Popular presenter Laura Woods has been named as the new host of TNT Sports, broadcaster BT Sports’ newly rebranded group of channels and streaming services.
With long-time presenter Jake Humphrey having left earlier this year ahead of the name change, Laura Woods will head up a brand new all-female lineup ahead of the new season.
Existing BT Sport presenters Lynsey Hipgrave and Reshmin Chowdhury will continue to anchor Premier League and Champions League matches, respectively, with Jules Breach providing the lead Europa and UEFA Conference coverage alongside, as well as remaining a touchline reporter.
TNT Sports announced their near team on Tuesday morning (18 July): a cast of 19 faces both new and old which the names above will head up in the studio.
Laura Woods was confirmed as the new host of TNT Sports UCL matches and all major fight nights.
Announcing her new role as lead anchor for the Champions League and all major boxing fights, Woods tweeted: “The New Chapter… Oh, hi TNT Sports and helloooooo Champions League (cue CL music). A very, very proud day for me”.
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Woods left her award-winning show on talkSPORT last month after three years of hosting alongside football legend turned close friend Ally McCoist, but McCoist is now set to join her in a co-commentary role which so many have enjoyed him in down the years.
Punditry will remain largely the same, with regulars Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch and Joe Cole returning alongside the likes of Owen Hargreaves, Rachel Brown-Finnis and Steve McManaman; Joleon Lescott, Michael Owen, Paul Scholes and Robbie Savage.
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The same goes for the commentary team, led by Darren Fletcher — who has now been with the broadcaster for over a decade — it will be bolstered by Adam Summerton, Lucy Ward and veteran McCoist.
As for boxing, Woods will be joined by ex-batmanweight and featherweight champions Carl Frampton as lead analyst, with the Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang rematch at Wembley set for 23 September.
You can find the brand-new TNT Sports broadcast lineup in full HERE.
Where to watch the Super Bowl in Manchester
Danny Jones
Game day is fast approaching and with the NFL scene getting bigger and bigger in the UK each year, more and more Mancs are left wondering where to watch the Super Bowl in Manchester.
The excitement’s really starting to build as we’re just days away from the clash between current holders, the Kansas City Chiefs and their familiar foes, the Philadelphia Eagles – but, first things first, you’ve got to pick where you wanna be in time for kick-off.
Luckily, there are a whole host of sports bars in the city centre that will be showing Super Bowl LIX right through till it finishes around 3am BST.
Oh yes, it’s a long old night but that’s why love it and if you’re still undecided as to where to go, here are a dozen places you can hunker down with some good grub and plenty of pints to watch it.
12 of the best places to watch the Super Bowl LIX in Manchester
First up on our list is the place we spend the Super Bowl pretty much every year: Blues Kitchen just off Deansgate, which promises big screens, live music, American BBQ favourites and more from 9pm.
With food and drinks served until late to keep you going throughout the long night, you’ll have an absolute ball. Book HERE.
Arguably the epitome of the American sports bar vibe here in Manchester, Shooters Sports Bar in Printworks’ Bierkeller is practically an institution at this point. Hosting NFL games for years, their various matchday packages make this one of the best places showing the Super Bowl in the UK full stop.
They’ve even had the Sky commentary team over there in past seasons, as well as being named official sponsors of the Manchester Titans American football team. If it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for us – you can sort seats for you and your group HERE.
3. BOX – Deansgate
BOX Bar opened on Deansgate back in 2021 and has quickly become one of the most popular places to watch any sport in town and it’s not hard to see why either.
With massive pitchers and steins of booze, a banging food menu built for shuffleboard at the back and screens on almost every wall, including a massive NBA-style jumbotron screen, you won’t miss a second of the action. This one always fills up quickly so book now if you don’t want to miss out.
4. Calcio! – Northern Quarter
Credit: The Manc Group
It may look like footy and games at first glance, but there is so much more to Calcio! over on Dale Street. From retro PS2 and Nintendo classics, as well as an amazing food and drink selection, this city centre sports bar has quickly become the go-to spot for hordes of sports fans.
Showing every from cricket and F1 to rugby, snooker and more, they’re one of many screening the Super Bowl in Manchester. If you’re interested in watching the Super Bowl at Calcio, you can sort your table/booth HERE.
Given students are typically the ones who don’t tend to worry about sleeping/waking up at any particular time, it’d be rude not to put a regular uni haunt and Manc nightlife favourite The Courtyard on this list.
Not only is this one of the cheapest places for a night in town, possibly the country, but it’s yet another prime location to watch the sport. You are never, we repeat, NEVER too old for Courtyard and it never disappoints when there are sports fans in.
Another all-time classic Manchester sports bar, The Directors’ Box just off St Peter’s Square in the city centre has plenty of pints, an absolutely mint menu full of sharing platters perfect for watching the game with your mates, as well as a pool table to keep you occupied during the breaks.
They’re even putting on a special menu just for the game. This is another one that packs out fast, so book now while you still can.
The Brotherhood of Pastimes and Pursuits is another tried and tested favourite come any matchday and the team over there does a great job of building a proper atmosphere across their two floors when it comes to the Super Bowl.
