View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Business
April 15, 2011

Sunday Sport set for 8 May return

By Andrew Pugh

The Sunday Sport looks set to return on 8 May – just over a month after closing down.

West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan is believed to be in advanced negotiations with administrator BDO.

A spokeswoman for BDO confirmed negotiations were taking place but would not confirm Sullivan’s involvement, claiming it was a ‘commercially sensitive issue”.

On his Twitter page yesterday, former editor Paul Carter claimed the Daily Sport’s future ‘is very much secure”, with Nick Appleyard remaining as editor and Mark Harris as managing director.

A report in The Guardian claims that Sullivan, who originally launched the Sunday Sport in 1986, has offered “less than £1m” for the Sunday Sport, and that the deal does not include its sister title the Daily Sport.

Both papers ceased publication on 1 April when parent company Sport Media Group went into administration.

On 5 April all 80 staff were issued with redundancy notices after a meeting with BDO partners administrators Dermot Power and Patrick Lannaga.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Sport Media Group, which bought the Sport titles in 2007 for £50m, cited an ‘insufficient recovery’for its poor sales last year, which lead to crisis talks with its bank.

Sport Media Group was bailed out in April 2009 by former owner Sullivan and Gold Group International, who agreed to a loan of £1.68m to help restructure the business. Sullivan also took a 9.9 per cent stake.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network