TV scheduling row: Game, set and match to FIFA in Wimbledon clash
July 6 – FIFA says it will not back down after scheduling next year’s World Cup final kickoff in Russia on the same afternoon as the Wimbledon men’s tennis final.
Football Marketing
Toyota race to start line with last-minute Gold Cup sponsorship deal
July 6 – With 48 hours to go before the kick-off of the Gold Cup at The Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, CONCACAF have announced another last-minute sponsorship sale with Toyota coming on board as the Official Motor Vehicle of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Premier League pirates. English fans turn to illegal streaming to watch their teams
July 4 – Nearly half of Premier League fans have at some stage streamed a top-flight game online through an unauthorised provider, according to a survey conducted by the BBC.
Spurs join Chelsea on Nike roster in £30m kit deal
By Paul Nicholson
July 4 – Nike have added Premier League Tottenham Hotspur to their club kit supply roster in a multi-year deal that begins next season. The announcement was made formally at the launch of the club’s new playing strip.
Aston Villa bet on Terry to take them up. Unibet wager on Villa to get there
July 4 – He may not be everyone’s cup of tea and has courted controversy throughout his career but former England and Chelsea captain John Terry has resisted the temptation to try and join the exodus to China by signing a one-year deal with second-tier Aston Villa at the age of 36 for one final challenge.
Bavarian brothers: Bayern and Siemens form new technology alliance
July 4 – Munich-based German engineering firm Siemens has been named as the Performance Partner of FC Bayern München in a three-year deal starting with the new season.
BODYARMOR takes a tournament sponsorship slug of the Gold Cup
July 3 – With the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicking off next Friday (July 7), BODYARMOR SuperDrink has signed up as the tournament’s hydration partner. The launch was given star power with the roll out of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.
Italian federation sets October date for first Hackathon in Trento
June 30 – The Italian FA (FIGC) is to run its first Hackathon in conjunction with the University of Trento October 15-16. The FIGC is inviting registrations to event which is open to participants internationally.
PSG vs Juve, Barca vs Real: Miami prepares to put on a party for Europe’s giants
June 29 – It may be a month to go before the match but Relevent Sports, organisers of the International Champions Cup, are ramping up the promotion of the El Clásico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 29.
Man City times eSports tournament for US fans with pre-season tour
June 27 – Manchester City is venturing into the area of eSports promotion and will host its first eSports tournament open to fans in the US – the Man City FIFA 17 Cup – on the Battlefy platform to coincide with the club’s pre-season 2017 tour to the US.
Mexico gear up for new national team sponsorship with Jeep deal
June 27 – FCA Mexico and the FCA National Dealer Association of Mexico have announced a two-year sponsorship of Mexico’s National Soccer team which will see the Jeep brand providing the official vehicles for the Mexican national team.
Tax hike forces SportPesa to drop Kenyan sponsorships but its Euro deals hold strong
June 27 – Kenyan online betting operator SportPesa is to pull out of its sponsorship of the Kenyan Premier League and the Kenyan Football Federation after the government introduced a new law imposing a 35% tax rate of gross profit on all gambling activities.
Bundesliga reports record crowds at 40,693 per game and 91% full over season
June 26 – Germany’s Bundesliga has reported a new attendance record for its top two divisions in the 2016/17 season.
FA cashes out of gaming sponsorship ending Ladbrokes deal after just one season
By Mark Baber
June 23 – After a three month review, the FA is to end all sponsorship with betting companies starting from the end of the 2016-17 season.
Tempobet puts its money on Burton Albion for second season in Championship
June 22 – On the same day that the English FA were ending their Ladbrokes deal and all brand association with betting sponsors, Burton Albion in the English Football League Championship were announcing the renewal of their shirt sponsorship with Tempobet.