November 20 – Lagardère Sports, battling to retain its partnership in Africa with CAF, is finding life more collaborative in Europe and has extended its partnership with the English Football Association.
November 19 – The broadcast market may be disrupted by piracy and challenger broadcast platforms, but big money for premium product is still available if the £1.2 billion UK pay TV broadcaster BT Sport is paying for the next cycle of Europe’s Champions League is an indicator.
November 14 – The Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) who are controversially taking their Super Cup to Saudi in January for the first season of a €120 million three-year deal, have now fallen foul of Spain’s competition authorities over its invitation to tender for rights to the competition.
November 14 – Manchester City’s Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva has been suspended for one match – the key Premier League clash with Chelsea – over a tweet he sent to team-mate Benjamin Mendy, and fined £50,000.
November 13 – Dutch brewer Heineken has doubled up its sponsorship in European football adding the marquee Euro 2020 Championships to a renewal of its long running Champions League sponsorship.
November 13 – CBS Sports who entered into the US battle for control of football (soccer) broadcast rights last week with the securing of the UEFA Champions League TV deal has outlined plans for its coverage.
November 12 – UEFA has announced Takeaway.com as an official partner of the Euro 2020 championship, no value has been given for the deal which will the online food delivery service designated as the ‘Official Food Delivery Services Partner’.
November 11 – China-based football social networking and media app Dongqiudi has added Watford to a partner list that includes Manchester City and Crystal Palace, becoming the club’s official media partner in China.
By Osasu Obayiuwana
November 5 – The Confederation of African Football’s 12-year contract with Lagardere Sport (LS), which is supposed to last until 2028, is on the verge of ending. CAF has formally written to LS to terminate its contract.
October 31 – As Osasuna socios ask their board to rethink the club’s shirt sponsorship by Kirolbet, so betting company activity in football is also focussing minds in Belgium where the Belgium Gambling Commission (BGC) has opened an investigation into Jupiler Pro League club KAA Gent.
October 31 – AS Roma have teamed up with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport until June 2021.
October 30 – Sky Sports Football earns more than $1 million a month from YouTube while the top football club earner on the social media video platform, Liverpool, earns over $650,000, according to new estimates.
October 30 – LaLiga’s Osasuna will meet with betting firm Kirolbet who hold the club’s main shirt sponsorship to discuss the possibility of terminating the contract early. The current contract ends in 2021.
October 29 – Coca-Cola – sponsors of FIFA’s World Cup since 1974 and UEFA’s Euros since 1985 – has expanded its club football partnerships with a two-year deal with Serie A giants Juventus.
October 25 – Budweiser who activated a sponsorship of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the US with its post-World Cup #WontStopWatching campaign to boost attendances and profile of women’s pro clubs and players, has given the league another push forward by challenging other brands to become ‘future’ sponsors.