Barca to donate Camp Nou naming rights fees to battle against Covid-19
April 22 – FC Barcelona will sell the naming rights to its famous Camp Nou stadium but donate the proceeds to coronavirus funds.
Football Marketing
Concacaf’s Montagliani says Nations League will finish, but 2022 qualifiers need re-jig
By Paul Nicholson
April 16 – Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has said that the confederation is committed to completing the Final 4 play-offs to decide its first Nations League champions, but that it will likely have to rethink the qualification process for its 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Arsenal builds its Chinese social media footprint with TokTok launch
April 15 – Arsenal has opened an official account on Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok, the world’s fastest-growing social media platform.
beIN SPORTS to broadcast PSG’s #ALLatHome Gaming Cup
April 8 – With esports providing pretty much the only opportunity for competitive action as the coronavirus lockdown grips the world, clubs and increasingly broadcasters are picking up the opportunity to engage fans.
Footy.com price comparison site raises £1.6m for global expansion
April 8 – A football merchandise price comparison website based in the north-east of England has secured a £1.625 million round of investment to fund its global expansion plans.
Eintracht Frankfurt opens new account with Deutsche Bank
April 1 – Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt is changing the name of its stadium sponsor, swapping banks from Commerzbank to Deutsche Bank in what the club describes as a “long-term Premium Partnership”.
French league short of cash as broadcasters say they will withhold rights fees
March 31 – French football is staring down the financial barrel as domestic broadcaster Canal Plus, a long-time rights holder of Ligue 1, is holding up the release of a scheduled €110 million payment.
European sponsorship hits €30.6bn for 2019, but 2020 looks a bust with 2021 next peak
March 30 – Europe’s total sponsorship by volume rose 1.9% last year, to a record €30.69 billion, according to the latest European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and Nielsen Sports sponsorship report.
Bordeaux strike €1m a year deal with adidas after 16 years with Puma
March 23 – France Ligue 1 club Bordeaux will switch its kit supply deal from Puma to Adidas from the start of the 2020/21 season.
PSG to make small screen streaming debut with Amazon docuseries
March 19 – French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are to feature in their own behind-the-scenes docuseries, produced by Amazon, later this year.
Non-league clubs see attendances leap as England’s pro-leagues forced to take a break
March 17 – The cancellation of England ‘s four professional league last weekend was a gift for the country’s non-league teams who in the eight tier on average saw a 90% increase in attendance figures as fans switched to watching local teams.
Peugeot help drive Scottish elite youth performance teams
March 17 – Car manufacturer Peugeot has supplied the Scottish FA with a fleet of new cars and vans which will used by its elite youth coaching teams.
Sportradar and Australia’s NPL partner for OTT streaming platform
March 17 – Sportradar and Australia’s National Premier League have partnered to create and OTT streaming platform for football in Australia.
TTFA’s muddy kit deal reflects a federation that has spiralled out of financial control
By Paul Nicholson
March 16 – The financial crisis that has engulfed the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) since the election of its new president William Wallace looks unlikely to be eased by the federation’s new kit deal with little known UK appareil company AVEC.
Celtic swap New Balance for Adidas in £30m, 5-year deal
March 16 – In March 2015 Scottish giants Celtic traded in Nike for another US firm, New Balance, as the club’s kit supplier in what was a record deal. Five years later New Balance is being replaced by Adidas in another new record deal.