Bloom's Hearts investment complete - tell us your views
Tony Bloom's investment into Hearts is complete. The Brighton owner has injected almost £10m into the club and has received a 29% stake in non-voting shares."I firmly believe in the club's ability to disrupt the pattern of domination of Scottish football, which has been in place for far too long," Bloom says.An eye-catching quote from the 55-year-old. Hearts fans, what do you make of that? And where can your side go from here? Send us your thoughts
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Sky News
27 minutes ago
- Sky News
Former EE chief Allera joins team at CVC sports empire
The former boss of mobile phone network EE is taking on a powerful new role at the heart of a sports portfolio which includes interests in Six Nations Rugby, Spanish top-flight football and the women's global tennis tour. Sky News has learnt that Marc Allera, who stepped down as the boss of BT Group's consumer business earlier this year, has been appointed chairman of CVC SportsCo, a new entity aimed at providing more cohesive support to the buyout firm CVC Capital Partners' investments across the sector. The establishment of the new operating and investment group concept comes as CVC, the Amsterdam-listed private equity group, continues to diversify its sporting asset base. Having made billions of dollars from its ownership of Formula One motor racing - one of the most lucrative deals in the history of sport - CVC has bought stakes in leagues and other assets spanning cricket, football, rugby union, tennis and volleyball over the last two decades. Its investment in the media rights to La Liga - Spain's equivalent of the Premier League - is expected to generate a handsome return for the firm, although a comparable deal in France has faced significant challenges amid broadcasters' financial challenges in the country. CVC's backing of global sports properties is intended to position it to maximise their commercial potential through new media and sponsorship rights deals, as well as their expansion into new formats aimed at drawing wider audiences amid rapid shifts in media consumption. In rugby union, its acquisition of a stake in Premiership Rugby's commercial rights was hit by the pandemic and the subsequent financial pressures on clubs which saw a number of the league's teams forced into insolvency. Sky News revealed earlier this year that CVC had extended further support to Newcastle Falcons as part of a broader financial package aimed at paving the way for the team's sale. Red Bull is reported to be the acquirer of Newcastle Falcons, with a deal expected imminently. CVC, which bought into Premiership Rugby in 2019, owns a 27% stake in the league. Under its stewardship, broadcast audiences and attendances have turned a corner, with total TV audiences up 40% this year - partly as a result of an increase in the number of games being shown. It recently agreed a more lucrative TV rights deal for the league. Sponsorship revenues are also said to have nearly doubled since CVC's initial investment, with fan interest among the crucial 18-34 age demographic rising by 30% during the last year. Its SportsCo strategy will see Mr Allera, who also chaired BT Sport, working across the CVC sports portfolio, with other executives expected to be recruited to assist the effort in due course. One source likened the initiative to the approach employed by the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. They added that there would be parallels with the sharing of best practice used at US basketball's NBA through its TeamBusinessOperations (TeamBO) unit to unlock collective opportunities and drive further long-term growth projects. CVC's sporting assets will continue to remain autonomous and independent of one another, the source said. One expected benefit of the SportsCo approach would be the sourcing of new investment opportunities in future years, with another likely to mean CVC remaining a stakeholder in its existing portfolio for a longer duration. The firm was recently outbid in an auction of major tennis tournaments by Ari Emanuel, the Endeavor founder whose company was also the seller of the assets. Global sports properties have become one of the hottest growth areas for private capital in recent years, with firms such as Ares Management, Silver Lake Partners and Bridgepoint all investing substantial sums in teams, leagues and other assets across the industry. Mr Allera already has connections to CVC as chairman of JagEx, the mobile gaming business it bought last year, and as a broader adviser to the private equity firm.
