Chelsea sign Vitality as official health insurance partner
July 10 – Vitality, already the stadium naming partner at Premier League Bournemouth, has become Chelsea’s official health insurance partner.
Football Marketing
US Soccer to build its digital touchpoints with hackathon for new ideas
July 9 – The US Soccer Federation is to hold its first football-specific hackathon on Chicago, July 14-15, at the 1871 – Chicago’s Centre for Technology and Entrepreneurship.
Serie A says betting sponsorship ban will destabilise Italian football’s economic model
By Paul Nicholson
July 6 – Italian football faces a sponsorship crisis following a government proposal to ban on all gambling advertising, including sponsorship or promotional deals with gambling companies.
Facebook picks up premium Premier League rights market with £260m deal in SE Asia
July 6 – The entry of the giant OTT streaming services into the top tier football rights market is gathering pace with Facebook agreeing an estimated £260 million deal for live Premier League matches in south-east Asia.
Croatian cup soured by fine for ‘non-authorised beverage products’
July 6 – On the eve of their World Cup quarterfinal against the host nation, Croatia have been fined CHF70,000 for violating media and marketing rules at the tournament.
Marathonbet get deeper into CFG with Girona deal
July 6 – Hard on the heels of Betway having announced two new club betting sponsorship in LaLiga, Marathonbet has taken its first Spanish steps becoming the main sponsor of Girona FC.
Piracy: LaLiga condemns BeoutQ as world tennis bodies demand its shut down
By Paul Nicholson
July 5 – Spain’s LaLiga is the latest football rights holder to condemn the on-going copyright theft by pirate satellite broadcaster BeoutQ that is transmitting sports content it does not own. Separately world tennis’s various governing bodies and major tournaments have combined to issue the strongest demands yet, calling for the “immediate closure” of the channel.
Betway scores hattrick of LaLiga shirt sponsorships with Deportivo Alavés deal
July 5 – Betway appears to be mopping up shirt sponsor deals in LaLiga. Deportivo Alavés has become the European bookmaker’s third Spanish club in a two-year deal.
Soccerex shifts winter trade show to Miami with Concacaf’s support
July 5 – Football trade show Soccerex has announced it is taking its main winter event, until this year generally held in Manchester, England, to Miami in the US, in partnership with regional confederation Concacaf.
Amazon set to pounce on more European TV rights with LaLiga deal rumoured
July 4 – Amazon looks set to make another foray into the domestic European TV rights market, being rumoured to in line pick up the remaining rights packages for Spain’s LaLiga.
Betway expands in Spain with 2-year Levante U.D. deal
July 4 – European on-line bookmaker Betway has agreed a second Spanish shirt sponsorship deal adding LaLiga’s Levante U.D. to their roster having agreed a deal with C.D. Leganés earlier this year.
New launch LaBa360 rolls the dice with record sponsorship deal for Burnley
July 3 – Premier League Burnley have swapped main sponsor Dafabet for new launch gaming and betting brand LaBa360 in a record shirt sponsorship deal for the club.
Genius Sports wins official Premier League match data sales license for South Africa
July 3 – Football DataCo has agreed a deal with Genius Sports to be the exclusive agency to supply and sub-license official match data and fixture lists for England and Scotland’s professional leagues to licensed betting operators in South Africa.
Man City send their trophies on a pre-season tour
July 3 – With many European clubs back in training and looking towards pre-season marketing/training trips to foreign countries, Manchester City have announced that their two trophies – from their Premier League and Carabao Cup wins last season – will also be making a summer tour.
Inter tap into China’s fast growing sports tourism market with Lvmama deal
July 2 – Internazionale has unvelied Lvmama.com as the club’s Official China Travel Partner at a signing ceremony in the new Bellagio hotel in Shanghai, which was opened in June and is owned by the Suning Group which also owns the club.