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.
Football Marketing
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July 3 – In an unprecedented move, Brazilian broadcasting behemoth TV Globo has rescinded its contract with Rio de Janeiro’s state football federation after Flamengo streamed their match against Boa Vista on Youtube under a temporary federal rule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.
Man City link with Capstone Games for football manager mobile game
July 1 – With virtual gaming having become the major growth area for football as the world has been in lockdown, Manchester City, one of the early adopters of efootball, has expanded its immersion in via a new regional partnership with mobile game developer, Capstone Games.
ESA survey finds confidence is returning for recovery of sponsorship business
June 30 – The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) has released results from the second edition of its ESA Sponsorship Sentiment Tracker, indicating that there is a growing confidence in the sponsorship business as coronavirus lockdown is eased across Europe.
Serie A forfeits millions as beIN forces rebate that will shake up TV rights market
By Paul Nicholson
June 29 – Serie A returned to beIN Sport TV schedules at the weekend following the last-minute conclusion of a deal between the broadcaster and the league over a reduction in the rights fees to be paid.
First Everton, now Villa. Cazoo park their football marketing bus
By David Owen
June 29 – Aston Villa, the famous old Birmingham-based club currently lying next to last in the Premier League table, have signed online car retailer Cazoo as their new shirt sponsor and “principal partner”.
Bin Laden cutout removed from Elland Rd after fan objects to being seated by him
June 25 – Promotion-chasing English Championship club Leeds United have removed a cardboard cut-out of former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from the stands at its stadium.