The Latest Breaking News from Michael Payne

Starmer leadership in peril as ‘Cabinet ministers tell him to consider position’

Dozens of MPs have demanded the Prime Minister stand down.

Evening Standard · May 11

Olympic politics, intrigue and sports marketing history recounted in IOC insider's new book

Political pressure on Olympic officials, like in the case of the Ukraine skeleton racer’s memorial helmet at the Milan Cortina Games, is nothing new, according to a long-time IOC insider

The Independent UK · Feb 18

Paralympics' Vote To Lift Russian Suspension 'Bold Step' As Conflict Rages: Ex-IOC Executive

The International Paralympic Committee's decision to lift the temporary suspension of Russia and Belarus is a "bold step" but "many will argue it is premature" while the conflict continues, a former IOC executive told AFP. The vote at the IPC's general assembly in Seoul on Saturday was a close-run thing…

International Business Times · Sep 30, 2025

LVMH's Publicity In Olympics Ceremony Raises Eyebrows

LVMH's high profile and highly visible product placement in the Paris Games opening ceremony surprised marketing experts and raises the possibility it could cause problems for the International Olympic Committee with their long-term sponsors.

International Business Times · Jul 27, 2024

‘Playing Russian roulette with your health’: my encounter with LA’s raw-milk, powdered-meat smoothie

As bird flu spreads through US cattle, a hip California grocery store is making a smoothie from unpasteurized dairy and a supplement made from organs

The Guardian - US · Jun 9, 2024

Coe Divides Olympic Movement With Prize Money Move

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe's decision to award prize money to Olympic gold medallists may have been welcomed by athletes but the move has upset some of his fellow federation bosses and surprised seasoned observers of the Games.

International Business Times · Apr 19, 2024

Hope Yet For Future Of Battered And Bruised Commonwealth Games

The future of the Commonwealth Games has once again been plunged into doubt since Malaysia declined to host the 2026 edition last week, but according to former Olympic marketing guru Michael Payne "it would be wrong to write the event off just yet."

International Business Times · Mar 29, 2024

In world 1st, dairy cows in Texas and Kansas test positive for H5N1 bird flu

Unpasteurized milk samples and throat and nose swabs from cows on U.S. dairy farms have tested positive for bird flu, marking the second known cases in ruminants in the U.S.

LiveScience · Mar 26, 2024

Pressure On Paris Games 'To Kickstart New Olympic Golden Era'

The Paris Games has the chance to "kickstart a resurgence of the Olympic brand" following the last two Covid-affected editions and the doping-blighted 2014 Sochi Winter Games, former IOC marketing executive Terrence Burns has told AFP. With just six months to go to the opening ceremony in the French capital,…

International Business Times · Jan 24, 2024

Feuds, truces and dollar signs: how five sports made cut for 2028 Games

Negotiations were fraught but the financial figures meant an uneasy peace was brokered between organisers and the IOC

The Guardian - UK · Oct 10, 2023