTA, can I ask any stakeholders in the UK padel scene who would like to contribute to as well as share their views and experience on the interplay between the sport and the LTA to get in contact with me (publicly or privately). At this stage I want to collect names and understand and coordinate views, whether positive or negative, what should continue, what should change, objectives, timelines, limitations etc. I will try to then coordinate a forum based on that intel to really fine tune the feelings of the group. Ideally we can end that phase with a decision on next steps and any meeting with the LTA. As an aside, if anyone (not necessarily from within padel) has experience of building and standing up a #nationalgoverningbody #NGB in the UK, how to work constructively with UK Sport and Sport England and the relevant #InternationalFederation #IF etc that perspective could be really useful as well. Finally, if you read this and feel someone else should be made aware of this, please feel free to repost or forward.

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TEAMcard and Silverstone Circuit agree new expanded venue-wide partnership Silverstone Circuit, the home of British motorsport and host venue to the Formula 1 British Grand Prix has renewed with TEAMcard in an expanded agreement that will cover access control, accreditation, visitor management and verification services for the entire 155-acre site. Silverstone partnered with TEAMcard for venue access control in 2021, setting the foundations for a successful partnership that saw two record-breaking summers for racing fans entering the circuit. Matthew Evans, Business Systems Manager at Silverstone, said: "Working with TEAMcard has been a real game-changer for us. We have a whole host of different events that take place across the year attracting all sizes of crowds, from domestic race meetings to major events like Silverstone Festival, MotoGP and Formula 1. Regardless of the event size, the TEAMcard access control solution works seamlessly every time – we know we can really trust it." Now moving towards a third year in partnership, Silverstone have expanded their relationship with TEAMcard by activating the use of additional modules in the TEAMcard product stack – Accreditation, Visitor Management and Verification. These new modules will allow Silverstone to organise, manage and record the movements of every person arriving at the circuit, 365 days a year from a single system. Mike McEachern, Head of IT at Silverstone, said: "Working closely with everyone at TEAMcard has allowed us to better understand the wider product stack, and how their other solutions could work alongside access control to benefit our whole business. Stacking other modules like accreditation, visitor management and verification is allowing us to streamline more processes, collect better data and create better customer experiences across the board." For the full story, go to: https://lnkd.in/ervmHCmi #accesscontrol #accreditation #eventindustry #eventsindustry #eventmanagement #formula1 #f1 #sportbiz #sportsbiz #sportsindustry #Silverstone Daniel Huson Lee Howkins James Holifield Stephane Bazire Ben Phillips Robert Byrne Victor Leitch Josh Whittaker-Vyse Jean-Francoys Brousseau #sportsvenuebusiness #sportsvenuebiz #svblive Sports Venue Business SVB LIVE Cassandra Calleja

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New Post: Open Championship Venue Trusts in Toro - https://lnkd.in/gZcEwjhP, Scotland: Open Championship venue Royal Troon Golf Club has signed an exclusive partnership deal with Reesink Turfcare and Toro machinery. Royal Troon Course Manager Billy McLachlan. Glasgow, Scotland: Royal Troon Golf Club, host venue for the 152nd Open Championship, has signed an exclusive partnership deal with Reesink Turfcare and Toro machinery ahead of staging golf’s oldest major for the 10th time. The deal has provided Course Manager Billy McLachlan, who has been at the helm of the world-famous Scottish links for 31 years and overseen the preparation of the course for four of Opens, with a range of world-class equipment, including the latest electric mowers. Preparations for the championship have been years in the planning, starting as the club came out of the 2016 tournament with drainage work and then the installation of what McLachlan described as a ‘revolutionary’ new Toro irrigation system. He said: “To have the reassurance of an irrigation system which allows us to be proactive and reactive depending on weather conditions; targeted and effective with our water usage and to have an entirely different level of precision and control throughout the tournament will be revolutionary. It will take a lot of stress away.” McLachlan, who has been using Toro machinery for years, felt the timing was right to make the commitment with Reesink, especially in the run-up to and over the tournament. Plus, he had his eye on sustainable mowing options. He said: “We have a focus on using electric machinery and were extremely impressed with the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 ride-on and Greensmaster e1021 pedestrian mowers, which will be taking care of the greens.  “Having all-electric turfcare machinery is a new addition to our fleet at The Open and I’m looking forward to the huge benefits that will bring. For one, they will allow us to get out to any areas we need to without disturbing viewers or the flow of play and we know we can work all hours needed, because they are so quiet.” Jon Cole, Divisional Business Manager at Reesink Turfcare, said: “For electric power to play such a key role in yet another Open Championship sends a fantastic message. Just like diesel machines, battery-operated mowers can also cope with the demands of producing the quality of cut and level of work demanded by a global event.”  The club has a core fleet of Toro machines and included new versions of the Toro Reelmaster 3575 and Groundsmaster 4300 mowers for fairways and roughs respectively as well as mid and heavy-duty utility vehicles in the last delivery. There’s a Toro ProCore 648s which will be instrumental in post-event recovery work. McLachlan added: “To have the support of Reesink throughout the tournament will be vital. We will have additional models of the same mac

