Over Before it Began: Pemsel Outed as Premier League CEO Prior to Commencing Role

Following reports from various UK outlets such as the Guardian and the Daily Mail, incoming Premier League CEO David Pemsel has resigned.

The 51-year-old, who has previously worked at ITV and Shine TV, was set to begin his new role in early 2020.

But recent allegations claim that Pemsel had been in contact with a woman in her 20’s, with the conversations supposedly anything but business related.

The League went through a tumultuous time in their bid to find a successor to Richard Scudamore, who had been CEO prior to the turn of the new millennium.

Scudamore had been the backbone of the League for nearly 20 years, doing a fantastic job to keep everything in order.

He is a founding member of the Football Foundation, the UK’s largest sport charity which uses funds from the League and the FA to help the less fortunate realise their dreams (developing football pitches, funding community clubs etc).

When he retired, the League had the tough and almost unenviable task of replacing him. It’s comparable to Manchester United and Arsenal’s attempts to replace Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, respectively.

It’s no mean feat and unfortunately for those in power, they chose the wrong man for the job.

However, with Pemsel out of the picture, now is an opportune time to rewrite those wrongs and hire someone who they can bank on.

They not only need to hire someone they can trust, they need to hire someone and make a statement that they will no longer tolerate the mistreatment of women in the media.

Pemsel is not an outlier when it comes to this and the League need to buck the trend.

Hiring a woman for the job is the immediate thought that springs to mind, but they shouldn’t limit themselves to that.

If they can find someone who has a firm grasp of what can and can’t be said or done to women in the media, then they are on the right track to regaining some faith from the public.

The League has come under fire for this debacle and it’s not hard to see why. But while people won’t forget Pemsel and his legacy as CEO, if they can take a stand and get back on the right path, then this is definitely repairable damage.

The League should also look to Scudamore and his legacy as CEO. He never took a backwards step and helped build the Premier League into the most respected top flight in European football.

He was responsible for the punishments handed down to Ashley Cole, Jose Mourinho and the Chelsea Football Club following Cole’s controversial transfer from fierce London rivals Arsenal.

He was also a part of the ‘Game 39’ proposal that immediately turned away fans. But he noticed this and quickly shut it down, knowing just how little the fans were on board with the idea.

They need to reflect on the lasting impact Scudamore left and realise the duty they have to not do him a disservice again.

Interim CEO Richard Masters is set to continue in the role until the screening process is concluded.

 

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IMG takes commercial lead on inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup

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Image Credit: Vietnam Football Federation

IMG has been appointed to lead the global commercialisation of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, giving the new Southeast Asian national-team competition an established international sports business partner ahead of its first edition.

Under the strategic partnership, IMG will manage worldwide media and sponsorship rights sales while also overseeing broadcast production for the tournament, which takes place from 24 September to 5 October across Indonesia and Hong Kong, China.

The inaugural competition will feature 14 national teams, including all 11 ASEAN members alongside guest nations, with matches split between two divisions. Division 2 fixtures will be played in Jakarta and Badung, while Division 2 matches will be played in Hong Kong.

The agency’s role will include selling sponsorship and media inventory internationally while helping establish the broadcast infrastructure required to present the tournament to audiences outside Southeast Asia.

The partnership builds on IMG’s existing strategic relationship with PT Garuda Sepak Bola Indonesia, which has been working with the Football Association of Indonesia since 2025 on areas including commercial strategy, media rights, production and digital development.

For FIFA, the tournament creates another international football property in a region with a large and increasingly connected football audience.

For IMG, it adds another major regional property to a football portfolio that already includes competitions and organisations across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

The immediate challenge will be turning the inaugural tournament into a sustainable commercial property capable of attracting broadcasters and sponsors beyond its first edition.

If successful, the FIFA ASEAN Cup could provide Southeast Asian national teams with a recurring commercial platform while giving IMG another foothold in one of football’s developing markets.

GIS Sydney continues to connect students with Australia’s sports industry

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Image Credits: Global Institute of Sport

Following the launch of its Sydney campus in 2025, the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is continuing to establish itself in the nation’s sports industry. A leading provider of degrees and executive education in sport, GIS provides students the chance to study at two of Australia’s biggest sporting venues: Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Programs such as Sports Analytics and International Sports Business are delivered in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, and feature the chance for students to gain exclusive access to the sports industry.

More than 50 guest speakers have shared their experience with students studying at GIS Sydney, representing organisations like FIFA, Red Bull, Cricket Australia, and the AFL. While learning about the regional and national sports industry in the classroom, students have also had the chance to gain an international perspective through GIS’ signature Global Sports Summits, which have given Sydney students access to iconic sporting venues around the world from London to Miami.

Outside of the iconic venues students can call their classrooms, the organisation prioritises the real, industry placements needed to put theory into practice by providing each student with 140 hours of relevant work experience throughout their studies. Included in this are several sporting organisations who are keen to welcome GIS students on board, including the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA), Football Coaches Australia, and Basketball NSW.

GIS also has a partnership with popular network and app Yakka Sport to connect students with paid employment opportunities while they study.

Behind these advancements at the GIS Sydney campus is an Industry Advisory Board which features a host of experienced figures from the world of sport. Included in the Asia-Pacific branch is Chair James Rosengarten, GM of the Melbourne Renegades; Kevin Jang, Managing Director of CAA Stellar Korea; and Brad Lloyd, GM of the Carlton Football Club.

Since launching, GIS’ Sydney campus has ultimately combined its locations and industry connections to provide the next generation of sports professionals with the knowledge, network, and confidence to tackle the rapidly evolving sports industry.

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