U.K. Premier League Cancels Broadcasts In Russia As Sports World Reacts To Ukraine Invasion

The U.K. Premier League said Tuesday it suspended its agreement with Russian broadcast partner Rambler (Okko Sport) and pledged £1 million “to support the people of Ukraine.”

The International Gymnastics Federation banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials—including judges—from participating in competitions starting March 7 until further notice, including next week’s Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.

WWE said Thursday that it is no longer partnering with Russian broadcaster Match and shut down the WWE Network in the country, eliminating access to Smackdown and its other shows, and live programs like WrestleMania.

Formula 1 said in a statement reported by the BBC that it cancelled its “ meaning Russia will not have a race in the future.”

Russian billionaire and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich announced Wednesday he would be selling the club after members of Parliament said he shouldn’t be allowed to own a team amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, adding all net proceeds from his sale will be donated to a newly established charitable foundation that will benefit victims of the war in Ukraine: “I do believe this is in the best interest of the Club,” he wrote in a release Wednesday.

The announcement comes days after Abramovich handed control of the club over to trustees of the team’s charitable foundation, following MP Chris Bryant’s statement that Abramovich—a Russian oligarch and politician before his purchase of Chelsea in 2003—was unfit to own a team in the U.K. and that the country “should be looking at seizing some of his assets.”

Earlier this week, the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women’s Tennis Association announced Tuesday that Russian and Belarusian tennis players can continue to compete in tournaments “at this time,” though they cannot compete under the name or flag of Russia or Belarus.

The National Hockey League, which has the most Russian athletes of any of the four major U.S. team sports, announced Monday it is suspending its relationships with all its Russian business partners and will not consider Russia as a location for future competitions.

The NHL—which pointed out some 50 Russian players are in the league—said it “condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urges a peaceful resolution as quickly as possible,” adding it was pausing its Russian language digital and social media sites.

“Please, no more war,” Russian-born Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, a vocal supporter of Putin in the past, said during a press conference Friday, adding Putin is “my president” and the war is “a hard situation right now for both sides”—prompting Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek to tweet in outrage, calling him a “chicken shit” and referring to Putin as a “mad killer” before demanding the NHL suspend contracts for all Russian players.

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” FIFA and UEFA said in a joint release Monday, barring the Russian team from participating in any competitions.

FIFA initially condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Sunday, stating in a release, “Violence is never a solution” before announcing it would hold no international competitions in Russia, forcing the team to play on neutral territories without spectators under the name “Football Union of Russia (RFU)” rather than “Russia,” and not allowing it to fly a Russian flag or play the Russian anthem at games.

England said Sunday it would join Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic in refusing to play against the Russian national team to “whole-heartedly condemn the atrocities being committed by the Russian leadership,” according to Reuters.

the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday requested sports bodies ban athletes from Russia and Belarus in response to Russia’s invasion, and stripped Russian President Vladimir Putin of his Olympic Order award.