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Investors in Indian football franchise teams should also consider acquiring stakes in European football clubs, regardless of the division they can afford. This strategic move can yield two significant benefits: 1- Player Development: Advanced-level players from their Indian franchise teams will gain invaluable experience by playing in European leagues early in their careers. The enhanced skills and exposure they acquire will elevate the quality of football when they return to India. 2- Marketing Boost: From a marketing perspective, this approach will significantly enhance the visibility and appeal of Indian football franchises. The connection to European clubs can attract more fans, sponsors, and media attention, driving growth and interest in Indian football. This dual investment strategy promises to bolster both player development and the overall marketability of Indian football. #sports #sportsbiz #football #india #investment #europeanfootball #playerdevelopment #marketing

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New video alert! In "Indian Football's Commercial Landscape Part I," take a closer look at the struggles of football in India to attract commercial and sponsorship revenues. The video sheds light on the current scenario of football in India and the challenges it faces in attracting sponsorships. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/gCsvNipi and share your feedback with us!

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#membernews Having announced its intention to split Topgolf and Callaway Golf into separate businesses, Topgolf Callaway Brands is forging ahead with an eye on furthering its reach to the Middle East. And what better country to focus on than Saudi Arabia given its support of golf through the LIV tour, Aramco Team Series and other avenues. As part of the new agreement Topgolf plans to build three venues by 2028 with the possibility of adding another two down the line. The venues, which combine target practice, lighthearted games, food and beverage, will all be owned and operated by Golf Saudi Entertainment who sponsor multiple professional golfers and tournaments. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dMunkq8J #Topgolf #Callaway #GolfSaudi #SaudiArabia #LIVGolf #AramcoTeamSeries #GolfEntertainment #MiddleEastExpansion #GolfVenues #GolfSaudiEntertainment #SportsInvestments #SaudiTourism #GolfDevelopment #TopgolfSaudi #GolfingExperience

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Transform Your Sporting Venue: Innovative Ways to Attract Different Types of Events In this article from iVvy find out how your sporting venue can become the destination of choice for events of all shapes and sizes. Attention all sporting venue managers: Your venue space is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered, offering more than just the thrill for sports fans. It has the potential to host exhilarating matches while being the preferred setting for unforgettable events, ranging from corporate conferences to intimate gatherings. But how can you unlock this potential and turn your venue into the ultimate choice for a variety of events? Let’s delve into some tailored strategies to transform your sporting venue into a compelling option for event planners. Emphasise What Makes Your Venue Unique Every venue has its story – what’s yours? Maybe it’s the echo of historic victories, the architectural design, impressive technologies, or perhaps an unbeatable location. Identifying these unique selling points for your sporting venue is your first step. Share these stories in your marketing efforts; let potential clients see not just a venue, but a place where their event can become part of a larger narrative. For the full story, go to: https://lnkd.in/e6nbWmJs Bryan Knapp Lauren Hall Brittany George Brad Wood Justin Miller #eventindustry #eventsindustry #eventprofs #eventhosting #sportsbiz #sportsindustry #stadia #stadiums #stadiumbusiness #sportsvenuebusiness #sportsvenuebiz #svblive Sports Venue Business SVB LIVE Cassandra Calleja The Sports Networker

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There is no doubt that golf is big business but is it in danger of making the age old elitist mistakes of the past which alienate the masses? Globally it’s estimated that the golf market is worth in excess of £70.5bn, a figure that is expected to rise to £80.5bn by 2028, exhibiting a healthy Compound Annual Growth Rate of 3.4 per cent. Why? Continue reading to find out 👇 https://lnkd.in/ey3e69vB

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