World Cup 2026 is on track to become the biggest betting event in history, with global wagers expected to exceed $50 billion as sportsbooks report record-breaking activity driven by the expanded tournament format and growing legal gambling markets.
Cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is a strategic move by Olympic leaders to tap into India's massive fan base and commercial power, aiming to attract billions of new viewers and strengthen the Games' appeal in key markets.
The FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina garnered nearly 63 million viewers in the United States, setting new viewership records and highlighting football's increasing popularity in the country.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) from various organisations to conceptualise, develop, and manage a new professional badminton league in India. The initiative aims to create a sustainable league structure focused on commercialisation, fan engagement, and long-term growth of the sport. Interested parties must demonstrate strong financial capability and experience in managing sports leagues, with proposals due by June 30.
An analysis of the disparities in India's sporting culture, highlighting the challenges faced by non-cricket athletes and the systemic changes needed for India to become a true sporting superpower.
Early data from the World Cup indicates that sportswear giant Adidas is currently gaining a significant advantage over rival Nike in brand visibility and sales. Adidas, an official sponsor, is seeing a substantial surge in apparel spending and foot traffic, particularly driven by jersey sales. While Nike's business is also growing, it is being outpaced by Adidas, which appears to have a more resonant product offering. Nike, facing declining market share and intense competition, is relying on the World Cup for a boost, though its footwear presence remains strong.
While SUVs have steadily gained share across the industry, data shows that nearly three in 10 luxury vehicles sold in India are sedans, highlighting the segment's resilience despite years of SUV-led growth.
Bajaj Auto plans to increase its annual production capacity by nearly 25 per cent, from around 7 million to over 9 million vehicles, in the coming quarters. This expansion is driven by strong export demand and rapid growth in electric vehicles, which have stretched current capacity across key product segments.
Morocco's impressive rise in global football is uniquely funded by its vast phosphate reserves, with the state-owned OCP Group investing heavily in national team development. This strategic investment, driven by a royal directive, supports training academies and infrastructure, contributing to the nation's recent successes like reaching the 2022 World Cup semi-finals and hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The country's abundant phosphate resources provide a stable economic base for these ambitious sporting endeavours.
Rudi Garcia's comments about Senegal's tactical structure, along with other pundit remarks, have reignited scrutiny over racially coded language in World Cup commentary, drawing criticism from scholars and anti-racism advocates who argue such language perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Black players and African teams.
Bollywood actor John Abraham has acquired co-ownership in the Rotterdam Dockers, a franchise participating in the inaugural European T20 Premier League. The league, featuring six city-based teams, aims to boost cricket's growth in Europe and includes other cricketing legends in its ownership and leadership groups.
Following a ban on real-money gaming, Dream Sports, the parent company of Dream11, is strategically expanding its portfolio across 11 companies, including a new venture into wealth management and stockbroking, with a focus on serving a mass user base through AI-first solutions, cofounder Harsh Jain confirmed.
Ivory Coast is set to face Norway in a World Cup Round of 32 match, with much attention on Norway's star striker Erling Haaland. While Ivory Coast's defence, featuring Ousmane Diomande, will focus on containing Haaland, their coach Emerse Fae also plans to unleash their own array of attacking talent, including Yan Diomande and Nicolas Pepe, to challenge Norway.
Despite the World Cup returning to their country for the first time in four decades, many in Mexico said they feel excluded, priced out of stadiums, forced to pay for expensive TV subscriptions and constrained by strict licensing rules.
Former West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas has been summoned by police in connection with a case related to chaos at a Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium last year. The summons follows an FIR lodged by event organiser Shatadru Dutta, accusing Biswas of black-marketing tickets, extortion, and cheating.
Kosovo is on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, a significant achievement after overcoming a sporting ban during Serbian rule in the 1990s.
India is set to amend its National Anti-Doping Act to criminalise the trafficking and distribution of prohibited substances to athletes, with potential jail terms for suppliers, including medical practitioners who knowingly prescribe banned drugs. The amendments are open for public feedback until June 18 and are expected to be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament.
Over 300 delegates are expected to attend SportzBiz 2003.
The National Anti-Doping Act will be modified to criminalise trafficking and distribution of prohibited substances to athletes, with jail terms of up to five years for suppliers.
Mercedes-Benz India is exploring a larger role for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in its portfolio, with plans to potentially introduce the technology in more models beyond the newly launched S-Class plug-in hybrid. This strategy aims to cater to luxury car buyers who are hesitant about fully electric vehicles due to concerns over charging infrastructure and range.
The India vs Pakistan match in the Women's T20 World Cup created a new record as the most-attended group-stage game in the history of the ICC Women's World Cup.
From online abuse targeting cricketers' families to paid hate campaigns and bot-driven fan wars, cricket's social media ecosystem has spiraled into a toxic industry driven by outrage, algorithms and commercial interests.
'I own a few cars that I have had specified minutely to my taste, and it does feel nice to know that there are no other vehicles like them anywhere in the world.'
In the latest Rediff series exploring non-traditional careers, Sandeep Goel, professor and dean-research at MDI, Gurgaon lists a range of high-growth finance careers beyond CA, CS, and MBA degrees.
Punjab Kings co-owner Mohit Burman anticipates a significant increase in the next IPL media rights cycle, potentially reaching 20-30 per cent, driven by recent high-value franchise acquisitions and the league's consistent engagement.
Liverpool have sacked manager Arne Slot after a disappointing second season where they failed to defend their Premier League title and missed out on Champions League qualification.
Kushal Das played a pivotal role in organising the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India.
'...would obesity still be a global epidemic?'
Kushal Das, former AIFF general secretary, passed away at 66. He played a key role in developing Indian football, including organising the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Major champion Justin Rose is set to make his professional debut in India at the DP World India Championship. The tournament, co-sanctioned with the PGTI, boasts a significant prize fund and underscores India's growing importance in elite golf.
Millions of soccer fans in the world's two most populous nations may not be able to watch the World Cup that starts next month, due to a deadlock over broadcast rights in India and no official decision in China.
WADA President Witold Banka acknowledges India's doping problem but recognises sincere efforts to address it, including participation in Operation Upstream.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is shifting its focus from individual athletes to the criminal networks that supply performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), recognising that athletes are often victims of sophisticated doping operations.
India's leading passenger vehicle manufacturers are significantly increasing investments and factory capacities, alongside planning major product launches for FY27, driven by strong confidence in sustained domestic demand growth despite global geopolitical tensions and supply chain risks.
Italian football is experiencing a significant crisis following the failure of its clubs in European competitions and the national team's continued absence from the World Cup.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is largely bullish among analysts following its Q4FY26 results, driven by strong SUV demand, a robust product pipeline, and improving growth visibility across segments, despite near-term margin pressures from rising commodity costs and potential weakness in the tractor cycle.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Aroop Biswas's resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress said.
Data from used-car platforms suggest that buyer preferences have remained broadly stable post-GST, with SUVs retaining their dominance even as price adjustments played out across segments.
Samsung has introduced its top-tier Galaxy S26 Ultra in India, unveiling it alongside the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+. The premium handset features a spacious 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen and debuts an innovative Privacy Display function designed to enhance on-screen discretion.
London Olympic Games silver medal-winning pistol shooter Vijay Kumar has been signed up by sports marketing firm, 'Percept', which will manage the Army marksman's brand image and endorsements.