It’s great a post-work spot any day of the week, let alone when there are big events on like this. Food, pints, pool, table tennis and more. 10/10, no notes from us. Reserve your table HERE.
8. Tib St Tavern – Northern Quarter
Credit: The Manc Group
No list of Manchester sports bars would be complete without Tib Street Tavern, one of the most popular in NQ or the city centre in general, for that matter.
With booths for you and all your mates to pile into, massive screens filling the walls and solid grub, this place is packed out noon till night, so give ’em a ring on 0161 834 1600 to sort your seat whilst you still can. They’ve also recently had a bit of a refurb as well so you’ll be comfier than ever this year.
Nothing like the Bowl at Bunny’s. If you’ve ever been in this beloved wing-stop and rock-themed watering hole for an NFL game, you know that this place is pretty much the perfect place to be.
Arguably the best dive bar on the planet, (it’s us, we’re arguing it), and not just because the wings are 30p, there’s no bookings — you just rock up and try your luck and hope for laces out. Say no more.
10. GRUB – Green Quarter
In at number 10 is one of our favourite places in Manchester for hosting big events full stop, so it’s no surprise that it’s also going to be packed out for this year’s Super Bowl.
Projecting the big game straight onto their in-house Cultplex cinema screens, not only will tickets set you back just a tenner but they also include a welcome drink and a hot or vegan dog — now that’s what we call gameday vibes. You can sort yours HERE.
If you popped into Brickhouse for the World Cup or even the Six Nations, you’ll know the bar, club, rooftop terrace and pool hall is really killing it when it comes to live sports at the minute.
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Kicking off from 8pm and spreading across two of the three floors, this is one of the best places to grab a slice of pizza and a pint while watching the game. Better yet, their increasingly popular fan zone is absolutely free, you just need to email [email protected] or ring 0161 236 4899.
Last on our list is another cult favourite amongst NQ frequent flyers, as not only do Shack MCR specialise in all the very best kinds of food you want whilst watching live sport — wings, fries, burgers, nachos etc. — but they’re even serving up special Super Bowl platters for the occasion.
They’ll be serving scran until 1:30 in the morning and although all the private booths have already sold out, there are still some tables left for Sunday, 11 February, so book yours now.
Of course, it goes without saying that if we could chuck every one of this city’s wonderful pubs and sports bars on this list then we would, but we’d be here forever.
That being said, a literal dozen places to watch the big game in Manchester city centre should be more than enough to get you started — now it’s down to you to make sure you plan out the perfect Super Bowl Sunday for LIX 2025. Just make sure you’ve got your arse in a seat before that first touchdown.
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So, who’s going all the way this year then? Will the Chiefs retain the title or will ‘The Birds’ make up for their loss to the reigning champions back in 2023? Only time will tell.
Get lots of sleep this week because you’re going to need it!
Manchester United fans’ worst fears ‘confirmed’ as Lisandro Martinez’s season looks to be over
Danny Jones
Manchester United fans might want to look away now as reports are claiming that Lisandro Martinez’s season could be over after being stretchered off this past weekend.
The Argentine World Cup winner was visibly emotional when he was forced off in the defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday and manager Ruben Amorim was quick to admit that it looked to be a “serious situation” in his post-match interviews.
Martinez has already spent a good chunk of his time at Old Trafford on the sidelines following a recurring knee issue and it now appears as though Man United’s worst fears have become a reality once again as the defender is said to have suffered serious damage to his left knee.
According to TyC Sports‘ Gastón Edul, the first-choice centre-back has torn his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and given the severity of the injury, he is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Lisandro Martínez tore his ACL against Crystal Palace, reports @gastonedul.
Pretty much the last three letters any supporter wants to hear about one of their own players: ACL injuries are not just a season-ender but multiple instances can unfortunately sometimes mean whole careers being cut short.
However, the signs didn’t look good from the off as the 27-year-old received lengthy on-field treatment following the collision with Ismaïla Sarr before being carried off in tears, and now it seems he may have known the extent of the injury in the moment himself.
Any damage to the ACL typically means a lengthy period on the physio bench and surgery to repair the ligament, with players given a rehabilitation window of anywhere between nine months to a year or more depending on the exact nature of the tear.
However, there remain few details as to Martinez‘s condition at this stage but there have been no reports of a full rupture (ACL torn in two pieces). One thing that doesn’t need reiterating is how big a loss he is for the squad, especially given how frail they have already been in defence.
With all the focus of the transfer window the significance of Martinez injury has been largely overlooked. He was one of the few that have played relatively well recently and his presence in the dressing room will be missed. It’s a huge blow really
The centre-half had already faced long spells out of the team following his first major injury back in April 2023 when he fractured a metatarsal in his right foot and needed surgery.
United struggled without his presence and leadership in the backline and with the deputy having recently contributed with both a goal and an assist in addition to his usual duties, his absence will no doubt be felt in the starting XI.
The only saving grace for Amorim’s Reds is the arrival not only of two new defenders in left wing-back Patrick Dorgu and 18-year-old fellow CB, Ayden Heaven, but Luke Shaw has also returned to training.
Will they be thrown straight into the mix? We’ll find out when the Red Devils face Leceister City in the FA Cup at home on Friday.
Danny Jones -
18th July 2023 
