Sky Sports and Kick It Out Renew Their Partnership

Sky Sports and Kick It Out have agreed to extend their partnership for an additional year, reaffirming their shared dedication to creating a more inclusive football environment. This one-year extension marks the sixth year of their collaboration, with Sky Sports investing £1m in a combination of financial and value-in-kind support to combat discrimination and foster career opportunities within the sport. Over the past year, Sky Sports has backed 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, as well as the Raise Your Game programme, which provides opportunities for young people from underrepresented communities to break into football. The 'Football United' strategy was unveiled at an event attended by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, with Sky Sports News presenter Bela Shah hosting the launch. Bela also mentored two Raise Your Game delegates, Elliott-Jay Henry and Razaq Folarin, who co-hosted an event for the first time after meeting Bela at Sky Sports Studios. Razaq praised Bela's guidance, saying, 'Everything she said was so valuable to me.' Sky Sports also helped promote Kick It Out's partnership with Guinness 0.0, which aims to make pubs more welcoming, with Clinton Morrison attending the launch event. The partnership will provide training for thousands of Greene King staff to create a more inclusive environment and identify football-related discrimination. Furthermore, Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth hosted Kick It Out's Media Raise Your Game event, where a record number of attendees participated in a workshop delivered by producer Maryam Chaudhary and reporter Chris Reidy. Additionally, Sky Sports produced a documentary about Kick It Out founder Lord Herman Ouseley, which was shown on Sky Sports and at England's game against Latvia to coincide with what would have been his 80th birthday. The documentary aimed to educate younger audiences about Lord Ouseley's impact on the organisation he founded over 30 years ago. The film was also showcased on LED screens around Wembley Stadium. As part of Sky's £30m commitment to addressing structural inequality, the company's multimillion-pound investment in Kick It Out has supported several initiatives over the past six years. These include a joint scholarship programme with the University of Liverpool Management School, which has enabled eight candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to earn an MBA in Football Industries. The investment has also supported Kick It Out's digital learning platform, The Academy, which has provided educational content on equality, diversity, and inclusion to almost 5,000 people. Hollie Varney, COO of Kick It Out, stated, 'Our partnership with Sky has grown over the past six years, providing unique education and development opportunities for underrepresented communities in football. This is at the heart of our new 'Football United' strategy, where we aim to create a more reflective and inclusive industry, both on and off the pitch, and ensure that everyone in the game stands up to discrimination.' David Carrigan, Group Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing at Sky, added, 'Kick It Out has been a vital partner in driving forward a more inclusive and representative game. Extending this partnership reflects our long-term commitment to tackling structural inequality in football, not just through funding, but by using Sky's platform and influence to create opportunities, amplify voices, and challenge discrimination.' Sky Sports is dedicated to maintaining a hate-free environment on its website and social media channels, and encourages users to report any instances of hate speech or discrimination.