Mastercard partners with NWSL and drives gender equity platform
May 17 – Global payment and technology provider Mastercard is joining the National Women’s Soccer League as an official partner in a multi-year deal.
Football Marketing
Argentina FA to join crypto community with Socios.com fan token launch
May 14 – Socios.com have expanded their blockchain driven Fan Token cryptocurrency platform from clubs to national federations, with The Argentine Football Association (AFA) being the first to sign on for the launch of the national team’s Official $ARG token.
LaLiga buys back beIN TV rights to US for new 8-year ESPN deal
May 14 – LaLiga has signed an 8-year deal with the streaming arm of US sports broadcaster ESPN. The deal covers English and Spanish language rights.
Premier League set for approval of roll-over TV deals in UK; £100m sweetener for EFL
By Samindra Kunti
May 12 – The Premier League is set to be given government approval to roll over its existing television deal with domestic broadcasters for a further three years, with the league claiming that “the renewals will provide financial certainty to clubs throughout professional football”.
Everton sign new partnership with fintech specialists Sokin
May 12 – Premier League Everton have signed fintech business Sokin as the club’s Official Global Payments Partner.
Man Utd fans hit club where it most hurts as THG rethink £200m deal
May 10 – While the sanctions issued by UEFA to the European Super League rebel clubs are being regarded by many, in the Premier League in particular, as nominal, Manchester United face a far more financially painful outcome with the loss of the club’s training kit sponsorship.
Serie A partners with Crypto.com and NFTs from Atalanta vs Juve Coppa Italia final
May 7 – Italy’s Serie A has become the first football league to embrace the potential of cryptocurrency, unveiling Crypto.com as a partner and launching the collaboration at the Atalanta vs Juventus Coppa Italia final (May 19) with a special NFT collection, including the official trophy and match highlights.
Sheeran and Ipswich Town strike an accord with one-season shirt deal
May 7 – Musician Ed Sheeran has become a shirt sponsor of Ipswich Town, once a powerhouse of the English game but in modern times a middling League one club.
Bayern and Canadian ace Davies to launch NFT on Binance crypto platform
May 7 – Bayern Munich and Canadian starAlphonso Davies has become one of the world’s first players to embrace cryptocurrency opportunities with the planned launch of a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) collection in June 2021.
Fox Sports picks up 1,500 hours of Conmebol rights for US
May 6 – US broadcaster Fox Sports has added English language rights for Conmebol’s competitions in a six-year deal.
SPFL winners Rangers agree record shirt deal with Kindred Group betting brands
May 6 – Scottish champions Rangers have renewed their shirt sponsorship with Kindred Group betting brand 32Red in what the club is saying is a record deal.
UEFA delivers for FedEx with Champions League added to sponsorship roster
May 5 – Logistics giant FedEx has added the UEFA Champions League to its Europa League and National Team sponsorships in a three-season deal giving it coverage across all of UEFA’s men’s competitions.
Pan-Asian broadcast shake-up as Fox Sports announces closure
April 30 – The Walt Disney Company will shut down Fox Sports Asia this year, bringing to an end the existence of one of the continent’s longest-standing sports broadcasters.
Hisense returns to World Cup action with Qatar 2022 deal
April 29 – Chinese consumer electronics company Hisense is returning as a World Cup sponsor for the Qatar 2022 edition, having debuted with FIFA in Russia in 2017 and 2018.
Premier League seeks to roll over £1.5bn domestic TV deals, asks for government approval
April 28 – The Premier League’s underpinning £1.5 billion domestic TV rights deals could be rolled over for at least another two years if government agrees to waive any competition law concerns.