By Paul Nicholson
December 11 – The debate over gambling ads in the UK has intensified with League One side Luton Town saying it has rejected sponsorship from betting companies while Sky CEO Stephen van Rooyen (pictured) has argued that banning gambling ads from being broadcast during matches will only drive that marketing spend online.
December 11 – Adidas have signed their first eFootball sponsorship deal focussed on the Chinese market with Olympique Lyonnais backed Lyon EDG for their FIFA Online 4 team.
December 10 – Two days after PSG issued a statement saying it would be selling neither Neymar or Kylian Mbappé to avoid any potential financial fair play sanctions, the Qatar National Bank (QNB) has announced star striker Neymar as its Global Brand Ambassador.
December 10 – Chinese Super League Jiangsu Suning have signed Korean electronics brand Samsung as a main sponsor for three seasons starting with the 2019 season.
December 7 – The Daily Fantasy Sports sectoris alive and well, was the message coming out of the Summit of iGaming Malta (SiGMA) session on the fantasy gaming sector.
December 6 – UEFA Women’s Football has signed a landmark seven-year sponsorship with Visa that will run until 2025.
December 6 – British gambling companies have struck a ground-breaking deal which will see the end of their tv adverts during live matches.
December 4 -A new digital platform has launched curating content from some of the world’s biggest players that focusses on their lives off the pitch.
November 30 – The Mexican football federation (FMF), which has long been touring the US with its national team, has agreed a deal with the Dallas Cowboys, MLS’ FC Dallas, and the Dallas Sports Commission to make the AT&T Stadium its official home in the US four the next four year.
November 28 – The second edition of the European Fantasy Sports Summit (EFSS)will be held in Malta tomorrow (November 29), as part of the Summit of iGaming Malta (Sigma).
November 27 – Premier League Liverpool has added global business communications provider Mitel, already a partner of club owner Fenway Sports Group’s Boston Red Sox major league baseball team in the US, as the club’s Official Global Unified Communications Partner.
November 26 – The English Football League’s Championship clubs, still furious at the £595 million TV rights deal signed by the league with Sky Sports, were sent a message from Sky’s managing director Barney Francis that the money is a fair offer and the only one that was on the table.
November 26 – The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has signed a three-year agreement with streaming platform Footters to broadcast matches from the Segunda B and Tercera División.
November 26 – Manchester City, generally a first-mover wherever digital touches football, has signed a global multi-year partnership with Acronis, who will become the club’s Official Data Backup and Storage Partner.
November 21 – Spanish rights agency Mediapro is undergoing something of a resurgence after coming under scrutiny for its links to the South American firms that were behind much of the corruption in the football rights market that saw more than 40 individuals indicted in the US.