New formats bring fresh focus to a packed sporting calendar

Performance Communications | January 30, 2025

While my return to Long Ditton CC winter nets ahead of the new cricket season is imminent and Sunderland continues to play with my emotions in the top four of the Championship, 2025’s wider sporting schedule shapes up like no other.

Olympic and football World Cup years aside, has any other sporting calendar been so full of non-annual tier-one events? We have the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the Women’s Euros, The Ashes (men & women), the Ryder Cup and the Lions tour to Australia to keep sports fans on the edge of their seats.

While the peak of traditional sporting competition plays out, this could also be the year of sporting innovation. 2025 sees two new additions looking to become cricket’s T20 of their sport, and become a permanent fixture on the annual sporting calendar. Both are innovative creations that will engage fans, drawing new audiences and sponsors to their respective sports.

In the world of golf, the exciting tech-infused Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) has arrived with some of the world’s best golfers battling it out Monday or Tuesday night in the gap between professional tournaments, Tiger’s Jupiter Links GC beat Rory’s Boston Common GC just last night! While the 2 am start in Europe doesn’t encourage live viewing here, the combination of the innovative use of technology in the SoFi Center and the abundance of social media content will only encourage a wider, likely younger, audience to engage with golf. I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen so far and look forward to seeing how it develops over the next few months, sign me up for a round if it ever makes it to European shores!

In addition, Baller League is set to expand beyond its German origins into the UK and the US. Due to kick-off in the UK in March, 12 six-a-side teams of retired pros, released academy and futsal players will compete in London and Manchester. With the combination of social media influencers and football personalities taking charge of the teams, I foresee instant appeal across football fans of all age groups looking to see if their heroes or favourite influencers have got what it takes in this fresh new concept.

I’m excited for what the remainder of 2025’s year of sport will throw at us and will be keeping a close eye on how TGL and Baller League develop and engage with new and existing audiences.

James Sephton

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