Roma and Nike terminate 10-year deal early
July 17 – Serie A’s Roma and US sportswear giants Nike have cancelled their 10-year partnership with three years left to run on the contract.
Football Marketing
Real Madrid opens new 5-year account with Liberbank
July 16 – Real Madrid will have a new official bank from the start of the 2020/21 season. An agreement with Liberbank will see the financial institution take over from Caixabank.
Ashley’s £300m Saudi deal in balance as Qatar’s beIN Sports is ‘terminated’
By Paul Nicholson
July 15 – Saudi Arabia’s decision to “permanently terminate” beIN Sports license to broadcast in the country has been called a “sham” by the Qatari broadcaster, but also throws focus back on to the Premier League who are still to rule on whether Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund can buy Newcastle United.
Inter Milan secure first sleeve sponsor with €10m IC Markets deal
July 13 – Inter Milan have announced their first sleeve sponsorship with Australia-based currency broker IC Markets, an online provider of FX services and ECN trading capabilities.
Spanish lawmakers ban betting sponsors on LaLiga club shirts
July 10 – Betting firms will no longer be allowed to appear as front-of-shirt sponsors or hold stadium naming rights in Spain from the start of next season.
Macron bask in 5-year Real Sociedad renewal
July 10 – Macron have renewed their kit deal with LaLiga’s Real Sociedad for five more seasons, taking them through to the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Konami and Cygames to co-exist as Juventus unveil new shirt deal
July 9 – After a one-season separation, Juventus and Cygames are back together with the Japanese video game developer taking the Italian champions’ back-of-shirt position.
Real Madrid rolls out multi-platform retail plans with Santiago Bernabéu centrepiece
July 7 – Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are currently undergoing renovation of their iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium, have announced a wide ranging multi-channel retail programme.
Life in the fast lane: Beckham’s Aston Martin or the ‘Green Rocket’ Bungartz T7 tractor?
July 7 – A smart and expensive set of wheels is an essential part of the kit of the modern day millionaire professional footballer. But what happens when those wheels become less loved and surplus to requirements. What is the vehicle resale value with the celebrity attachment added to the luxury value of the car? And what if the car, or tractor, is a beautifully maintained classic?
Celtic unveil JD as retail partner just in time as on-line demand crashes club’s online shop
July 6 – Celtic’s new Adidas kit is already proving a hit with fans as the volume of pre-orders for the new training wear on the club’s online shop last Friday served to crash the site’s servers.
Telefónica goes direct with new Spanish TV deal for UEFA club comps
July 6 – Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica has signed an exclusive broadcast rights deal for UEFA’s flagship club competitions for the 2021-24 cycle covering the Spanish territory.
LaLiga wins piracy battle as Danish court rules ISPs must block illegal streams
July 6 – The war on global piracy has seen a new battle win for LaLiga who, working with the Danish Rights Alliance, have won a court ruling that pirate service Rojadirecta is illegal and must be blocked by Danish ISPs.
Flamengo’s Youtube broadcast challenges law but pushes Globo to cancel Carioca contract
By Samindra Kunti
July 3 – In an unprecedented move, Brazilian broadcasting behemoth TV Globo has rescinded its contract with Rio de Janeiro’s state football federation after Flamengo streamed their match against Boa Vista on Youtube under a temporary federal rule introduced by Jair Bolsonaro.
£350m+ at stake: Government report calls for immediate betting ad ban on shirts
July 3 – Gambling sponsorship on football shirts in the UK should be banned as a deterrant to young people being lured into betting, a British House of Lords report has recommended.
Betclic wager record amount on Ligue1 and 2 for a winning restart in France
July 2 – At last good news for French league football. Online bookmaker Betclic has agreed a three-season deal to become a marquee partner of the Ligue de Football Professional’s (LFP) Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 championships.