Latest news with #KeithMills
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sir Keith Mills backs rival British basketball league GBBL
The proposed operator of a controversial new British basketball league, GBBL, has announced heavyweight backing from Sir Keith Mills and hopes to establish teams in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Edinburgh. Mills, a key figure in securing and running the London 2012 Olympics, and US fund WestRiver Group have been named partners of GBBL, which was last month awarded a 15-year license to operate a league by the British Basketball Federation from 2026. It is not clear, however, whether WestRiver Group, whose portfolio includes DocuSign and football experience Toca Social, has invested in GBBL, which is fronted by American Marshall Glickman and has faced questions about its funding. Mills, 75, is advising WRG. But GBBL says it is in discussions with 'very high-quality investors' who include 'athletes, sports team owners and international family offices'. The project still faces significant obstacles, with clubs in the existing top flight – Super League Basketball – united in their opposition to playing in a competition that they do not own and at war with the BBF over what they claim was an illegal tender process. GBBL insists the door remains open for SLB clubs to join its competition, but has also declared its intention to invite applications from 10 teams to be based in locations including London, Birmingham, Yorkshire, Liverpool, Hampshire, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Coventry. 'We are thrilled that our friends at WRG and Sir Keith Mills are standing behind our long-term strategy to uplift the popularity of basketball in Great Britain,' said Glickman, a former president of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. 'We will set forth a broad range of criteria [for teams]. Most important, we want owners that are fully aligned with our strategy to grow the game from the grassroots to the elite level, and to provide fans with an incredible and affordable experience.' Glickman also hinted that SLB clubs would be better placed to play in a putative NBA Europe if competing in the BBL-sanctioned league. 'We anticipate that the clubs playing in pan-European leagues will also play in the GB domestic league,' a spokesperson said. London Lions CEO Lenz Balan told City AM this month that the clubs remained opposed to any outside operator of a league. 'In the end, a league is nothing but its clubs,' he said. 'And my personal perspective is that every professional league in the world is owned and operated by its clubs. My position on outside investment in the league is that that determination should be made by the clubs.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Saudis strike deal with Olympics hero Mills' sports group
Saudi Arabia's attempts to exert a stranglehold on elite global sports is to expand in the form of a new joint venture with the consultancy founded by Sir Keith Mills, the architect of London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Sky News has learnt that Sela, which has gained international prominence in recent years as the short sponsor of Saudi-owned Premier League side Newcastle United, will announce later on Tuesday the formation of a partnership with Origin Sports Group. The alliance will come soon after Sela agreed a collaboration with The Ring and TKO to form a new international boxing promotion company. The Gulf state has already made significant - and controversial - strides into sports including golf and tennis, and will host the FIFA World Cup in 2030. In recent weeks, Surj, an arm of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, has spent a reported $1bn on a minority stake in the sports streaming platform DAZN. Doubts persist, however, about the efficacy of Saudi's sports strategy, with billions of dollars having been committed to LIV Golf, the breakaway tour whose success remains clouded by uncertainty. Sela's joint venture with Origin will include the establishment of an international headquarters in London, with a board including Sela's head of international business, Ibrahim Mohtaseb. Stewart Hosford, co-founder and chief executive of Origin Sports Group, will be CEO of Sela's London-based international operation. "Building on our strong track record of international successes, we have an exciting pipeline of events and an ambitious growth strategy for the coming years," said Mr Mohtaseb. Mr Hosford added: "We are already engaging with existing clients and exploring a pipeline of potential new clients. "Sela aims to be the world's leading operator of live sports and entertainment experiences." This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Sky News
11-03-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Saudis strike deal with Olympics hero Mills' sports group
Saudi Arabia's attempts to exert a stranglehold on elite global sports is to expand in the form of a new joint venture with the consultancy founded by Sir Keith Mills, the architect of London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Sky News has learnt that Sela, which has gained international prominence in recent years as the short sponsor of Saudi-owned Premier League side Newcastle United, will announce later on Tuesday the formation of a partnership with Origin Sports Group. The alliance will come soon after Sela agreed a collaboration with The Ring and TKO to form a new international boxing promotion company. The Gulf state has already made significant - and controversial - strides into sports including golf and tennis, and will host the FIFA World Cup in 2030. In recent weeks, Surj, an arm of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, has spent a reported $1bn on a minority stake in the sports streaming platform DAZN. Doubts persist, however, about the efficacy of Saudi's sports strategy, with billions of dollars having been committed to LIV Golf, the breakaway tour whose success remains clouded by uncertainty. Sela's joint venture with Origin will include the establishment of an international headquarters in London, with a board including Sela's head of international business, Ibrahim Mohtaseb. Stewart Hosford, co-founder and chief executive of Origin Sports Group, will be CEO of Sela's London-based international operation. "Building on our strong track record of international successes, we have an exciting pipeline of events and an ambitious growth strategy for the coming years," said Mr Mohtaseb. Mr Hosford added: "We are already engaging with existing clients and exploring a pipeline of potential new clients. "Sela aims to be the world's leading operator of live sports and entertainment experiences." Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
