Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

Aviva Premiership Rugby CEO Rejects MP's Claim League Is Run Like 'Cartel'

Premiership Rugby CEO Mark McCafferty has "rejected claims" from a Member of Parliament that the league operates like a cartel, according to Alex Lowe of the London INDEPENDENT. Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas has written to the Office Of Fair Trading with a request for the Competition Commission to investigate Premiership Rugby's funding structure. Thomas claimed that Premiership Rugby distributes money with a "clear bias" against newly-promoted clubs, because they "receive less money than established top flight teams." Thomas said, "There is a clear bias in how funding is distributed against teams promoted to the Premiership. The funding arrangements have all the appearance of a cartel." But McCafferty denied that he operates a cartel. He said, "I would reject that. We need to emphasise that we have promotion and relegation enshrined in our system and so people have access to the top level in England." Thomas claimed in his speech to the Commons that newly-promoted teams receive £1.4M ($2.1M) compared to the £3.5M ($5.3M) that goes to established Premiership clubs. Premiership Rugby "strongly disputed those figures," arguing that promoted teams only receive around £800,000 ($1.2M) less than full shareholders. The OFT will take between four and eight weeks to "decide whether there is any merit" in Thomas' request for investigation (INDEPENDENT, 3/28).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/03/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/aviva.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/03/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/aviva.aspx

CLOSE