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Mum urges parents to nab Aldi paddling pool that's the ‘easiest' to put up so you're set up for the weekend sunshine
A MUM has urged parents to head to their local Aldi before the weekend arrives. Andrea Kemp, from the UK, took to social media to show off her bargain buy that was essential for the summer months. 2 The mother and grandma shared a picture of the paddling pool she had purchased from the budget-friendly store last week. The large paddling pool looked perfect for having a dip in this weekend where the weather should reach 30°C again. It measures over 9ft long and 5.5ft wide, meaning there's plenty of space for toys as well to keep the kiddos entertained. Andrea wrote: "Bought this from Aldi for my grandson's birthday, got to say it's the easiest paddling pool I've had to put up and a bargain, it takes an hour and a half to fill up. "We've had so much fun over the weekend with it." The happy gran revealed she paid just £50 for the paddling pool which was 50cm in height. While it was easy to put up thanks to its foldable sides that collapse down and up, Andrea warned it was heavier than it looked. "The only thing is it's really heavy and it takes two people to carry to where you want to put it up and to fold it back and put it back away in its box as extremely heavy," she added. Despite that Andrea and her grandchildren were loving the pool for the hot summer days. Aldi bosses say: "Featuring foldable sides that allow users to change the size, it means shoppers can create a mini splash zone for toddlers or go full-size for family fun, and anything in between! My dream pool was £40,000 so I DIYd my own 18ft version in February all for this summer heatwave - it's saved me £37,000 "It simply folds away when the day is done for easy storage. It's the ultimate solution for homes where space is tight but summer fun is non-negotiable." Like with most Aldi Specialbuys, once it's gone, it's gone, so make sure you head to your local store now. Others who bought the pool were quick to confirm just how good it was on the Facebook group, Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK. One person wrote: "We got the same one it's absolutely fantastic well worth the money out of all the pools we have bought over the years this is by far the best and easiest. "I agree it is very heavy though." Swimming safety advice Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer: How to stay safe at the beach Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: "If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety. "If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard." How to stay safe at the swimming pool Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: "Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency. "It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life". An Auqabliss spokesperson added: ' Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool. ' Children may try to grab these from the pool's edge and fall in." How to stay safe at a waterpark Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: "Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult. "And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently. ' Waterparks are often very busy places and it's easy to lose sight of a child in a split second." "I have this, my little boys love it, took about 3 hours to fill up," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Now that's what I'm talking about." Someone else added: "This one seems good."
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Passengers could soon take a free cabin bag on flights – as EU set to change carry-on rules
PASSENGERS flying on EU airlines might not have to pay for fees for carry-on bags up to 7kg under new rules. On June 25, the EU Parliament transport committee put forward a new law to ban additional fees for small carry-on bags. 3 If the new law is approved, passengers flying on any EU airline will be allowed a free cabin bag to put in the overhead locker. The conditions are that the bag can weigh up to 7kg and is no more than 100cm. Passengers will also be allowed to bring one smaller personal item that can fit under a seat on the flight. The new rule would apply to all flights between the EU and the UK and flights within the EU itself. Due to varying rules across airlines, the European Parliament hopes to create a common standard across the board for carry-on luggage. The bad news is that some airlines have warned that the proposed rule change could force up ticket fares. It could potentially impact all passengers, including those travelling with smaller bags. Airlines for Europe Managing Director Ourania Georgoutsakou told Politico: 'The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don't.' Airlines for Europe also warned that its members won't be able to comply with the new rule due to lack of space. A typical cabin seats 180 passengers but has room for only 90 trolley bags in the overhead lockers. Primark launches new range of cabin bags on wheels - they're approved by all budget airlines & there's matching carry-ons too The EU transport committee also agreed during the meeting that airlines should be prohibited from charging a seat selection fee for children up to the age of 12. It also wants to introduce a common form for compensation and reimbursement requests. Last year, there were reports that there were going to be changes to the hand luggage rules - but these did not change. Speaking to The Independent at the time, Michael O'Leary, chief executive of Europe's biggest budget carrier, Ryanair said: "We do think there should be a standardised agreement on what can be brought on board. "We're working with the other airlines in A4E to try to agree standardised sizes, but we haven't reached an agreement with them yet." While the rules continue to be discussed, check out this popular travel bag that's allowed on Ryanair flights for free. Plus the travel bags, plane outfits and accessories we can't live without – and they start from just 99p. Expert opinion on what the new rules mean for you Head of Travel (Print) Lisa Minot weighs in. EUROPEAN plans to force all airlines to allow passengers to bring a bag weighing less than 7kg into the cabin as well as an under-seat bag seem on the face of it to be a good outcome for travellers. But there could be a sting in the tail for flyers going forward. Low cost airlines have for years been keeping the price of base fares low by adding on an ever more dizzying array of extra charges. And these ancillary charges now make up an increasing percentage of their profits. These extra charges now make up more than 30per cent of Ryanair's revenue. Between October and December last year, Ryanair's ancillary revenues were worth £884million. Airlines argue that if they are forced to comply with the new laws, the base fares will have to rise for every passenger across the board, including those flying smaller bags. They also point out many airlines won't be able to comply with the new rules as typically planes that carry 180 passengers only have room for 90 trolley bags. But on the plus side, forcing all airlines to adhere to the same rules can only be a good thing. Right now, the disparity between the size and weight of bags and the prices airlines charge is hideously complicated and can often lead to passengers being caught out. 3
