Sky Sports and Kick It Out Renew Partnership

Sky Sports has extended its partnership with Kick It Out for another year, reaffirming their shared commitment to creating a more inclusive football environment. This one-year extension marks the sixth year of their partnership, with a £1m investment in a combination of cash and value-in-kind support to combat discrimination and generate career opportunities in football. Over the past year, Sky Sports has supported various Kick It Out initiatives, including the launch of the 'Football United' strategy, a partnership with Guinness 0.0, and the online education platform The Academy. The Raise Your Game programme, which provides opportunities for young people from underrepresented communities, has also received support. The partnership has enabled the training of thousands of Greene King staff to make pubs more inclusive and identify football-related discrimination. Additionally, Sky Sports has produced a documentary about Kick It Out founder Lord Herman Ouseley to educate younger audiences about his impact on the organisation. The film was shown on Sky Sports and at England's game against Latvia to coincide with what would have been Lord Ouseley's 80th birthday. Sky's £30m commitment to tackling structural inequality has funded several initiatives, including a joint scholarship programme with the University of Liverpool Management School and ongoing investment in Kick It Out's digital learning platform. Hollie Varney, COO of Kick It Out, expressed gratitude for Sky's ongoing support, stating that the partnership has provided unique education and development opportunities for underrepresented communities in football. David Carrigan, Group Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing at Sky, emphasized the company's long-term commitment to addressing structural inequality in football. Sky Sports is dedicated to maintaining a platform free from abuse, hate, and profanity, and encourages users to report any hateful content.