MAM
Sportz Interactive scores Blair Richardson to lead UK and Europe drive
MUMBAI : When it comes to winning fans, Sportz Interactive isn’t just playing the game, it’s rewriting the rulebook. The sports tech powerhouse has roped in Blair Richardson as director of business development to lead its charge across the UK and Europe, two of the world’s most competitive sporting markets. Based in London, Richardson will be the playmaker shaping SI’s next big innings in fan engagement and digital transformation.
Richardson’s career spans over two decades of sports, entertainment, and tech innovation. He cut his teeth in business development before a six-year stint at Reuters as commercial director for sport & entertainment, where he drove global content partnerships with Rolex, Nike, Adidas, Puma, FIFA, Sky Sports, the Barclays Premier League, and Beats by Dre. From pioneering rights clearance strategies to expanding into North America and Asia, he built a reputation for fusing commercial acumen with creativity.
His entrepreneurial streak saw him co-found Chatsuite, an AI chatbot platform that built fan engagement products for FC Barcelona, BBC, Eurosport, Xbox, WWF, and Getty Images. Later roles at Monterosa, Hex Digital, and Rehab Agency cemented his profile as a digital innovator, delivering campaigns for Nike, NBA, Google, ITV, Meta, Warner Bros, and Formula 1. Speaking on his move, Richardson said: “Sportz Interactive has already proven itself as a global leader in digital transformation for sports organisations, and I’m excited to bring my background in sports content, AI innovation, and fan engagement to this next chapter.”
SI SVP for international leagues & federations Raghav Mehta added: “His unique blend of sports and entertainment expertise, combined with a proven track record of driving innovation through partnerships with some of the world’s biggest brands, makes him the perfect leader to guide our growth in Europe and the UK.”
With a client roster already boasting the International Olympic Committee, NBA, UEFA, Disney, Google, and Formula 1, SI’s European expansion isn’t just about new turf, it’s about redefining how sport meets storytelling in a digital-first world.
MAM
Time brings TIME100 Next franchise to India with Reliance
List to spotlight 100 emerging leaders, gala set for December 2026 in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: It’s about time India’s next wave got a global spotlight and now, it’s on the list. New York-headquartered Time is expanding its TIME100 Next franchise to India, partnering with Reliance Industries Limited to launch TIME100 Next India, its first international extension of the rising leaders platform. The announcement was made at the Time100 Gala in New York by Jessica Sibley and Nita Mukesh Ambani, signalling a strategic push to tap into India’s growing influence across sectors.
The India edition will recognise 100 emerging leaders from the country and the global Indian diaspora, spanning business, science, sports, arts and social impact. The list will be curated by Time’s editorial team and published online, continuing the franchise’s focus on identifying individuals shaping the future.
The initiative will culminate in a gala event scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, anchoring the platform within India’s cultural and business ecosystem.
TIME’s broader Time100 franchise has steadily expanded its global footprint since 2021 through events and impact-led initiatives. Executives noted that India’s growing pool of influential voices and innovators made it a natural next step for the platform’s international ambitions.
For Reliance, the partnership aligns with its broader push to support emerging talent and ideas on a global stage. For Time, it marks a timely bet on India not just as a market, but as a talent engine shaping the next chapter of global leadership.
